Chapter 4

It had been days since that last ugly scene, and I buried myself in healing—at least on the surface. I made sure every wound was cleaned, every bruise tended to, every part of me forced to look alive even when I didn’t feel it.

Calhoun didn’t ask. Not once. Not about the pain in my body, not about the way sleep refused to come to me unless I was completely drained. It was as though I was invisible.

So I kept myself busy. The party Carmela demanded had to be flawless, and that became my excuse for everything. If I didn’t think, I couldn’t feel. If I didn’t feel, I wouldn’t fall apart. But the pressure came at me like a storm. The staff followed me around with endless questions, decorators called me at odd hours about colors and flowers, the planners wanted confirmation on things I didn’t even remember agreeing to. My head never stopped pounding. And Calhoun…when he did call…it wasn’t to check on me. No. It was only to remind me of what Carmela wanted. How spectacular she expected her event to be.

By the time the four days bled into each other, I couldn’t even remember what I ate or if I slept. All I knew was the migraine drilling into my skull as I dragged myself into the venue. My legs felt like sandbags, my chest tight, but I forced myself to keep moving. The party was set for 8pm sharp, and if nothing else, it had to be perfect.

The lights dazzled, chandeliers dripping like golden waterfalls, music humming softly to welcome the elites that began to fill the hall. And then, as though she’d been waiting for the perfect moment, Carmela arrived.

I don’t think I’d ever seen a dress like that before. Midnight blue silk that clung to her figure as though it had been poured on her body, crystals embroidered along the bodice, catching every shard of light in the hall. The gown pooled at her feet in a sweeping train, the kind only seen on red carpets. Her hair was slicked back, diamonds dripping from her ears, her chin tilted with that practiced arrogance. She didn’t just walk in—she sashayed—her heels clicking like an anthem meant to remind the world she was the center of it. And, of course, the guests swarmed her with their praises.

“She looks breathtaking,” someone whispered nearby.

“That gown alone must have cost tens of thousands,” another added.

“Well, Carmela is Calhoun’s weakness, isn’t she? Look at this…look at what should have been a simple welcome party, yet here we are at what feels like a gala.”

“I remember in college,” a man chuckled, “Calhoun wouldn’t let any guy look at her twice. He beat one to a pulp just for holding her hand in a group assignment.”

“Oh, yes! And the gifts—don’t get me started. Carmela was showered with things that made the entire school jealous.”

“She was born lucky,” someone sighed. “And she still is.”

Their words sank into me like knives. I stood at the far end of the hall, trying to disappear into the shadows, clutching a flute of champagne so tightly I thought the glass might shatter in my palm. My eyes stung, but I refused to let tears fall. I couldn’t. Not here.

And then… tranquility slipped right out of reach.

I saw the way Carmela paused mid-laugh, as though she caught a scent in the air. Her sharp eyes darted across the hall until they landed on me. And the glint that flashed through them made my stomach twist. A glint that promised cruelty. She had found her prey.

Her heels carried her straight toward me, and with every step she took, my body stiffened. My chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. I wanted to move, to slip away, but my legs betrayed me, rooted to the floor.

“Elodie.” Her voice dripped with mock sweetness as she finally stopped before me. Her lips curved, but it wasn’t a smile—it was a sneer. “The decorations are decent, I suppose. The guests seem entertained. But me?” She tilted her head, her diamond earring catching the light. “I’m not pleased in the slightest.”

She leaned closer, her perfume overwhelming. “And look at you, standing here like some ornament. But tell me, how fitting is it, Elodie, that you…someone so beneath this world, are dressed so plainly? Your shoes, especially. Lower, dull. Not fit for such an occasion. So here’s what you’ll do.” Her eyes sparkled with malice. “You’ll bend down—right here, right now and fix my heel straps. They’re loose. Do it immediately.”

The world stilled. I swear it did. Conversations cut short, music dimmed into the background of my pounding pulse, and suddenly every gaze in the hall was on us. On me. Heat rushed to my cheeks, blood boiling, shame crawling under my skin. My chest burned as Carmela’s lips curled, challenging me to defy her.

I forced air into my lungs. My voice was calm when it came out, though my insides trembled. “I’m sorry, Carmela. I can’t bend. My waist still aches and I’m healing slowly.” My fingers tightened on the champagne flute until I thought it would shatter. “But if those shoes hurt badly, I can get your costumiers to bring you another pair. What I cannot do is bend.”

The silence after that was deafening.

For a moment, Carmela just stared at me. Her face froze in disbelief, like she couldn’t quite process what I’d said. It was as though the world had just tilted off its axis, and someone— me, had dared to ruin her perfect balance. I watched her eyes widen, lips parting in shock, and for a heartbeat, she looked like a spoiled child who had never been told no before.

But the shock didn’t last long. It twisted, darkened, and within seconds her pretty face was flushed with rage. Her chest rose sharply as she leaned closer, her teeth gritting.

“Did you just say no to me?” she snarled, her voice slicing through the hush of the hall.

Every gaze drilled into me. My heart thundered, but I forced myself not to shrink. My nails bit into the champagne flute as I whispered, steady but trembling inside, “I said I’m sorry, Carmela. I cannot bend. I told you I’m healing. My waist… it still hurts.”

And just when I thought the humiliation couldn’t cut deeper, fate proved me wrong.

The doors swung open and Calhoun stepped in.

My chest tightened instantly. His commanding presence filled the hall. His sharp eyes scanned the room, narrowing the second he noticed the tension. In three long strides he was near, his entire focus locked on Carmela’s face.

The moment she saw him, Carmela’s fury melted like ice under the sun. To my shock, her eyes brimmed with tears… tears she summoned faster than I could blink. Before I could even process, she stumbled forward, collapsing into his arms, sobbing as though I’d struck her.

“Calhoun,” she cried, her voice cracking beautifully, theatrically. “Please… look at how cold-hearted she has become. All I asked—” she hiccuped against his chest, her diamonds catching the light as her body trembled— “was for her to help me fix the strap of my shoes, so I wouldn’t trip and embarrass you in front of all these guests. Elodie was always so perfect in small details like these. But tonight… tonight she refused me. She looked me in the eye and told me she wouldn’t bend.”

My throat dried. My heart dropped, sinking somewhere to the pit of my stomach.

Calhoun’s eyes snapped to me, and the glare that burned from him nearly turned my blood cold. Rage… pure and murderous darkened his gaze as he pulled Carmela tighter against his side, shielding her like a treasure.

“Why would you be so cruel, Elodie?” His voice thundered, rattling me from the inside out. “Carmela is still healing, for goodness’ sake. She should not be stressed in the slightest. What’s so difficult about helping her with a strap? What?” His jaw flexed, fury lacing every syllable. “As far as you are my Gamma, you will do whatever Carmela asks of you. Whatever it is. If she wants her shoes tied, you bend down and tie them. Immediately. Do it now.”

The final snap of his words shattered what little pride I had left.

Around us, murmurs began to swell like poison.

“She’s just a Gamma. What right does she have to refuse an Alpha’s daughter?”

“Ungrateful thing, standing there as if she belongs in their class.”

“How dare she make Carmela lower herself to ask twice?”

“She’s nothing compared to Carmela. And yet she acts up?”

“No wonder Alpha Calhoun looks furious, imagine embarrassing him like this in public!”

Every word stung. Each whisper of theirs sliced deeper than the last, tearing at what little strength I clung to. My chest burned, my eyes reddened as I blinked back tears that wouldn’t stop stinging.

And then I saw Carmela peeking from the safety of Calhoun’s arms, her lips curling into a wicked, satisfied smirk. She wanted this. She had planned it. And she was winning.

Calhoun’s growl rumbled, silencing even the whispers. His gaze cut back to me. “I don’t want to repeat myself, Elodie.”

The final nail drove into me. My shoulders sagged, every muscle of mine screaming in shame, in defeat. My lips trembled as I forced myself to speak. “Yes, Alpha.”

The words tasted like blood in my mouth.

Slowly, painfully, I crouched. My waist seared in protest, sending sparks of agony through my body, and I whimpered despite my best efforts to stay quiet. The tears I had fought all evening finally welled and spilled, blurring my vision as my hand reached shakily for her heel strap.