Chapter 17 No More Pretending


    Aubrey’s POV


    This was the real Bailey. The sweet, well–behaved image she showed others was nothing but an act.


    I looked at her and smiled faintly. “Looks like you didn’t learn your lesson fromst night.”


    Pestis!


    It would’ve been better if I hadn’t brought it up. The moment I did, Bailey’s whole body started shaking with rage!


    She bared her wolf fangs and screamed at me, “You bitch! You really put on a good show! Those two guys were clearly bad news, and you expect me to believe nothing happened between you three after all that time?”


    I raised an eyebrow and said slowly, “Now that you mention them… it’s funny, I didn’t even know them. We had no history, no conflict. So why would theye after me?” I smiled. “Maybe I should ask Madam Adelyn to put some pressure on them. See what they say. What do you think?”


    Bailey’s face, already twisted with anger, instantly turned white.


    She shouted, “You filthy wench! Haven’t you made enough of a disgrace of yourself?!”


    Her eyes were wild with panic, even though her words were full of menace.


    “I’m warning you–don’t run your mouth. Or I’ll make sure you regret it!”


    “Make sure I regret it?”


    I stared her down and stepped toward her. Bailey instinctively backed away—but I grabbed her by the cor.


    “If I were you, I’d be freaking out right about now. After all, Madam Adelyn promised to get justice for me. Who knows what those two will confess to? Who knows who the real culprit is–the one who set me up?”


    I narrowed my eyes and whispered right in her face, “Once the truthes out, I’ll ask her to punish that person properly. Maybe something like… chopping off her limbs and tying her to a stake. Then whipping her to death with ash soaked in wolfsbane.”


    I let go.


    Bailey’s legs gave out and she copsed onto the floor.


    Her face was ghostly pale. She looked at me in horror, then said nothing. Without a word, she suddenly shifted into her wolf form and darted off toward the garden.


    I knew exactly where she was going to her mother for help.


    I had originally nned to head back to my room, but a sudden whiff of food stopped me. I hadn’t eaten much at the Miguel manor, and after everythingst night and today, I was starving. I turned and headed to


    the kitchen.


    Sure enough, I found two maids prepping afternoon tea.


    “I’m hungry,” I said, leaning against the doorframe. The maids stared at me in shock as I gave my order. “Make something and bring it to my room.”


    Chapter 17 No More Pretending


    I didn’t care what their reaction was. I turned and went upstairs.


    What I didn’t know was that after 1 left, the two maids looked extremely annoyed.


    Th Pearls


    One of them, the older one, spat and said, “She really thinks she’s the youngdy now? Just toss her some leftover noodles from lunch and ssh some soy sauce on it!”


    I didn’t respond. I wanted to see if they really had the guts to do it.


    Up in my room, I stared at myself in the mirror, feeling…plicated.


    Eighteen was still such a fresh, delicate age. Even with thick bangs nearly covering half my face, I still looked youthful and clean.


    I reached up and pushed all my hair back into a high ponytail, exposing my smooth forehead and delicate features.


    Looking at the girl in the mirror–sopletely transformed–I smiled. I actually thought I looked pretty good.


    Truth was, I’d always hated those bangs. They poked my eyes. But I never dared change my hairstyle- because my stepmother said I looked “prettier” this way.


    Was it really prettier? No. Aurelia just didn’t want me to outshine Bailey.


    Just then, someone knocked on the door.


    When I opened it, there was no one there. On the floor sat a bowl. Inside were cold leftover noodles from lunch, a little sour pickle, and a ssh of soy sauce. Nothing else.


    I couldn’t help butugh. Just look at the kind of life I’d been living.


    I couldn’t even get a hot bowl of noodles.


    At werewolf school, everyone said the cafeteria food was terrible–but I always ate it with gusto. Because the food at home was even worse. When Dad wasn’t around, I wasn’t allowed to eat at the table. The things I ate in secret probably weren’t even good enough for the guard dog out front.


    In the past, if I was hungry, I’d just force it down. But now? Eating this would no longer earn me a reputation for being kind–it would just make me look pitiful and pathetic.


    I picked up the bowl and walked downstairs.


    In the living room, I saw fresh–baked sconesid out next to a pot of hand–ground coffee. Aurelia was dressed to the nines, pacing anxiously as she waited for someone.


    The servants all pretended not to see me, going about their business like I didn’t exist.


    I gave the room a quick scan, then walked straight up to Aurelia–bowl in hand.


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