Chapter 144: Chapter 144 Family Banquet Chaos
Author’s POV
Weekend evening descended over Sylvia’s grand estate, where servants moved with practiced efficiency through the outdoor dining pavilion.
Crystal champagne towers caught the fading light, surrounded by elaborate displays of hors d’oeuvres and desserts.
Sylvia had organized tonight’s dinner party, inviting the Alpha King’s family along with several prominent Alpha figures from her social circle.
Victor and Lucas arrived early, spotting Nathan deep in conversation with Sylvia in the main hall. They approached to exchange greetings.
Sylvia had dressed to impress—draped in a fur stole despite the mild September weather, diamonds glittering at her throat and wrists.
After a few minutes of small talk, she caught Victor’s eye with a meaningful glance. Lucas noticed his father’s subtle response and excused himself, leaving the two alone.
"Did you need to speak with me about something, Sylvia?" Victor asked amiably.
She poured a flute of champagne and handed it to him personally.
"We’re family, Victor. We should see each other more often. But ever since Vincent passed, you haven’t visited the estate at all."
"Business keeps me busy." Victor’s tone stayed light. "You should take care of yourself, though. I heard you haven’t been to V&A Group’s offices in weeks. Are you really comfortable handing over control to the younger generation? You poured a decade of your life into that company."
"Handing over control is one thing." Sylvia’s smile never wavered, though her words carried an edge. "Being forced out is quite another."
"That won’t happen. Aria’s still inexperienced—V&A Group needs your steady hand."
His words were honeyed, calculated. But Sylvia knew better. The sweeter his tone, the deeper his calculations ran.
She’d once believed that as Alpha, Victor would stay above the company’s internal politics—too occupied with the pack to interfere in V&A Group’s affairs. A figure she could work around.
Vincent’s death had shattered that illusion.
"Victor, I’ve never understood what I did to offend you." Sylvia abandoned pretense, her gaze sharpening. "Is it because Vincent and I never had children? Because I couldn’t give the pack an heir?"
"Sylvia, I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about." Victor set down his glass, his face a picture of innocence. "I’m not working against you."
"Then why didn’t you tell me about the bonding arrangement?" Her voice dropped, soft and wounded.
Victor sighed, playing the reluctant messenger. "Alpha King asked me not to discuss it. A bonding arrangement of that magnitude—the fewer people who knew, the better."
Sylvia fell silent, though her mind raced.
This conversation was a test.
Victor, as Alpha, held real authority over what happened next. He’d always treated Vincent—his brother, adopted into the family by his father—with quiet respect, even after his death.
With Aria’s return, Sylvia’s position felt increasingly precarious.
If Aria alone posed a threat, that was manageable. But if both Victor and the pack stood behind that girl, Sylvia’s options would narrow considerably.
"You’re the only person in this family I trust, Victor. We grew up together in this pack, remember?"
Her voice cracked with manufactured emotion. "After Vincent passed, V&A Group became my only anchor. If there’s truly no place for me here, just tell me..."
Her words dissolved into quiet sobs.Men were so easy to manipulate when tears were involved.
"Listen to me, Sylvia. No one’s targeting you—Vincent asked me to look after you before he died. As long as you want to remain at V&A Group, no one will force you out."
Sylvia lifted her head, eyes red and glistening. "Even if it comes down to choosing between Aria and me... you’d still support me?"
"I don’t know if things will come to that," Victor exhaled. "But I won’t automatically side with Aria. If there’s a conflict, I’ll decide based on what’s best for the company and the facts."
"That’s all I needed to hear."
Satisfied, Sylvia’s tears dried as quickly as they’d appeared.
She smoothly redirected the conversation to lighter topics, and within minutes, the tension Aria had created between them seemed to evaporate entirely.
---
Meanwhile, across the estate grounds, Lucas was helping greet arriving guests when he spotted a familiar face.
Emily had arrived with the Cranes—accompanied by Vanessa, who walked beside her parents with her usual superior air.
"Alpha Crane, good evening." Lucas greeted the family professionally, guiding them toward their seats.
Vanessa trailed behind him, smile bright and calculated, until her gaze landed on Emily, hanging back several paces from the group.
"Well, well. Look who it is." Vanessa’s voice dripped with false sweetness. "Your old friend is right there, Lucas. Aren’t you going to say hello?"
Most guests didn’t know the full history between Emily and Lucas, but Vanessa knew every sordid detail.
As children, Lucas had constantly found excuses to visit the Crane Pack house just to see Emily.
Emily was adopted—the Cranes felt they owed her deceased parents a debt they could never repay, which left them unable to rein in her rebellious nature.
As they grew older, he’d followed her everywhere—any school, any city. Anyone with eyes could see he was hopelessly infatuated.
But Emily liked him too—Vanessa just wanted Emily to reject Lucas because she enjoyed tormenting Emily this way. Then she went abroad for a while.
No one knew what happened during that time, but when she returned, the two had suddenly become strangers. Even more shocking, Emily had joined V&A Group.
But Vanessa had once watched Emily block Lucas’s car, tearfully begging for a chance to explain. He’d driven away without a word.
That alone gave Vanessa years of ammunition, and she made it her mission to needle Emily at every social function.
"Hey Emily," Vanessa called out sweetly, her voice dripping with false concern. "Aren’t you going to say hello to your old friend?"
"Are you a dog?" Emily said flatly. "Because you certainly bark like one."
"You—" Vanessa sputtered, but Emily was already walking away. Grabbing a glass of cranberry juice from a passing servant’s tray, Vanessa charged after her and dumped it over Emily’s head.
Emily froze as red liquid soaked through her hair and down her white slip dress, leaving it transparent and clinging. Dozens of guests turned to stare.
"Oops! I’m so clumsy!" Vanessa called out with theatrical concern. "I’m so sorry, sister. Maybe you should go change? Or just head home? People will say Riverside Pack’s second daughter is having another one of her episodes."
Servants rushed over with towels; Emily shoved them away, spun around, and slapped Vanessa hard enough to crack like a whip.
Alpha Crane and his Luna hurried over to find their daughter sobbing, hand pressed to her reddening cheek, while Emily stood dripping and defiant.
"Daddy! I accidentally spilled my drink and Emily just attacked me!" Vanessa threw herself into her father’s arms.
Her mother wrapped protective arms around her, shooting Emily a look of exasperation and thinly veiled dislike.
"Emily!" Alpha Crane’s voice was low and sharp.
"You embarrass yourself at home constantly, and now you cause scenes in public? Apologize to Vanessa. Then go home and think about what you’ve done."
"She threw juice on me. Why should I apologize?" Emily accepted a towel and wiped her face.
"If you’re so committed to favoring your real daughter, you shouldn’t have adopted me in the first place." She turned to leave.
But Alpha Crane’s pride couldn’t handle the public disrespect. "You ungrateful brat! You’re not leaving until you apologize!" He grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
Emily’s smile was razor-sharp. "I’m not apologizing. So what are you going to do about it?"
Rage flooded his face, his hand rising as if he might actually strike her. Emily lifted her chin, almost daring him to.
Lucas stood frozen several feet away, chest tight with an emotion he’d sworn he’d buried, lips parting to protest.
But someone else moved first.
"Alpha Crane, please!" A familiar voice cut through the tension.
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