Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sienna\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moon hung full and bright in the velvet sky, its light spilling through my window. From the courtyard below, I could hear the faint melody of someone singing, it was soft, graceful, and hauntingly beautiful. The temple courtyard was already alive with color and laughter. Lanterns hung from every corner, golden light swaying with the evening breeze. Tables had been set and guests were already gathering, their voices bubbling with excitement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beside me, Emma clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. \u201cMy lady, you are honestly the most beautiful person I have ever seen. Your dress, your eyes, especially your white hair, it\u2019s like freshly fallen snow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and for a moment, even I had to admit, she was right. The woman staring back at me was stunning. The golden dress shimmered with every movement, the fabric catching the light like sunlight rippling over water. My pale hair framed my face perfectly, cascading down my back in perfect waves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A slow, pleased smile curved my lips as I turned slightly, admiring the view from another angle. \u201cWhat about Selene?\u201d I asked, my tone light, but the smirk tugging at my mouth was sharper than it looked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s reflection smirked back at me. \u201cYour stepmother gave her the dress. I made sure to choose the plainest one out of them all. When she walks out tonight, she\u2019ll look completely ordinary. You, my lady, will be the star.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A small laugh escaped me. \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just a while ago, my stepmother had given me this beautiful gown as a birthday gift. That was when the idea struck me, to make sure Selene\u2019s moment tonight would be as dull as possible. When I told my stepmother I wanted to choose Selene\u2019s dress myself, she hadn\u2019t even hesitated. She simply nodded, indifferent as always.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sometimes, I honestly wondered why she treated me so kindly while treating Selene like she was something beneath her shoes. It was almost as if I were her real daughter. Perhaps it was because she never had a child of her own and saw me as her perfect little golden heir.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Either way, I didn\u2019t care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Let her spoil me all she wanted. I wasn\u2019t about to complain. My father, my brothers, my stepmother, they all adored me. And why wouldn\u2019t they? I was everything Selene wasn\u2019t. Graceful, admired, and blessed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And this was only the beginning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I adjusted the gold chain resting at my throat and smiled at my reflection once more. \u201cShe\u2019ll look so plain during the celebrations,\u201d I murmured, \u201cbut I\u2019m doing her a favor, really. It\u2019s better she doesn\u2019t draw attention to herself, she\u2019ll only embarrass herself when I\u2019m the one who awaken\u00a0<\/p>\n
wakens with the white wolf.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emma nodded quickly, her expression eager. \u201cYes, my lady. You\u2019re so kind to even think of her that way. It\u2019s better she stays in your shadow. That\u2019s where she belongs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I met my own gaze in the mirror, the smile still on my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I said softly. \u201cThat\u2019s her destiny, after all, to always be my shadow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A soft knock sounded at the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned from the mirror. \u201cCome in,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the other side, Kane\u2019s familiar voice came. \u201cSienna, it\u2019s me. I came to escort you to the celebration.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled automatically. \u201cCome in, brother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:48 Tue, Dec 23 M\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door opened, and Kane stepped inside. His usual careless grin softened for a second when he saw me. He paused mid- step, eyes sweeping over me from head to toe before a slow smile spread across his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d he said, letting out a low whistle. \u201cI\u2019m really glad I invited all my friends to the celebration tonight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tilted my head, amused. \u201cOh? Why is that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I can brag to them,\u201d he said, his grin widening. \u201ci can brag about how beautiful my little sister is. And if any of them even think about trying to hit on you\u2026\u201d He clenched his fist dramatically. \u201cI\u2019ll have a good excuse to punch them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A soft laugh escaped me. \u201cStop teasing me, brother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not teasing,\u201d he said, his tone suddenly serious. \u201cYou\u2019re honestly beautiful, Sienna. The most beautiful woman I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Warmth bloomed in my chest at his words. My brother knew exactly what to say to make me happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He extended a hand toward me, and I placed mine in his, rising from the chair. My golden skirts fell in waves around me, catching the light as I turned. I looked around, noticing something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s Cross?\u201d I asked, trying to sound casual. \u201cI thought the two of you would come together to escort me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kane rubbed the back of his neck. \u201cYeah, about that. I have no idea what\u2019s with him. We were both planning to come, but he changed his mind last minute.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My brows furrowed. \u201cChanged his mind?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Kane said with a shrug. \u201cHe told me to come get you. Said he\u2019d escort Selene instead.\u201d\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My smile froze. For a moment, I couldn\u2019t even process what he\u2019d said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d what?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cW-What?\u201d The word slipped out before I could stop it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kane blinked at me. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced myself to smile again, shaking my head quickly. \u201cOh, nothing! I\u2019m just surprised. And happy, actually.\u201d I let out a little laugh that sounded far too light, even to my own ears. \u201cCross always seems to avoid Selene, so I was just wondering what changed, that\u2019s all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kane shrugged, clearly uninterested. \u201cBeats me. I never know what\u2019s going on in that guy\u2019s head.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded and said nothing more, but my fingers curled slightly against my skirts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cross never paid Selene any attention. To him, she was invisible, someone not even worth acknowledging. Kane, at least, noticed her enough to argue or mock, but Cross? He acted as though she didn\u2019t exist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now, suddenly, he was going to escort her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bit my lip, my thoughts racing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Does he know it wasn\u2019t me that night?\u00a0<\/p>\n
No. That was impossible. There\u2019s no way he could have found out. Even if Selene did tell him, he would never believe her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, as Kane guided me out of the room, my heart wouldn\u2019t stop thudding. That calm smile stayed on my lips but deep inside, unease coiled in my stomach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound of music and laughter grew louder the closer we got to the courtyard. Even from behind the heavy doors, I could hear the hum of voices and clinking glasses, smell the sweetness of wine and roasted meat drifting in the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we finally reached the entrance, Kane turned to me, his easy smile softening into something more reassuring. \u201cReady?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a slow breath, feeling the weight of every pair of eyes waiting beyond that door. I nodded. \u201cI\u2019m ready\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave me a light squeeze on the shoulder, as if telling me everything will be fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The doors opened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The chatter quieted for a brief second as people turned to look. Then, just as quickly, the whispers began, awed voices that floated through the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my goddess\u2026 she\u2019s gorgeous.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me about it, her hair, that dress! I\u2019ve never seen anyone this stunning.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe really is blessed by the Moon herself\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their admiration washed over me. My lips curved into a delicate smile. I lifted my chin slightly and walked forward, each step measured and graceful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up at the high table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There sat my father, my stepmother, and beside them, the Alpha himself. My stepmother smiled at me. My father\u2019s face, as usual, was blank, but I could see pride flickering in his eyes. That was enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alpha\u2019s expression was mild, his small smile polite. But none of them mattered in that moment. Because beside the Alpha sat him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Prince Adrian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart stumbled. For a second, I forgot to breathe. His green eyes were fixed somewhere in the distance, his expression bored, but when they finally met mine, I felt my pulse quicken.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t smile or react to my presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, it was enough to make my chest tighten. He\u2019s here, I thought, trying to contain the small flutter of excitement in my\u00a0<\/p>\n
stomach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Alpha will speak to you,\u201d Kane whispered, and I quickly composed myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to see you, Sienna,\u201d Alpha Rhydian said, his deep voice commanding quiet across the courtyard. \u201cHow are you feeling? Excited to receive your white wolf?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I snapped out of my daze and bowed slightly, lowering my gaze with grace. \u201cGood evening, Alpha,\u201d I said softly, \u201cYes, I am. It\u2019s an honor to stand before the pack on this night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood,\u201d he said, a hint of approval in his tone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father leaned forward slightly, his voice respectful. \u201cShall we begin, Alpha?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before the Alpha could respond, another voice cut through the night. \u201cAren\u2019t you going to wait for your other daughter?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every head turned. Prince Adrian hadn\u2019t moved much, still leaning back in his seat, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his glass, but his words silenced the courtyard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt the color drain from my face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cToday is also her coming of age ceremony,\u201d he added, eyes flicking briefly toward my father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My smile faltered. The air suddenly felt colder, heavier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why is he mentioning her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
My nails dug into my palm, hidden beneath the fabric of my dress. Every eye in the room shifted toward him, surprise flickering at the mention of her name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPrince Adrian,\u201d My father said, \u201cthat child is not important. We need to focus on Sienna, the one who will be blessed with the white wolf.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said it so bluntly, so naturally, as though he were stating the most obvious truth in the world. That was the thing about him, he never hid behind sweet words. He spoke what he believed, and he believed I was the chosen one. But Adrian didn\u2019t even blink. His eyes stayed on my father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re saying,\u201d he began, voice low, \u201cSienna is going to have the white wolf? What made you so sure?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father opened his mouth, hesitated. \u201cI\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before he could finish, Alpha Rhydian raised a hand. \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Adrian is right. Let\u2019s wait for your second daughter. Only the Moon Goddess can decide who will receive the white wolf\u2019s blessing.\u201d-\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air grew thick. My stomach twisted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to choke on the anger rising in my throat. What was happening? Why was everyone suddenly defending her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian had never cared about Selene before, never even looked her way when others mocked her. And now he wanted to wait for her? To include her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my hands beneath the folds of my dress, nails digging into my palm. I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears. But then, slowly, I exhaled. It\u2019s fine. Let them wait. It\u2019ll be better this way. When Selene walks in wearing that pathetic excuse for a dress, they\u2019ll all see. They\u2019ll see how ridiculous she looks. How ordinary. How unworthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll see that I\u2019m the only one who shines tonight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smirked at the thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The heavy doors at the end of the hall creaked open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sound echoed like thunder in the silence that followed. Everyone\u2019s heads turned toward the entrance, and gasped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even my stepmother\u2019s smile faltered. My father\u2019s eyes widened. The Alpha straightened slightly in his seat. And when I looked at Adrian, he wasn\u2019t bored anymore. His eyes had sharpened, a flicker of something desire glinting in them as he stared ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned slowly to look toward the door, and froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught in my throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Walking into the courtyard, framed by moonlight, was Selene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But this wasn\u2019t the pitiful girl I expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her white dress glimmered faintly under the moon, the fabric soft yet regal, every stitch flowing like light. Elegant embroidery traced the edges in silver and pale gold, subtle but breathtaking. Her hair, styled into soft waves, shone like spun silk, framing a face that was calm, confident, and ethereal. Her skin seemed to glow, smooth and clear, as though kissed by the moon herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The world around her dimmed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a long moment, no one spoke. No one even moved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat felt dry. My mind scrambled to make sense of what I was seeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That dress\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was supposed to be the plain dress. The ugly one. The one Emma chose deliberately so she would look pitiful beside\u00a0<\/p>\n
So why did it look like that? Why did she look like that?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was like the Moon Goddess herself had stepped down and taken human form.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t breathe. My chest burned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was going on?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why was Selene so much better than I expected?\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
Comment\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send gift\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Chapacy all\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
The white dress long perfectly against my body, clinging to my waist and flowing down in that\u00a0<\/p>\n
It shimmeral Iainly under the candle light, the delicate conbidery gling with everybewhfook to pos from of the mining my eyes shudying the reflection staring backs\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aly han, maw styled min and waves that framed my face, spilled down my shoulders I traced band does Supers brushing over the faint silver designs I\u2019d sunched across the hem and sleeves. Benful, I dread I had never was younger self wear something an beautiful\u00a0<\/p>\n
It had taken only an hom to transform the plain white fabric into something radiant. One hour of courting w o reshaping Every movement had been fast, but precie\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I admired my work. Evelyn\u2019s gasp filled the room\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my Goddead\u201d she smiled, stepping closer, her eyes wide in disbelief. \u201cIs that really the plain while dement\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned slightly, meeting her reflection in the mirror, and nodded, \u201cYes, How is jp\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn covered her mouth, eyes sparkling, \u201cIt\u2019s stumming, my lady! \u2018The most stunning dress I\u2019ve ever weT. I\u2019VE SEYFY AND anything designed this way before, it\u2019s new and hemiful!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A small smile tugged at my lips. Of course it was new. In this timeline, no one had seen this style yet. In a few years, I knew x would become a popular trend.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned to Evelyn, satisfied. \u201cAlright, let\u2019s go, Evelyn. Let\u2019s savor the look on their faces when they realize the late W didn\u2019t work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn grinned, her excitement bubbling over. \u201cYes, ma\u2019am\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I chuckled softly at her excitement and started toward the door. But before I could reach it, a sound came from the other\u00a0<\/p>\n
side\u00a0<\/p>\n
Knock Knock\u00a0<\/p>\n
1hore, frowning. No one ever came to my room during the celebration in the\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is it?\u201d I called out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was a short pause before a familiar low, lazy voice answered. \u201cCross\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes widened slightly, and I felt Evelyn stiffen beside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, I wondered if I\u2019d misheard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The same brother who acted like I didn\u2019t exist, who could barely look at me without disdain, the one who clung to Sienna as If she were the only person in the world that mattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That Cross was standing outside my door?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. \u201cWhat should we do, my lady?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
12:48 Tue, Dec 23 MG\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editorial Board: Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.<\/p>\n
Hope Is Not Optional \u2014 Manuel Flores 37 Chapter 37\u00a0 Chapter 37\u00a0 Sienna\u00a0 The moon hung full and bright in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-ruthless-tycoons-obsession-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27831"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27831\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}