I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. Her words echoed in my mind, shattering something deep inside me. Months earlier, when the pack doctor delivered the devastating news that I couldn’t conceive, I had broken down completely. Xavier had held me that night, whispering comforting words, telling me he didn’t care about children—that I alone was enough.
So it had been him.
He had taken that dream from me himself.
Victoria leaned back slightly, her smile sharpening. “He doesn’t love you, Brielle. What he loves is your family’s wealth. You’re nothing more than a convenient source of money… a walking bank account.”
Something inside me finally snapped.
Before I could stop myself, my hand moved.
Slap!
The sharp sound rang through the hall. Victoria stumbled backward, her hand flying to her cheek, shock flashing across her face. Conversations halted as everyone turned toward us.
“What’s happening here?” Xavier’s voice thundered as he pushed through the crowd.
He went straight to Victoria, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulders. Instantly, tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.