Chapter 16: Leave The Harem
"And that, ladies and gentlemen..." the host forced a smile, his face twitching as he finished the presentation for just a few people. "Will be the new metro of the South."
A slow, faint clap echoed in the venue instead of a proper round of applause. Even when August and Julian clapped, it wasn’t enough to do the presentation justice.
"Not bad," Lynsandra commented calmly, turning to Julian. "What do you think?"
Julian nodded. "I’m impressed."
"Of course, you are," she chuckled. "Otherwise, you wouldn’t have poured money into this project."
"The only unimpressive thing here is how such success gets into someone’s head," August chimed in, having paid attention to the presentation. "What a shame."
Elias, on the other hand, scratched the back of his head. He had listened and understood it, but it wasn’t in his interest.
"Nicely done," Lynsandra said as she reached out her hand, which Julian took on cue and used to assist her to stand.
Like her, August and Elias also rose to their feet. They were here for one reason, and if Lynsandra was leaving, there was no point in them staying either.
Lynsandra turned to the crowd, who were still kneeling in the same place as before. She smiled, then turned back to her company.
"Let’s go."
With that, she walked alongside Julian toward the exit. August followed a step behind her, while Elias hopped over to her other side.
"Want to hold my hand too?" he quipped, eyeing the hand she held with Julian.
His teasing earned him a side glance. "Behave yourself."
"Haha!"
And with that, the four of them walked away quietly and unhurriedly. Just before she exited, Lynsandra’s eyes slid toward Cassian. He was closer than where he had fallen, likely having crawled his way forward.
She ignored it, looking away as if she had seen nothing.
*****
The moment Lynsandra took her first step outside, the crushing, invisible weight pressing on everyone was lifted.
"Ugh..." one of the guests reached for his leg, wincing. "I feel like my kneecaps were crushed."
"I can’t feel my legs."
Complaints and groans instantly echoed through the venue as everyone was finally freed from Lynsandra’s domineering aura. Some slumped onto the floor, staring at their dresses ruined from kneeling. Others were more concerned about whether Lynsandra remembered them or if they should focus on the damage control as soon as possible.
But some couldn’t help turning their attention toward Katarina and Victor as the two finally rose to their feet.
"Hah!" one of the guests scoffed as she stood. "Look at her—claiming she knew the Royal Pack, yet deliberately crossing the Luna."
That remark shifted the room’s focus, redirecting blame toward its source. Katarina flinched as she felt the gazes turning on her. Looking around, her pale lips trembled.
"It’s not like that..." she trailed off.
Victor—who should have been standing by her—walked away instead.
Her eyes snapped to him. "Vic!"
But Victor ignored the judgmental stares and rushed straight for the exit where Lynsandra and her entourage had gone. He didn’t look back, because nothing else mattered now.
What he needed was an explanation from Lynsandra herself.
"There’s no way..." he exhaled shakily as he burst out of the venue, his eyes darting around in panic.
When he finally spotted her in the distance, Lynsandra was being assisted into a car by both Julian and August.
"Liz—" His breath hitched, knowing his voice wouldn’t reach her.
Not when August shot him a sharp glance, Julian turned to face him squarely, and Elias—leaning his arms against the driver’s side roof—smirked openly in his direction.
Even from afar, Victor felt it: the quiet threat in August’s eyes, the mockery in Elias’s grin, and the warning in Julian’s stare.
He took an unconscious step back, his heart sinking as he watched them enter the same vehicle as Lynsandra.
"Liz," he whispered. "Have you... not forgiven me yet?"
*****
After Lynsandra left and everyone finally regained control of their bodies, many guests chose not to stay.
What was there to celebrate?
"Wait—" Katarina reached out to one of the senior madams of another respected pack, only for her hand to be slapped away.
She froze, catching the displeasure in the woman’s eyes. No one berated her, but the disappointment and disdain were unmistakable.
Her heart sank as she lowered her hand, watching people pass her with snickers and whispered mockery. Katarina bit her inner lip, her fingers curling into a tight fist. When she turned and saw Victor returning, she scoffed the moment their eyes met before turning away and walking off.
Victor parted his lips to call her, but no sound came out.
"Damn it."
Just as he thought things couldn’t get worse, Victor noticed someone still on the floor.
Everyone else was already on their feet, except one.
"Cassian..." His eyes widened as he held his breath as one important realization dawned on him.
*
*
*
The afterparty was automatically cancelled. Who would celebrate a launch’s success after spending the entire presentation kneeling?
Ryan leaned against the doorframe, worry etched on his face as he watched Cassian inside the room. Cassian sat on the edge of the bed, head hanging low, arms resting on his legs. Even after being released from the luna’s command, he had remained on his knees, paralyzed by shock.
Ryan had to help him back to their hotel room.
"How is he?" Victor’s quiet voice broke the silence from beside him.
Ryan turned and shook his head. "He’s probably still in shock from what happened. He hasn’t said a word since."
"I see." Victor sighed, glancing at him. "Give me a moment with him."
Ryan pressed his lips together, then nodded. Without another word, he left the suite, giving the brothers privacy.
What happened tonight was a fatal blow to Cassian.
The other members of the harem had been there, standing, composed, proving their worth as the Luna’s consorts.
And Cassian?
He had knelt like everyone else. That difference alone spoke volumes.
Victor entered carefully, sitting on the edge of the bed with an arm’s length between them.
"Cass," he said quietly, studying his brother’s profile. After a moment, he spoke again, his voice heavy.
"You have to... leave the Luna’s Harem."
