bChapter /bb169 /b

    Mi’s POV

    I couldn’t believe it. There was so much going wrong, so much chaos spinning out of my control. My eyes flicked to the woman standing beside me the Queen’s mother. And the damn fake handbag. How could she think she could get away with that? People were already whispering about her, judging her, and now she’s walking around carrying something so tantly fake. Theughs would be inevitable. The guests would rip into her, and that would piss me off to no end. This wasn’t just about the wedding; this was about respect.

    And the one person whose approval I needed most was standing beside me, looking more out of ce than I’d ever seen her. Co–my mother. She didn’t seem to grasp the gravity of it all. She didn’t get how dangerous it was to upset the bnced of things now, especially

    when I was the Queen.

    ra’s voice sliced through my thoughts, casual butced with challenge.

    “So, are we going to have a problem here?”

    1 nced at Co. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard.

    “No,” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

    “Good.” ra smiled like she’d just won a small victory, and that was thest thing I needed–more tension in the air.

    Before anyone could speak again, Ruvan, trying to smooth over the moment, grabbed his drink, downing it too quickly.

    “It’s fine,” he said, ncing nervously at ra.

    “Good,” ra repeated, her voice too sweet forfort.

    The awkward silence that followed was shattered when a loud voice rang out from the door. The servant’s announcement echoed through

    the ballroom:

    “Ladies and gentlemen, the King and the Queen!”

    The heavy double doors swung open, revealing Lance and me, hand in hand.

    My breath hitched in my throat. The gown I’d changed into after the ceremony shimmered under the lights. It was long, rose–colored silk, and it clung to my body in all the right ces. The deep V–neckline adorned with intricate, hand–embroidered detailing sparkled with every movement. The diamonds around my neck–each one the size of a quail egg–glinted under the light, drawing all eyes to me.

    I gave a practiced smile, nodding to the apuse, even as my chest tightened with a quiet unease. Was this how it was going to be now?

    Lance barely nced at me, his expression as cold and indifferent as it had been since we’d arrived. His voice, when he spoke, was t, as though he couldn’t care less.

    “I present you, my Queen, Mi Diaz.”

    He let go of my hand like I was a stranger to him. My stomach churned, but I held my head high. The apuse was deafening, but it didn’t fill

    the hollow space between us.

    As we walked toward the center of the ballroom, I tried to ignore the burn of mortification spreading through me. It was supposed to be a night of celebration, but the eyes on me felt more like daggers than admiration.

    “That’s my daughter!” Ruvan shouted with augh that was more forceful than joyful. “See? My daughter is the Queen! I am your King’s father–inw!”

    b17:59 /bbSat/bb, /bb9 /bbAug /b

    The apuse grew louder, but I barely heard it over the pounding in my cars. All I could focus on was Lance’s cold silence beside me.

    Then, as if things weren’t awkward enough, Ruvan and Co pushed their way through the crowd, trying to draw attention to themselves.

    “Coming through!” Ruvan cried, elbowing people out of his way like he owned the ce.

    Corta giggled behind him, her voice dripping with false cheer. “Make way for the King’s mother and father–inw!”

    They reached us, and Ruvan’s exaggerated bow had more to do with theatrics than respect.

    “My King!” Ruvan said dramatically, “It is such an honour to finally meet you. Mi said so many nice things about you…”

    Lance gave a small, unimpressed nod, acknowledging him without any real warmth.

    “And the wedding!” Co chipped in, her voice strained with excitement. “It’s just absolutely gorgeous. Oh my, I’ve never attended a fancier wedding before-”

    Before she could continue, a voice cut through the chatter, dripping with disdain.

    “It’s fancy because it cost a fortune.”

    Everyone turned to see Kimberly striding toward us, her me–red gown catching the light like a beacon. Her face was hidden behind a mask, the dark birthmark on her skin concealed from the world. But I knew her too well. She didn’t need to say a word for me to feel the anger she was holding back.

    Kimberly’s eyes flicked over to Lance as she curtsied, her movementsnguid, calcted.

    “My King,” she murmured,pletely ignoring me.

    I could feel the tension rising. Co’s smile faltered, and I could tell she was already about tosh out.

    “What do you mean, ‘cost a fortune?“” Co’s voice was sharp, defensive. “My son–inw is the King! He owns the entire rogue kingdom. Of course, he can afford it. It’s so ungraceful of you to talk about money here, on my daughter’s wedding!”

    Kimberly’s gaze shifted to Co, cool and unflinching.

    “On the contrary,” she said with a cruel smile. “Money is exactly what we need to talk about.”

    The air thickened as Kimberly continued, her voice steady, cold.

    “Every penny spent on this weddinges from our national treasury. Your daughter insisted on the best of everything: brand–new silk bedsheets, tailored nightrobes for the guests, redecorating the entire pce, exquisite jewelry for herself… We even paid for your clothes and essories tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz.”

    I could see Lance’s expression darken, the anger creeping into his eyes.

    “I’ve never seen the bill,” ihe /isaid with a frown. “How much in total?”

    “Fifty million,” Kimberly said, her tone unbothered.

    “Fifty million?!” Lance exploded, his voice rising in fury. “Why haven’t I heard about this before? Are we really going to drain the national treasury for this wedding?”

    Kimberly shrugged, her nonchnce only adding fuel to the fire.

    “I showed the bill to the Queen,” she said. “Apparently, she believed this was money worth spending.”

    17.59 Salb, /bby /bbAug /b

    Mi’s face burned with embarrassment. The eyes of the room were on me, and I could feel the judgment, the mockery simmering just

    below the surface.

    But I wasn’t going to back down. Not tonight. Not when everything had been built up to this moment.

    b“/bI know it’s a lot,” I said, forcing the words out, “but this is our wedding. Once in a lifetime! Fifty million is nothingpared to its significance…”

    “Really?” Lance sneered, cutting me off. “You’ve never contributed a penny to this kingdom, but you think this is all worth it?”

    40%

    I felt the sting of his words like a p to my face. But there was no time for self–pity–not now, not here. The crowd was waiting, their eyes hungry for drama.

    Before I could respond, Kimberly’s voice sliced through the tension.

    “And I do remember you saying that the bride’s side would be paying for half of this wedding, correct? So when can I expect that checki?/i”

    I froze. My mind went nk. I’d never even thought about that part. It was a detail I’d avoided, and now it was staring me in the face.

    “Twenty–five million,” I said, my voice steely. “It’s nothing for my family! Mom, Dad, write her a checki./ii” /i

    Co’s face turned pale. “B–but darling…” Her voice dropped to a whisper, her panic clear. “We don’t have that kind of money…i” /i

    I stared at her in disbelief. What the hell?

    Ruvan’s voice joined in, awkward and defensive. “Remember the tax issue in Direstone Pack? We haven’t sorted that out yet…”

    I was horrified. This was a nightmare. My own parents–my own blood–were about to ruin everything.

    Kimberly raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And how is it that just a few moments ago, you told me not to worry about the money, iming your family’s wealth exceeded my imagination? Was that just empty talk?”

    The crowd burst intoughter.

    Co was trembling now, her grip tight on her fake handbag.

    “How dare you!” she spat. “Why are you trying to sabotage my daughter’s wedding?”

    Kimberly’s gaze turned icy. “I’m the King’s Cab Minister. Watch your tongue, Mrs. Diaz. Show some respect.”

    Co flinched, shrinking back under Kimberly’s cold stare. Ruvan stumbled over his words, trying to salvage what was left of his pride.

    “I’m sure we can sort this out,” he muttered. “My son–inw here is the King, for Christ’s sake…”

    “Stop calling me that.” Lance’s voice was sharp, his cold eyes locking on Ruvan’s. “Everyone, including your daughter, refers to me as the

    King.”

    A waltz started up, the music soft and elegant, but it did nothing to calm the tension that crackled in the air. I felt a deep, gnawing sense of

    dread.

    “We’ll talk about thister,” Lance hissed, pulling me onto the dance floor before I could protest.

    I could barely keep my head above water as I moved with him, but there was no time to drown in the mess.

    .There was still a chance to fix this.

    bSat/bb, /bb9 /bbAug /b

    Still ba /bchance to salvage tonight.

    But first, I needed to get through this dance without falling apart.

    b“/bbSir /bAlden is here!”

    The announcement echoed through the room, shattering the fragile calm I’d tried ito /ibuild.

    Lance immediately pulled away from me, his attention drawn to the entrance.

    “Where are you going?” I called after him, but he didn’t even look back.

    The crowd shifted in a flurry, craning their necks toward the door.

    I turned to ra behind the bar, desperation in my eyes. “Who is Sir Alden?”

    “You don’t know?” she asked, her voice low with intrigue. “Are you from the other side of the border?”

    Before I could answer, the servant whispered to her, leaning close.

    “…Have you heard of the Lycans?”

    I froze.