Chapter 75
# Elowen's POV
I stepped closer to Sarah, feeling a strange calm despite the tension crackling in the air. With the bar counter behind her and me blocking her path, she was effectively trapped. The handprint on her cheek was still bright red from my slap—I hadn't held back.
The club had gone eerily quiet, everyone watching our confrontation with bated breath. Even the DJ had lowered the music to a background hum, not wanting anyone to miss a moment of the drama.
"Tell me what Drake is planning," I demanded, leaning in close enough that only she could hear my next words. "Unless you'd like another slap? Or maybe you prefer humiliating yourself in front of everyone here?"
Sarah's eyes darted wildly around the room, looking for an escape route that didn't exist. Her gaze landed on Drake, who had inched several steps away from her, clearly distancing himself from her meltdown.
"Get away from me," she hissed, shoving at my shoulders with her manicured hands. I barely moved. "Just because I taught you a lesson back at Drake's apartment doesn't give you the right to use Casper to shame me like this. He was my boyfriend first!"
Behind me, I heard Casper's low chuckle. "Ancient history, Sarah. Very ancient."
I narrowed my eyes at her, newfound confidence surging through me like electricity. "Why can't I use people the way you do? You think you're the only one allowed to manipulate men for your advantage? What makes you so special?"
"You?" Sarah laughed, the sound high and brittle. Mascara streaked down her flushed face in ugly black rivers. "You're nothing! You've always been so painfully ordinary. When you worked as a waitress at Red Wolf, nobody even noticed you existed. The spotlight was always on me."
From the crowd, someone snorted loudly. "Yeah, because you were practically falling out of your top every night."
Nervous laughter rippled through the onlookers. Sarah's face burned brighter.
Cassian moved closer, his presence at my side like a dangerous shadow. "I noticed her," he said quietly, his voice carrying an edge that made several onlookers shift nervously.
"We both did," Casper added, stepping to my other side. "From day one."
I felt invincible sandwiched between the twins, their power and protection flowing into me. I tossed my hair back, letting my contempt show plainly on my face.
"You're so shallow, Sarah. All tits and no brains. Why don't you just join The Moonbleed Taproom as a stripper? That would suit you better." My voice was razor-sharp. "Red Wolf doesn't have room for you anymore. You don't even have a job now, do you?"
A group of women near the bar exchanged looks and whispered something that made them burst into laughter. One of them called out, "Bet The Moonbleed has standards too, honey!"
Irene's perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched as she surveyed Sarah with open disdain. "My establishment does have rigorous requirements for performers," she interjected coolly. "Though I suppose we could make exceptions for... charity cases."
The crowd roared with laughter, and Sarah's face flushed even deeper.
"You—" Sarah sputtered, glancing desperately at Drake, who was now examining the exit sign with great interest.
"Enough of this circus," Irene declared, her ice-blue eyes flicking toward Drake. "Remove your... companion from my establishment immediately. I will not have her degrading the atmosphere further."
Drake cleared his throat, still not looking at Sarah. "She came with me, but she can find her own way home."
Sarah's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Drake!"
I leaned closer to Sarah, emboldened by everyone's support. "You've always thought you could snag any man with your body and your face. Maybe Drake is that short-sighted, but Casper and Cassian? They're not that superficial. See, Sarah? That's your problem right there. You attract men like Drake who only want your body, and the second you're no longer useful, they discard you without a second thought—just like he's doing right now!"
"You think I want this?" Sarah's voice cracked, tears welling up again. "I never had your advantages! I didn't go to college! I can't talk smart like you with your clever mouth!"
"Don't blame Elowen for your poor life choices," Cassian remarked, taking a casual sip of his whiskey. "It's not her fault you decided looks were your only asset."
Irene moved closer to Cassian, her perfectly tailored dress shimmering under the club lights. "This is becoming tiresome, Cassian. Perhaps you could use your... influence to expedite their departure?" She placed a manicured hand lightly on his arm, a gesture both proprietary and inviting.
Cassian glanced down at her hand, then back to her face with cool indifference. He stepped away subtly, breaking the contact. "I'm rather enjoying the show, actually."
Irene's perfect composure faltered for just a moment—a tightening around her eyes, a slight compression of her red lips—before she recovered. "As you wish," she said, her tone several degrees colder. "Security will handle it shortly."
Casper leaned toward his brother with a smirk. "Brother, you're so cold to the ice beauty. Breaking hearts even now?"
"Shut up," Cassian muttered. "Like you're one to talk, Sarah's ex-boyfriend. Aren't you causing enough chaos already?"
I couldn't help but smile at their banter, even in the midst of this confrontation. Their ease with each other, even when annoyed, spoke of a bond I'd never experienced with anyone.
Drake finally stepped forward, his earlier swagger completely gone. "Sarah, let's go. You've made your point."
"My point?" Sarah's voice rose hysterically. "What about your point, Drake? What about all your big plans? Your promises?"
"Not here," he hissed, grabbing her arm. "You're drunk. Shut up."
Sarah yanked her arm away. "Don't touch me! You couldn't even defend me when they were all laughing! Some big strong man you are!"
I watched the exchange with growing interest. Whatever Drake was planning, Sarah clearly knew the details—and she was drunk and angry enough to potentially reveal them.
"What exactly did he promise you, Sarah?" I asked, feigning sympathy. "Sounds like Drake's been feeding you some pretty big lies."
"You have no idea," she spat, mascara-stained tears still flowing. "He said we'd be important. That we'd have power and respect once his plan worked."
Drake's face had gone pale. "Sarah, that's enough—"
"Enough?" She whirled on him, her grief transforming to rage. "You useless piece of shit! You made me believe in you! You said we'd rise together, that you'd take care of me!"
"Fascinating," Irene commented dryly. "A lover's quarrel in my exclusive club. How original." She signaled to two large security guards who had been hovering nearby. "Remove them both. Immediately."
"She's leaving," Drake insisted, panic edging into his voice. "I'm a paying customer, Irene."
"Not anymore," Irene replied with a cold smile. "Consider your membership... suspended."
The security guards moved forward, one taking Sarah by the arm while the other positioned himself near Drake.
"Get your hands off me!" Sarah shrieked, struggling against the guard's grip. "Drake! Are you just going to let them throw me out? After everything I've done for you?"
Drake looked away, his jaw tight. "Just go, Sarah. You're making a scene."
"I'm making a scene?" Sarah's laugh was borderline hysterical now. "You're a fucking fraud, Drake! A complete fraud!"
The guard began guiding her firmly toward the exit, but Sarah dug in her heels, looking back at the crowd that had gathered.
"You all think you know him? The big man Drake Reid?" Her voice echoed through the now-silent club. "He's an Omega! An OMEGA pretending to be a big shot!"
The words seemed to hang in the air. The guard paused, uncertain whether to continue removing her or wait for further instructions.
"Drake is only obsessed with Elowen because she's a Beta's daughter!" Sarah continued, her voice breaking. "He wants her Beta bloodline to strengthen his pathetic Omega offspring!"
The second the words left her mouth, Sarah's own eyes widened in horror. Her hand flew to her mouth, a choked gasp escaping, as the full weight of her outburst crashed down on her.
Drake's face drained of all color. "You fucking bitch," he whispered, but in the silence, everyone heard him.