Crippled Luna's Farewell: Half A Life Without My Alpha's Deadly Deception

Chapter 177 She glanced down at the screen.

[Cpickup tomorrow night.] The sender: Colton.

Last week, Colton had mentioned that someone wanted to meet her.

Sarah thought for a moment before replying, "Okay, teacher." After responding, she set her phone aside and returned to work. Whatever meeting Colton had arranged for her, she would find out tomorrow.

The next day, Sarah and Leo picked up Colton and took him to the hotel he had booked. The moment they stepped off the bus, Sarah was immediately aware of the weight of the atmosphere. The hotel's grand entrance was abuzz with activity, but it wasn't just any gathering... these were important figures, people she had only seen in news reports or read about in articles.

The top echelons of the werewolf council were here, along with other powerful individuals whose names carried weight in political and business circles.

Her heartbeat quickened slightly. This wasn't an ordinary event.

Colton, ever composed, took the lead in guiding her through the introductions. Sarah shook hands with influential Alphas, dignified Elders, and respected strategists, each one scrutinizing her with quiet curiosity.

Their gazes weren't dismissive or condescending, but rather... interested. As if they had already heard of her before this meeting.

Then, as she greeted a middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a commanding presence, he spoke in an appreciative tone.

"I've seen your designs," he said, his voice carrying authority. "They're excellent." Sarah blinked in surprise. Someone like him had seen her work? Before she could formulate a response, a voice interrupted from nearby.

"Dad?" The tone carried a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Turning her head, Sarah saw Dalton stepping out of a sleek car. His usual air of confidence was momentarily replaced by surprise as his gaze swept over the gathering. However, what caught her attention the most was the woman walking beside him.

Linda.

Sarah's expression instantly went cold.

She hadn't expected to see Linda here. And certainly not beside Dalton.

Dalton seemed equally caught off guard as he took in the scene before him. His eyes briefly met Sarah's, a flicker of something passing through them before he quickly looked away. His father, the middle-aged man who had just praised Sarah's work, also turned toward him with mild surprise.

"You're here for business?" William Raymond, the previous Alpha of Birchpack, asked his son with a measured gaze.

Dalton hesitated for the briefest moment before giving a nonchalant nod. "Uh- huh." ет Beside him, Linda's lips curved slightly, as if she found something amusing about the situation. Her presence was as composed as ever, her fitted dress accentuating her poised demeanor. She looked at Sarah, and for a fleeting second, there was something smag in her expression.

"It's been a while, Sarah," Linda said smoothly.

Sarah inhaled slowly, forcing her emotions to remain steady. "Likewise." Linda's smirk deepened slightly, as if she enjoyed testing Sarah's patience. "I didn't expect to see you at such an important gathering." Colton, noticing the tension, smoothly redirected the focus. "Sarah has been making significant strides in her field. She's someone worth keeping an eye on." William nodded approvingly. "Indeed. Talent like hers shouldn't go unnoticed." Dalton glanced at Sarah again, his expression unreadable. She had changed since the last tthey had spoken, he realized. There was a quiet strength in her now, a calm confidence that hadn't been so prominent before.

But before he could dwell on it further, William turned to him. "Let's head inside. We have much to discuss." The conversation moved forward, but Sarah could still feel Linda's gaze on her. She ignored it.

She had bigger things to focus on now.

Colton frowned slightly, his sharp gaze flickering between Sarah and Linda. He knew that Sarah had been married to Arnold, but the details of their relationship... what had happened between them, what had led to their divorce... remained largely unknown to him.

However, seeing the way Sarah's expression turned ice-cold at the sight of Linda, something clicked in his mind.

So that's how it is...

Linda, as if oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, stepped forward with an easy smile. "Professor Colton, she greeted smoothly, her voice carrying just the right amount of warmth and respect. Colton merely nodded, his face impassive, offering no more than the bare minimum of acknowledgment.

The coldness of his reaction made something flicker in Linda's eyes... discomfort, perhaps even frustration. For a moment, she hesitated, as if expecting more from him, but when none came, she quickly masked her emotions. Turning away, she redirected her attention to the powerful figures surrounding them. She greeted them one by one, her tone bright and polished, but something nagged at her.

No matter how much effort she put into appearing composed, she could see it clearly... none of them were particularly interested in her. Their attention was directed toward Sarah.

Linda clenched her fingers slightly.

Sarah? She had expected to be noticed, to

receive praise, to be regarded as an equal among these influential ntial people.

But instead, the person they spoke about with admiration, the one they looked at with genuine interest, was Sarah. The realization made an unpleasant feeling coil in her chest.

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