KLOE POV:

The triumphant smile on Candace's face froze, melting into a mask of shock and disbelief. Her gaze darted from the bound Delano on the floor to me curled up in the corner. This was nothing like what she had planned.

Jesse Ellis came to an abrupt halt behind her, his jaw slack. The party guests craned their necks forward, whispering among themselves in confusion.

Now it was my turn to perform.

I let out a choked sob and scrambled to my feet, rushing toward the crowd until I found an older, elegant woman—Lady Annabelle—and clutched her arm as though it were a lifeline.

"That man..." I cried, my voice shaking so badly that anyone who heard it would have pitied me. Still trembling with shock, I pointed toward Delano. "He broke into my room! He wanted to... he wanted to hurt me!"

Every eye in the room turned toward Delano. He struggled against his restraints, his muffled grunts sounding more like a confession than a protest.

Candace recovered instantly. She was, after all, a performer. She rushed to my side, her expression perfectly painted with sisterly concern.

"Oh, Kloe, my poor sister, don't be afraid. We're here now," Candace said softly, reaching out as if to comfort me. "Please tell us what happened. I'll make sure Father understands everything."

Her voice was gentle enough to drip with sweetness, but the flash of malice and mockery in her eyes did not escape me.

I recoiled from her touch as though avoiding a branding iron.

Then, in the dead silence, I did something the old Kloe would never have dared to imagine. I drew back my hand and slapped my stepsister across the face.

The sharp crack of my palm against her cheek echoed through the silent room like thunder.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Candace stared at me, one hand flying to her reddening cheek. Her blue eyes widened with humiliation and shock, and for the first time, real tears welled within them.

"And you still have the nerve to ask me what happened?" My voice was hoarse and ragged, filled with anger that required no performance. "Candace, did you already know I was in danger? Otherwise, how do you explain the timing of this 'coincidence'? And this carefully staged rescue performance?"

I turned toward the guests, my voice growing louder. "I was resting in my room. Why did my stepsister bring an entire crowd to break down my door?"

The whispers grew louder, now laced with suspicion. They looked toward Candace with scrutinizing eyes, their doubts multiplying.

I pressed the advantage, fixing my gaze on her. "Candace, did you already know I was in danger? Otherwise, how do you explain the timing of this 'coincidence'? And this carefully staged rescue performance?"

She opened her mouth, but not a single word came out. Cornered, all of her disguises had been ripped away. "I... I was just worried about you," she finally stammered, slipping back into the role of the innocent victim. "I heard you'd disappeared from the party..."

"Worried?" I let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. "Worried enough to break down a locked door? Is this how the Howe Pack treats its guests? Or do you believe that, as the Alpha's daughter, I don't deserve even a moment of privacy?"

I was using the title Father had once used to suppress me as both my shield and my sword. I noticed several older pack members nodding in agreement. In a wolf pack, privacy and rules mattered deeply, and Candace had clearly violated both.

Jesse Ellis, as always playing the role of the white knight, stepped forward quickly. "Kloe! How can you be so cruel to Candace? She was only trying to help!" His voice was full of accusation, as though I were the unreasonable one.

My gaze snapped toward him, cold and contemptuous. "And you, Mr. Ellis. What role are you playing in this little performance? If I remember correctly, this is my private room. You shouldn't even be here."

Cold logic only made their behavior appear more suspicious.

Turning my back on them, I strode toward Delano. With one sharp yank, I tore the gag from his mouth.

"Speak," I commanded, my voice leaving no room for defiance. "Tell them who sent you."

Delano gasped for air, his eyes darting around wildly with fear. He looked first at my cold, resolute expression, then toward Candace, his voice trembling with tears. "I... I can't say..."

I saw the silent exchange and seized upon it instantly.

"What are the two of you looking at?" I demanded sharply, pointing between them. "Delano, what are you afraid of? Did Candace threaten you?"

The crowd erupted into murmurs. Candace's face turned pale.

The seed of suspicion had already been planted. I watched the guests whisper among themselves, their eyes filled with distrust toward Candace. Delano's reaction had already said everything. I didn't need him to confess it aloud.

All I needed was for that seed to take root within the pack.

That slap was not only revenge for the pain she had caused me, but also my formal declaration of war against her and everyone who had ever hurt me.

The flawless mask she believed to be perfect had finally developed its very first crack.