#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.

his teeth. Whot’s she going

holding her fost. Victor’s brows knit together as he frowns at Evelyn. He’s disappointed, of course – he had hoped to surprise

says, “is

eyes darting around the room. “Are you serious? This is what you

around the room. Everything is right, according to his expectations – the flowers, the music, the impeccable service. The food, too, is going to be amazing. “What’s wrong with

says, her eyes bewildered, her mouth a

I – love you

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

hesitates and then tries to explain. “The timing seemed right, Evelyn,” he says as he reaches a hand out, seeking hers. “I love you, and with everything going on with Amelia, and the pack,

her napkin on the table and pushing

across the room. He stands and follows quickly after her, grimacing as he

flashing the photographer a polite smile.

crawls out from behind the plant, his wide-lensed camera hanging around his

so much,” Evelyn says, crossing her arms and speaking

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

the photographer. “You look at me. Who do you

still vacillating, looking a

her hands on her knees and bends down so that she’s eye-level with the photographer. “I’m

drops his eyes. “Alpha News

you,” she says. “You can go

whirls on Victor. “And you can go

she storms

her out into 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

When she can’t find it, she

thinks, gritting his teeth. What’s she

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

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 pulling away, Evelyn takes

growls. “Take your damn hand off

I did this the wrong way –

voice sarcastic. “Where the press

her, shocked. If it wasn’t

takes the opportunity to wrench her arm from his hand. Then she turns and starts walking down the road, picking

trying to figure out what the hell happened to make her so mad. The photographer he gets – okay,

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 out

says, moving in front of her and blocking her way. “I get it, Evelyn – I know I messed this up – but you can’t

she growls,

him 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.” He looks down at her as the rain begins

the valet, who is standing at the

Evelyn says, aghast. “Figure it

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

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255