Chapter 303: Grand event

Photos of the grand engagement hall flooded social media feeds in real time. Local forums lit up as thousands of pack members argued and gushed over the same question. Who was the mysterious future Mrs. Velmore?

Outside the manor, Kaden leaned back against the glossy black frame of the stretch limousine. The night air was cold enough to cut through his hair as he scrolled through the endless posts. High resolution snapshots of the venue kept sliding under his thumb.

He was so absorbed in the glowing screen that he did not hear the light footsteps until Eloise’s voice bubbled up right beside him.

“Come on, Kaden! It’s going to be so much fun tonight!” she chimed, laughter bright in the quiet driveway.

Kaden lifted his head. His blue eyes flicked toward the entrance. Eloise looked stunning in a shimmering silver silk gown that hugged her curves, her chestnut hair styled into soft cascading waves.

She was clinging tightly to Kieran’s arm, still laughing about a joke she had just made. Kieran offered a polite, practiced smile in return. Kaden could tell in a single glance that his brother was not genuinely amused. The tension in Kieran’s jaw gave him away completely.

Eloise spotted Kaden leaning against the car and her face brightened at once. She broke away from Kieran’s side and launched herself into Kaden’s chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“I missed you so much!” she whined softly, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. As she clung to him, the heavy scent of her perfume washed over him. It was a sharp, overly sweet blend of expensive French jasmine and vanilla, stronger than usual, thick enough to sit at the back of his throat.

Kaden reached up with a slight delay and patted her head once. “Stop acting like a dramatic baby, Eloise,” he muttered. His voice was smooth, but there was little warmth in it.

She giggled and pulled back just enough to pout up at him. “I can’t help it! I really missed you. Honestly, it felt like you were deliberately avoiding me all week.”

Kieran let out a short, dry laugh from a few steps away and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Don’t be hilarious, Eloise,” he said flatly. “Why on earth would Kaden avoid you?”

Eloise’s lower lip jutted out further as she turned to glare playfully at Kieran. “Then why haven’t I seen him in days? He barely answered my calls!”

Kaden let out a long breath and slid his hands into his trouser pockets. “I just got caught up with everything around the base,” he explained, tilting his head. “Besides. I’m here now, aren’t I?”

Eloise huffed softly, clearly unsatisfied with the vague answer. Her sharp gaze drifted over Kaden’s shoulder, searching the dark driveway, before her brows knit together.

“Where is Killian?” she asked. Something unreadable flickered across her eyes for a split second.

“Killian had to head over early to handle some official filial duties,” Kaden said without hesitation, adjusting the cuff of his turtleneck. “Technically, Yuki is considered our sister under pack law. All three of us couldn’t show up late without making the family look disorganized.”

Eloise hummed, still looking somewhat unconvinced. Kieran cut through the lingering tension by checking his watch.

“We should really get moving,” he urged. His voice carried a quiet edge of impatience. “The party started twenty minutes ago.”

Eloise turned toward the open limo door and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“It’s completely fine to be a little fashionably late,” she reasoned with a sly smirk. “After all, the real stars of the night always make their appearance halfway through the event anyway.”

As she leaned in to enter the vehicle, her eyes caught the bright glow of Kaden’s phone screen. A high definition photo of the grand ballroom filled the display, all velvet and orchids and carefully arranged light. Her smile thinned. She swallowed once, and the envy sat bitter at the back of her tongue before she forced it down.

“Wow. The Velmores really went all out for this, didn’t they?” she murmured.

Kaden promptly clicked the side button on his phone. The screen went black.

“Let’s just go,” he said dryly. “Although I’d honestly rather be anywhere else tonight, missing it entirely would defeat the whole purpose of showing up.”

Eloise nodded and took Kieran’s offered hand as he helped her glide into the spacious leather interior. Kaden climbed in last, sliding onto the plush bench directly across from them.

The limousine purred to life. Its heavy tires rolled smoothly over the gravel before merging onto the main highway. Eloise’s relentless chatter filled the quiet cabin at once, detailing her busy week and the designer shoes she had almost bought. Kaden’s mind was not in the car at all. He stared blankly out the tinted window at the passing city lights, fighting the recurring urge to turn his phone back on and check for updates.

Across from him, Kieran sat with one arm along the seat back, listening to Eloise with the same polite patience he used in hospital consultations. Every so often his gaze slid toward Kaden, measuring him in silence, then returned to the window as if he had decided not to ask whatever question was sitting behind his teeth.

Feeling a sudden dry scratch in his throat, Kaden’s eyes settled on the silver ice bucket resting in the center console. He leaned forward and reached for the crystal decanter of chilled champagne.

“Isn’t it a bit early to start drinking, Kaden?” Kieran’s cool voice interjected. His blue eyes watched him from across the small space.

Kaden let out a short, low chuckle and uncorked the bottle with a faint pop.

“A single glass isn’t going to hurt anyone, Doc,” he drawled, pouring the pale sparkling liquid into a flute.

He lifted the glass to his lips and took a slow, deep gulp. The expensive alcohol washed down his throat smoothly and lacked any real bite. Kaden scoffed internally and set the glass down with a soft click against the coaster. Not even close to strong enough.

Thirty minutes later, the stretch limousine pulled up to the grand marble portico of the Imperial Crown Hotel. A uniformed valet promptly pulled the heavy rear door open and bowed respectfully.

Kaden stepped out first into the crisp evening air, smoothing down the front of his tailored outfit before extending a steady hand to Eloise. She placed her manicured fingers in his palm and stepped out with an elegant rustle of silver silk. Kieran followed right behind them, his dark eyes scanning the opulent facade of the building with quiet detachment.

A senior hotel concierge quickly stepped forward and bowed low to the heirs.

“Welcome, Lord Ravencourt, Lady Eloise. Please allow me to escort your party directly to the VIP grand ballroom.”

“Lead the way,” Kaden replied smoothly.

They crossed the grand lobby, which was already teeming with late arriving guests, wealthy pack elders, and high ranking Velmore family associates dressed in immaculate evening wear. The concierge pressed the button for the private elevator and led them into the mirrored cab.

As the elevator began its smooth ascent, Eloise fell completely quiet for the first time all evening. Kaden shot a brief sideways glance at her reflection in the polished brass doors, mildly curious about the sudden shift, but he chose not to ask. Beside him, Kieran’s fingers tapped once against his own wrist, then stilled. Whatever he was thinking, he kept it locked behind that same unreadable calm.

With a soft melodic chime, the elevator doors glided open on the top floor. The heavy, muffled bass of classical string instruments and ambient laughter vibrated straight through the carpeted floorboards of the wide corridor.

“Right this way, please,” the concierge urged, gesturing toward the towering double doors at the end of the hallway.

They followed him down the corridor. The sharp rhythmic sound of Eloise’s high heels echoed against the walls until they reached the entrance.

The heavy mahogany doors were pushed open wide just as the ambient house lights inside the grand hall suddenly dimmed to a soft romantic twilight glow. Conversation dipped. Somewhere near the orchestra, a bow drew one long note across the strings and held it.

Kaden took a step inside the threshold. At that exact freezing microsecond, the sweeping velvet curtains at the top of the grand marble staircase were pulled open.

A single brilliant white spotlight cut through the darkness of the room, illuminating the platform against the massive floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city.

Standing beneath the light was Yuki.

She wore a breathtaking lilac gown that flowed around her like liquid starlight. Her gold tinted hair was framed by glowing imperial topaz jewels. A soft, hesitant smile rested on her lips as she stood beside Xavier, looking impossibly ethereal against the glass and the night beyond it.

Kaden’s breath caught in his throat. Something tight seized his chest and squeezed the air right out of his lungs. Beside him, Eloise’s grip on his forearm tightened so hard her manicured nails dug painfully through the fabric of his jacket.