Chapter 10 – Desperate Pleas

The next morning, Natalie sat anxiously at the kitchen table, her fingers trembling as she dialed Emily’s number. Her parents, Miguel and Cielo, sat beside her, their expressions stern, watching her every move. She put the phone on loudspeaker, feeling her pulse race with each passing second. After a few rings, the call connected, though Emily didn’t speak right away.

Natalie took a deep breath, forcing her voice to quiver. "Emily… please," she began, her tone filled with forced sorrow. "I’m so sorry. I know I’ve done terrible things, but I love Jerome. We love each other. That’s why we had a secret affair. It was never meant to hurt you, Emily, I swear. Please… I regret everything."

She glanced at her parents, who motioned for her to keep pushing. Miguel raised an eyebrow while Cielo gestured with her hand, urging Natalie to make herself sound more pitiful.

"I… I never wanted things to turn out like this," Natalie continued, now wiping at her dry eyes as if wiping away tears. "Please, can we talk in person? I… I need to see you. I want to explain."

There was a brief pause before Emily’s voice cut through the silence. "Fine," she said coolly. "I’ll meet you at the campus library. Ten o’clock sharp."

The line went dead before Natalie could respond.

Miguel and Cielo exchanged satisfied looks, clapping their hands together in approval.

"Well done," Miguel said, his voice carrying a note of pride. "You did exactly what you needed to do."

Cielo leaned in with a sharp grin. "Now, when you meet her, make sure you look as pathetic as possible. Cry, beg, kneel, whatever it takes to make her feel sorry for you. We need her to want to help you. Make her believe you’re the victim here."

Natalie sighed, feeling the weight of their expectations. "I understand, Mom. I’ll do whatever it takes."

Cielo smiled approvingly. "Good. Once Emily agrees to help, Jerome won’t have a choice but to make you his mate. And when that happens, you’ll be Luna of the pack."

Miguel patted Natalie’s shoulder. "You know what’s at stake. This is your chance. Don’t mess it up."

Natalie nodded, though inside, doubt gnawed at her. Could she really manipulate Emily into helping her?

When Natalie arrived at school, something felt different. The usual hum of students was louder than usual, more charged. Excitement buzzed in the air, and Natalie couldn’t help but notice that most of the students were running toward the school field.

Curious, she stopped a girl rushing past. "Hey, what’s going on?"

The girl, barely pausing, turned her head quickly. "Elvie and Amelia are having a match!" she exclaimed, before darting off again.

"A match?" Natalie repeated to herself, confused. "For what?"

The girl was already out of earshot, and Natalie frowned. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she didn’t have time to think about it now. Emily was waiting for her at the library.

Natalie continued on her way, walking past the stream of students heading to the field. As she entered the library, the sudden quietness of the space made her uneasy. The contrast between the lively energy outside and the stillness inside was unsettling.

Emily wasn’t there yet.

Natalie glanced around the empty room, the large windows casting soft light across the rows of books. She hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the window.

From there, she could see the students gathered at the field, cheering excitedly as they watched the match between Elvie and Amelia. She squinted, trying to make sense of the commotion, but her thoughts were too tangled in the upcoming conversation with Emily.

As she stood by the window, anxiety gnawed at her. Would Emily really help her? Could she pull off this act convincingly enough? The minutes ticked by, and the nerves in her stomach twisted tighter with each passing second.

She turned away from the window and sat down at one of the tables, trying to gather her thoughts. The plan her parents had laid out seemed simple enough: make Emily feel sorry for her, convince her that Jerome was already in love with Natalie, and that the only solution was for Emily to step aside. But Natalie couldn’t help feeling a sense of unease. Emily wasn’t stupid. What if she saw through the act?

Her heart raced as she imagined all the ways this meeting could go wrong. But then she reminded herself of what was at stake: the Luna position, Jerome, and her family’s reputation. She had to win this.

Suddenly, the door to the library creaked open.

Natalie’s head snapped up, her heart leaping in her chest. She half-expected to see Emily walking through the door, but it wasn’t her. It was another student, passing through without even looking her way.

Natalie sighed and checked her phone. It was almost ten. Emily would be there any minute now.

Her mind raced with the words she would say, the tears she would force, the apologies she would cry. But beneath it all, there was fear. Fear that it wouldn’t be enough.

The seconds ticked by, stretching longer with every heartbeat. Natalie fidgeted with her hands, staring at the door, waiting. But as the minutes slipped away, a strange feeling washed over her.

Emily wasn’t coming.

Realization dawned slowly, chilling her to the core. Ten o’clock came and went, and still, the door remained closed. There was no sign of Emily.

Natalie’s breath quickened. What if this was all a trap? What if Emily had set her up, knowing she was trying to manipulate her?

Panic surged through her as she stood up from the table. She glanced toward the window again, where the crowd at the field seemed to be growing louder. The match was still going on, but the excitement outside couldn’t calm the growing sense of dread inside her.

Suddenly, the library door creaked open once more.

Natalie froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she slowly turned toward the entrance.