Estelle’s POV

The washroom’s cold tiles pressed against my knees as I retched into the toilet bowl. My stomach burned from the excessive alcohol Hayden had forced down my throat for the past two hours.

Every time I tried to speak about the trade agreement, he’d cut me off with another toast. It was an endless line of drinks and excuses.

Caleb had tried to take some drinks in my place, but Hayden’s men insisted I drink everything myself; otherwise, it didn’t count.

I had to find an excuse to slip out to the toilet. My stomach was already turning from the amount of drinks I had finished. Werewolf alcohol was generally much stronger, and without a wolf, my body couldn’t neutralize it as well.

I flushed the toilet and moved to the sink. My face had already turned pale in the reflection. I rinsed my mouth and fixed my lipstick.

I opened the washroom door and stepped out. Outside, Caleb stood there, concern written across his face.

“We should leave,” he said quietly. “This isn’t a negotiation. Hayden’s just messing with you for petty revenge. He obviously has no intention of discussing business.”

I considered his words. He was right, of course. But leaving now would mean admitting defeat.

“Be patient,” I told him. “I need more evidence first. I have a plan in mind.”

Caleb frowned. “What kind of plan?”

“I’m giving Hayden one last chance. If he properly listens to my proposal, I won’t execute it.” I smoothed down my dress. “But if he continues playing games out of personal spite, then I don’t mind dealing with him like I dealt with his sister.”

We walked back toward the private room. But as we approached the door, voices drifted out from inside. Hayden hadn’t bothered to lower his volume.

I held up my hand, stopping Caleb. We positioned ourselves just outside the slightly ajar door.

“Man, you really showed her,” one of Hayden’s friends was saying. “Hannah’s going to be so happy when she hears you stood up for her like this.”

Hayden’s laughter was cruel. “Estelle deserves this for what she did to my little sister. Did you see how green she looked after that last drink?”

“She’s probably puking her guts out right now,” another voice added.

More laughter filled the room.

“I still can’t believe she thinks she’s actually the Luna of Blackmoon Pack,” Hayden continued. “Back in Moonveil, Alpha Asher wasn’t even willing to make her his official Luna. It took years before Asher willingly revealed he had an acting-Luna, and he didn’t even reveal her name. How can someone like that suddenly become Luna of a pack like Blackmoon?”

“Good thing you managed to bluff Alpha Hugo into letting you come instead,” the first man said. “Otherwise, he might’ve been nice enough to forgive Moonveil for that communications mess with their Beta earlier.”

I pulled out my phone and started recording. The audio was clear enough.

“Speaking of which,” someone added, “what kind of woman can’t even satisfy her own mate? Alpha Asher was obviously ashamed of her. She must be terrible in bed.”

“Maybe she’s loose,” another suggested crudely. “Most wolves would be proud to show off their mate, yet he’s so unwilling.”

“Unless there’s nothing worth showing off,” Hayden added.

Caleb tensed beside me, his fists clenching. His wolf was clearly agitated by the disrespectful comments about me. I grabbed his arm and gave him a look, then showed him my phone screen.

He saw the recording app and nodded, forcing himself to stay calm.

“You know what?” Hayden’s voice carried through the door. “Maybe I’ll give her a chance to work with Silverclaw. All she has to do is get on her knees and apologize to Hannah.”

“She can stay on her knees for other things too,” one of his friends added with a disgusting laugh.

That was enough.

I pushed open the door. All conversation ceased instantly. The men froze like children caught stealing cookies.

“Gentlemen,” I said calmly, walking to my seat. “We’ve been at this for hours now.”

Hayden recovered quickly, his fake smile returning. “Ah, you’re finally back,” he said. “Ready for round two?”

“No,” I flatly said, meeting his eyes.

“Through all the drinks you’ve forced on me, I’ve still managed to explain everything about the partnership between Blackmoon and Silverclaw.” I sat down and folded my hands. “The trade agreements can be amended if needed. But for that to happen, Silverclaw needs to actually give input.”

Hayden leaned back in his chair with a lazy grin. “The plan sounds... alright. But this is an important agreement. I need time to think it through properly.”

He reached for another bottle. “Perhaps we should have a few more drinks before signing anything.”

His friends nodded eagerly. “After what Moonveil did to us before,” one said, “we need to be more careful about future dealings.”

I met Hayden’s eyes directly. “I’m here representing Blackmoon. Not Moonveil.”

Hayden’s laugh was sharp and mocking. He stood up slowly, placing both hands on the table. He finally cracked.

“Represent Blackmoon?” His gray eyes glittered with malice. “Did you really think you’re actually the Luna of Blackmoon Pack just because I’ve entertained your delusions tonight?”

The room fell silent. His friends watched with anticipation.

“Because sweetheart,” Hayden continued, his voice dripping with condescension, “we both know that’s not really true, don’t we?”