Page 115 of Knot Your Business

Mom freezes for a heartbeat, her gaze flicking down the table, taking in each of my dads. Papa and Father both ignore her entirely, their focus on me. Dad, though, glares at her, not an ounce of softness anywhere in his body. For the first time in as long as I can remember, she suddenly seems unsure, her hands trembling.

“How lovely for him to give an update,” she says, her typical chilly demeanor settling back into place. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to join.”

Dad’s jaw clenches.

“Whatever you need to say. Or nothing at all. It’s your choice,” Jasper whispers. I run my hand up his thigh in silent acknowledgement. He kisses my temple. “Whenever you’re ready, love.”

I take a deep breath, relaxing into the bergamot scent of Rylan beside me. He palms my knee as I lean toward him, his hand warm and grounding.

“I don’t even need to know why you drugged me,” I tell my mother, looking right at her. Her gaze snaps to mine, one eyebrow arching gracefully, her lips pushing into a reproving pout. “Eric found me easily enough once you ripped my scent blockers off. It’s not hard to put the pieces together there.” She doesn’t react even as the rest of the table grows still and silent, like the moments before a tsunami strikes. “What I want you to know is that I’d already met him. He’s spent the last year trying to fuck me, including cornering me at a bar last summer.”

Rylan’s growl is loud and swift, weaving a lethal and violent undercurrent to the already tense interaction.

Mom’s eyes flash with surprise, her hand stilling on the stem of her water glass. “It seemed like you hadn’t been introduced before,” she says, poised and graceful like these types of conversations were normal.

“I don’t fawn over every Alpha that I meet. I’m not a sycophant,” I say, the words scathing. “Not like you.”

Her eyes harden between one breath and the next as her lips pull back from her teeth. “You mind your mouth, woman. I control everything you have. You will not talk to me like that.”

Papa clears his throat, but she doesn’t even notice. Rylan’s growl grows louder until Jasper reaches across me and grabs Rylan’s wrist.

“What I do want you to know is that I know that you faked the breakup letter,” I tell her, anger growing stronger in my gut. I’m almost positive it’s wholly my own, but Dominic’s stillness at the end of the table has me moderately worried. “I don’t know what you told Papa, but I know that Jasper didn’t drop by with a breakup note. And I know that because we compared the notes.”

Mom pales, her tan skin losing all color even as her eyes widen with fear.

“You watched as I spent months thinking I was an absolute waste of space and time, told me there would be other people, that the Council would fix it, when you knew it had all been fake. But you know what wasn’t fake? How much I fucking loved him, Mom. How much I still do. I was a complete wreck for a week when I found out the match the Council had made. It took all my courage to face him thinking he thought I was less than the dirt beneath my feet. But you know who actually thinks that of me?”

There’s a long silence, only punctuated by my heavy breathing.

“You,” I say, the word cold.

She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Please, you are so immature. I’ve done nothing but give you the best chance of being successful.”

Whatever else I had thought of telling to her, of saying in the hopes she’d come around and understand my side of everything, bleeds away at her complete disinterest in me.

“Successful like Scarlett?” I seethe, my anger breaking through the careful calm. Her lips purse even as she raises an eyebrow. “Scarlett who is currently filing dissolution paperwork after finding out one of the Alphas in her pack has been sleeping with her best friend for the last year and got her pregnant? She did everything you ever wanted of her. Took the diet pills, covered the bruises, wore the dresses that were too tight. And you know what she’s gotten? Nothing but fucking heartbreak. If that’s what success looks like to you, then I don’t fucking want it.”

She blinks, surprise flashing across her face before she can control it.

“How did she find out about Marcus?” she asks.

My mind spins.

Mom knew he’d been cheating on Scarlett? She’s known and didn’t tell her? Or confront Marcus about it?

She sees my dumbstruck expression and scoffs. “Please, of course I knew. It wasn’t that hard to figure out. And Scarlett would have been willing to go along with it if not for you filling her with such ridiculous ideas of love matches and respect. Marcus comes from Old Money. She’s set for life.”

Anger roars through me, and I start to rise, the need to punch her so great it’s overwhelming. Papa grabs my hand, squeezing my fingers. The forced pause helps me breathe through the anger, and I realize it’s Dominic’s as much as my own. I swallow and settle back in my chair.

Dad takes the folder from Father and sets it in front of Mom.

“We endured nearly thirty years of your bullshit to keep our children, Sienna,” he says, his voice colder than I’ve ever heard. “And now you have just confirmed that you have harmed not one but two of them. We submitted proof of you drugging Violet to the Council.”

Her mouth drops open, and she breathes, “No.”

Dad nods. “Violet’s testimony may not be enough for criminal court, but it’s plenty for the Council. They’ve processed an emergency dissolution. You’re allowed to keep what is currently in your own bank account. The rest you forfeit as of tonight at midnight. And before you think that you’ll be able to move things around to your own benefit, know that you’ve been stripped of the only other account you have access to. The house will be listed as of tomorrow morning. You are expected to vacate by the end of June.”

Mom’s eyes are glassy. “But that’s only a week.”

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