<h4>Chapter 100: Chapter 100 True friendship</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov


    I flopped back in my chair on the terrace, stuck listening to what felt like hours of crazy rumors about me.


    Apparently, some people thought I had bedroom powers that could charm any man—especially powerful Alphas.


    The wildest one? That I’d mastered some long-lost seduction technique made to control male werewolves.


    Seriously?


    At first, Yvonne looked sympathetic. But as the gossip got more ridiculous, I could see her getting... curious.


    She leaned on my shoulder in that silky green dress that made her skin look even more perfect.


    "Sweetheart," she said with a smirk, "are you keeping something from me? If you’ve got secret moves, you really should share."


    She looked like a sly little fox in that dress. Honestly, it fit her way too well.


    I sighed and downed the rest of my drink.


    "That’s enough," I muttered.


    Then I stood up and headed straight down to where the gossip crew was hanging out.


    As soon as I showed up, their voices died.


    They all looked at me—first awkward, then confused, then a little nervous.


    With apletely straight face, I slowly raised my hand, letting the obsidian bracelet on my wrist catch the light.


    Then, like I was doing serious math, I started counting on my fingers—one slow tap at a time.


    The whole table went dead silent.


    After a dramatic pause, I sighed and looked each of them straight in the eye.


    "In exactly seven days," I said solemnly, "you’ll all regret talking about me."


    Then I turned and walked away, heels clicking.


    Behind me, I heard the stunned silence break into nervous whispers.


    Yvonne caught up to me inside,ughing so hard she could barely breathe.


    "That was evil—and amazing! You should’ve seen their faces!"


    I kept my serious look. "Who says I was joking?"


    She froze midugh. "Wait... are you serious?"


    I paused, then finally cracked a smile. "Absolutely not."


    "You witch!" sheughed, shoving my shoulder.


    But deep down, I was still annoyed.


    I’de here as Alpha Sebastian’spanion—I couldn’t exactly start a catfight at his business associate’s reception. What would that say about him? About me?


    Scanning the room, I spotted Mr. Jude emerging from a private area, but Alpha Sebastian was nowhere to be seen.


    He must be meeting whoever he’d actuallye here to see—some mysterious figure important enough to warrant this entire borate setup.


    "Yvonne, do you know who he invited tonight? Someone important, apparently."


    "Isn’t that your Alpha?" she replied with a smirk.


    "He’s not my—" I stopped myself, too tired to correct her. "Besides him. Anyone else noteworthy?"


    "Not that I know of. The only VIP on his radar these days is your A—"


    "Okay, okay, I get it," I cut her off quickly.


    Alpha Sebastian was busy, and I had no desire to endure more whispers and stares. "Want to grab some actual food downstairs? This ce has a decent restaurant on the fifth floor."


    Yvonne, sensing my difort, readily agreed. "Lead the way. I’m under strict orders to keep the future Luna happy."


    I rolled my eyes but didn’t bother arguing.


    Once seated at the restaurant, I checked my phone, surprised Harper hadn’t responded to my earlier message. I called her directly.


    "Hey!" Harper’s excited whisper came through immediately. "I’ve got amazing news—I found concrete evidence that will destroy Cici White once and for all. Even her family connections won’t save her this time! That bitch is toast!! Gotta go—I’ll call youter with details!"


    The line went dead before I could respond.


    Xavier’s earlier threat echoed in my mind: If anything happens to Cici...


    My heart rate spiked. Harper was brilliant but sometimes reckless, especially when protecting those she cared about.


    If she’d found something damning on Cici, she might not fully appreciate the danger she was in.


    I immediately tried calling back—straight to voicemail. She’d turned off her phone.


    "I need to go," I told Yvonne, already gathering my things. "Something urgent came up."


    As we waited for the elevator, I checked the location sharing app we’d installed on each other’s phones after thest incident. It showed Harper at Wilson Tower downtown.


    I quickly texted Alpha Sebastian, asking if I could borrow his security detail.


    Even as I sent the message, guilt washed over me.


    Yvonne followed me out. "What’s happening?"


    "It’s... nothing," I started, then saw her skeptical expression. "Fine. My friend Harper—she’s also mywyer—she found evidence against Cici White, and I’m worried she might be in trouble."


    "Then I’ming with you," Yvonne dered.


    "You really don’t need to—"


    "What, I’m not good enough to be included in your adventures?" she challenged, feigning offense.


    "Fine, but stay in the car when we get there," I conceded, knowing it was futile to argue.


    When we reached the lobby, my phone rang—Alpha Sebastian calling.


    My heart skipped traitorously. I’d only texted to avoid disturbing him, yet he’d called immediately.


    "Hello?" I answered.


    His deep voice came through, calm and authoritative, "Wait in the car. I’ming with you."


    "...Okay," I replied softly, caught off guard by his decisiveness.


    As the call ended, I felt warmth spread through my chest. Yvonne gave me a knowing look that I pointedly ignored.


    Outside, Tang was already waiting with the car. Yvonne and I slid into the backseat, and within minutes, Alpha Sebastian emerged from the hotel, moving with purposeful strides. He settled into the passenger seat without hesitation.


    "Where is she?" he asked directly.


    "Wilson Tower," I answered, showing him my phone screen with the location.


    Alpha Sebastian nodded to Tang, who immediately pulled away from the curb. When Alpha Sebastian handed my phone back, his expression was contemtive. "You have location sharing on each other?"


    I nodded. "Yes, in case of emergencies when we can’t reach each other."


    "True friendship," he remarked, but something in his tone suggested he found it curious rather than admirable.


    "Yes, it is," I confirmed, tucking my phone away.


    "You share your location with your friend, but not your boss? I feel a little left out," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.


    I blinked. "...I..."


    "Rx, I’m just teasing," he added, voice light. "Maybe one day I’ll deserve that kind of trust."


    My lips parted but no sound emerged. Was he... joking? Flirting? Making a point about security protocols?


    With Alpha Sebastian ck, it was impossible to tell.