Chapter 203 Chapter 203
Amber
I never thought that accepting that I loved someone would feel this heavy.
With Ian, it had been… liberating, like stepping out of a cage I didn’t realize I was trapped in. It was light and freeing, a love that had felt warm and easy, like spring sunlight breaking through a winter sky.
But with Rayne… it was different.
It was heavy. Not the kind of heavy that meant regret or dread, but something denser like the weight of something precious I was terrified to drop. My chest felt full, my thoughts muddled. Every beat of my heart felt too loud, too aware. There was a cautiousness lingering in the background, one I couldn’t seem to shut off, no matter how much I wanted to.
I loved him. That much I could no longer deny. But it didn’t come with the relief I had expected. It came with a thousand tiny fears threading through my ribs.
Almost suddenly, a loud commotion broke through my thoughts—a racket coming from the entrance that drew every head in the room, mine included.
I sighed, already rolling my eyes before I even saw who it was.
Of course.
It was Erlan.
Making his grand entrance. And by grand, I mean completely unnecessary, flamboyant, and dramatic in a way that only Erlan could pull off.
The doors swung open wide as if the man thought he were stepping onto a red carpet instead of into a seven-year-old’s birthday party. Two bodyguards entered first, clearing the way like some sort of royal procession. Behind them came Erlan, dressed in an immaculate three-piece suit of deep burgundy that gleamed under the lights, a silver pocket square tucked perfectly at his breast. He carried himself with the self-assured arrogance of someone who knew he was being watched and loved every second of it.
Trailing behind him were three women, all of them stunning, each dressed to kill in designer gowns. They laughed softly, their voices lilting like music as they followed in his wake.
The entire room stilled. Parents, children, even the hired staff couldn’t help but stare.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled through gritted teeth.
I could practically hear him thinking: Grand entrances are an Alpha’s birthright.
It was just so Erlan.
He paused just long enough to let the entire room take him in. The guests had gone quiet, murmurs rising like soft waves. The man had a way of commanding attention whether wanted or not.
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. Of course he would pick Evalie’s birthday party to stage a performance.
Evalie, bless her sweet heart, had never met him before. She stood near the cake table, her little tiara glinting, her face scrunching up in adorable confusion as she tried to make sense of the man who’d just stolen her spotlight.
Her expressions—every single one of them—had always been the most endearing part of her. The way her brows furrowed, lips puckering in thought, or how her nose wrinkled ever so slightly when she was curious. I could almost see her thinking, Who is this rascal and why is everyone looking at him instead of me?
Erlan, of course, went straight for the center of the room like it was his stage. He crouched down in front of Evalie, a brilliant smile lighting up his annoyingly handsome face.
“And who might this dazzling little princess be?” He cooed dramatically. “Ah, but I already know. You must be Evalie, the birthday girl herself. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined!”
Evalie, polite as always, clasped her hands shyly and smiled. “Thank you,” she said, her small voice sweet and proper.
I’ll give him this much: Erlan knew how to charm a room.
But before I could even think about stopping him, he waved a hand, and his two guards disappeared for a moment only to return carrying massive wrapped gifts. Not one, not two, but several, stacked so high the ribbons shimmered under the light like something out of a fairytale display. The paper itself glittered gold and silver, embossed with swirling designs that screamed expensive.
The collective gasp that went through the room was instantaneous.
“Oooh!”
“Ahhh!”
The children surrounding Evalie were beside themselves with awe, eyes wide and mouths open as they crowded around to get a closer look.
If I wasn’t so irritated, I might have been impressed he’d managed to find that much wrapping paper.
But all I could think about was the conversation that led to this moment—the one that now felt like a colossal mistake.
Send me an invitation to Evalie’s party, he’d said, his tone dripping with theatrical sincerity, and you’ll see my intentions are true.
Oh, how I regretted agreeing to that.
Erlan, despite his looks, his charm, and his wealth, was an overgrown man-child who never learned how to enter a room without turning it into a performance. He wasn’t bad, per se—just a lot. Too much, always too much.
Whoever eventually ended up with him, I pitied them deeply.
I folded my arms, watching him bask in the children’s admiration. Typical.
Among the Alphas I’d met, it seemed there was a running theme of excessive behavior—each one competing with the others in some unspoken, ridiculous contest. Except for Ian, of course. Ian had always been the exception, he was an Alpha like no other. But Erlan? He would always take the cake for drama.
If we weren’t in the middle of Evalie’s party right now, I would have gladly grabbed him by the ear and dragged him out myself.
When all the gifts were finally piled up into what could only be described as a mountain of presents, Erlan turned back to Evalie with a bow so exaggerated it would have made a theatre director proud.
“And to the lovely princess Evalie,” he said grandly, “I wish the happiest of birthdays! May your reign be long and filled with cake!”
Evalie giggled, and in the sweetest little voice, she replied with a curtsy that made my heart swell. “Thank you sooo much, Mister!”
Oh, my beautiful girl. So gracious, even in chaos.
I couldn’t have been prouder.
But beside me, Rayne’s expression had darkened considerably.
He wasn’t saying much, his face was composed, but I knew him too well. The tension in his jaw, the way his eyes zoned in on Erlan like a sniper. He was furious.
His hand twitched at his side as though it took every ounce of control not to grab Erlan by the collar.
“He always has to make everything a show,” he muttered under his breath. “Who invited this clown?”
I winced. “I did,” I admitted softly. “And I really regret it now. He begged, and I thought he’d behave.”
Rayne exhaled sharply through his nose, eyes narrowing. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, his voice low. “I’ll handle him.”
Before I could stop him, he was already striding across the room toward Erlan.
I tried not to draw attention to them, but it was hard not to notice the way Rayne’s hand found Erlan’s arm firmly. The movement wasn’t violent, but it wasn’t gentle either. With a deceptively calm smile plastered on his face, Rayne murmured something to him and led him away, deeper into the house.
I decided to leave them to it. The last thing I wanted was to mediate a testosterone-fueled argument during my daughter’s birthday.
Instead, I joined Marina and Ichika, who were setting up the next game for the children.
Musical chairs but with a twist.
The idea was simple, but brilliant. Anyone who lost a round wouldn’t just be out—they’d have to wordlessly act out a scene from a TV show or cartoon. If another child could guess what it was, they’d be allowed back into the game. But if no one could guess, they’d be truly out.
It was the kind of game that would lead to laughter, chaos, and more laughter—a perfect fit for Evalie’s energy.
Marina talked to Roger about the music. I handled arranging the chairs while Ichika gathered the children into a circle. Their excitement was contagious, the air buzzing with anticipation. I smiled, feeling warmth bloom in my chest again, the earlier irritation with Erlan slowly ebbing away.
That was, until I saw movement at the entrance again.
Two new figures had just arrived, and my heart almost stopped when I recognized one of them.
Ian.
And beside him was a man I didn’t know but immediately guessed must be Hadrian.