Chapter l391

Chapter 0391

An announcement went out for all the candidates to head to the foyer to receive the results of the most recent event, the ball where we were supposed to look happy.

At that same ball, everything sort of fell apart. Joyce declared erroneously that he and I were having an affair. Jane tried to kill me. Jane plummeted off the balcony and then disappeared into thin air curtesy, we suspected, of Hawk himself.

I stood between Susie and Veronica in the foyer, with Tiffany nearby. Olivia and Lilliana were nearer the stage, looking bored. Jessica, behind them, looked simultaneously nervous and annoyed. Of everyone here, her situation was probably the worst.

She had thought she was making progress with Joyce. She’d had the rug pulled firmly out from under her with Joyce’s sudden declaration.

“Thank you for coming today,” Nathan said, speaking into a microphone as he stands on top of the stage. There were no cameras present for today’s

announcements, which wasn’t totally unusual for announcements, but did seem odd in regards to the results being released.

Maybe the public had already been made aware of the results. Or maybe the entire event was edited for public consumption. I would have to ask Charlotte later.

“I will now give the results for the event. As you recall, points were to be awarded for those who seemed to be having the most fun at the event,” Nathan said. “As such, the winner of the highest number of points was Susie, one of Joyce’s candidates.”

Susie gasped excitedly. I clapped for her. Others did too.

I was glad I showed Susie those dances, so that she could use them to her benefit. I likely would have benefited too, had I not been called away to face off against Jane. I couldn’t complain though, not that I had my wolf back.

My standings were still precarious in the competition, which was a worry, but I was relieved at least that Susie was no longer in danger with me.

Suddenly, Lilliana’s hand shot up. She had not clapped for Susie. If anything, she seemed irritated by all that was happening.

Nathan politely called on her.

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Lilliana spoke loudly for the whole room to hear. “Isn’t it unfair for any of Prince Joyce’s selections to receive points, considering what happened?”

Nathan’s polite smile sl*pped into a sharp, disapproving grimace. He lifted his microphone once more. “Prince Joyce is still a part of this competition.”

Maybe he’d expected questions like these. Maybe this was why there were no cameras in the room.

“But he made his intentions clear, going after a girl who is not even one of his selections,” Lilliana continued despite Nathan’s clear dislike.

“Prince Julian cleared Piper’s name,” Tiffany said loudly, in my defense. “It’s pointless to bring that up.”

“I didn’t name her,” Lilliana snapped at Tiffany. To Nathan, she proceeded to argue. “Prince Joyce is the one I’m questioning. If he has no interest in his own candidates, why should they continue to receive points?”

“Maybe you don’t blame Piper,” Jessica growled. She turned to me, and I could see now that what I had confused for annoyance was actually bitter hatred. All directed at me. “But I do.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I said at once.

I could feel her hatred radiating off of her in shaky waves. Was this part of gaining my wolf? With my heightened senses, was I now also able to perceiving others‘ emotions more distinctly?

I glanced at Veronica and found her watching me. I placed a hand over my chest, signaling that it was giving me pain. She seemed to understand what I meant. She nodded.

Shit.

Jessica stormed toward me and each furious footfall hit me like a punch in chest. Her anger and hatred was so strong I could practically taste it.

my

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