Chapter 79 ELODIE DRUMMOND
GALLAHAN’S POV
Elodie was beautiful.
I cannot deny it. But her beauty didn’t stir anything inside of me. No awe. No admiration. No attraction. No lust.
So unlike how I would always feel whenever I saw Willa.
Fucking hell… I would rather be in her homey little cottage than be here.
But then again… Needs must. So I would have to stay put here and endure until I have swayed either Elodie or her father to agree to the cancellation of this blasted betrothal arrangement, without incurring any ramification
I continued to watch closely as Elodie entered the dining hall with the kind of grace that rivalled Zuleika’s, even though her gait was measured and precise. Such calculated movement made her seem like she was gliding through ice, instead of walking on a fucking old floor of a castle, the simple deep blue dress she wore billowing along like an ocean’s waves.
The dress was quite a striking contrast against her ivory skin that looked supple and smooth. Matched it with the way her face was eerily symmetrical, it made her look like a porcelain doll come to life.
But what was really salient and eye-catching about her was her long blonde hair that almost shone like liquid moonlight under the brilliant chandeliers lining the ceiling of the hall.
“Still against the arrangement, Han?” Dad, who I had been willfully ignoring since my arrival last night, whispered.
“I am,” I said resolutely, earning a deep sigh from him. “I still do not fully understand why you are so adamant for this to happen when I already have a fami-”
“Because the Alfieros could be manipulating you!” Dad hissed under his breath, looking mildly ired.
“No one’s manipulating-”
I was forced to keep the rest of my words to myself since Wilbur Drummond and her daughter had come close within earshot to the head of the table, where Dad and I stood awaiting for them.
“Wilbur!” Dad greeted enthusiastically, welcoming the salt and pepper haired man with a firm handshake. “It has been quite a while, hasn’t it?”
“Indeed, my friend,” Wilbur agreed, mirroring Dad’s enthusiasm. Then he freed Dad’s hand and said, “Allow me to introduce my daughter, Elodie.”
“Honored to meet,” Elodie greeted as she made a perfect bow, her arms outstretched elegantly to the side with her palms facing us. “The great Alpha King.”
“Rise, young Elodie,” Dad replied kindly, nearly making me gag. “I am honored to meet you as well.”
Elodie smiled, all genial and demure. Then she shifted her attention to me and repeated the same curtsy, saying, “Honored to meet, Heir to the throne.”
I crossed my arm against my chest and hummed in acknowledgment, but didn’t say anything in return.
Tension condensed in the air, hanging heavily around us. For a moment, they all just stared at me with varying degrees of disapproval.
I had to hand it to Elodie, though. She hid her ire quite well.
To break the awkward and tense atmosphere, Dad laughed, all forcefully bright and loud. Wilbur followed, his own laugh strained from my lack of propriety.
Elodie, on the other hand, remained quiet, staring at me with a mix of curiosity and mild annoyance.
The four-way lunch went on smoothly with idle chatter chasing the silence away. But I didn’t bother to participate in it, choosing to simply listen.
And it didn’t go unnoticed to me how they were all smart enough to avoid talking about the betrothal arrangement. They must’ve known that I would've banished their appetite with nothing but nasty remarks thrown here and there.
I also didn’t miss how Elodie kept throwing curious glances at my direction throughout the entire lunch affair, her brown eyes straying to my neck every time.
It was equally annoying and unnerving.
So once lunch came to its end, I immediately excused myself, hoping to catch some peaceful time alone.
Besides, I wasn't really in a rush to talk to her. I had made up my mind to try my luck with persuading Wilbur first, after all.
But I couldn’t follow through with my plan, because Elodie went after me.
“Wait!” she called out loudly, just a few seconds after I had exited the dining hall.
“Fucking hell,” I muttered, hastening my steps and without caring enough to throw a look at her from behind my shoulder. “This woman is crazy.”
“I said wait!”
Still, I ignored her.
This seemed to have snapped something in her because she suddenly yelled, “Willa Coraline Alfiero!”
The name instantly stopped me in my tracks, and my pulse skipped a beat before quickening into an abnormal speed.
Slowly, I turned around. Then I asked in a menacingly low voice, “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.” Elodie cheekily replied, catching up and halting just a step closer away from me. “Willa Coraline Alfiero. She’s your mate, isn’t she?”
I stared at her for a moment without saying anything.
I just couldn’t quite figure her out. What could be her agenda? Could she possibly be a foe or friend? And how in the fucking hell did she even know about Willa?
“Your mind’s churning with questions right now, isn’t it? It’s written clearly on your face.”
At this smug remark, I tug at my defenses a whole lot tighter. My eyes hid any emotions behind a gaze of indifference, while my mouth curled into displeased sneer.
“What is your motive, Miss Drummond?”
“Oh, I have a lot of motive, Mr. Wick. Would you like to hear them? Perhaps in private.”
The sneer I wore deepened and morphed into one of disdain. “And why should I even dignify you with my time and presence?”
“Because you want to cancel this betrothal arrangement, yes?” She lifted a brow and canted her head just slightly.
Again, it was unnerving. Who could look at this woman for long without thinking she was a tad bit creepy? Especially when her charm and genteel temperament belied the purposeful and sly way of everything she did.
“You are, after all, already mated to my dear old friend Willa. You wouldn’t want to break it so soon just for me, right?”
Just how much did this woman know about Willa and I?
It was beyond alarming, especially when I knew close to nothing about her. And in a battle of wiles and personal agendas, information was a dangerous weapon.
“Fine,” I gritted out begrudgingly. “Follow me, and keep up if you can.”