Page 4 of Knot in Their Wildest Dreams: Part 1

Minutes later, the votes were cast. I gave the final vote, stopping the merger at 4-3.

I was officially CEO.

It should have been triumphant. But as I walked out of the Capitol building fielding the press with my uncle by my side, I carried the secret knowledge that someone had tried to sabotage me. Someone who stood to gain from the merger, and from me being out of the picture.

Over the next few days, I smiled for the cameras and gave statements. Behind the scenes, I dug for answers. Who had the access and resources to get into the Ball? Who had motive?

In the following days, I went through the motions of normality all while doing my own secret research into who could have possibly made it into the Ball undetected that night. I was hitting a dead end until I looked at the guest list yet again, doing research on the attendees, when I found something.

One of the girls who attended was missing. There was no mention of it in the news, but I found a site that one of her friends created. Her name was Bella Carter, one of the scholarship attendees, was apparently missing and never made it home from the Ball. When I saw her picture on the site, she looked eerily similar to me. And I was certain that the strange dress I’d found in my room at the Ball was hers. Somehow, an omega was inmyroom the same night I was supposed to be kidnapped.

I quickly reached out to Bella’s friend, Piper, who had been leading the effort to find her. Then I was certain - someone had taken her in my place. This meant I could go public with the kidnapping attempt, and hopefully, with the public spotlight on the story, I would get some answers.

Being a public figure has its perks. One of which was my massive social media following. So, I took to social media and broke the story: an omega missing from the Darlington Ball. An attempted kidnapping. A cover-up.

It became the top trending story of the year. All over the country, people saw Bella’s face and were outraged at the idea that someone could kidnap an omega from the Darlington Ball, and furthermore, that the organizers had apparently swept it under the rug to save face. Within days, the public reward forced her kidnappers to give her up. She appeared at the border of the Western Province, and both she and I had the public’s sympathy at what had transpired.

Now, with so much out in the open, whoever went against me would not dare to make another move - at least for now. The entire world knew that someone had tried to stop me from making it to the vote which secured my place as CEO - the first Omega CEO in the Eastern Province’s history.

As for who was behind it, I was living in a somewhat paranoid state until Bella herself reached out to me. When I finally met her face to face, she told me something incredible - she knew who was behind the kidnapping.

It was none other than Pack Lockwood.

The consequences were swift and fierce. With the knowledge that they had been behind the conspiracy, I came forward and outed them as the ones behind the horrific ordeal Bella had been put through. The response from the public was overwhelming.

Omega sympathizers were mesmerized by the tale of two of society’s most vulnerable class, and how each of us overcame incredible odds - myself earning the place of CEO despite clear sabotage, and Bella having escaped her kidnappers. The outflow of support for us was equal to the disgust toward Pack Lockwood.

I was almost untouchable now, elevated from potential victim to near saint. Pack Lockwood on the other hand, were nearly destroyed, at least socially. Cast out of the social circles they had integrated into, they were now blacklisted from attending any omega balls. They were taken off the pack eligibility rosters due to the allegations. Because I didn’t have solid proof except for Bella’s word, I couldn't take legal action against them. Besides, since they had money and were located in the Eastern Province, they could essentially buy their way out of any civil ramifications. However, even though their company survived, their reputations didn’t.

And me? I’d won. I finally had everything I’d worked so hard for.

But one question lingered. The person who warned me - the one who’d taken me, but saved me too - vanished without a trace. They said they’d find me again.

They never did. To this day, I still have no idea who they are.

Chapter 3

Current day

Celeste

“Stay just like that… and… that’s a wrap!” the photographer called out.

I was smiling gracefully, my lips displaying a brand new shade of red slated to hit the shelves next month. I had been stuck smiling like this for hours, the photoshoot devouring my entire morning. ABO Magazine was featuring an exclusive on my return to the courting scene after my recent split from Pack Valence - the charming, boy-next-door pack that grew up under the glare of celebrity but fiercely protected their privacy.

The moment I stepped off set, I let my practiced smile fade, rolling my lips to ease the ache in my jaw from hours of posing. I had dozens of brands lined up to pay me for promoting their latest products, but to me, it was nothing more than another task on my endless to-do list.

Next up was the interview. I was ushered into a sleek, minimalist conference room that smelled faintly of fresh coffee and polished wood. The walls were adorned with framed photos from past issues of ABO magazine, a constant reminder of the celebrity world I had been born into.

I took a seat in the chair across from the reporter, a woman named Jessie with sharp eyes, her recorder already primed and ready. Her smile was warm, practiced, and yet it didn’t quite reach her eyes as she started recording.

“You look amazing today,” she said, offering me a compliment that felt more like a statement. “Shall we dive in?”

I nodded, smoothing my hands over the skirt of my dress. I never liked dealing with the press - they were always a pain, but it was inescapable in my position. Jesse assessed me, her fingers hovering over the recorder as she prepared to fire the first shot.

“First, any comment on your recent split with Pack Valence?” she began, clearly fishing for details about our breakup.

“We were simply headed in different directions, and I wish them all the best,” I said, keeping my tone light and my smile flawless.

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