Hours after the chaotic incident at the party had finally settled down, a shadowy figure dressed in a plain servant’s outfit quietly slipped out of the Beta’s grand residence through the servants’ entrance.

She moved quietly, keeping her head low as she made her way to an old, dusty Camry parked discreetly in the shadows. It was the kind of unremarkable car that no one would spare a second glance at. Perfect for someone who needed to disappear unnoticed.

The car drove along the silent back roads of the pack house territory. Towering trees swayed gently in the night breeze, their branches casting long, eerie shadows that danced across the windshield. The figure kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead until the vehicle finally passed through the main gates and merged onto the brighter city roads.

Several minutes later, the car arrived at the bustling centre of the city. Despite the late hour, the streets were still alive and awake with neon lights, late-night vendors, and the distant hum of city life. The vehicle slowed and stopped in front of a rundown old motel situated right beside a petrol filling station.

The slender figure, still dressed as a maid with a thick scarf wrapped tightly around her head, stepped out of the back seat and entered the motel. The interior was a mess. A strong, overwhelming stench of stale cigarettes, cheap alcohol, and something far more unpleasant hung heavily in the air. She tried her best to keep a straight face, pretending the pungent smell didn’t affect her, but it truly stung her nostrils.

She didn’t stop at the receptionist’s desk, and the middle-aged lady sitting behind it, lazily watching television, didn’t bother to acknowledge her either. In a place like this, the fewer questions asked, the better for everyone involved.

The TV was playing recorded footage from Eloise’s birthday party loudly. The event looked even more lavish on screen, it was the talk of the entire night. Music, laughter, and the loud bursts of fireworks filled the reception area. The receptionist cracked sunflower seeds between her teeth, laughing heartily and enjoying every second of the glamorous spectacle.

The figure didn’t spare the TV even a single glance. She walked straight down the dimly lit hallway to a specific room door. Raising her hand, she knocked twice in a discreet, deliberate pattern, then stopped. A few tense minutes passed before the sound of a deadbolt being unlocked echoed softly. The door creaked open just a sliver. A head peeked out cautiously. Once the person confirmed her identity, the door was pushed open wider, and the figure stepped inside.

The room was surprisingly neat by the standards of such a dingy motel, save for the overflowing ashtray filled with cigarette butts. Thick smoke filled the air, causing the newcomer to choke and cough immediately, her eyes watering from the irritation.

Four men were waiting inside the room. The newcomer wasn’t nervous about this fact at all. She knew perfectly well that no one in Ravencourt territory would dare lay a finger on her.

The door shut firmly behind her. Seeing her struggling with the smoke, one of the men rushed forward quickly and opened the window to let in fresh air.

"Sorry, Princess," the man at the window apologised hastily.

The newcomer frowned deeply. Without saying a word, she strode over to the only couch in the room. The man who had been sitting there immediately stood up, offering her the seat. She took it gracefully.

"We apologise for the poor reception, Princess, but you kept us waiting quite a while," the man by the door said. He was clearly the leader of the group.

"Don’t call me that," she scoffed coldly. She pulled off the thick shades she had been wearing, revealing sharp hazel eyes. A few rebellious cinnamon curls peeked out from beneath the scarf. She was undeniably pretty, but the icy coldness in her gaze sent visible chills through the four men.

"I had things to handle, that’s why I’m late," she sneered, her voice climbing higher with growing irritation. "And thanks to your incompetence, I couldn’t finish the job. How hard was it to handle one pathetic girl? I had her delivered straight into your hands, and you still couldn’t manage it."

The men glanced at each other uneasily. A brief moment of shared understanding passed between them before the leader finally spoke up.

"It wasn’t that easy. You didn’t tell us anything about Killian. We’re lucky we even escaped with our lives."

Another one of the men scoffed as he stubbed out his cigarette forcefully in the ashtray. "If anything, you should be paying us extra for managing to escape and keeping everything a secret. You should have seen the madness in his eyes, Miss..." The man was about to say her name, but she shut him up instantly with a deadly glare.

"Don’t call me by my name. The walls have ears," she hissed, visibly irritated. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Everything tonight had been perfectly planned. She had wanted Yuki completely destroyed and utterly humiliated. She could already picture the devastating scene, Yuki caught shamelessly in the act with four men, unable to deny or explain herself.

With that kind of scandal, Yuki would never secure a respectable mate again. It would have ruined Aevia’s reputation by association as well. If things had gone perfectly, Alexander would have been pressured to banish Yuki from the pack entirely, or better yet, Yuki might have taken her own life from the overwhelming shame. Now, that flawless plan lay in ruins because of Killian. Just thinking about it made her temple throb with rage.

She opened her bag and pulled out a thick envelope, tossing it onto the table with disdain. "Take this money and disappear. The pack warriors are already tracking you. It’s only a matter of time before they catch up."

Something flashed in the men’s eyes. They knew better than to argue. The leader stepped forward, picked up the envelope, opened it briefly to confirm the cash inside, and carefully tucked it into his jacket.

"Don’t worry, we’ll get out of your hair soon," he assured her.

The woman scoffed. She slowly stood up, slipping her shades back on. "You’d better. In a few days, the Spring Festival begins. Nothing had better go wrong before then." It was a final, clear warning.

She turned and made her way out of the room. As she walked down the hallway, the receptionist’s loud laughter reached her ears once again.

"Rich people spending so much money..." the receptionist sneered, cracking another sunflower seed between her teeth.

Eloise stopped for a moment. Her gaze fell on the TV screen, which was now showing footage of her dancing closely with Kaden. Her eyes darkened with displeasure.

From the corner of the camera, she noticed Kieran sitting in the background. Originally, she had wanted to dance with Kieran first, but he had suggested Kaden should go first. What truly bothered her wasn’t that Kieran hadn’t danced with her at all that night. During her dance with Kaden, his attention hadn’t been fully on her. His gaze kept straying repeatedly to an area off-camera.

Her fists clenched tightly at her sides. She knew exactly who had been seated in that direction — Yuki. The memory of Kieran evading her kiss the day he returned flashed painfully through her mind.

Was there something more happening that she wasn’t seeing, or was she simply being paranoid?

She clicked her teeth in annoyance and stormed out of the motel, her expression cold and determined. Her greatest fear was slowly coming true.

Yuki was becoming a real threat — one she must discard completely.