Chapter 25

Miranda's POV

Tears of frustration well in my eyes and I try my best to wipe them away before anyone at the school event can see. After all, I have been photographed with Sebastian all day so I doubt their wandering eyes will leave me alone.

I limp at a slow pace. The crowd has died down and there are not as many families here anymore. I sigh and hobble back to the area where the three-legged race took place.

Damn that three-legged race and damn that field. If I had didn’t go into the event with Sebastian, I would have never hurt my ankle nor would I have had to defend Ella and myself from him and his harsh words.

Who does he think he is? Was it necessary to bring Ella into the mess between us? Why does he need to know who her father is? He should be happy that it isn’t him! I know I’m ecstatic that it isn’t him!

I lean down and pick up my discarded bag. Inside, Ella’s water bottle clanks against mine. I sigh at the image of the princesses on her bottle. I pluck it from the bag and turn it in my hand.

With every fiber of my being, I wish I could have given Noah and Ella a life away from this place. I wish I could have given them a life in a castle with all of the luxury their hearts desired. A life where their only worry is what they’re going to wear the next day and not have to worry about me like how they usually do.

“Mommy!” Ella’s voice calls from behind me. I wipe away any tears that were left behind and swivel to look at her.

Ella runs towards me with Sebastian’s son, Evan, and they stop when they reach me. I look up at them from my crouched position and smile, holding my hand out to block the sun from coming into my eyes.

“My dad told me to give this to you,” Evan says. I raise my eyebrow and watch as his hand moves out from behind him. He extends a small, white spray can to me. I smile at him and take it.

I bite the inside of my cheek, though, and hold back any comment I may have about his father. That is business between Sebastian and I, not our kids.

“Tell him I say thank you, sweetie, I,” I clear my throat, “I really appreciate it.”

Evan nods and smiles at me. I stand up and look down at him, gently ruffling his hair. He giggles and Ella attaches herself to my side. I look up and notice Sebastian watching us from a distance.

My smile leaves my face and is replaced by a frown. I turn my gaze away and focus on the kids, who giggle to themselves, living in their own world.

“Hey Evan, I think it’s time for you to go home with your dad, alright?” I speak the words as nicely as I can. Evan pouts but Ella nods in agreement. She yawns and takes a few of my fingers into her hand.

“Okay…I’ll see you soon, Ella! Bye, Miss Miranda.” Evan runs away and back to Sebastian, who has to play catch up with his father.

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Lily and Harper

“I can’t keep seeing her win, Mom!” Lily whines. She stomps her foot on the ground like a child. Harper rolls her eyes at her daughter but says nothing. “She’s going to ruin everything! Why are you just sitting there? We need to do something!”

“Lower your voice, Lily,” Harper hisses. She shoots a deadly glare at her daughter. Lily closes her mouth and sits down on the couch. She crosses her arms over her chest, looking in the opposite direction of her mother.

“It’s not fair and you know it,” Lily mumbles under her breath.

“I never said it was fair, darling. I asked you to lower your voice. We are not animals like Miranda, so we must act like it.” Harper’s tone is calm. She flips through her magazine as if her daughter’s tantrum is nothing.

Lily groans and stands up. She storms around her large office. The woman inspects her wall which is littered with various pictures of her at fancy events. She smiles to herself when she sees a photo that has both her and Sebastian in it. Her smile disappears when she remembers that Miranda has come back into the picture.

“First, she’s going to take the formula. Then she’s going to take the company from us, and after that, guess what?” Lily shrieks.

Harper sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. She hesitates to respond, wondering if she should indulge her daughter in her rage. She’ll only feed into it and her words will only add more fuel to the fire.

Maybe fire is what the situation with Miranda needs…

“What is she going to take, dear?” Harper asks. She turns on the couch to stare at her daughter. Lily lurches forward, slamming her hands onto the back of the couch.

“She’s going to take our family’s fortune! Our legacy! All of our money!”

“Oh. Right. That,” Harper turns her head back to the front. She goes back to flipping the pages of her fashion magazine.

Lily gasps and her jaw drops. She circles the couch and stands in front of Harper. Her mother looks up and raises an eyebrow.

“How can you be so nonchalant about this?! We’re going to lose everything because of her!” Lily cries out. She plops onto the couch next to her mother and covers her face. “Dad’s going to be so mad at me when he comes back! I don’t want to be kicked out of the pack!”

Harper sets the magazine down and takes her daughter’s hands in hers.

“Lily. You are focused on the wrong thing,” Harper coos. Lily sniffles and sits up, scooting closer to her mother.

“So…you are worried?” Lily nervously asks.

“Of course I am. Let me worry about the money and company, okay? You should only worry about one thing.” Harper warns.

“What do I need to worry about?”

“Sebastian.” His name causes Lily to freeze. She blinks at Haprer, who releases her hands and thinks about it.

“What about Sebastian?” Lily wonders aloud.

“Clearly, Miranda is after him too. You need to focus and secure a marriage with him. You’ve taken such a long time to do so. I think your father will be more concerned with that than Miranda taking back a formula.” Harper speaks slowly and clearly so Lily can fully comprehend what she’s saying.

“Do…do you think he’ll choose her over me?” Lily’s voice trembles.

“I think that you need to squash that half-breed once and for all. She can fight for the company all she wants, but with you as the Alpha King’s mate, his Luna, you will have much more power and influence over her and her Healer M name does.” Harper continues.

The wheels in Lily’s mind begin to turn faster and faster, piecing together what her mother is telling her. Harper stands and looks down at her daughter, tilting her head to the side with a maniacal sigh.

“We will destroy Miranda in our own time, dear. Be patient, yes? We’ll ruin her image and reputation so she’ll never be able to show her face in society again. We will keep your father’s company in our hands, we will keep our fortune, and you will marry the Alpha King.”