Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 25

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
**By R. Joseph**

**A Party Or A Funeral?**

Leilani.

The sound of wine glasses chiming together resonated through the room, mingling with the hushed conversations and bursts of laughter that floated intermittently in the air. It was a festive atmosphere, yet I felt like an outsider, an uninvited guest at a celebration that felt more like a funeral to me.

As the crowd gathered around Caelum, who was regaling everyone with tales of our company’s remarkable growth over the past year, my gaze remained glued to a small family seated at the far end of the room. They watched me with sharp, scrutinizing eyes, their expressions mirroring the chill that enveloped my own heart.

It was my family.

A wave of conflicting emotions crashed over me as I took in their cold demeanor after all these years. Fear, anger, and an overwhelming sense of isolation swirled within me, emotions I thought I had buried deep.

For months, I had immersed myself in therapy, convinced that I could escape the shadows of fear instilled in me by my father. I had believed, for a time, that I had finally broken free from his grip. But now, as his piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, I felt like prey, exposed and vulnerable, waiting for the moment he would pounce on my insecurities.

I shivered involuntarily.

In the center of their small group, Chalice sat with an air of regal authority, a queen surrounded by her loyal subjects. The intensity of their glares directed at me suggested that they viewed me as a threat to their monarch.

It was almost comical.

“Do you want to escape this godforsaken place now?” Jarek’s voice broke through my reverie, and I turned to find him observing me with a warmth that felt comforting yet unsettling at the same time.

His gaze had a way of tightening my stomach into knots, but I forced a smile, trying to mask my turmoil. “Are you enjoying yourself?” I asked, genuinely curious. He shook his head with a slight frown.

“Not at all. But Alpha Landry has been shadowing me like a hawk. He’s been going on about potential partnerships—”

“Did you know that Landry Corp is behind one of the leading programming languages in Pennsylvania?” I interjected, noticing the transformation in Jarek’s expression as his interest piqued.

His eyes widened, and I couldn’t tell if his excitement was directed at the Landrys or my knowledge of them.

“Really?” he whispered, a spark of enthusiasm igniting in his voice.

“Yes!” I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement. “They even developed CONNA! I know you’ve been eager to get your hands on that.”

Jarek’s face lit up, his smile radiating warmth that made all the lights in the room seem dim in comparison. He took my hand, leading me toward Alpha Robert Landry, the young Alpha whose technological prowess had earned him much respect. As we approached, Landry’s face broke into a wide grin.

“Alpha Frostclaw!” he greeted, his voice booming with enthusiasm.

“Alpha Landry!” Jarek responded, matching his energy. “I see you haven’t met my lady yet,” he said playfully, causing a blush to creep up my cheeks as Landry raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Sometimes, I found myself torn between loving and resenting Jarek for the way he twisted our relationship into something more than mere business partners.

I managed a smile. “He’s my boss.”

“Oh, so you work at Frostclaw, Inc.?” Landry inquired, and I nodded, feeling the heat of his gaze travel slowly up my body.

Jarek must have sensed the shift because he stepped closer, positioning himself protectively beside me. When Landry extended his hand for a handshake, Jarek intercepted, grasping Landry’s hand instead.

“Yes, she’s one of our core engineers,” he stated with a tight smile, his demeanor shifting to one of guarded protectiveness. Then, turning to me, he added, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to show her around.”

With that, he guided me away from a visibly frustrated Robert Landry, leading me to a quieter corner of the room.

“We’re not working with him,” Jarek declared flatly, and I felt my eyes widen in disbelief.

“What? Why not?”

“Didn’t you see the way he was looking at you? Like he wanted to devour you whole? If I hadn’t been there, who knows what he would have done or said. I don’t want creeps like that around you.”

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