CHAPTER TWELVE
I woke up to the sound of someone banging on my door like they were trying to break it down. Groaning, I pulled the pillow over my head. hoping whoever it was would give up and go away.
“Evelyn Bennett! I know you’re in there! Mia’s voice echoed through the door. “Open up or I swear I’ll break this door down!”
I sighed, dragging myself out of bed and shuffling to the door. When I opened it, Mia practically fell into the apartment, her eyes wide with
concer
“How did you find me?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.!
Mia scoffed, brushing past me to inspect my new living arrangements. “Please. You think I wouldn’t be able to track down my best friend? We’ve been inseparable since we were pups ”
“Well, I wanted some space,” I muttered
Mia spun around, hands on her hips. Too bad. You and I are stuck together till death do us part.” She paused, then laughed. “Sorry, that line probably belongs to Dominic, right?”
I glared at her. “Not funny”
Mia flopped onto my worn–out couch, pulling out her phone. “Speaking of not funny, have you seen the comments on that Wolf Net post about you?“!
I’d seen the post last night but hadn’t dared to look at the comments. “No, and I don’t want to.”%
“You should,” Mia insisted, thrusting her phone toward me. “It’s not what you’d expect.”
I covered my face with my hands. 1 really don’t need to read about how I’m a temble person for abandoning my loving fiancé
Mia grabbed my wrists, pulling my hands away from my face. “Just look, you stubbom wolf
Reluctantly, I took her phone and scrolled through the comments section, prepared for the worst. But instead of hatred, I found… support??
“Lucas always seemed controlling whenever I saw them together.
“She deserves better than him anyway.”
“I heard he was still obsessed with his dead ex No woman should have to compete with a ghost” “Good for her for finally leaving that toxic relationship!”
I blinked in surprise They’re supporting me?”
Mia nodded triumphantly. “Not everyone in the wolf community is Team Lucas. A lot of people s
people saw how he treated you in public.”
A sudden thought made my heart race. “But what if Lucas sees this? What if he figures out where I am?”
“He can’t” Mia assured me. “The post only mentions that you left, not where you went. Besides, why would he even care? From what you told me, he’s probably too busy playing house with Clara to worry about you.”
“I guess you’re right,” I sighed, handing her phone back.
A small white envelope suddenly slid under my door, catching both our attention
“What’s that?” Mia asked as I walked over to pick it up.
I unfolded the paper and groaned. “The utility bill. The landlord wasn’t joking.” I showed Mia the ridiculous amount. “How am I supposed to pay this?2
Mia snatched the bill from my hand, her eyes widening. “There hundred dollars for this dump? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“I don’t want to think about money right now,” I sighed, walking over to the box of expensive clothes I’d packed away yesterday. “I need to get rid of these first.”
“What are those?” Mia asked, peering into the box
“Gifts from Lucas I’m going to burn them.
Mia gasped, pulling out a silk dress. “Are you insane? These are limited edition designer pieces! This dress alone is worth at least two thousand dollars!”
I shrugged. “So what? I don’t want anything that reminds me of him.”
A mischievous grin spread across Mia’s face. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
“No, and I don’t want to think about it”
“Listen,” Mia said, holding up the dress. “These could cover your utility bills for months! Why burn them when you can sell them?”
I hesitated. “I don’t want to use his money for anything “8
“Its not his money anymore. These are your possessions now Mia argued. “Consider it compensation for all the crap he put you through.” Before I could protest further, Mia was stuffing the clothes back into the box. “Trust me on this.“2
An hour later, Mia had somehow dragged me to a high–end boutique in the pack territory. To my surprise, they offered a decent price for Lucas’s gifts–much more than I’d expected.
“See?” Mia nudged me as the saleswoman totaled up our earnings. “Problem solved!”
“I guess,” I admitted. “Now I need to get out of here before someone recognizes me.”
Mia grabbed my arm. “Not so fast. You need a change of clothes first. You can’t go around looking shabby if you want to show Lucas what he’s missing.”
Before I could protest, she was p pulling dresses off racks and shoving them into my arms. “Try these on. And don’t worry, I’m buying some
11:19 AM
for myself too. Can’t let you have all the fun!”
After trying on what felt like a hundred outfits, we finally made our selections and headed to the register. The saleswoman smiled brightly as she rang up our purchases.
“That will be $678.45 she announced.
Mia grinned “Perfect! We can use the money from the clothes we sold.”
The saleswoman’s smile faltered. “I’m sorry, but the payment from your sold items won’t be processed for 24 hours. Store policy
“What?” I exclaimed “You’re kidding.”X
“See?” I hissed at Mia. “This was a temble idea.”
Mia waved dismissively. Relax. Use the black card your grandparents gave u
It’s yours anyway.
With a sigh, I pulled out the card and handed it to the saleswoman. She swiped it, then frowned. I’m sorry, but this card has been declined.“!!
My jaw dropped. “That’s impossible. Try again.”
After three more attempts, the realization hit me. They froze my account!”
y account?”!!
I pulled out my phone and dialed my grandmother’s number. “Seriously?” I snapped when she answered. “You froze my
“We were already getting disgraced by your actions,” she replied calmly. “You put us in this mess, Evelyn. Until you fulfill your responsibilities, we can’t support your rebellion.”}
“This is unbelievable I muttered, hanging up.
By now, other customers were staring at us and the sales rep looked increasingly uncomfortable.
“Perhaps you could work in the store for 24 hours until the payment clears?” she suggested hesitantly. “We could use help with inventory…”
I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. Just then, one of the sales girls approached us looking flustered.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am. We didn’t realize you were from-” She stopped abruptly.
“From where?” I asked, confused.
She pointed toward the front of the store. “The royal pack
Before I could question her further, another clerk rushed over. “Everything has been paid for including your purchases.”
“By who?” Mia demanded!!
The girl gestured toward the entrance again. “By him ”
We both tumed to see a tall figure leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest. Dominic Blackwood’s piercing eyes locked with mine, a smile playing on his lips
“Need a hand, future wife?”
