The Rejected Envoy of the Moon Chapter 03

The Rejected Envoy of the Moon Chapter 03

Zephyr’s voice came through softly. “What are you thinking about?”

I swallowed the old memories back down.

“Thinking about picking you guys up tomorrow.”

The little one pressed his face flat against the screen.

“Mommy has to hug me first.”

I said okay.

Zephyr looked at me.

“Me too.”

The little one immediately clamped a hand over his mouth.

“No cutting in line.”

I hung up laughing.

Outside the shop, the sky was going dark.

I scooped the ruined soil from the bluebell pot into a black bag.

Ella asked, “Boss, tossing it?”

“Toss it far.”

“Don’t let it affect the new flowers.”

The next morning, I closed the shop early.

On the way to the airport, the cab driver had the radio up loud.

“Virethorn Pack princess Grace is set to be engaged to Alaric Mooncrest, Alpha heir of the Mooncrest Pack…”

The driver clicked his tongue.

“Must be nice, these arranged matings.”

I leaned against the window and watched the overpasses blur past.

Grace was getting engaged.

Seven years ago, she faked a miscarriage and nailed me to the cross as the evil sister.

Seven years later, she was standing in front of cameras in a gown, still the princess everyone envied.

The world really knows how to make you sick sometimes.

My phone rang.

Unknown number.

I glanced at it. Wasn’t going to pick up.

They called again.

I answered and put it on speaker.

Patricia’s voice stabbed into the cab like a blade.

“Claire, you finally decided to pick up?”

The driver’s eyes found me in the rearview mirror.

I kept my tone flat.

“Who is this?”

Half a second of silence on the other end.

Then Patricia exploded.

“I’m your mother!”

“Sorry, my mother is on a plane right now.”

The driver nearly choked on a laugh.

Patricia’s voice went shrill with rage.

“Seven years and you still have no manners.”

“Grace is getting engaged next week. She’s being generous, letting bygones be bygones.”

“You will come back to the Virethorn Pack immediately and serve as her bridesmaid.”

I almost thought I had heard wrong.

“You want me to be Grace’s bridesmaid?”

Patricia said it like it was the most reasonable thing in the world.

“And apologize while you’re at it.”

“After what you did to her back then, the suffering you caused her.”

“The fact that she’s willing to let you attend the engagement at all is her doing you a favor.”

Thorne must have gone straight home after yesterday, and the Virethorn Pack had pulled up my information overnight.

It was never that they couldn’t find me.

They just didn’t bother when I had no value.

Now Grace needed a real princess to stand in her shadow as a prop at her engagement.

“Mrs. Virethorn.”

“Seven years ago, you threw me out like trash.”

“You published the severance declaration yourselves.”

“Now you want me to come back and wait on your adopted daughter. Where do you get the nerve? Did the Virethorn Pack issue it to you?”

The driver couldn’t hold it in. He snorted.

Patricia was livid.

“Claire!”

“Don’t push your luck.”

“You’re a nobody running a flower shop. The fact that you’re still alive is dumb luck.”

“One word from the Virethorn Pack and you won’t be able to set foot in this city again.”

I looked out the window at the airport terminal in the distance.

My mood lifted all at once.

“Then try me.”

“You–”

“Oh, and for the record, the Virethorn Pack isn’t even fit to deliver fertilizer to my shop.”

I hung up.

Blocked the number.

Two seconds later, another unknown number called.

Blocked again.

The Virethorn Pack was panicking.

They always assumed the phone would be answered, the door would open, the girl would come crawling back.

Seven years ago, maybe.

Not anymore.

The driver held it together the whole ride, but right as we pulled up to the airport, he couldn’t resist asking in a low voice.

“Miss, was that really your mom?”

I smiled.

“Legally speaking, not for a long time.”

He parked at the VIP pickup zone, turned around, and gave me a thumbs-up.

“Well played.”

I stepped out of the cab. I had just pulled out my phone to check the flight info Zephyr sent when someone slammed into me hard from the side.

I looked up.

Patricia was holding Grace’s arm. Edward stood beside them.

Thorne brought up the rear.

All four of them, staring straight at me.

What a coincidence.

The rotten kind.

Grace froze for a split second, then darted behind Patricia with practiced speed.

The move was smooth. Rehearsed.

“Mom, I’m scared.”

Patricia’s glare locked onto me instantly.

“Claire, are you stalking us now?”