Chapter 57
Chapter 57:
When Jase abruptly turned and marched out through the heavy oak door toward the restroom, I saw my window.
I slipped out of my booth and stepped into the thick-carpeted corridor. A young human waiter was passing by with a silver tray. I intercepted him, flashing a sweet, helpless smile as I slid a crisp hundred-dollar bill into his apron pocket.
“Excuse me,” I purred. “My fiancé is in the Orion Room, and he has this terrible superstition — he believes his glass must always be on the right side of the table for good luck. Could you be a darling and swap the two glasses in there before his guest arrives p>
The human, oblivious to the lethal Pack politics at play, nodded eagerly. “Of course, ma’am p>
I watched from the shadows as the waiter entered the room, moved the poisoned glass from the left to the right, and slipped back out.
A wicked thrill shot down my spine. The trap was reset.
Minutes later, Jase returned. Almost immediately, the heavy door opened again.
Adelina walked in. She looked breathtakingly cold, her posture rigid and her scent completely masked. She didn’t even bother to sit down. She tossed a manila folder onto the white tablecloth.
“Sign the Pack severance documents, Jase. We are done,” she said, her voice devoid of any emotion.
Jase forced a charming, sickeningly gentle smile. He pushed the glass on the left — the one he believed was safe — toward her. “Just one drink, Lina. For old times’ sake. Let’s talk about this p>
𝘙𝘰𝗆a𝗇c𝗲 𝗮n𝖽 𝘱𝖺𝘴𝘴𝗂𝘰𝗻 оn ѕ.𝗰𝗼𝗆
Adelina stared at the glass, then up at him. Her eyes were like chips of ice. To deliver the final, crushing blow, she tilted her chin up and spoke with a calmness that was utterly brutal.
“My Mate and I are considering starting a family p>
The words hit Jase like a silver bullet to the chest. All color drained from his face. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. The absolute devastation in his eyes was almost pitiful.
Needing to ground himself, needing to feel some semblance of control, Jase blindly reached for his own glass on the right and downed the amber liquid in one desperate gulp.
It took less than ten seconds.
Jase gasped, his hands flying to his throat. His eyes dilated wildly as the wolfsbane hijacked his nervous system. He stumbled forward, knocking his chair over, grasping at the air as he lurched toward Adelina.
“Lina… wait…” he slurred, his legs giving out. He crashed hard onto the parquet floor.
Adelina didn’t even flinch. She looked down at him with pure disgust, clearly assuming he was blackout drunk. Without a backward glance, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
I waited until the click of her heels faded down the corridor before stepping into the Orion Room.
Jase was writhing on the floor, his vision swimming. When I knelt beside him, his drug-addled eyes struggled to focus on me.
“Lina?” he whispered, his fingers weakly grazing my knee. “You came back p>
“I’m right here, Alpha,” I cooed, stroking his damp hair.