Chapter 73 THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Chapter 73 THE PHOTOGRAPHS
(Aria's POV)

I locked the bathroom door behind me and braced my hands against the sink, breathing hard.

“Get it together,” I muttered to my reflection. My cheeks were flushed, my eyes too bright, the stupid dress still clinging in all the wrong places. “You’re not breaking down here.”

I splashed water on my face, then grabbed a paper towel, pressing it under my eyes. The music from the ballroom thumped faintly through the walls, a reminder that I had to go back out there.

Then I heard voices.

I froze.

“Make sure you get her from this angle,” Vivienne said, her tone low but sharp, just outside the door. “Alone. Small. Pathetic. I want contrast with the couple shots.”

A second voice answered, male. “And the Alpha?”

“Focus on him and me when we’re together. Close shots. Intimate. Then wide shots with her in the background.” Vivienne let out a soft, pleased laugh. “The story will write itself.”

My stomach dropped.

“They’ll eat it up,” the man said. “The rogue mistress versus the rightful Luna. It’ll go viral by morning.”

“Good,” Vivienne replied. “That’s exactly the point.”

Footsteps moved away.

Silence followed.

I stared at the door, my hand tightening around the edge of the sink.

“They’re staging it,” I whispered.

Of course they were.

This wasn’t just a gala. It was a setup.

I straightened slowly, wiping my hands on a towel before unlocking the door. “Fine,” I said under my breath. “If this is a game, then let’s play.”

I stepped back into the hallway and walked toward the ballroom, every step heavier than the last. The noise hit me immediately when I pushed the doors open—laughter, music, glasses clinking.

And then the flash went off.

I flinched.

“Perfect,” the photographer muttered, lowering his camera for a second before lifting it again. “Hold that.”

I didn’t.

I kept walking, but I could feel it—his lens tracking me, following every movement. I reached my table and sat down, forcing my hands to stay steady as I picked up my glass.

Another flash.

Then another.

I didn’t look at him.

I didn’t look anywhere.

But I didn’t have to.

I knew exactly what he was capturing.

Me alone at the lowest table.

“Aria.”

I turned slightly at the voice. Sera slipped into the chair beside me, her expression tight. “You’ve seen the photographer?”

“Hard to miss,” I said dryly, lifting my glass without drinking. “Vivienne hired him personally.”

Sera leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Those photos won’t stay here. They’ll be all over werewolf media by morning. Every pack, every territory.”

“I figured.”

“They’ll spin it however they want,” she continued, her jaw clenched. “You’ll be the desperate rogue clinging to a man who’s clearly chosen someone else.”

I let out a short, humorless laugh. “They don’t even have to spin that much. It’s already convincing.”

“Aria—”

“It’s fine,” I cut her off, even though my chest felt tight. “This is what they wanted. Let them have it.”

Another flash went off.

I looked up this time.

Across the room, the photographer had shifted positions. He angled his camera toward the center of the ballroom, where—

My breath caught.

Caden stood there with Vivienne.

Her hand rested lightly on his chest, her body angled into his like she belonged there. His arm was around her waist, not as tight as it had been with me, but steady. Controlled.

Perfect.

They looked perfect.

The kind of image people didn’t question.

The kind of image that erased everything else.

“Don’t,” Sera said softly beside me. “Don’t look at them like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like it hurts.”

I tore my gaze away, focusing back on the table. “It doesn’t.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “It is.”

Another flash.

I swallowed hard, forcing my shoulders back, my chin up. “They want me to look pathetic? Fine. I won’t give them that.”

“You already look stronger than they expected,” Sera said, glancing toward the photographer. “He’s trying to catch you off guard. You’re not giving him anything.”

“Good.”

Across the room, I saw Vivienne lean in closer to Caden, whispering something in his ear. He didn’t pull away.

Didn’t react.

Just stood there like he belonged with her.

“Of course,” I muttered under my breath. “Perfect couple.”

Sera’s hand brushed mine briefly under the table. “It’s an act.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

I didn’t answer.

Because knowing didn’t make it easier to watch.

The music shifted again, a slower tune, and couples began moving back to the floor. The photographer repositioned himself, capturing more shots of Caden and Vivienne as they joined the dance.

Another flash.

Then another.

I clenched my jaw, staring down at my untouched drink.

“This whole thing was designed to destroy you,” Sera said quietly. “Your reputation, your chances anywhere else. Once those photos spread, no pack will take you in.”

“They’re planning for me to survive the exile,” I said slowly. “Just… not thrive.”

“Exactly.”

I let out a slow breath. “Too bad for them.”

Sera glanced at me. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” I said, finally looking up again, “I’m not playing their game anymore.”

Before she could respond, a shadow fell over the table.

“Miss Winters.”

My body went still.

I looked up.

Elder Thorne stood there, his expression calm, almost pleasant, like we were having a normal conversation. Like he hadn’t cornered me in the hallway earlier.

“Enjoying the evening?” he asked.

“Immensely,” I said flatly.

His lips curved slightly. “I’m glad. These events can be… overwhelming.”

“Is there something you need?” Sera cut in, her tone polite but firm.

Thorne’s gaze flicked to her briefly, then back to me. “Just offering a small kindness.” He picked up a glass from a passing tray and set it gently in front of me. “You look parched. Please.”

I stared at the drink.

Then back at him.

“No, thank you.”

His smile widened, just a fraction. “Smart girl.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“But you can’t avoid everything forever,” he added quietly, his voice dropping just enough that only I could hear.

My fingers curled into fists under the table.

“I’m not avoiding anything,” I said, meeting his gaze.

“No?” He tilted his head slightly. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re trying very hard not to see what’s coming.”

“What’s coming?” I asked, my voice steady despite the way my heart started racing.

He held my gaze for a long second.

Then he smiled again, all warmth on the surface, nothing underneath. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Miss Winters.”

And just like that, he turned and walked away.

I didn’t move.

“Aria,” Sera whispered. “What did he say?”

“Nothing,” I said automatically.

“Don’t lie to me.”

I swallowed, my eyes still fixed on Thorne’s retreating figure. “He… warned me.”

“About what?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice quieter now. “But whatever it is, it’s not over.”