Chapter 279: The Snake That Refused to Hide
Chapter 279 of "Mated To The Crippled Alpha" unveils: When she was alive, I had never spoken to her for even a single day.And... Continue the story!
When she was alive, I had never spoken to her for even a single day.And yet, somehow, Iâm the one who understands her the most. I can feel the shape of her pain without her even saying it. Maybe itâs because I stepped into the life she left behind. Maybe itâs because Iâve been trapped in the same kind of darkness before.
So when I realized she was still here still breathing, still standing in front of me joy hit me so hard my chest ached.
I hugged her tight, like if I let go, sheâd disappear again.
"Thank God," I whispered, the words spilling out messy. "Thank God youâre still here."
A voice cut through the moment from behind us sweet, sugary, too polished to be real. "Janice... who is this?"
Other peopleâs family drama usually isnât my business.
But Riley? Riley is not "other people" to me.
In the few seconds between the three of them speaking, I pieced it together. The man in the suit was Harlan. The woman hanging off his arm was trouble dressed in lace. And Riley Riley was the one being cornered in a story that wasnât fair.
I lifted my chin and stepped forward without thinking.
"Iâm Elena Morrigan," I said, steady. "Iâm twenty-eight. And sheâs Riley Ashbourne. Sheâs twenty. Sheâs like a sister to me."
Instinct took over. I pulled Riley behind my shoulder, shielding her the way a pack would shield its own. My eyes stayed on the woman beside Harlan, taking her in from head to toe.
To be fair, Harlan looked like the kind of man people trust on sight. Clean lines. Expensive suit. A face carved sharp and calm. The kind of charm that makes you forget to ask what heâs hiding.
But if heâd broken Riley down once
Iâd be the first person to make him regret it.
Harlanâs gaze moved from me to Lewis, and his mouth tightened. "Lewis. This is your wife, isnât it?"
I glanced at the woman in white clinging to his arm like sheâd paid for the privilege. "Mr. Pearson, hello. And this must be Mrs. Pearson, correct?"
Her face lit up instantly. Triumph flashed in her eyes, like sheâd just won something.
Harlan frowned, clearly annoyed. "Sheâs not."
I smiled like I was sweet. "Oh. My mistake."
I tilted my head, letting the sarcasm drip without raising my voice. "The way sheâs glued to your arm, I assumed she was your wife. My apologies, Mr. Pearson."
I said "apologies," but everyone could hear the blade underneath.
Lewis cleared his throat, awkward. "Thatâs on me. Let me introduce everyone properly. This is Harlan my friend. And this is his wife, Janice."
His words slowed when he gestured toward Riley, like even saying it out loud carried weight. The woman in white froze, her smug smile slipping.
Since Lewis wasnât going to save her pride, she forced a bright expression and stepped in. "Iâm Nina White. My family and Harlanâs are old friends."
I nodded like I understood everything.
"Ah. I see."
Then I looked at Lewis, casual as can be. "Lewis, I guess customs are different here. Where Iâm from, even childhood friends know boundaries. They donât cling to married men like theyâre marking territory."
I paused, then added with a fake-thoughtful tone, "You donât have any old flames hovering around like that, do you? Because Iâm petty, and I wouldnât tolerate a mate who doesnât respect what he vowed."
Lewis knew exactly what I was doing. His jaw tightened, but he didnât argue. He couldnât.
I didnât care if it was rude. I couldnât stand seeing Riley treated like she was small.
Not again.
Harlanâs expression darkened. He caught every jab. But because Lewis was there, he didnât explode. He simply pulled his arm free from Nina and turned toward Riley.
"Come here."
Riley didnât even blink. She leaned back like she was bored. "Are you my dad or something? Just because you call me doesnât mean Iâll come. Thatâs embarrassing."
The air shifted. The room felt tighter. Even the lights seemed too bright.
Harlanâs face went colder, like he wasnât used to being refused.
Lewis smoothly slid into the silence. "Letâs sit."
Harlan pulled out the seat beside him and looked at Riley again, waiting. Riley walked right past him and dropped into the seat beside me like it was the only place that made sense.
I didnât even have to ask. She stayed close, and my body relaxed a little, like my instincts had finally stopped pacing.
"Harlan," Nina said quickly, forcing sweetness, "if Janice wonât sit, Iâll join you."
I turned my head and asked, innocent, "Ms. White, werenât you just about to leave? Why are you sitting down again?"
Ninaâs smile twitched. "I just remembered I donât have anything urgent."
Harlanâs gaze cut toward me and Riley, sharp with irritation. "You two know each other?"
I shook my head, calm. "No. But the moment I saw her, I felt like she was my soulmate."
Riley snorted. "What does it matter to you? Shut up already."
Harlan went completely silent.
During the meal, Harlan and Lewis talked business. It was all numbers and projects and calm voices. But underneath it, I could feel tension moving around the table like invisible smoke.
Nina kept trying to poke Riley with little gestures. At one point, she peeled shrimp and placed it on Harlanâs plate, then looked at Riley like sheâd just claimed a prize.
I put on my sweetest face. "Ms. White, is it common here for women to peel shrimp for men?"
I blinked slowly. "Where Iâm from, the man peels it. Especially for his wife."
Lewis, without missing a beat, peeled a few shrimp and placed them neatly onto my plate.
The contrast was so loud it almost felt like a slap.
I casually slid a few shrimp onto Rileyâs plate too. "Eat."
She smiled, softer than I expected, and took a bite. "Itâs delicious."
Lewis looked at Harlan like he was offering advice. "Why donât you peel some for your wife too?"
Harlanâs eyes went icy. For a second, his fist tightened, veins rising, and my mind flashed to ugly possibilities. Iâve met too many men who smile in public and break things in private.
The scent of control. The hunger to dominate. The kind that doesnât ask it takes.
But Harlan didnât move toward Riley.
He tore the head off a shrimp instead, hard and messy.
I actually let out a quiet breath. Thank God.
Still, it was clear heâd never done this in his life. The way he peeled it wasnât clumsy. It was chaos. If you didnât know he was peeling shrimp, youâd think he was doing surgery.
When he dropped it into Rileyâs bowl, he barked, "Eat."
His chin lifted slightly, like he expected obedience. Like he expected praise.
Riley picked it up, stared at it, then tossed it right back toward him.
"Itâs hideous."
Nina snatched it fast and shoved it into her mouth, trying to save the moment. Thatâs when Riley added, calm as a knife:
"Even a dog wouldnât eat it."
The table went dead.
Nina sat there looking stupid, her cheeks puffed, not knowing if she should chew or spit it out. Harlanâs face turned darker, like he was swallowing rage.
I watched, amused despite myself.
This love triangle was ridiculous. And honestly? It was more entertaining than any drama Iâd seen in Snowville.
Poor Lewis looked like he wanted to sink into the floor.
Dinner ended early. The tension was too thick for anyone to pretend anymore.
Lewis stood. "Letâs meet another day. Weâre exhausted."
"Agreed," I said brightly, smiling at Harlan. "Thank you for the hospitality, Mr. Pearson."
Then I added, before I could stop myself, "This meal was very... entertaining."
Oops.
Harlanâs stare sharpened like he wanted to bite back, but he held it.
Riley linked her arm with mine as we stood to leave. She clung to me like weâd been sisters forever, and something warm tightened in my chest.
Harlanâs voice followed us, rough with control. "Janice. This is far enough. Youâre my wife. Where do you think youâre going?"
Riley didnât even slow down. "Wife? Didnât I already hand you the divorce papers? Isnât the new Mrs. Pearson right beside you, waiting to step in?"
Harlanâs tone dropped, dangerous and low. "Janice. Iâm warning you. Playing hard to get wonât work on me."
Riley rolled her eyes "Call me when youâre at City Hall. Iâll be there."