<h4>Chapter 403: Chapter 403 The Center of Attention</h4>
Author’s pov
As guests tried to make sense of why Alpha Sebastian had entered with them, Martha was already steering Cecilia toward the center of the ballroom.
Wherever Martha moved, the Locke n followed likes orbiting a sun.
Several of Colorado Springs’ most powerful families drifted closer too, curiosity pulling them in.
By the time she stopped, the entire room’s attention had zeroed in on their small group.
Even though Cecilia had less than ten minutes to get ready, she still looked incredible. Her pale gray chiffon dress floated around her like mist over ake, soft and weightless. The simple style only made her stand out even more in the crowd.
"Mother. "Zane took a few quick steps forward, his gaze locked on Cecilia. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught somewhere between his chest and throat.
Maggie walked up in her heels, smiling like she owned the ce. "Mother, did you go pick up Miss Moore yourself ? What a coincidence,I’ve seen her a few timestely. "
The sweetness in her tone was pure poison. Behind that smile, her mind was spinning fast, stitching together a story that fit too neatly.
Zane’s secretive behavior. The private investigator shadowing Cecilia.
The DNA test. And now, Martha personally escorting the young woman into the spotlight.
The conclusion snapped into ce like a puzzle piece. Cecilia Moore was Zane Locke’s illegitimate daughter.
Maggie’s thoughts spiraled further. If Reba knew Zane had fathered a child in Denver, she’d be turning over in her grave.
And now that she looked closely... Cecilia did resemble Reba.She had the same eyes and the same quiet grace.
Maybe Zane’s thing for women who looked like histe wife wasn’t a coincidence. Maybe that trip to Denver wasn’t business at all, just a guilty man chasing a ghost.
Across from her, Cecilia caught the contempt flickering in Maggie’s eyes. The fragile calm Alpha Sebastian had helped her find earlier began to slip away, reced by a rising wave of anxiety.
Sensing her unravelingposure, Alpha Sebastian moved without hesitation. He ignored the whispers and stepped closer, cing a steady hand at the small of her back. He leaned down, his voice low and grounding, the warmth of his breath brushing her ear.
The effect was electric. A hush swept through the ballroom, sharp and immediate.
A moment ago, everyone had been watching Maggie and Cecilia like spectators at a chess match, dissecting every nce and smile.
Now, they were staring at Alpha Sebastian and Cecilia, the air thick with new spection.
The situation grew more tangled by the second.
"Mother, "Zane said quietly, keeping his voice low enough not to draw attention. "I need to speak with you privately. We should... "
Martha didn’t even nce at him. Instead, she stepped forward with calm authority and addressed the entire room. "I apologize for my dy. Thank you all for your patience. "
A few politeughs and soft replies followed.
The elite of Colorado Springs, from business owners to old money families and a couple of politicians, stepped up one after another to wish Martha a happy birthday.
In no time, the party was back on track, though curiosity still lingered in the air.
Cecilia stood still, feeling like something on disy.
Eyes turned her way from every corner of the room, some admiring, some doubtful, some clearly judging, as if everyone was trying to figure out what part she yed in the story.
She tilted her head slightly toward Alpha Sebastian . He leaned down without thinking, instinctively matching her hush.
"Think we could make a run for it ? "she whispered, her eyes sparking with mischief despite the tension.
He raised an eyebrow. "And go where, exactly ? "
"You’re the genius here, "she murmured. "Figure it out. "
A quietugh escaped him, surprising even himself. "That’s hardly fair. "
She sighed, a soft exhale that carried more relief than frustration. "If I can’t be unreasonable with you, then who else ? "
His wolf stirred, pleased.
For a moment, the noise of the ballroom faded, and all that was left was something quiet and fragile, trust.
--
Across the room, Jessica and Elder Luna ck exchanged a brief nce before moving through the crowd.
Their approach was deliberate, the kind of graceful advance that made people instinctively step aside.
Elder Luna ck greeted Martha with the kind of polished warmth that came from decades of social maneuvering. "Martha, you look radiant as ever, "she said, her tone silky but detached.
Martha smiled back, but her eyes quickly shifted to Jessica.
The air between them turned cold.
Ever since the honey butter cake fiasco, a story that had flown through the city’s gossip circles in record time, Martha had seen through Jessica’s fake charm.
That was the moment she’d stopped seeing Jessica as a na?ve girl and started seeing her as a threat.
The memory still stung.
Her disappointment had settled into quiet resolve, though Jessica, in her blind confidence, still believed her tricks had gone unnoticed.
"Grandmother, "Jessica said sweetly, reaching out to take Martha’s arm as if to reim the spotlight.
Her voice was honeyed, practiced, the kind that had gotten her through countless charity luncheons and photo ops. She tilted her head, smile bright and empty, hoping charm would win where sincerity could not.
Martha shifted gracefully, sidestepping the gesture with effortless poise. The movement was subtle but final, a silent rejection wrapped in elegance.
The crowd caught it immediately; a few guests exchanged knowing looks, the kind that traveled fast through Colorado Springs’ social grapevine.
She turned instead to Cecilia, her tone warm but decisive. "Cece,e here, "she said, extending her hand.
The simple act carried weight, a clear and public show of where Martha stood.
Just like that, the bnce in the room shifted again.
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