Chapter 188

The crisp autumn air carried the scent of fallen leaves as Lillian stepped onto the balcony of Sebastian Blackwood’s sprawling estate. The golden hues of twilight painted the sky, casting long shadows across the manicured gardens below. She exhaled slowly, her breath forming a faint mist in the cool evening.

Inside, the grand hall buzzed with activity. The annual Lycan Council gathering was in full swing, and the elite of their kind mingled beneath crystal chandeliers. Lillian could hear the clink of fine china and the murmur of hushed conversations.

She turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Donovan stood in the doorway, his dark eyes unreadable. The moonlight caught the sharp angles of his face, making him look almost ethereal.

"You shouldn’t be out here alone," he said, his voice low.

Lillian arched a brow. "And why is that?"

Donovan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Because I don’t trust myself around you."

Her pulse quickened, but she refused to let him see it. "That sounds like a you problem."

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Always so defiant."

Before she could retort, the doors behind them burst open. Evelyn stormed out, her face flushed with anger. "There you are!" she snapped at Donovan. "You’ve been ignoring me all night!"

Lillian suppressed a sigh. Drama follows him like a shadow.

Donovan barely spared Evelyn a glance. "We’ll talk later."

Evelyn’s eyes flicked to Lillian, narrowing. "Of course. She’s more important."

Lillian held up her hands. "I was just leaving."

She brushed past Donovan, but his fingers wrapped around her wrist, stopping her. "Don’t go."

The intensity in his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Evelyn scoffed. "Pathetic."

Lillian yanked her arm free. "I’m not part of this." She strode back inside, her heart pounding.

Beatrice intercepted her near the refreshments. "What was that about?"

Lillian grabbed a glass of champagne and downed it. "Nothing worth discussing."

Beatrice smirked. "Uh-huh. You’re a terrible liar."

Before Lillian could respond, Sebastian appeared beside them, his towering frame commanding attention. His gaze locked onto hers. "We need to talk."

Beatrice nudged her. "Go on. I’ll cover for you."

Lillian followed Sebastian to his private study. The moment the door closed, he turned to her. "Donovan’s been making moves against the council."

She frowned. "What kind of moves?"

Sebastian’s jaw tightened. "The kind that could start a war."

A chill settled over her. "What do you need me to do?"

His eyes darkened. "Stay close to him. Find out his plans."

Lillian swallowed hard. This just got complicated.

Outside, thunder rumbled in the distance.

A storm was coming.

Victoria knew exactly what she was doing. The look on Lillian's face was precisely the reaction she had hoped for. She wanted Lillian to see Celeste with her father and realize that Celeste was the superior match. Lillian didn’t stand a chance against Celeste—everyone knew it. Including Celeste herself.

Just that morning, they had an entire conversation about it.

Victoria intercepted Celeste before she joined the others for their morning meeting. Celeste frowned when she spotted Victoria, their last encounter having left a sour taste. In fact, Victoria had embarrassed herself trying to impress the actress. But now, Victoria had leverage—something she intended to use to her advantage.

"I'm late for the meeting," Celeste said, holding up a hand to stop whatever Victoria was about to say. "Can this wait?" She was accustomed to fans bombarding her, and in her eyes, Victoria was no different.

"I think you’ll want to hear this now," Victoria countered, crossing her arms.

Celeste stilled, studying the girl. Something in Victoria’s tone piqued her interest. She arched a brow. "Alright, you have my attention," she conceded, though she added pointedly, "For now."

A slow smirk curled Victoria’s lips as she leaned against the wall, her gaze fixed on the stunning actress. Celeste would make the perfect stepmother—not only was she age-appropriate and breathtakingly beautiful, but most importantly, she wasn’t Lillian. And that was all Victoria cared about.

In her mind, Lillian was only using Sebastian to get closer to Donovan. Victoria wanted her as far away from their lives as possible. If that meant setting her father up with another woman, then so be it.

"I overheard you talking about my father last night," Victoria continued smoothly. "I know you’re interested in him."

Celeste’s eyes narrowed. "And why is that any of your business?"

"Well," Victoria murmured, tilting her head, "if things work out between you two, you’d be my stepmother. So, who my father dates is very much my business."

Celeste had to admit she had a point—though she hadn’t thought that far ahead. She was merely testing the waters with Sebastian, seeing if there was potential. Becoming a stepmother wasn’t part of her immediate plans. But she supposed it was the price she might have to pay.

"I’m assuming you have a problem with me pursuing your father?" Celeste asked, watching her carefully.

"Not at all," Victoria surprised her by answering without hesitation. "Don’t get me wrong—it’d be a little strange calling you ‘stepmom’—but my father’s happiness is all that matters to me. If you make him happy, then I’m happy. Oliver and I have wanted him to remarry for a while now."

"Oliver?"

"My brother," Victoria clarified. Of course, she knew Oliver wasn’t her real brother, but he might as well have been. For a moment, she’d forgotten not everyone knew about him.

Even as the film crew bustled around them, Victoria’s plan was already in motion.