JoyReadChapter 28
-Ava’s POV
The moment | found the perfect dress after Grayson’s impromptu declaration that | was going to the ball with
him, | stared at myself in the mirror and smiled. The deep blue gown hugged my body in all the right places, the
silky material shimmering under the soft lighting. The off-shoulder neckline revealed just enough skin to be
alluring, while still remaining elegant. It was adorned with delicate silver beading that caught the light, adding an
ethereal glow to the entire ensemble. My hair, styled into loose waves, cascaded down my back, a few strands
framing my face. I'd chosen simple, yet elegant, diamond earrings and a matching bracelet. | had always known
was beautiful, but tonight... tonight | felt different. Lighter. Freer.
Like something insidewas about to shift, though I couldn't bite place what. Isabella had left after | told her
how | got scolded which she found funny and now it was just me.
Strangely looking forward to tonight.
This night was going to be perfect. After all, | was going to a ball with a king.
That night of perfection washed down the drain the moment my eyes landed on my parents. Why hadn't |
thought they would be here? Maybe it was because | didn’t even know whose ball it was, and | figured Grayson
wouldn't be linked to them in any way. But there they were. Standing at the entrance of the hall, dressed in their
usual lavish attire, looking down atlike | was something beneath them.
Grayson, sensing the shift in my mood, pulledcloser to him. His touch sent a wave of warmth through my
body, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside me, My heart pounded in my chest, and | could feel my
breath quicken.
The four of us-Grayson, my parents, and I-stood there, staring at each other, the tension thickening by the
second.
“You won't greet your parents, Ava? Is that how we raised you?” My mother’s voice cut through the air like a
blade, cold and sharp. Her words dripped with superiority, as if | were nothing more than an embarrassing
inconvenience.
| clenched my fists, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. | had had it with this “how you were raised” nonsense.
They didn’t raise me-they controlled me. There was a difference.
“I thought | wasn’t your daughter anymore,” | replied, my voice steady but edged with bitterness. “You two
disowned me, remember? | believe it goes both ways, so technically, you're not my parents anymore.”
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From the corner of my eye, | saw Grayson smile. A small, approving smirk that toldhe liked my defiance. |
stood straighter, feeling a surge of confidence. But that confidence wavered as | saw the way my father glared at
me, his eyes burning with anger.
“Watch your tone or else,” he growled, his voice low and menacing. It was the voice that had always made me
shrink back as a child, the one that taughtto be obedient, silent, compliant.
Before | could say anything else, Grayson finally spoke up. His voice was cold, commanding, and the air seemed
to shift around us, the power in his tone undeniable.
“I won't take kindly to anyone threatening my Luna.”
His words were simple, but the weight they carried was immense. My father’s face twisted into a sneer, but he
didn’t speak, while my mother-ph, she scoffed. A sharp, dismissive sound that cut through the tension.
“Your Luna?” she scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. “Please. This little rebellion of hers won't last. She'll
crunning back to us soon enough. You'll see.”
| felt my heart stutter in my chest, a wave of doubt washing over me. My mother always had a way of making
It was infuriating how she
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Chapter 28
always acted like she was above everyone, as if she knew better, if she was untouchable. And yet, a part of me-
the part they'd molded since childhood-was still intimidated by them.
Grayson'’s hand tightened around my waist, pullingeven closer. His touch was grounding, a silent reminder
that | wasn’t alone in this anymore. He was standing up for me. Even if my parents were powerful, he was more
powerful. He was a king, and they were nothing compared to him.
“I don’t think you understand,” Grayson said, his voice dropping to an almost lethal calm. His eyes darkened as
they fixed on my mother, who had the nerve to keep looking at him like he was beneath her. “Ava isn’t going
anywhere. And if you think you can scare her back into your clutches, you're sadly mistaken
My father took a step forward, his chest puffed out, his arrogance on full display. “You may think you're
powerful,” he spat, “and just because you managed to get a hospital to take her, you think you have more
connection but you don’t know who you're dealing with.
Grayson didn’t flinch. In fact, he barely blinked. He just stood there, towering over my father, his presence cold,
dangerous, like a predator sizing up its prey. “I'm more than aware of who | dealing with. And I'm telling you
now-you don’t want to
test me. | have entertained you enough.”
The silence that followed was thick, suffocating. My father’s face reddened, his fists clenched at his sides, but
even he wasn’t stupid enough to challenge Grayson outright. Not here. Not in front of all these people.
My mother, however, wasn’t done. She stepped forward, her eyes boring into mine, a smirk tugging at the corner
of her lips. “Enjoy your little rebellion while it lasts, Ava,” she said softly, her voice a deadly whisper. “But don’t
fool yourself into thinking this will end well for you. You've always been stubborn, but in the end, you'll come
running back to us. You always do.”
| wanted to scream. | wanted to tell her that | wasn’t the girl they could control anymore, that | wasn’t going to
fall back into their grasp yet the words got stuck in my throat, choking me. | hated how she still had this hold
over me, how she could makefeel so small with just a few words.
Grayson spoke, his tone even and final, “She won't be coming back to you. Not ever. So you might as well let go
of whatever delusions you're holding onto.”
My mother’s smile faltered, just for a second, and | could see the flash of anger in her eyes before she masked it
with her usual icy demeanor.
“We'll see. We always do.”
With that, she turned on her heel, my father following close behind, and they disappeared into the crowd,
leaving a trail of tension in their wake.
I let out a breath | didn’t realize I'd been holding, my entire body trembling with a mixture of anger, fear, and
relief. Grayson’s hand remained on my waist, his grip firm but comforting.
“I'm sorry,” | whispered, not sure what else to say. My parents had a way of ruining everything, even moments
that were- supposed to be perfect.
“There's nothing to apologize for,” Grayson'’s voice softening slightly as he looked down at me. His cold,
dangerous exterior melted just a little, “You don’t owe them anything.”
| had forgotten that we’d been arguing until his hand brushed my skin, the heat of his touch suddenly feeling
more intense now that we were standing alone. The awareness of it sent a flush to my cheeks, and I instinctively
moved away from his hold just as someone called my name.
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Ava!”.
| turned and saw Damien approaching, a wide grin spreading across his face. Without thinking, | smiled back,
stepping forward to hug him. “Uncle Damien! | didn’t know you'd be coming.”
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Chapter 28
“You took the words right out of my mouth, little dove,” he replied with a playful glint in his eye, his grin
deepening and creating little wrinkles at the corners.
“Little dove?” Grayson'’s scoffed, and when | glanced back at him for the first time, | saw embarrassment flash
across his face. Just as quickly, his expression went cold again, neutral, like the moment never happened.
| cleared my throat awkwardly, pulling away from Damien, trying to shake off the tension in the air. “Grayson,
this is my Uncle Damien. Uncle Damien, this is-"
“The Alpha King,” Damien interrupted with a smirk, extending his hand to Grayson without missing a beat. “I
know exactly who he is.”
Grayson took his hand with a slow, deliberate movement, his face an unreadable mask of boredom. “It’s nice to
meet you, Uncle Damien,” he drawled, and | could practically feel the sarcasm dripping from his words.
I shot a look at Grayson, narrowing my eyes at the clear mockery. Why did this man always have to make me
want to thank him and throttle him at the stime?
Damien, ever the peacemaker, simply laughed, trying to ease the tension. “I didn’t know you were one for jokes.
I'll leave you both to it, though. | should go find your parents, Ava. Oh, and just a heads-up...” His voice trailed
off as he glanced over my shoulder. “My nephew’s is coming.”
Before the words had even fully registered, | turned and saw Dylan approaching, and to make things worse,
Crystal was with
him.
Perfect. Just perfect
Our eyes met, and Crystal's smug, triumphant smile made my stomach twist in frustration. I let out a mental
groan as she looped her arm around Dylan's, staking her claim.
Could this night get any worse?
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