Chapter 30

The crisp night air carried the scent of pine and damp earth as Lillian stepped onto the balcony of Sebastian Blackwood’s sprawling estate. The moon hung low, casting silver light over the forest beyond. She shivered, though not from the cold.

Inside, the party continued—laughter, clinking glasses, the hum of conversation. But out here, she was alone with her thoughts. And with him.

Sebastian leaned against the railing beside her, his broad shoulders outlined by moonlight. "Escaping already?" His voice was deep, laced with amusement.

Lillian exhaled. "Just needed air."

He studied her, golden eyes flickering with something unreadable. "You don’t belong in there, do you?"

She stiffened. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You’re not like them." He gestured toward the ballroom. "You don’t care about status or power plays. You never did."

Her pulse quickened. He saw too much. "And you do?"

A smirk tugged at his lips. "I have to."

Silence settled between them, thick with tension. The wind rustled the trees, carrying the distant howl of a wolf.

Then—footsteps.

Evelyn appeared in the doorway, her crimson dress clinging to her curves. "There you are." Her gaze darted between them, sharp as a blade. "Donovan’s looking for you, Lillian."

Lillian’s stomach twisted. Donovan. Her ex-fated mate, now bound to Evelyn. The betrayal still burned.

Sebastian straightened. "She’ll be along."

Evelyn’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. "Of course." She lingered, then turned on her heel and vanished into the crowd.

Lillian gripped the railing. "I should go."

Sebastian caught her wrist. "Stay."

Her breath hitched. His touch was warm, electric. "Why?"

"Because I’m asking." His thumb brushed her pulse point. "Because you want to."

She swallowed hard. He wasn’t wrong.

But then—a crash from inside. Shouts. A woman’s scream.

They exchanged a glance and sprinted back into chaos.

The ballroom was in disarray. Glass shattered. Guests scrambled. And in the center—

Oliver, Sebastian’s seven-year-old son, stood frozen, tears streaking his face. At his feet lay Victoria, Sebastian’s daughter, her gown torn, her arm bleeding.

And looming over them—

Donovan.

His eyes glowed feral. "You lied to me," he snarled at Lillian.

Her blood turned to ice.

Sebastian stepped forward, a growl rumbling in his chest. "Touch my family again, and I’ll rip your throat out."

The room held its breath.

Then—Oliver lunged, tiny fists swinging. "Leave my sister alone!"

Donovan backhanded him.

The world snapped.

Lillian’s vision tinted red. Her claws unsheathed. She launched—

But Sebastian was faster.

He seized Donovan by the throat and slammed him into the wall. "You’re dead."

Evelyn screamed. "Stop!"

Too late.

The first bone cracked.

And Lillian realized—

This wasn’t just a fight.

It was war.

"I have a feeling she's going to get back at me somehow," I murmured under my breath.

"Speaking of top students, are you going to the award ceremony tomorrow?" Beatrice asked, flipping through her notebook. "The winner gets a full scholarship for next year."

I blinked. "Oh, right. I completely forgot about that." The invitation had arrived weeks ago, but with everything happening—Donovan, Sebastian, the tutoring—it had slipped my mind entirely. "Yeah, I should probably go. That scholarship would be a lifesaver."

Glancing at the clock on the wall, I sighed. "I have to get to my next class. See you later, Bea."

"Bye!" she called after me.

After class, I stood in the parking lot, pulling out my phone to call an Uber. I needed to change before heading to Sebastian’s mansion for our tutoring session. But before I could even open the app, a sleek black car glided to a stop in front of me.

I startled as the window rolled down, revealing Frederick, Sebastian’s ever-polite chauffeur.

"Good afternoon, Miss Dumont," he said smoothly, unlocking the back door. "Mr. Blackwood sent me to collect you."

I hesitated, my fingers tightening around my bag. It was one thing to be picked up at home—but at school? Still, I forced a smile. "Thanks."

Sliding into the plush leather seat, I couldn’t shake the prickling sensation at the back of my neck. Like I was being watched.

I dismissed it as paranoia as the car pulled away.

Third Person POV

Cassandra’s blood boiled.

How dare Lillian speak to her like that? The audacity of that nobody, acting like she was better than everyone else.

Her friends trailed behind her as she stormed out of the student lounge, but the moment they stepped outside, Cassandra whipped around, raising a hand to silence them.

"Leave me," she ordered, her voice sharp as ice.

One of them blinked. "W-what? Why?"

"I need to be alone," Cassandra snapped, crossing her arms. "Go."

They hesitated, but they knew better than to argue. With reluctant nods, they scattered, leaving Cassandra standing alone in the fading sunlight.

She stalked across campus, her mind racing. She had no more classes today, and the thought of retreating to her dorm for a long, hot bath was tempting. Anything to scrub Lillian’s smug face from her thoughts.

But then—she stopped.

There, sitting on a bench in the quad, was a familiar figure. Hood pulled low, face shadowed.

Cassandra’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.

This person was no stranger to her. They had been friends—allies—for a long time. And more importantly, they hated Lillian just as much as she did.

Straightening her shoulders, Cassandra strode forward, her heels clicking against the pavement.

"Lillian is insufferable," she muttered as she dropped onto the bench beside them. "You won’t believe what she said to me. She actually had the nerve to imply she was smarter than me."

Her companion chuckled darkly. "What did you expect? She’s always been arrogant."

Cassandra smirked. "True. But she won’t be for long."

Her friend turned slightly, the hood shifting just enough to reveal a glint of cold amusement. "Oh? Do tell."

Cassandra leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I have a plan."

"I can't stand her."

Cassandra crossed her arms, eyeing her friend with suspicion. "What are you even doing out here?" she asked, her tone sharp. "You never hang around the quad. Isn’t this beneath you? Or so you always claim."

Her friend rolled their eyes dramatically, exhaling in exasperation.

"Actually, I was waiting for you."

Cassandra arched a brow. "For what?"

"Because I need your help," they said, stepping closer, their voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I need whatever dirt you can dig up on Lillian. Think you can handle that?"

Cassandra smirked. "And how exactly do you expect me to do that? Everyone knows she got rejected and her family went broke."

Her friend tapped their chin thoughtfully. "There has to be more. Something we’re missing. No way she’s this perfect at everything. She’s hiding something, and I need you to find out what it is."

Cassandra tilted her head, intrigued. "And what’s in it for me?"

A slow, knowing grin spread across her friend’s face.

"Because if we play this right, we can get rid of Lillian for good." They leaned in. "Then you become the top student."

Cassandra’s eyes gleamed with ambition.

"I like the way you think," she purred, flashing a sly wink. "Consider me in. I’ll tail her after school and see what she’s really up to."

As they parted ways, Cassandra spotted Lillian stepping out of the academic center, engrossed in her phone. Just then, a sleek, black luxury car rolled up in front of her. Cassandra ducked behind a pillar, her pulse quickening as she watched Lillian exchange words with someone inside.

Her breath hitched when Lillian opened the back door—and slid into the plush leather seat like she owned it.

Cassandra’s jaw nearly dropped.

That was a Rolls-Royce Phantom—discreet but unmistakably elite.

How the hell does she have access to a car like that when her family’s supposed to be broke?!

No wonder she walked around with that infuriating confidence.

Something wasn’t adding up.

And Cassandra was determined to find out what.