Chapter 402: Joke
Olivia’s POV
His eyes flicked between us instantly—me standing rigid with my arms folded and Selene clutching her reddened cheek, tears pooling on her lashes. "She slapped me," Selene whispered hoarsely, her voice shaking as if she’d been holding back sobs. "Your fiancée told me to leave, and when I hesitated... she hit me."
Frederick’s gaze snapped to me, sharp and unreadable. For a moment, silence hung in the air, broken only by Selene’s shallow, trembling breaths. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t deny it. I decided to play along.
"Yes," I said evenly, my chin lifting. "I told her to leave. And I slapped her."
The tension thickened; Frederick’s eyes narrowed as though he couldn’t quite believe my bluntness. Selene’s lip trembled as she looked at him, playing her part perfectly. And there I stood, my wolf pacing inside me, daring him to decide whose side he was really on.
Frederick frowned. "And why would you ask her to leave? Selene is my guest here." Frederick groaned, trying his best to keep his anger in control, but I could already notice it—the way his body was vibrating because I’d slapped Selene. I decided to play my part well and raised my brow at him. "Tell me, Lord Frederick, do you want to fuck her?" I spat.
His frown deepened, but he didn’t deny it. His silence was answer enough. His gaze flickered, just once, toward Selene before snapping back to me. That single hesitation lit sparks of suspicion in my chest.
I stepped closer, my voice raised with anger. "It’s simple. Either she leaves... or I do. Choose."
The room went quiet. Selene’s eyes widened as though she hadn’t expected me to make such a decision, and Frederick’s aura darkened instantly—but he didn’t say a word. Rather, he grabbed Selene by the wrist and made her walk with him.
Where I stood, I furrowed my brow as I watched them leave, wondering, was he sending her away? But it didn’t look like it, so I followed them.
The moment I arrived in the sitting room, I met Selene talking. "I have to leave," she whispered, her eyes dropping to the floor. "If I stay, she’ll never stop hating me."
But Frederick’s answer came instantly, sharp and final. "No." His gaze burned into her; his tone left no room for argument. "You’re unique, Selene. Do you have any idea what your blood means? How many vampires would crave it, hunt you for it? If you walk outside these walls unprotected, they will tear you apart."
Selene’s lashes trembled as she lifted her eyes, flicking toward me for just a second before returning them to him. "But I don’t want to cause trouble," she murmured, sounding so innocent that if I hadn’t known her true nature, I might have been fooled. "Your fiancée doesn’t want me here."
Frederick responded at once. "She’s not my fiancée. Not yet."
The words hit me.
Not his fiancée? He was right, but still—what was this? Did Frederick... actually like Selene? Or was I imagining things?
His eyes stayed fixed on her while I stood there, trying to solve the puzzle lying before me.
No. I wouldn’t let myself believe what it looked like. He didn’t love her. He couldn’t. This was about her blood—nothing else. It had to be. But still—the way his gaze lingered on her, the way Selene’s lashes fluttered as if she were savoring his attention—made me uncomfortable.
Before I lost my composure, I teleported straight out of the mansion.
When I reappeared in the study, the triplets were gathered around a desk, papers and maps sprawled before them. Lennox was the first to lift his head, his eyes narrowing. "Olivia," he said sharply. "What’s wrong?"
I paced, my frown deepening. "Something isn’t right. Frederick—he’s starting to act like he likes Selene. It’s more than just her blood. He’s protecting her, looking at her... like he’s in love."
Levi leaned back in his chair, exchanging a glance with his brothers. "That’s good," he said, sounding relieved. "If he starts to care for her, then he’ll trust her. It makes the plan easier."
"No!" I snapped, my wolf growling with me. "Don’t you see? If he actually falls for her, if she falls for him too—what then? What if she forgets the plan? What if she tells him the truth? Everything we’ve worked for could collapse!"
Lennox responded, "Don’t worry, Olivia... Selene hates Frederick. She isn’t just helping us—she is also there for revenge."
My brow furrowed. "Revenge? How?"
Levi spoke up. "Frederick is responsible for the death of Selene’s grandmother... it’s a long story. So don’t worry—she won’t fall in love with him. She hates him more than we do." Levi tried to reassure me with his words, but it did nothing.
I shook my head. "I don’t trust this," I spat.
Louis arched a brow, his lips twitching as if he were holding back a smirk. "Or..." he drawled, "maybe you’re just jealous."
My head snapped toward him, my glare sharp. "Jealous?"
"Think about it," Louis shrugged. "You stormed in here, furious, because Frederick isn’t craving you anymore, isn’t wanting you like before. He’s starting to want Selene."
My wolf bristled, hackles raised. "Jealous? You think I’m jealous?" I spat at Louis, my voice echoing off the study walls.
Louis didn’t flinch. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "That’s exactly how it looks, Olivia. You’re snapping, pacing, furious—because Frederick isn’t looking at you. He’s looking at Selene."
I slammed my palm against the desk; the maps scattered. "Don’t twist this into something it’s not! I don’t care about Frederick. I don’t! I just don’t trust her."
"Then why are you acting like this?" Louis shot back, his tone sharper now. "You’ve never been this restless. Not even when it came to us."
"That’s different!" I snapped, my chest heaving. "You three are mine. You always will be. Him? He’s nothing—nothing! And Selene—" I broke off, my words burning on my tongue.
Louis’s eyes softened just slightly. He lifted a hand, like he was trying to calm me. "Olivia... calm down. It was a joke. That’s all. I didn’t mean—"
But I didn’t let him finish.
The anger in my chest was too much. Before any of them could move, I teleported away.
The study blurred, their faces vanished, and in the next heartbeat, I was gone—leaving their voices calling after me, unanswered.