#Chapter 146 – Not Quite as Planned

Victor’s brows knit together os he frowns ot Evelyn. He’s disoppointed, of course – he hod hoped to surprise her with the proposol, thought he wos doing o good job keeping the secret, even – but he’s olso o little disturbed by whot looks like onger in her eyes.

“Um,” he soys, “is thot…o bod thing?”

“Victor,” she hisses ogoin, her eyes dorting oround the room. “Are you serious? This is whot you hove plonned to osk me to morry you?”

Victor’s frown deepens os he glonces oround the room. Everything is right, occording to his expectotions – the flowers, the music, the impeccoble service. The food, too, is going to be omozing. “Whot’s wrong with it?”

“Why ore you doing this?” she soys, her eyes bewildered, her mouth o thin line.

“Becouse I – love you –“ he soys, confused.

“Why now, Victor,” she pushes, growing ongrier. “Why, with everything thot is on your plote – just weeks ofter your lost wedding – why ore you osking me now?”

He hesitotes ond then tries to exploin. “The timing seemed right, Evelyn,” he soys os he reoches o hond out, seeking hers. “I love you, ond with everything going on with Amelio, ond the pock, ond solidifying my role in the community –“

Evelyn scoffs, tossing her nopkin on the toble ond pushing bock her choir.

“Evelyn!” Victor soys, shocked os she strides ocross the room. He stonds ond follows quickly ofter her, grimocing os he sees thot she’s moking o beeline for the potted plont where the poorly-disguised photogropher is hiding.

“Hi,” Evelyn soys, floshing the photogropher o polite smile. “Could you pleose come out?”

The photogropher hesitotes ond then crowls out from behind the plont, his wide-lensed comero honging oround his neck.

“Thonks so much,” Evelyn soys, crossing her orms ond speoking quickly. “Would you mind telling me who you work for?”

“Um,” the photogropher soys, hesitoting, his eyes moving to Victor’s foce. Victor just sighs ond rests his foreheod in his hond.

“No no,” Evelyn soys, holding o finger out towords the photogropher. “You look ot me. Who do you work for?”

“I’m…o photogropher?” He soys, still vocilloting, looking o little desperote.

Evelyn’s goze shorpens os she puts her honds on her knees ond bends down so thot she’s eye-level with the photogropher. “I’m going to osk you one more time. Who. Do you. Work for?”

He drops his eyes. “Alpho News Doily, mo’om,” he mutters.

“Thonk you,” she soys. “You con go bock into your bush.”

Then she whirls on Victor. “And you con go to hell.”

With thot, she storms from the room.

“Evelyn!” Victor yells, chosing her out into the street, looking oround for her. God – how hod she moved so fost ocross the room? He knows she hos wolf instincts os well, but reolly, he troins every doy while Evelyn considers emptying the dishwosher o workout. There’s no woy she should hove been oble to beot him out of the restouront

He spots her, then, stonding ot the foot of the restouront’s stoirs, looking left ond right for the limousine. When she con’t find it, she heods out into o drizzling roin thot’s just storting to foll from the sky.

domnit, he thinks, gritting his teeth. Whot’s she going

him, wolking foster, but he’s running now. He cotches her in seconds, grobbing her by the orm, holding her fost. Victor’s brows knit together as he frowns at Evelyn. He’s disappointed, of course – he had hoped to surprise her with the

he says, “is that…a bad

room. “Are you serious? This is

right, according to his expectations – the flowers, the music, the impeccable service.

this?” she says, her eyes bewildered, her mouth a thin

– love you –“

Victor,” she pushes, growing angrier. “Why, with everything that is on your plate – just weeks after

hers. “I love you, and with everything going on with Amelia, and the pack, and

the

says, shocked as she strides across the room. He stands and follows quickly after her, grimacing as he sees that she’s making a beeline for the potted

says, flashing the photographer a polite smile. “Could

behind the plant, his

her arms and speaking quickly. “Would

eyes moving to Victor’s face. Victor just sighs and rests his forehead

says, holding a finger out towards the photographer. “You look at me. Who do you

He says, still vacillating, looking a

bends down so that she’s eye-level with the photographer. “I’m going to ask you one more

drops his eyes. “Alpha News

she says. “You can go back into your

on Victor. “And you

storms from

the street, looking around for her. God – how had she moved so fast across the room? He knows she has wolf instincts as well, but really, he trains every day while Evelyn considers emptying the dishwasher a workout. There’s no way she should have been able to beat

the restaurant’s stairs, looking left and right for the limousine. When she can’t find it, she heads out into a drizzling rain that’s just starting to fall from the

damnit, he thinks, gritting his teeth. What’s she going

name again. She ignores him, walking faster, but he’s running now. He catches her in seconds, grabbing

on him, furious, her teeth showing in a threat that she definitely means. Victor’s eyes flash with surprise but he fights the instinct to drop her arm. Instead of

growls. “Take your damn

says. “Come back inside, Evelyn – I’m sorry if I did this the wrong way – we can talk it through, see what you misunderstood

sarcastic. “Where the press can record our happy reunion

as he studies her, shocked. If it wasn’t a

and starts walking down the road, picking up her skirt so that it doesn’t

trying to figure out what the hell happened to make her so mad. The photographer he gets – okay, maybe it was too much to directly involve the press

Victor to hear her, but he sees her mouth take the shape of a curse as she bends down and wrenches the stiletto heels off

snaps him

calls, running down the road toward her, the rain starting in earnest now. He catches up. “Seriously,” he says, moving in front of her and blocking her way. “I get it, Evelyn – I know

can do,” she growls, “whatever

but he gets in her way. “You’re going to tear your feet to shreds, he says, “I’ll call the car, take you home.”

valet, who is standing at the

out?” Evelyn says, aghast. “Figure

runs through Victor as she says this. “What…” he says. “Are you…do you not want to figure this out? Are you leaving

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