Chapter 34

Miranda

A servant taps me on the shoulder as soon as I break free into the large hall. I turn and smile at them, placing my hands behind my back.

“Our Alpha would like you to sit in a seat that he has selected specifically for you,” they speak in a very timid voice, almost as if they’re afraid of me.

I used to be just like them. I kept my head hung low and minded my own business while serving. I hope they learn to overcome their nervousness and break free from the confines of the Silvertail Pack.

“Thank you,” I make sure to respond in a kind tone. They bow their head and walk away. I quickly keep up, not wanting them to disappear into the crowd. The crowd morphs into one large blob before dispersing to their respective seats.

The servant leads me to the back of the grand ballroom. We pass by other Alphas, a few of their family members and their Betas, and we even pass by plenty of low-class Omegas.

The servant pulls out a chair for me at a table that is right next to all of the trash, dishes drop off, and where the waiters hang around when they aren’t serving food. I chuckle to myself and smile, sitting in the chair.

I look to the front of the room, where my father, Lily, Harper, and Sebastian sit. Their table is lifted in the air, platformed up and above everyone else as if they are the height of society, as if we should look upon them in awe and wonder.

“Welcome, everyone,” my father speaks into a microphone. He stands from his chair and people clap. He quickly signals to them to stop. “Thank you for joining us. The meetings with the other packs have gone really well! But that is not the only progress we have made.”

My gaze flickers to Sebastian. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, his expression showing clear distaste, his lips curled into a snarl. I chuckle and shake my head, turning my attention back to my father.

“My daughter, Lily, has helped save our formula with the help of the Alpha King! May we raise our glasses to their collaboration, to their son, Evan, and to their future endeavors!”

Everyone in the room stands and grabs their champagne flutes and glasses, raising them in the air. I keep my hands on my lap, looking around the room in disbelief. I scoff. My eyes drift back to Sebastian. He remains seated, his glass not raised either.

Interesting.

The room erupts into a thunderous applause. The sound is deafening. It makes my ears ring. Some nearby wolves cheer and howl, which adds another wave of applause right as it is about to die down.

I look at the empty plate before me. It’s perfectly smooth, with no cracks or fractures in its body.

Ironic, right? It has the perfect appearance. Nobody would assume that it has microfractures inside of it. Nobody really knows just how easy it is to break a perfect plate. All it needs is a little force and pressure…

I push from the table, my chair falling to the floor with a clatter, but it’s muffled by the applause. I join in on the applause, slowly clapping once every second. I walk behind the rows of wolves and keep my eyes trained on the center table. They sit down and pay no attention to me. The room follows suit. Everyone takes their seat and sets their glasses down, their applause finally dead.

My applause, though, is still alive. The single claps echo throughout the room. One by one, people turn to look at me. They hide their whispers behind their hands, yet they still freely point to me.

My father takes a sip from his champagne flute, his lips turning down into a dissatisfied frown. Lily and Harper stare at me with crazed eyes, their knuckles turning white while holding their glasses.

I walk up the stairs and stand in front of their table. I stop clapping and look down at the man I used to love and call father.

“Let’s give another round of applause for the man of the hour everyone!” I call out, turning around to face the room. People look at each other with confused looks and there are a few scattered claps that quickly die. I turn back to my father, who is now standing with his palms flattened on the table.

“Watch your tongue, girl, or I’ll—” he speaks but quickly shuts up when he realizes that Sebastian’s eyes are on us. I smile brightly at him, swiping the microphone from the table. I circle back to the crowd and share the same smile with him.

“Hi everyone. I recognize a few faces but I doubt you’ll remember me…I served your food to you not too long ago…five years, I think,” I speak into the microphone with a chuckle.

I slowly walk down the steps and towards the next table. They lean back and away from me. I tilt my head at them and shrug.

“It’s come to my attention that you all don’t know the truth behind the Alpha that runs your precious Silvertail pack. What you see is fake. A facade that he has put on for the past twenty years to rise in the ranks. He’s a silent killer,” I look at my father, meeting his glare. My smile doesn’t falter. “Did you know that he didn’t create Moonlit Labs?” I ask a nearby person. They shake their head no.

I push away from the table and sigh into the microphone. The room is so silent that one can hear a pin drop. I make my way to a table filled with familiar faces. They all work on the Board of Directors at Moonlit Labs.

“He stole the company from a woman he once loved…a woman he once called wife. He’s erased every memory of her in this house and he’s disgraced her legacy by putting his incompetent daughter as your CEO!” I point to Lily. She gasps and turns to her father. The vein in his forehead pops out, his face red.

“That’s enough, Miranda!” His voice carries through the quiet room.

“Your wife was your mistress! You cheated on your wife for years!” I turn to Harper, making my way back to their table. “You took her spot so cruelly, Harper. You were the final nail in her coffin when you showed up with your bastard daughter.”

“Stop that right now!” Lily shrieks. I continue.

“And you, Lily…you’ve ruined Moonlit Labs. You’re motivated by greed and power. You use people around you for your own needs and never return the help they give. You belittle people, you hit them, abuse them, and use them like they are pawns,” I begin.

Gasps and hushed whispers ignite around the room. Instead of looking at me, they turn their attention to the heads of the Silvertail pack. I smirk and stand in front of the three villains.

“I suppose it’s all you’ve known, Lily. You’re a pawn in your parents’ own game of politics, a victim to their circumstances. I don’t feel bad for you, though,” I take the microphone away from my mouth and lean across the table. Lily meets me halfway, glaring at me. I whisper, “I don’t feel bad because you’ve used my son as a pawn. You took him from me and used him to manipulate Sebastian. For that, I condemn you.”

“What did she say?!” A voice from the lower part of the room yells.

“Who is she?!” Another cries out.

I drop the microphone onto the table. The feed is cut and I turn on my heel to leave. Someone grabs my wrist. I glance over my shoulder and see Lily attached to me; she’s on her knees in the middle of the table, the nearby plates and glasses sliding off the table, breaking against the floor with loud clashes.

“Daddy! Get her!” Lily screams. Harper and my father quickly scramble around the table, but a tall figure beats them to it.

“Let go of her. Now.” His Alpha voice slips through and Lily freezes. Sebastian peels Lily’s fingers off of my flesh and wraps his hand around mine. He tugs me down the stairs, dragging me in his wake, as the room erupts into pure chaos all around us.