Chapter 31
Ryan glanced toward Lirian, who stood tall and calm, exuding confidence.
Ryan’s jealousy was now palpable, almost radiating off him. His face flushed with a mix of anger and envy as he saw Lirian, and I could tell that the mere presence of someone like him gnawed at Ryan’s pride.
He tried to mask it, but the bitterness was too raw, too visible.
“Sophia.” Ryan muttered in a low, condescending voice. “Since you’ve done something wrong, just admit your mistake and apologise, there’s no need to make a scene like this……” His words were laced with thinly veiled contempt, trying to maintain his control over the situation.
I turned to him, my eyes cold.
“Enough,” I interrupted sharply. “It’s not your place to speak here.”
Ryan’s eyes widened in shock.
For a moment, he seemed too stunned to respond.
My words had hit him squarely in his ego, and I could see the flicker of disbelief and anger dance across his face.
His lips twitched, wanting to fire back, but he held himself in check, at least for now.
In his previous life, Ryan had despised Lirian with a burning intensity. It was as if they were destined to be enemies from the moment they first met.
Ryan used to tell me, with his voice dripping in scorn, that Lirian was just a “wild seed from the slums.” He never missed an opportunity to remind me that Lirian, no matter how skilled or smart he was, could only ever dream of becoming a Beta at best.
Ryan, on the other hand, prided himself on his so–called superior lineage–he was, after all, the illegitimate son of an Alpha.
Back then, I used to indulge his arrogance, shielding his fragile ego, but not anymore.
I couldn’t help the sneer that tugged at my lips as I thought about how Ryan would always rail against those with higher status, claiming that if he had been born into a different family, he would be the best of them all.
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Yet, when he was around people of lower status, he looked down on them, smug in his belief that his partial bloodline made him superior.
Now, Arman also stood there, a mix of anger and helplessness on his face, his pride wounded and exposed.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, Lirian’s hand shot out, gripping Arman’s arm firmly, holding him in place. Arman’s face turned a purplish red as he tried to wrestle free, but Lirian’s grip was iron.
“Sophia,” Arman spat, his voice choked with fury. “Do you, as a girl, even know what manners are? Who taught you to speak like that? This is ridiculous! Tell him to let me go!”
I didn’t bother answering him directly, I knew anything I said would fall on deaf ears. He was too wrapped up in his own delusions to hear reason.
No matter what I said, he would twist it, using his prejudices to paint me as the villain. I had no doubt that in his mind, I was the one in the wrong, and he would continue to accuse me until his last
breath.
But before I could respond, a deep, dignified voice rang out, cutting through the tension like a blade.
“I taught her,” Ethan’s voice boomed from the crowd as he stepped forward, his presence
pmmanding everyone’s attention. “Is there a problem with that?”
Ethan, the Alpha himself, made his way toward us, flanked by his usual calm yet imposing aura.
He and Lirian now stood on either side of me, both tall, handsome, and exuding power.
They looked like daemons from another world, their presence causing whispers to ripple through the crowd. I could hear the soft squeals of some teenage girls, their excitement barely contained as they fumbled with their phones, snapping pictures and filming the scene.
Arman, who had been full of bravado just moments ago, visibly shrank in Ethan’s presence. The color drained from his face as he swallowed hard, his voice suddenly weak and uncertain.
“No, I–I’m sorry, Alpha. I was out of line.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed with disappointment as he looked down at Arman.
“You’re Sophia’s cousin, aren’t you? And yet here you are, not only doubting her but siding with an outsider to accuse her?” His words were sharp, each one hitting like a hammer.
Arman tried to backpedal, his voice faltering. “But…but this situation…” He struggled to find his
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words, clearly hoping to salvage whatever dignity he had left.
I didn’t do it,” I said firmly, my voice clear and unwavering. “If someone tries to slander or bully me. I’ll defend myself, but I would never go out of my way to target anyone. If you think otherwise, show me proof.”
I crossed my arms, daring Arman or Linda to come up with something–anything–to back their
claims.
The crowd leaned in, their curiosity piqued, waiting to see what Arman would do next.
They wanted to see the evidence, to witness the final blow in this unfolding drama.
