CHAPTER 17
963 Words
MABEL’S POV
I laughed a little louder than necessary at something Gary said. My body moved with him on the dance floor, but my eyes kept drifting to the edge of the room where Zach stood watching. His face was completely emotionless. None of this bothered him in the slightest.
Why do I even care?
Emma’s voice echoed in my head: Don’t chase him.
I gave my head a small shake and forced myself to focus on the man in front of me.
“So what brings a woman like you to an event like this?” Gary asked, his hand resting respectfully at my waist.
I smiled up at him. “Trying something new. What about you?”
We kept the conversation light.. I laughed again at his jokes, tilting my head just enough to look effortlessly engaged. But every few seconds, my gaze slipped back to Zach.
The song shifted into a slower rhythm, and partners began switching around us. Gary gave my hand one last squeeze before letting me go, and another hand slid effortlessly into mine.
I looked up.
“Nike?”
His eyes widened just as much as mine.
“What are you doing here?” we asked at the same time.
Nike recovered first, a slow smile tugging at his lips as he took my hand and pulled me into the dance. “I like coming to these parties. Good place to make connections with other alphas and prominent men. You hear things here that regular people never will.” His eyes searched mine. “But you… this doesn’t feel like you. What are you doing here, Mabel?”
I lifted my chin. “I’ve changed. I’m not the girl you used to know.”
His jaw clenched, the easy smile vanishing. “Zach brought you here, didn’t he?”
I hesitated for half a second before answering. “Yes.”
I tried to step back, signaling I wanted to switch back to Gary, but Nike’s arm tightened around my waist, holding me firmly against him.
“Please don’t run away from me,” he pleaded.
I let out a deep breath. When he saw my shoulders relax, his grip loosened, though he didn’t let go completely. But then his eyes trailed slowly down my body, making me feel almost naked in front of him.
“You look so beautiful,” he murmured.
Those were the exact words Zach had said to me earlier. Hearing them from Zach had sent warmth rushing through me. It had taken everything I had not to blush like an i***t. But hearing the same words from Nike only irritated me.
“You are with my sister,” I hissed.
“Can we just have a conversation without you bringing her up?” he asked in frustration.
I tried to pull away, but his arm tightened again, keeping me close. “You do know Zach is not a good man for you, right?”
I blinked. “And you are?”
“What I’m saying is that Zach spells trouble. You should stay away from him. Something about him doesn’t sit right with me. I hate him.”
I scoffed, anger rising hot and fast. “Then you should get over yourself.”
Nike’s voice softened, but it only irritated me more. “I’m only looking after you. You are my sister-in-law. It’s only right that I do.”
“Newsflash—I don’t need you to look after me,” I snapped. “Leave me alone.”
He exhaled sharply. “My god, Mabel, can you stop being so difficult? Can’t you see Zach is bad luck? Everyone close to him ends up dead—his parents, his siblings. Isn’t that suspicious? One person is a tragedy, but an entire family? That’s not a coincidence. He’s a power-hungry maniac who would destroy everyone to get what he wants.”
I forcefully yanked my hand from his grip and walked away, pushing through the crowd. My heart was pounding.
Where is Zach?
He wasn’t in the corner anymore. The spot where he’d been watching me earlier was empty. A strange mix of disappointment and unease twisted in my chest.
But Nike wasn’t done. He followed right behind me, his longer strides eating up the distance. Before I could get far, he grabbed my wrist again, forcing me to spin around and face him.
“Get your hands off me,” I hissed.
He didn’t budge. His grip stayed firm, eyes intense. “What’s so special about Zach, huh? What did he do to you that you’re acting like he’s so much better than me? I made a mistake, yes, but I don’t deserve to be crucified for it forever.”
I let out a tired, bitter laugh. “I’m exhausted from this back-and-forth with you, Nike. Zach is my boyfriend, and I don’t care if he has no one else—he has me.”
Nike’s lips curled into a smirk that made my stomach drop. “Oh, dear. Do you really think Zach deserves that kind of loyalty? He doesn’t give a f**k about you.”
“What do you mean?”
His eyes drifted somewhere above my head, a satisfied glint in them. I turned slowly, following his gaze.
There, across the room, was Zach.
A young woman was pressed intimately against him, her body molded to his like they’d done this a thousand times. His hand rested low on her back, holding her closer than he had ever held me. The sight hit me like a punch to the gut. My throat tightened, and heat rushed to my face, a painful blend of anger, jealousy, and humiliation.
Nike’s smile widened. “Do you really think he’s a saint?”
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