Page 38 of Knotting else Matters

A laugh burst out of her, bright and sharp, cutting through the room like a blade. “Oh my gods, he played you like a fiddle, my strong, overprotective Alpha friend. I had lunch with Sophie and her friend Ada. A caterer, not some random Beta.”

I felt the heat rush to my face, a mix of embarrassment and fury boiling in my chest. That smug, manipulative little—

“Son of a—” I muttered, pushing away from her, running a hand through my hair as I started pacing the room. “That prick. He knew exactly what he was doing. He pushed me, he watched me lose it, and he just—”

Olivia’s laughter only grew, sweet and musical, and when I turned, she was bent over, picking up the two dresses she’d dropped earlier, carefully draping them over a chair, smoothing out the fabric.

“Adorable. Did you actually think I’d just throw myself at some random guy because Sophie wanted me to?”

I stopped mid-pace, my fists clenching at my sides, the embarrassment mixing with a stubborn, lingering possessiveness. “I didn’t think you’d throw yourself at anyone.”

“Except you?” she teased, her eyebrow arching, that wild, teasing smile tugging at her lips.

“Apparently.” I muttered, rubbing a hand over my face, still trying to shake off the fury clawing at my chest. “But that little stunt of Karl’s—”

But then I stopped, a sharp, electric jolt of realization cutting through me, and I turned to look at her, my gaze narrowing.

“You know, Sophie moved in with Karl a while ago.”

“Yeah, so?” Olivia didn’t even look up, her fingers still fussing with the sleeve of one of the dresses, carefully smoothing out imaginary wrinkles like she was trying to negotiate a peace treaty with the fabric.

“So… her old apartment is empty.”

The delicate lace slipped from her fingers, fluttering back to the chair. Olivia’s hand hovered for a second, frozen in midair. The silence stretched, heavy and brittle, and I saw the faintest twitch of her jaw, the slow, almost mechanical blink of her lashes—like her brain had just slammed on the brakes.

Her hand fell back to her side, her fingers curling into a loose fist. Her gaze didn’t lift, but I saw it—the slow, creeping shadow slipping over her expression.

“That little…”

“She played you,” I murmured, a slow, dark grin spreading across my face. “Just like Karl played me.”

Her head snapped up, her sharp green eyes locking onto mine, and there it was—a flash of wildfire, bright and blazing.

“No,” she whispered, but it wasn’t denial. It was the quiet horror of someone staring directly at a trap they’d walked straight into. “No. No, no, no—”

Her fingers dug into the chair’s back, her grip tightening until her knuckles went white. “She… she canceled my hotel reservation, Adrian. I booked my own place, and she canceled it. Said I needed an ‘upgrade.’”

My grin widened. “Anupgradestraight into my bed.”

“That sneaky, manipulative, pastel-wearing little—” Olivia’s voice climbed, a dangerous, wild edge creeping in.

I leaned against the wall, folding my arms, watching the storm brew in her expression with a sort of amused fascination.

“I mean, honestly, I expected this kind of crap from Karl. But Sophie? Oh, no. Sweet, innocent Sophie would never manipulate anyone.” Her voice was a mocking, high-pitched lilt, then dropped to a furious snarl. “She freaking boxed me in like I’m some stray she picked up off the street!”

“Oh, come on, my sweet chaos.” I shrugged, biting back a laugh. “Maybe she just wanted you to be comfortable. And nothing says comfort like a five-star suite and an Alpha’s bed.”

Olivia’s glare snapped to me, a wild, dangerous light blazing in her eyes. “Oh, don’t you start. I’ll skin you alive right after I strangle my sister.”

I couldn’t help it. I laughed—a low, warm rumble that only seemed to fuel the fire in her eyes.

“Oh, you think this is funny?” She spun, jabbing a finger at me. “You’re loving this. Big bad Alpha finds out his brother pushed his buttons, and now he gets to watch me explode. Well, congratulations. You and Sophie can both go to hell.”

Her fury was a wildfire, bright and scorching, and I loved it. But beneath the sharp, biting anger, there was a hint of something else—betrayal, hurt.

“Olivia.” I stepped forward, but she whipped around, her eyes blazing.

“That bitch!” she snapped, the words cutting through the room like a thunderclap.

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