Eliana POV
Attendance at the monthly gala was not a request; it was a mandate.
I anchored myself in the shadowed corner of the ballroom, clutching a glass of lukewarm water like a lifeline. From my vantage point, I watched Catalina hold court. I hated to admit it, but she was radiant—a diamond designed to draw blood. She knew exactly how to play the game.
It didn't take long for her to find her target.
She spotted me and glided across the floor, her entourage of sycophantic Omegas trailing in her wake like a silk train.
"Eliana," she purred, her voice dripping with faux concern. "You look... tired. You really should rest more. It must be exhausting, standing on the sidelines watching us live."
"I'm fine, Catalina," I said, my voice tight as I turned to retreat.
She grabbed my arm. Her manicured nails didn't just rest there; they dug into my skin, sharp enough to draw a flinch.
"Jax told me everything, you know," she whispered, leaning in close. "How he pitied you. How he waited for you to shift, but you were just... broken."
My stomach turned, acid rising in my throat. "Excuse me."
I pulled away, stumbling slightly as I fled toward the terrace doors. The night air was cool, a sharp contrast to the suffocating heat of the ballroom.
*Jax always loved strong women.*
Catalina's voice invaded my head, bypassing my ears entirely. She had forced a Mind-Link connection, a violation that felt like a spike driven into my temples.
*He told me about the time he skipped your birthday to train with the warriors,* she continued, her mental voice echoing with cruel clarity. *He said he needed to be around real wolves.*
I froze, my hands gripping the stone railing. I remembered that birthday. Jax had told me he was sick with the flu.
*And that time you twisted your ankle?* Catalina continued, the venom in her thoughts seeping into my own mind. *He didn't carry you back because he was worried. He did it because his father was watching. He laughed about how heavy you were later.*
The air left my lungs. The memories I cherished—the moments I thought were irrefutable proof of his love—were being dismantled, brick by brick.
*He loves me, Eliana. He sacrificed his chance to study abroad just to be near my pack. He's been planning this for years.*
Tears pricked my eyes, hot and stinging, but I refused to let them fall. It was all a lie. The foundation of my entire life had been built on sand.
*Eliana?*
Jax's voice cut into the link, overlaying Catalina's torment.
*Where are you? Catalina is looking for you.*
A bitter laugh trapped itself in my chest. He had no idea she was mentally torturing me. Or perhaps, he simply didn't care enough to notice the difference.
I looked back through the glass doors. I saw Jax scanning the crowded room, his expression frantic, his eyes darting wildly.
Then, his gaze landed on Catalina.
Instantly, his face relaxed. The tension drained from his shoulders. He wasn't looking for me because he was worried *about* me. He was relieved because *she* was safe.
That was the truth I needed.
I severed the Mind-Link. It felt like slamming a heavy iron door, shutting out the noise, the lies, and the pain.
I looked at Jax one last time through the barrier of the glass. He wasn't the boy I loved. He was a stranger wearing a familiar face. A liar.
"Goodbye, Jax," I whispered to the cold glass, my breath fogging the surface for a fleeting second before fading away.
