My fingers tighten around the phone 31

Emma’s POV
The crystal wine glass shattered against my apartment wall, sending shards of expensive crystal and cabernet sauvignon
cascading across imported wallpaper like drops of blood. My hands trembled as I fumbled for my phone, hitting Bella’s
number on speed dial. One ring, two rings – each second stretched like an eternity until her voice finally cut through.
“This better be important.” Bella’s tone dripped with her usual disdain, but I barely noticed.
“She’s ruining everything!” The words burst from me in a frantic rush. “Did you see how Ethan looked at her at the ball?
And now there are rumors about them spending the night together at the hospital—”
“Calm down,” Bella cut in sharply. “You’re hysterical.”
“Hysterical?” I laughed, the sound edging toward manic. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who could lose
everything if the truth comes out!”
Silence crackled across the line before Bella spoke again, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “What exactly
happened that night?”
I paced my living room, designer heels clicking against hardwood floors in an anxious rhythm. “That idiot Jack tried to
drug her. Ethan played hero and took her to the hospital.” My fingers tightened on the phone until my knuckles went white. “They were alone together for hours.”
“And?” Bella’s impatience was palpable.
“And now there are marks on his neck! Marks that weren’t there at the ball!” My voice rose with each word. “Do you
understand what this means? If they get close—”
“She won’t.” Bella’s certainty felt like a lifeline. “The drugs I used were very fierce.”
I moved to my bedroom vanity, staring at my reflection in the antique mirror. The woman looking back was everything I’d worked so hard to become – perfectly styled hair, designer clothes, manicured nails gripping a phone worth more than most wolves made in a month. All of it built on a foundation of lies that felt increasingly unstable.
“But what if—”
“Stop.” Bella’s command held echoes of her mother’s authority. “You’re overthinking this. Aria is nothing – a disgraced
princess who can’t even shift anymore. Don’t let paranoia ruin everything we’ve worked for.”
I touched the silver wolf fang pendant hanging around my neck – Ethan’s pendant, the one I’d claimed as proof of that
night. The metal felt cold against my skin, a constant reminder of my deception.
“You didn’t see them together,” I whispered, remembering how Ethan had carried Aria from the ballroom, the way his
eyes had followed her all evening. “Something’s happening between them. I can feel it.”
“Then we need to remind everyone exactly who Aria Reynolds really is.” Bella’s voice took on that calculated tone I
remembered from six years ago, when we’d first plotted Aria’s downfall. “A fallen princess who spread her legs for any
willing male, who can’t even name her bastard’s father.”
The plan began taking shape as we talked, familiar territory after years of manipulation. By the time I hung up, my hands
had stopped shaking. I studied my reflection again, carefully fixing my makeup where tears had smudged it.
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“Time to pay our dear instructor a visit,” I murmured to my reflection, practicing the perfect blend of concern and
condescension I’d perfected over the years.
The training facility buzzed with activity when I arrived, young wolves paired off for morning combat practice. I’d chosen
my outfit carefully – a cream-colored Chanel suit that probably cost more than most of these students’ families made in a
year. The contrast between my polished appearance and their workout gear couldn’t have been more stark.
Whispers followed me across the training ground, fragments of conversation carrying clearly to my enhanced hearing.
“That’s Emma Laurent…”
“Did you see the car Ethan bought her?”
I allowed myself a small smile, letting them see the diamond tennis bracelet that caught the morning light. Let them look.
Let them envy. This was the life I’d crafted for myself, the position I’d worked so hard to secure.
I found Aria demonstrating a takedown move to a group of young she-wolves, her movements fluid despite her lack of wolf powers. She wore simple black training gear, her dark hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. The sight of her – so
capable, so respected despite everything we’d done to destroy her – made something ugly twist in my chest.
“Aria, darling!” I pitched my voice to carry, drawing everyone’s attention. “I simply had to come see you. Ethan’s been so worried since that awful incident at the ball.”
She straightened slowly, her amber eyes meeting mine with that unnerving directness. “What do you want, Emma?”
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I moved closer, making sure the students could hear every word. “Just checking on you.” I deliberately adjusted my
designer handbag – Ethan’s latest gift. “Look what Ethan bought me yesterday. Custom-made, only three in the world.” I
pulled out a matching wallet, letting the diamonds on my tennis bracelet catch the light. “He’s so thoughtful, always
surprising me with little tokens of his affection.”
The young she-wolves watching us whispered enviously among themselves. I smiled, warming to my audience. “The
house he’s having built for us is simply magnificent. Six bedrooms, a private training ground…”
“Are you done?” Aria’s voice cut through my monologue like a blade.
“I just thought you should know how happy we are,” I said sweetly. “Ethan is so generous with those he truly cares
about.”
“If you’re trying to make me jealous with material things, you’re wasting your time.” Her lips curved in a slight, knowing
smile. “Though I have to wonder – what exactly does Ethan see in you? He must be blind.”
The casual dismissal in her tone made my cheeks burn. “How dare you-”
“No, really,” she continued, her voice carrying just enough edge to make nearby students lean in. “Is it your sparkling
personality? Your fighting skills? Oh wait – you don’t have either.”
“I have Ethan’s love,” I snapped, my composure cracking. “Which is more than you’ll ever have.”