Switched Bride, True Luna - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Emily
There were a thousand logical explanations for what I saw.
Maybe Chloe had wandered into Logan’s office on her own. Maybe she’d asked a question. Maybe she was trying to manipulate him. But it didn’t matter.
Logic was no match for the cold, sinking twist in my gut when I saw the two of them together, Chloe’s hand gripping Logan’s tie as if to pull him closer to her.
I hadn’t meant to stare. I hadn’t meant to hesitate in the hallway, one hand on the wall like the support might keep me from shattering entirely.
I didn’t even realize where I was until I was outside in the brisk morning air, the cold burning her lungs with each inhale. My fingers clenched into fists, my nails biting half-moon shapes into my palms.
I knew better than to jump to conclusions, but that didn’t stop the ache and the uncertainty. It burrowed under my skin like splinters I couldn’t dig out.
The Crowley name might be an anchor around my neck, but Chloe was the storm that could sink me.
It had always been difficult for me to stand up to her. It wasn’t necessarily that I couldn’t, but that I’d be punished for it by my father. In time, I’d learned to take Chloe’s abuse.
She’s already taken Michael away from me. I wouldn’t have her taking Logan too.
By the time I circled the territory and came back to the pack house, I had carefully stitched my face into something neutral.
Iris was waiting in the main hall, phone in hand, blonde hair tucked neatly behind her ears. Her smile was all teeth and politeness, but her eyes screamed disdain.
“Oh, Emily.” Her voice was lilting and full of fake concern. “You look tired. Did something happen?”
I paused, eyeing her. “Nothing that would concern you.”
“I care very much,” Iris said, blinking with mock innocence. “This pack thrives when its Luna is strong. You understand, don’t you?”
I didn’t take the bait. “It’s better to keep our personal lives personal. Let’s get back to work.”
Iris let out a soft, syrupy laugh. “Just trying to help. You never know how long these things last.”
I walked away before I said something I’d regret.
I continued my work throughout the day. Anytime Logan tried to come near me, I found an excuse to leave. I didn’t want to face him yet. The wounds I’d suffered were too new.
I don’t know if he told me the truth or not. I found it more difficult to trust him with every breath he took. He didn’t exactly lie to me, but he constantly kept me in the dark.
That was almost worse.
When it was time to go, I made a race to the door in order to get out first. I had a meeting with my lawyer about the upcoming case, and it was all I wanted to think about.
The lawyer’s office was cold in that clinical way where even the walls seemed to judge you. I sat stiffly across from my attorney, resisting the urge to rub my temples.
“I’ve followed every thread,” Dorothy said, tapping a file. “But your family covered this up thoroughly. The money’s been moved through shell accounts. We’re looking at international transfers, ghost signatories. It’s not impossible to trace, but…”
“But it’s taking too long.” My voice was tight. The last thing I wanted today was more bad news.
Dorothy hesitated. “Yes. If we can’t present something solid before the judge reviews the case, we may not get a second chance.”
I exhaled through my nose, long and slow, and nodded. “Keep digging. There’s something there. I can feel it. I’ll do what I can and get back to you.”
When I left the building, dusk was already bleeding into the sky, casting everything in shadow. The whispers started almost immediately.
I didn’t have to strain to hear them.The hush of conversations when I passed didn’t stop even when I was right in front of them.
“… never thought she’d last this long…”
“… Logan hasn’t really fallen for her, has he?”
“… it has to be a fake relationship, especially with a wolf like hers…”
Each word landed like a pinprick. It was a small but sharp insult that pricked at my pride on a day where nothing had gone right.
I walked faster. My heels clicked too loudly on the sidewalk, betraying my pace.
I’d worked so hard to earn their respect. I fought for it. And still, one wrong move, and it would all be torn away. I was reminded again how fragile my place at Titanfang was.
The rumors spreading around had done more damage than I thought. A pang of guilt prickled through my chest. Maybe it was the right move to pose for those cameras.
Home was a long ways away. My room was the only place I had left that would bring me any solace. I wanted nothing more than to get there and end this awful day.
The moment I stepped through the door, I knew I wasn’t alone.
My instincts flared as a familiar scent hit me first. It was a floral and very expensive perfume.
Then I saw her.
Chloe sat at the kitchen table like she belonged there. Legs elegantly crossed, a mug in her manicured hands. She smiled as if we were old friends, her smug face reminding me that I’d seen her flirting with my fiancé that morning.
“Don’t worry,” Chloe said smoothly, lifting the mug. “I made tea.”
I didn’t move. I stood inside the doorway, my heart beating louder than thunder.
“What do you want?”
Chloe sipped her tea, then set it down with a quiet clink. “To talk. Woman to woman.”
I stepped forward, slow and deliberate. I didn’t sit. “That’s rich coming from someone who’s been slinking around Logan like a stray cat.”
Chloe’s smile widened. “I’m not here to fight.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To clear the air.” Chloe uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. “Look, I know you think I’m trying to come between you and Logan. And maybe once… that might’ve been true. But I’m not here to fight for him.”
I narrowed my eyes. “No? Then what are you doing? Because it looks a lot like manipulation from where I’m standing.”
Chloe’s expression faltered for a fraction of a second. Then the mask was back.
“You can’t understand what it means to be a true werewolf,” Chloe said softly. “You don’t understand how the pack works. People are scared. They want stability. They want tradition. And you… well, you make people nervous.”
“I’m not here to soothe their fears. I’m here to lead. From Logan’s side.”
“Then maybe you should start acting like it,” Chloe said, too sweetly. “There are already rumors. People whisper behind your back. It’s not a good look, sweetheart.”
My hands curled at my sides. “Get out.”
Chloe rose from the chair, calm as ever, and brushed imaginary lint from her sleeve. “You don’t have to like me, Emily. But you should be smart enough to see that this isn’t about us. It’s about him. And what he wants.”
My voice was ice. “I know exactly what he wants. And it’s not you.”
The door clicked shut behind Chloe a moment later. I stood in the silence, my heart pounding in my ears. My chest ached, but not from rage, but from something colder.
I didn’t cry. I didn’t break.
But the fractures were there, webbing beneath the surface. And I didn’t know how many more hits I could take before they broke wide open.