Chapter 006
1046 Words
CLARA’S POV
I was so blinded by anger that I didn't realise I'd slapped Nate until he jerked backwards and clutched his chin with his hand. His eyes bulged as he stared at me in obvious shock and disbelief.
"How dare you?!" He growled, walking towards me angrily. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?!"
I stood my ground, unmoved by the tantrum he was throwing now. With my head held high, I closed the distance between us. "You don't get to speak to me like that anymore. I’m no longer your wife, so watch your mouth.”
He let out another growl, lifting his hand high at the same time and swinging it forward to slap me. But before he could succeed, someone grabbed his hand, stopping him at the last second. I whipped around to see Edward gripping Nate's hand in the air, the expression on his face the very definition of fury.
"How dare you try to slap her?" Edward thundered.
At the same time, several bodyguards surrounded us, and I could feel eyes on us from all over the place. Edward and Nate were still glaring at each other.
"I should have you arrested," Edward hissed. "How dare you come into my coronation and attempt to hit my wife?" The anger radiating off Edward was so intense I was amazed.
Nate muttered curses under his breath as he yanked his hand out of Edward's grip. "Just because your shiny new wife is now the Luna doesn't give her the right to disrespect me. She slapped me, and I promise I won't let it go that easily."
Edward scoffed. "I know my wife, so I know you must have said something despicable for her to slap you. Perhaps you should consider keeping your mouth shut in the future."
Nate looked like he was almost beginning to foam at the mouth. He glared at Edward. "Look here. You might be the Alpha of this territory, but that is not an excuse to lack basic manners. Besides, I am an Alpha, too, and it is well within my rights to demand an apology. I don't care if she's your wife or not. So, it's either she apologizes, or I'll have to slap her back."
“I'm only going to warn you once,” Edward told him. “If you take even one step towards my wife, I won't hesitate to abuse my powers and have you arrested immediately."
I couldn’t help but smile.
Nate glared at us both for a long minute and then scoffed, his eyes red with rage. "I see. And you, Clara…" he swore, pointing at me. "This isn't over yet. I'll make you pay, even if it's the last thing I do."
With that, he spun around on his feet and stormed out. With the way he was fuming, you could practically see the cloud of smoke that followed behind him.
I let myself wallow in the satisfaction of giving him a dirty slap. But I also knew Nate well enough to know that his last words weren't empty threats.
I was glad that Edward stepped in just in time to keep things from escalating. I admit I had gotten so carried away and blinded by anger that I let it get the better of me.
"Are you okay?" Edward asked, nudging me lightly. I could see his eyes roaming through my body for any signs of hurt.
I nodded. “I’m fine.”
"Alright, let's go in. This scene attracted a crowd, and people were watching. Let's leave."
I nodded again and didn't resist when he held my hand in his and led me back inside. The rest of the ceremony went by without a hitch, with Nate nowhere in sight.
After the customary greetings, we returned to the mansion, where we were finally alone. I was drained from all the socializing, and I just wanted to head into the shower and straight to bed. But Edward and I had a few more things to go over.
"Will you accompany me for that quality inspection of the companies?" I asked him.
"I can't. I have a meeting with the council around the same time, and I can't miss it."
"Okay."
With nothing left to say, I walked away, heading for my room.
"Clara?" Edward called.
I turned around. "Yes?"
"I know why you want to perform a quality inspection of companies in the territory. You know something, and you want to use it to your advantage. That is very clever, and I both admire and support it. But you have to be careful because you are taking a direct hit at Nate, and he obviously knows you are coming. Knowing that bastard, he would not go down that easily."
"Yes, I know that. But I have to start somewhere and take away every single thing he cherishes. This is just the beginning of my revenge."
Edward nodded. "I understand what you mean, but you must still be careful. Don’t underestimate him."
I clenched my teeth. Whether I chose to admit it or not, he had a point. As soon as this began, there would be a lot of resistance from Nate, and things would surely turn messy, even for me.
If I was going to do anything, I had to be thoroughly prepared. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.
This was something I was sure I could handle. There was no need to start overthinking it now and worrying about the outcome. I would take the difficulties down one at a time. But one thing was sure: Nate would pay for everything he did to me.
I turned to leave the room again but then stopped when I remembered something Edward had said earlier. I turned to face him.
"Why are you going after Nate?” I asked. “Back at the hospital, you mentioned that he owed you a debt. What was that about?"
Edward’s features hardened. "It's a private issue, nothing you have to worry about."
His tone was an obvious sign for me to drop it. But I couldn't help but feel like he was keeping something from me and that there was a reason why he wasn't telling me. But what?
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