99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 83

As I emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming plate of spaghetti, Liam was still here.

He’s silently gathering bloodied gauze and cotton swabs by the sofa, straightening crumpled throw pillows and blankets.

I stared at Liam, completely stunned.

I couldn’t help but wonder what tricks he was up to? Since when did Liam ever act like this?

In the past, I’ve seen Liam deliberately step over a fallen item and call me to come and pick it up. He was lazy, the Sterling spoon was far too deep up his arse to allow him to flex, bend and clean. Yet, here he was.

Cleaning.

His behaviour now was utterly bizarre.

Still, true to my earlier promise, I returned to the kitchen. Using the same prepared seasoning, I tossed together another plate of spaghetti and set it on the table.

The moment Liam finished tidying and spotted the second plate, he hurriedly took the seat opposite

Lucien.

He picked up his fork, and with the first bite, his entire body suddenly came alive. His eyes widened in gleeful surprise, and he briefly looked up at me in disbelief.

He wolfed down the entire plate, then smacked his lips before pausing to dab his mouth with a napkin.

“You know, it’s strange,” he remarked. “I never thought much of this dish before, but now it tastes better than anything else on this table.”

I didn’t feel pride in his words. Instead, a dull ache tightened in my chest.

Spaghetti were a Reese family specialty, simple in theory but surprisingly tricky to master.

I vividly remembered how, freshly mated and having just moved into our new home, Alpha Henry and Luna Stephanie had arrived with Breanne in tow, demanding that I cook for them.

Overjoyed, I didn’t see anything wrong with this demand, and I have prepared my signature spaghetti, along with a few homestyle dishes. That meal became the Alpha family’s recurring punchline. I became a bigger joke than I already was to the Sterling Moon pack.

“Peasant food,” they’d sneered, unworthy of their table. They’d flung their utensils down and stormed out, claiming I was deliberately insulting them and their ranks, cursing Liam for accepting such a poor excuse for a mate.

And then came Liam’s voice in that moment when I needed support after his family stormed out.

“What the f**k were you thinking, Claire? This pauper-style garbage isn’t fit for an Alpha’s dining table. Got it?”

Liam, like his parents, threw down his utensils without even trying my meal and left me standing there, completely hollowed and slightly cracked inside.

The memory still burned, a thorn buried deep in my heart. Now, staring at his empty plate, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“For someone who claimed it pauper-style garbage, that’s really interesting. If it’s too low-class, feel free to go vomit it up. Wouldn’t want to offend your delicate stomach.”

Liam’s relaxed expression froze. Shame twisted his features as the memory of his own cruelty hit him.

“Claire, I was wrong,” he admitted. “I never even tasted it properly before judging. I was a jerk, and I’m sorry.”

“Don’t bother wasting my time with hollowed belated sorrow, Liam. Not every ‘sorry’ in the world deserves forgiveness. It’s not even the worst you’ve been, so save it.” I waved him off with a cold smirk.

After a beat, Lucien set down his plate, having savoured each bite with exacting precision. Hearing my words, he gave measured, mocking applause.

“Eloquently said. And entirely accurate.”

I met Lucien’s eyes and instantly understood the hidden meaning in his words.

While Liam wolfed down his food like a starved man, Lucien ate with the measured grace of a connoisseur savouring a luxury dish.

I propped my chin in my palm, watching him with quiet amusement. “We’re neighbours anyway,” I said lightly. “Come by whenever you’re hungry. And your bandages need to be changed every two days. If you won’t see a doctor, just knock on my door.”

“Done.” Lucien didn’t even blink before agreeing. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin and stood, his exit as effortlessly elegant as his entire demeanour.

As the door clicked shut behind him, I exhaled. That subtle softening around his eyes just now, I’d seen it.

The ice was cracking.

Liam’s grip tightened on the countertop as he watched me.

“You’re inviting him over whenever he wants?” His mouth twisted. “Playing nurse, too?”

“Yeah.” I gave him a blank look before efficiently stacking the dishes. “Problem?”

“What’s your game here?” He followed hot on my heels into the kitchen. “I get you need contracts, but throwing yourself at Lucien? You know exactly how dangerous he is!”

Water rushed into the sink as I shrugged. “Think what you want.”

He grabbed my wrist mid-motion. “If you need help, ask me. Why grovel to him? What’s he actually done for you? Where’s this famous packhouse redesigning contract?”

I smirked and tossed the dishrag at him.

“Get me the Sterling Moon pack commission and we’ll talk. Otherwise?” My eyes flicked to the dirty dishes.” Make yourself useful for once.”

The Sterling Moon pack deal wasn’t happening. Sure, his father was technically retiring and stepping down as Alpha over the pack, but Henry still held all the real power. If Liam diverted business to me, the old Alpha would snap his legs in half.

With me out of the way now, Liam would soon be titled the official Alpha, but that would only be in a figurehead capacity. The real power would remain with his parents.

Liam knew he couldn’t deliver. Reluctantly, he grabbed a dishcloth, squirted detergent onto it, and started scrubbing the plates.

He’d never washed a dish. Ever. I knew this.

The greasy noodle plate slipped from his soapy hands, nearly crashing to the floor. When he finally fumbled to catch it, a hot rush of shame flooded him.

I secretly relished every moment of this.

But then his gaze flickered to my indifferent silhouette. The anger fizzling within him burned out. I watched his eyes soften slightly, and he turned his attention back to the dishes with renewed determination to impress me.

Teeth gritted, throat tight, he slammed the plate into the sink. Water sloshed over the rim, drenching his cuffs.

I stepped away with a smirk on my face.

This was definitely a new and curious development, but it wouldn’t get Liam what he was after. It would only provide me with new entertainment until he got the hint.