Chapter 51
Fiona's POV:
Mia's eyes narrowed to slits as she stared at Hunter and Tori across the room, her delicate fingers crushing the champagne flute stem.
Her wolf was restless beneath her skin; I could hear the low growl rumbling in her chest.
I watched as my little sister's face twisted with rage.
"Did you see that?" I whispered, leaning closer to her ear. "The way he keeps staring at her eyes?"
Mia's jaw tightened. "He's never looked at me that way."
"Of course not," I said with practiced sympathy, patting her hand.
"Males are all the same—they're drawn to pretty faces. Those silver eyes of hers are unusual, that's all. If she lost that pretty face, he wouldn't give her a second glance."
I watched the information land like poison in my sister's mind.
"It doesn't matter anyway," I continued, my voice a perfect blend of nonchalance and disdain. "No respectable pack would accept a killer Omega into their ranks. Hunter's family would never allow it."
Mia's scent sharpened with anger, turning acrid and bitter.
"I need to use the restroom," she muttered before stalking away.
I checked my watch discreetly. Perfect timing.
With a subtle glance, I signaled the servant holding Hannah's pregnancy medicine.
She immediately understood, clutching her stomach dramatically as she approached Tori's table.
"Miss Sullivan," she groaned, doubling over slightly. "Please—I suddenly feel ill. This is Mrs. Price's special moonlight herb medicine. Could you deliver it to her? "
I watched intently as Tori stared at the glass for several seconds, her nostrils flaring slightly. Then, as if she hadn't heard a word, she simply continued eating her meal, deliberately ignoring the servant.
Ethan noticed the exchange. His brow furrowed with concern as he began to rise from his seat.
No—I couldn't let him deliver the medicine.
"Let me help," I called out, rushing forward. As I reached for the glass, I deliberately lost my balance, sending the container flying.
"Oh, Mother!" I exclaimed with rehearsed distress. "I'm so sorry! I was just trying to help, and I've ruined your special medicine!"
Hannah rushed to my side, her hands quickly examining me for any injuries.
"Are you hurt, Fiona? Did any glass cut you?" she asked with genuine concern, completely ignoring the spilled medicine.
"I'm fine, Mother," I assured her, making sure my voice trembled just enough. "I'm just upset about your medicine. It's so expensive and specially formulated for you and the baby. I feel terrible that it's wasted because of my clumsiness."
Hannah patted my shoulder with maternal affection. "It's alright, Fiona dear. Accidents happen. You were only trying to help."
Her gaze then drifted to Tori. Hannah's expression hardened.
"Some people could have helped but chose not to," she said pointedly. "This certainly isn't your fault, Fiona."
I lowered my eyes in a show of contrition.
Inwardly, I lamented the waste of the abortion-inducing compound I'd worked so hard to acquire and mix into the medicine.
All that careful planning, ruined.
When I lifted my gaze, I found myself staring directly into Tori's silver eyes. Something in those eyes made my skin crawl—they seemed to see right through me, as if she knew exactly what I had attempted to do.
I recalled Ethan that night, delirious and calling out Tori's name instead of mine, and my fingers instinctively clenched into fists at the memory.
The hatred I felt in that moment must have shown on my face, because Tori's eyes widened slightly before narrowing again.
Our silent battle continued until Hannah clapped her hands.
"Let's not let this small incident ruin our celebration," she announced to the room. "Please, everyone, continue enjoying your meal."
Only then did our charged staring contest finally break.
Just at that moment, Mia returned, followed by a servant pushing a cart.
"Mother!" Mia exclaimed with exaggerated sweetness. "I have a special surprise for you. I've prepared a cake myself that I want to decorate right here for everyone to see!"
I struggled to hide my smile. The backup plan was in motion.
Mia gestured for the servant to approach.
"Bring it closer so everyone can watch," she directed, her eyes briefly meeting mine with conspiratorial gleam.
The servant obediently positioned the cart directly beside Tori's chair. I held my breath as he reached for the small oven door on the cart's lower shelf.
"The base needs just a moment more to set properly," the servant explained as he pulled the handle.
The instant the door opened, an ominous hissing sound filled the air.
Before anyone could react, a violent burst of scalding steam erupted directly toward Tori's face and body.
What happened next was too fast for most eyes to follow.
Ethan lunged across the table. He managed to block most of the steam with his arm and torso, but not before some of it hit Tori's exposed legs beneath her dress.
She jerked back with a sharp intake of breath, her silver eyes wide with shock rather than pain.
Ethan wasn't so fortunate. The skin on his forearms immediately reddened and blistered as he gritted his teeth against what must have been excruciating pain.
"Ethan!" I cried out, genuine alarm replacing my carefully constructed facade.
The silver-infused steam had left angry welts across his exposed skin. My heart raced with a mixture of concern and fury as I watched him position himself protectively in front of Tori—even while injured, his first instinct was to shield her.
Mia stood frozen, her eyes wide with panic. Her gaze darted nervously between Ethan's injuries and my face, searching for direction on how to salvage this disaster.
"I—I don't understand what happened," Mia stammered, her usual confidence evaporating. "The oven must have malfunctioned. I had no idea—"
Chaos erupted around us.
Chairs scraped against the floor as guests jumped to their feet.
Hannah let out a horrified cry, rushing toward Ethan while Alexander barked orders at the servants to call for a medic.