The crowd, who had been silent up to that point, suddenly came alive.
“Did you see that? She hit Amber!”
“Elliana deserves it, though, doesn’t she? Pretending to be better than us!”
Amber’s confidence surged again, bolstered by their voices. She laughed and turned to face them. “Let’s have some fun!” she announced. “Whoever puts her in her place first gets a reward!”
Before I could react, hands grabbed at me, shoving me to the ground. Dirt was kicked in my face, and insults flew like daggers.
“Look at her now! Not so high and mighty anymore!”
“Bet all of this is just an act to get Darren’s money!”
Amber stood back, arms crossed, watching with smug satisfaction. “You wanted to make me regret this?” she taunted, pressing her heel against my cheek. “Go on, Elliana. Show me how tough you really are.”
The pull of the shift clawed at me, my wolf pacing beneath the surface. The Alpha blood in my veins burned, begging to be unleashed. My muscles coiled with the need to protect myself, to end this.
But the cool pendant around my neck kept me grounded. I bit back the urge, knowing I couldn’t shift here. Not in front of so many humans.
I closed my eyes, bracing myself, when a sudden roar of engines shattered the chaos. The crowd froze as sleek black SUVs pulled up, their presence commanding attention.
Just then, a line of sleek, high-end cars rolled up, halting right in front of the gathering.
Darren stepped out of one of the cars, his usual smug expression plastered across his face.
As soon as Darren appeared, the noisy crowd fell silent, as if someone had pressed the mute button.
Everyone's attention shifted toward him. His presence was magnetic, drawing all eyes.
The people who had been surrounding me instantly backed away, straightening up, their gazes locked on Darren.
Amber, who had been standing near me, quickly stepped aside, her posture suddenly all grace and poise.
Darren was dressed in a sharp suit that hugged his lean frame, exuding an air of confidence. His entrance was as grand as any CEO's.
Pff.
"Is that really Mr. Herault from the International Group of Companies?"
"Yeah, that's him! Check out the cars! This guy really knows how to make an entrance."
"He’s the one who got that promotion last year, right? Guess that's what being successful looks like."
"And he's not just powerful, he's good-looking too! Honestly, who wouldn’t want a guy like him?"