<h4>Chapter 387: Chapter 387 Family Matters</h4>


    Author’s pov


    Cecilia knew objecting would be futile. They would keep pushing until she agreed, and she couldn’t win an argument against Alpha Sebastian... so why not go along with it for now ?


    "Fine,"she conceded with a convincing disy of reluctance. She let her shoulders drop slightly and sighed, as if epting defeat. "I’ll go."


    Inside, she was already nning her escape route. The party was in two days. She’d just call in sick when the time came. They’d worry about her health, and since she wasn’t essential to their ns, they wouldn’t drag her there anyway.


    Alpha Sebastian’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he could sense her underlying thoughts, but he said nothing.


    When the meeting concluded, Alpha Sebastian escorted Cecilia away.


    --


    The following afternoon, Alpha Yardley arrived in Colorado Springs with York.


    The Elder Luna ck hade with them but, thanks to years of bad blood with Mabel, decided to stay at a hotel instead of dealing with family drama.


    Afternding, Elder Luna ck headed directly to her hotel, while Alpha Yardley and York went straight to the Lawson estate.


    The moment Alpha Yardley walked in, Philip whisked him away for a private chat, with Luna Regina tagging along.


    Meanwhile, Zaria cornered York for her own little heart-to-heart.


    Sebastian, hearing his dad and brother had arrived, brought Cecilia and the others to greet them.


    After cooling their heels in the foyer for about thirty minutes, Alpha Yardley finally emerged from Philip’s study with Luna Regina at his side.


    Cecilia greeted them politely. "Alpha Yardley , Luna Regina ."


    Alpha Yardley frowned at the formality, his eyebrows drawing together in mock disappointment. "We’re not at the office now. Just use our names."


    Cecilia smiled and amended, "Yardley, Regina."


    Her tone was warm but careful, like she was testing the waters of this new dynamic.


    Luna Regina studied Cecilia’s calm, pleasant smile and felt a pang of concern. The smile was perfect – not too eager, not too distant – but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was something guarded there, something that made Luna Regina’s maternal instincts kick in.


    But Luna Regina didn’t hold it against her.


    She’d been having coffee with Yvoely, getting the full story about Cecilia’s past. Luna Regina usually stayed away from gossip, and all she’d known before was the messy end of Cecilia’s secret marriage to Alpha Xavier.


    After hearing everything, she realized Cecilia was even tougher and smarter than she’d thought. The woman had incredible backbone. While listening to her story, Luna Regina couldn’t help thinking that if Reba had shown the same guts in leaving that bastard Zane, maybe she’d still be alive. Maybe she could have had a second chance too...


    She understood that Cecilia’s emotional walls were just self-defense. The woman didn’t trust marriage anymore, didn’t want to risk getting her heart broken again. And honestly, after what she’d been through, who could me her ?


    They needed to show her she was safe here, help her believe in love again. But it would take time, patience, and a lot of trust-building.


    "Cece, you haven’t picked out a dress yet, have you ?"Luna Regina stepped closer and took her arm affectionately. Her touch was gentle but firm, like a mother guiding her daughter. "I’ve ordered some options for you. They’ll be delivered soon, and you can choose whichever you like."


    "Thank you, Regina,"Cecilia agreed pleasantly. She didn’t pull away from the touch, but her bodynguage remained slightly stiff.


    Inside, though, she was suspicious. Her smile never wavered, but her mind was racing.


    [ A dress ? Hopefully not likest time when someone had sewn poison needles into the fabric. Whatever, it didn’t matter since she wouldn’t be going tomorrow anyway. She’d just pick one to keep them happy. ]


    Luna Regina, clueless about these thoughts, continued making ns. She was already mentally organizing everything, her excitement building.


    "Harper shoulde tomorrow too. She seems like such a lovely girl, and having a close friend nearby will make you morefortable."Luna Regina’s eyes lit up as she spoke, genuinely wanting Cecilia to feel at ease.


    "Might as well bring Tang and Beta Sawyer as well,"Alpha Yardley added with a heartyugh.


    Tang and Beta Sawyer nodded their agreement.


    Harper smiled politely but shot Cecilia a knowing look. She was perfectly aware of her friend’s n to fake being sick tomorrow.


    Cecilia’s pov


    That evening, more than thirty gorgeous gowns were delivered to the Lawson residence.


    Sebastian had Tang inspect them first, making sure there weren’t any nasty surprises sewn into the fabric before they were brought to the dressing room.


    I selected a pure white off-the-shoulder gown without much deliberation.


    I encouraged Harper to choose one as well. Even though I knew my fake illness would probably keep her home too, we had to keep up appearances.


    Harper dove into the selection process with genuine enthusiasm, trying on one gown after another. Some were a bit snug around the waist, but that just showed off her curves better.


    The guys had made themselves scarce while we yed dress-up.


    As I watched Harper spin around in different dresses, my mind wandered. I’d just seen a social media post from my mom, and something about the background looked off. It definitely wasn’t my grandmother’s ce.


    "Maybe I’ll go with this pink one,"Harper said, showing off a rose-colored gown thatpletely transformed her from sharp businesswoman to sweet socialite. "A change of pace might be nice."


    "Sounds good,"I replied, only half paying attention.


    I picked up my phone and opened Instagram again, zooming in on my mom’stest post.


    She was posing with my grandmother at what looked like a restaurant, but the background made me freeze. I could see part of a sign that read’Pikes Peak’ something. That was definitely Colorado Springs.


    Wait, what ? They were supposed to be in Denver. So why were they in the same city as me ?