Page 70 of Ellie 3

Ha-joon. He was standing there smiling proudly and clapping until I was close enough and then he offered me his hand.

Which of course I accepted.

“I rambled,” I mumbled as we headed to our table.

“No, you didn’t.”

“I was preachy.”

“People need that,” he countered. “It was inspiring.”

“It was—”

He turned me and gave me a soft kiss. “Ellie, shut up and take the win. You were magnificent.”

Okay then.

He booped my nose when I couldn’t hide my surprise he’d just done that in front of everyone. “And stop picking on the woman I love or I’m going to spank you when we get home.”

I smacked his chest with my free hand. “You say that when we’re headed to the table with your family? Are you having a laugh?” I felt better when he winced at least.

“You were lovely,” his mother, Soo-ah, praised as the applause died and we sat down. “And what you have built is amazing. All of it.”

“Thank you, and thank you for joining us tonight,” I replied, meeting his father’s gaze. “It sends an important message that you did.”

He dipped his head to me. “It’s one that’s long overdue, but knowing the right cause or foundation to support can be tricky. You know this yourself.”

I accepted that. I’d been a part of a few corrupt nonprofits, and even if you were completely blind to what was going on, the stink followed you for a long time. It made people hesitant to join anything.

Which was truly a shame because the world needed help and a lot of peoplewantedto help. We just didn’t want to constantly be criticized for trying to do something good.

Shocking.

Everyone was polite and well-behaved the first course while the first performer played. I saw a change in the aura of one of his sisters when people came and congratulated me during the break. Several were talking to Ha-joon and he was amazing handling it all.

And she was jealous. She was no one and did nothing with her own life and privilege like her other sisters.

I would have let it go if she’d kept quiet. I really would have, but when she opened her mouth with everything bad in her aura and gaze focused on Ha-joon… No.

“Byeol, I could end you before either of your parents have a chance of reacting, and if youevermistreat Ha-joon in my presence, that will be the outcome,” I told her firmly, letting her see her death in my eyes when her glance cut to me. “And I have blanket immunity in several countries given I run ASH,including yours. Do not test me. Ever.”

Her family was eerily quiet for several beats as they digested and processed what I’d said.

“Do you really?” one of Ha-joon’s brothers asked quietly.

Ha-joon snorted. “She has all of the presidents’ personal numbers, and their people know to immediately put her through. The President of North America would give her…” He shook his head. “Yes. Ellie doesn’t bluff.”

I kept Byeol’s gaze and smirked. “No, no, I do not.”

“You promised, Byeol,” Soo-ah bit out.

Byeol flinched and then cleared her throat. “Old habits die hard. I apologize.”

Oh, that was the wrong thing to say, and her mother quietly let her have it in Korean. Whatever was said seemed to touch and amuse Ha-joon. He winked at me so I knew we were being backed up, but hopefully he would fill me in later.

“This event is truly lovely,” Ha-yun praised once their mother was done chewing on Byeol. “Did I hear right and your stepmother had a hand in it?”

I saw the hesitation in her aura, understanding she wasn’t trying to be mean or step in anything. I nodded and thanked the server as the next course was handed out. “Yes, she was known for hosting some of the best parties—our coven was after she was forced to mate my birth father. She needed some help being updated, but—no one pays attention to detail like Aurora.”

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