<h4>Chapter 407: Chapter 407 Family Tensions</h4>


    Author’s pov


    An hourter, the celebration was officially over.


    Most of the guests had been politely shown out, leaving only the cks, Coles, and Lawsons behind.


    Why were they still here ? Because the night wasn’t finished yet.


    Martha had gathered everyone in the main house’s grand receiving room.


    Some announcements needed witnesses, while others were better kept private.


    The room was huge, with high ceilings, polished wood floors, and enough seats for a hundred people.


    Four elegant sofa sets stood in the center, and Martha gestured for the Cole patriarch and the other elders to take the main seats.


    "Please, sit wherever you like, "she said to the rest, though most instinctively grouped up with their own packs.


    A huge crystal chandelier hung above them, spreading light over silk dresses and diamond jewelry.


    The room looked like something from a luxury magazine, perfect on the outside but tense inside.


    Everyone sat up straight, pretending to stay calm while curiosity and doubt filled the air.


    What was Martha nning now ? The granddaughter had already been acknowledged. What else could she possibly announce ?


    The silence stretched, heavy and expectant, broken only by the faint clinking of ss as a servant cleared away thest of the champagne flutes.


    A few people whispered behind their hands, their voices low and cautious, afraid to draw Martha’s attention.


    The air itself seemed charged, the kind of quiet that came before a storm.


    While people quietly shared their guesses, most eyes turned to the center of attention, Cecilia. She didn’t sit with her newly found Locke family but stayed beside Alpha Sebastian with the cks.


    Some thought it was a power move, a way to keep Jessica from getting too close to Alpha Sebastian.


    After all, being named a Locke heiress was one thing; bing the future Luna of Silver Peak Pack was another.


    The truth, however, was far more personal.


    Since they had stepped out of the ballroom, Alpha Sebastian hadn’t once released her hand.


    His grip was firm but gentle, a silent promise of protection she didn’t need to question.


    Every time someone’s gaze lingered on her for too long, his thumb brushed the back of her hand in reassurance.


    Cecilia didn’t care about the whispers anymore.


    Her body felt like it was running on fumes, her mind still spinning from everything that had happened that night.


    The chandelier light shimmered above her, sharp and blinding, and she blinked against it, hershes fluttering with fatigue.


    A dull ache pressed behind her eyes, the kind that came from too many emotions crammed into too few hours.


    Alpha Sebastian noticed immediately.


    He leaned closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "Breathe, "he murmured, his tone soft but steady. "You’re okay. "


    She exhaled slowly, letting her shoulders drop. Without thinking, she tilted her head and rested it against his shoulder.


    When she leaned her head against Alpha Sebastian’s shoulder, he looked down and smiled softly, his hand brushing the back of her head.


    The small touch was enough to quiet her thoughts.


    Across from them, the Lockes sat in tense silence. Jessica kept her eyes on the floor, but sometimes she looked up and saw another gentle moment between Cecilia and Alpha Sebastian. Each time, jealousy tightened in her chest.


    Elder Luna ck wasn’t any calmer.Her expression stayedposed, but her eyes were sharp, searching.


    When she looked across the room, Martha met her gaze with a faint, knowing smile before turning deliberately to Zane.


    "Where’s Maggie ? "Martha asked.


    Everyone had moved from the ballroom to the receiving room, except for Maggie, who had been quietly taken somewhere else.


    Martha noticed but didn’t stop her, and the others pretended not to see.


    "She went to check on Xenia, "Zane said after a pause.


    Xenia rarely came to events like this because crowds and noise were too much for her, so the excuse sounded almost believable.


    Several people traded quick nces, the kind that said yeah, right. Everyone knew Maggie had been shattered by what happened earlier and needed time to pull herself together.


    "Call her, "Martha said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Everyone’s waiting. "


    Zane shifted in his seat. "Maybe it’s better if she stays with Xenia. She doesn’t need to be here. "


    Martha’s lips pressed into a thin line. Her eyes, cold and sharp, didn’t move from him. "Do I have to call her myself ? "she asked, her voice low but cutting.


    The question wasn’t a threat. It was a warning.


    Even Zane, who rarely bowed to anyone, looked away first.


    "Mother... "Zane began, his voice carrying a trace of pleading, trying to smooth the tension that had begun to thicken in the air.


    "Mother. "A calm female voice cut through the silence like a knife.


    Heads turned as Maggie stepped into the room.


    The sound of her heels clicked against the polished floor, measured and steady.


    She lookedposed to the point of perfection, every hair in ce, her expression smooth and unreadable.


    The fragile, humiliated woman from earlier had vanished.


    Her chin was slightly lifted, her shoulders drawn back, and a faint, practiced smile touched her lips.


    Martha gave only a curt nod. "Sit. "


    Maggie didn’t seem bothered by Martha’s coldness. She glided across the room toward Zane, graceful and poised, but both seats beside him were already taken by Poppy and Jessica’s father.


    Before she reached them, Jessica’s father quickly stood and offered his seat.


    Poppy had started to rise too but sat back down when she saw her brother move first. The small exchange said enough. Maggie still had enough power in this family to make people uneasy.


    "Darling, "Maggie said softly, taking Zane’s hand.


    Zane froze, then gently pulled away, adjusting his tie like a man searching for air. His eyes flicked toward Cecilia across the room.


    [ She’s still pretending, ]Cecilia thought. [ After everything, she still acts like she’s the queen here. ]


    Maggie didn’t flinch. She smoothed her hair, her smile effortless, and turned to Cecilia with a look so sweet it almost seemed rehearsed.


    Cecilia, I truly apologize for my behavior, "she said. "I misjudged both Zane and you terribly. I was foolish and wrong. Thank goodness everything has been cleared up now. Cecilia, wee home ! "


    All eyes turned to Cecilia.


    The air in the room seemed to tighten, everyone waiting to see how she’d respond to this sudden show of grace.


    Cecilia, who had been staring into the distance, slowly turned her head. Her eyes met Maggie’s, steady and sharp, impossible to read.


    After a long pause, she smiled, but her eyes stayed cold.


    "I’m sorry, "she said softly. "I must be tired. Could you say that again ? I didn’t quite catch it. "