Chapter 130 The Tables Have Turned
Chapter 130 The Tables Have Turned
ARDEN
The inauguration was over before I realized how much my checks hurt from smiling.
Everywhere I turned, people were shaking Cade’s hand, offering congratulations, telling him how they’d always believed he would win. I stood beside him, a little dazzled and still overwhelmed.
I was mid–step toward him when someone new broke through the crowd.
Tall, broad–shouldered, with a strong aura that could silence a room.
And handsome.
Like… dangerously handsome. The kind of handsome that makes you blink twice and wonder if you’d just imagined him. Daddy handsome. Not my type, of course. Cade was still the most handsome in my eyes.
Cade noticed him too. He glanced at me, one eyebrow raised.
The man smiled warmly at me before his gaze shifted to Cade. “Congratulations, Praetor,” he said in a smooth, deep voice that carried just enough authority to demand attention without trying. Then his eyes came back to me. “I’m Abel Trevane.”
My brow went up at the name. So, this was Abel Trevane? The distant Trevane that replaced Jaxon’s family all at once? I could already tell he was much better than Jaxon.
“Please tell me if you need any support,” he said. “I’m for young leaders.”
I glanced at Cade and smiled before answering. “Thank you, sir Alpha, sir.”
That earned me a rich chuckle. “Oh, please. Abel is fine.”
“Alright, Abel,” I said, returning his smile and offering my hand.
His grip was warm and firm.
Beside me, Cade shifted, just enough for me to notice.
When Abel moved on to greet someone else, I turned to Cade with a teasing smirk. “You okay there?”
His brows knit together slightly. “I’m fine.”
“Oh? Because you had that look,” I said lightly, “like maybe you were about to growl at him for breathing
near me.”
“I didn’t growl,” he said flatly.
“You wanted to growl,” I pressed, enjoying myself far too much.
He gave me a look that made me chuckle. “I’m not jealous,”
“Right,” I said, nodding with exaggerated seriousness. “Totally not jealous. Just standing there like a
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Chapter 130 The Tables Have Turned
thundercloud for fun.“:
His jaw ticked. “I wasn’t-”
I grinned and leaned closer. “Cade. You’re adorable when you’re pretending not to be territorial!”
He muttered something under his breath that I didn’t catch, but I was sure it was not an agreement.
I was about to tease him again when I caught a shift in the air around us. I followed the pull of it across the
room.
My stomach turned cold.
They were here.
The faces I had once known better than my own. The faces I had trained myself not to imagine. My… family.
Except they weren’t my family. Not anymore.
Lorelei stood at the front, her expression bright, her posture as flawless as ever. Dominic was beside her, his easy smile almost exactly as I remembered.
Cade’s smile faded instantly.
I couldn’t move for a moment. My pulse thundered in my ears as Lorelei stepped forward.
“Who did you come here for?” I asked before I could stop myself.
Dominic’s smile didn’t falter. “We want to talk.”
From the corner of my eye, Cade shifted closer and whispered so only I could hear, “You don’t have to if
His eyes softened. He leaned in and pressed a brief kiss to my cheek.
“You can use my office,” he said.
I nodded once, forcing my shoulders back and my expression neutral. “Follow me,” I said to Lorelei and,
Dominic.
Dominic flinched, and for a second, I thought he’d pretend not to hear me. But then Lorelei leaned forward, clutching her hands together like she thought her trembling would somehow make me soften.
“Arden…” she began, but before she could spin whatever half–baked story she had ready, Dorninic cut in.
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