CHAPTER 41: A LETTER FROM THE ACADEMY.

Victoria slowly turned her gaze in that direction.

There, standing near the center of the room, was a woman dressed in a shockingly revealing gown. Her cleavage was fully exposed, save for her nipples which were barely concealed beneath strips of glittering boob tape. Her hair was cut short....shaved close on the sides and dyed a fiery red that caught the light. Her expression was twisted with rage.

"What are you doing here, bitch?!" the woman barked again, venom dripping from every word, her voice loud enough to drown out the music for a second.

From the murmuring crowd, another voice chimed in mockingly.

"She couldn’t even afford champagne. Went straight for the free soft drink." A smug-looking girl snickered. "Isn’t she the one who dared to kiss Alpha Darius?"

Victoria’s lips curled into a smirk as she tilted her head slightly, eyes glinting with defiance.

Who knew the drinks were even on sale? she mused inwardly.

"Anyways," she said aloud, lifting her chin, "I came here with my sister. If I’m not welcome, then I’ll leave."

Before the last word had even left her lips...

SLAP!

The red-haired girl’s hand lashed out, striking Victoria hard across the face. The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the room.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

Victoria’s head snapped to the side from the force, her cheek stinging hotly. But she didn’t flinch for long. Without hesitation, she turned back with fire in her eyes and retaliated.. her own palm slamming across the red-haired girl’s face with a resounding crack.

"What the actual hell?!" someone muttered nearby.

The red-haired girl stumbled back a step, clearly stunned. Murmurs and gasps rippled through the party.

"How dare you?!" the red-haired girl shrieked, eyes blazing. She raised her hand again to strike, but this time...

A firm hand caught her wrist midair, stopping her completely.

A cold, commanding voice sliced through the rising tension:

"What’s going on here?"

The crowd instinctively parted as a tall figure emerged from the shadows.

It was Auren.

The Alpha of the East. Second in command among the Heirs. Known across the nation as the Cold Strategist. Mysterious. Ruthless. Calculating. His every move laced with quiet danger. His presence carried a storm-like gravity that bent the room around him. His red hair....darker and more refined than the girl’s gleamed under the chandelier light.

"That low-life dared to hit me, brother!" the red-haired girl yelled, pulling her wrist free and pointing accusingly at Victoria. "She crashed my party and had the audacity to slap me!"

Ah. So she’s his sister. Victoria noted silently, her expression carefully composed.

"I wouldn’t have hit you if you hadn’t hit me first," Victoria said flatly, folding her arms across her chest. Her eyes remained locked on Nicole’s, not backing down. "Stop trying to play the victim here. You threw the first blow."

Auren shifted his gaze toward Victoria, his sharp eyes scanning her face with interest.

Then, slowly, a smirk curved his lips.

"You’re the girl who kissed Darius," he said, his deep voice edged with amusement. Victoria swallowed hard under his penetrating gaze. "You look petite... but your boldness is impressive."

He turned slightly, his attention returning to the red-haired girl...Nicole.

"Nicole," he said calmly, but with underlying authority, "you’ll have to leave Victoria to me tonight. There are things I need to discuss with her."

"But... Brother...!" Nicole protested, her voice cracking with disbelief and emotion. Her expression contorted between anger and wounded pride. "Fine! Just... talk to her or whatever. Then get her out of here, please."

"Sure," Auren replied coolly.

Without waiting for a response, he reached out and grabbed Victoria by the wrist...his grip unyielding, his touch cold but strong as steel. Then, without another word, he began pulling her with him through the crowd.

Victoria barely had time to glance back. Whispers and curious eyes followed her as she was led away.

"Where are you taking me?! Let me go!" Victoria cried out, struggling fiercely to free herself from Auren’s iron grip. But it was no use. His hand clamped around her wrist like a steel shackle, unrelenting and cold.

He didn’t say a word, only continued dragging her up the grand staircase, step after step, until they finally reached the end of the hall. He stopped before a door, pulled out a key, and unlocked it. Without giving her time to resist further, he shoved her inside with him and slammed the door shut behind them with a heavy thud.

"What the heck do you want from me?" Victoria snapped, her voice sharp as she turned to face him, panting slightly. Her wrist throbbed from his grip, pain still radiating from where his fingers had pressed too tightly. She rubbed it as her eyes darted around the room.

It was dimly lit but clean. A king-sized bed sat neatly made in the corner, and there were plush sofas, a small table filled with various alcoholic drinks, and a tray of snacks. The atmosphere was luxurious but oppressive.

Auren leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable as he raised an eyebrow. "What can you do for me?" he asked with a slow smirk, beginning to walk toward her.

Before she could respond, he slammed one hand against the wall beside her head, trapping her in place. His body leaned in, and his eyes locked onto hers with a predator’s intensity.

"If you’re thinking of doing anything stupid, then you’ve got the wrong girl," Victoria warned, her tone low, her eyes narrowed with warning.

"Anything stupid?" he repeated mockingly. "And what exactly would that be, Victoria?" His hand reached up, gently twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers. His breath was warm against her cheek. "Well, since you want Darius’ dick so badly, why not start with mine? If you’re good, maybe I’ll tell the other two Alphas how talented you are. You might even get to suck them too."

Victoria’s entire body stiffened. Her hands curled into fists.

"Step back," she said, her voice like ice. "Step back now or you’ll regret ever dragging me here."

Auren chuckled darkly. "And what can you do to me? You’re just one weak girl. Don’t tell me you’re playing hard to get just to draw attention from us....the three heirs. Well, congratulations. You got mine. Now prove your worth."

He grabbed her neck, leaning in as though to kiss her. But before he could press his lips to hers...

"Argh!" he groaned suddenly, stumbling backward and doubling over, hands instinctively covering his groin.

Victoria had driven her knee hard into his lower body, her face cold and unapologetic.

"I told you to step away," she growled, her voice trembling with fury. "Stop messing with me."

She turned quickly toward the door, reaching for the handle.

But before she could twist the knob, Auren lunged again, swift and silent like a beast.

Only this time...she was ready.

From a hidden seam in her dress, she retrieved a small pepper spray canister and without hesitation, sprayed it directly into his eyes. He roared in pain, staggering backward, clawing at his face.

Then, from her other pocket, she brought out a slim electric shock tool. With practiced precision, she pressed it against his neck.

Zzzap!

Auren dropped to the ground with a thud, writhing once before falling still. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his eyes tightly shut, burning from the pepper and dulled from the sudden jolt.

Victoria stood above him, her chest heaving. "I warned you not to mess with me."

She turned sharply and opened the door only to be met by the sight of Joe, the bartender, racing toward her from the hallway.

His eyes widened when he saw Auren’s unconscious body sprawled across the floor.

"Are you okay?" he asked urgently, concern etched deeply into his face. But without waiting for her reply, he grabbed her wrist and began pulling her along. "We don’t have time. You can’t go out the front entrance.. Nicole and her friends are already circling. If they see you, it’ll be worse. My motorcycle is parked behind the building. We’ll escape from there."

Victoria swallowed hard and nodded, too shaken to argue. She allowed him to lead her quickly through the back corridors and out the rear door of the mansion.

The morning air, still chill hit her face like a wave of relief.

"Here," Joe said, handing her a helmet. She took it with trembling fingers. "I’ll take you home if that’s alright. This isn’t your place or the Academy’s campus. If anything happened to you here, they’d cover it up, and no one would ever know the truth. Trust me...the law won’t protect you. Not against them."

Victoria gave a single nod, her voice caught in her throat. She watched Joe swing his leg over the motorcycle, then climbed on behind him.

Moments later, the bike roared to life and sped down the empty road...cool wind brushing past her skin, whipping through her gown, calming the storm that had built inside her.

Eventually, the motorcycle pulled up in front of the grand Ashford Mansion.

Victoria stepped off, her knees still slightly shaky. She removed the helmet and turned to Joe with a warm, grateful smile.

"Thank you, Joe," she said quietly. "I’ll repay this favor someday. I promise."

"Just go inside, Victoria," he replied gently, his smile soft. "Take care of yourself."

She gave him a nod before turning and walking toward the mansion doors. As Joe rode off, Victoria entered the house, her heart still pounding from everything that had happened.

As she stepped into the living room, a familiar voice greeted her.

"You have a letter from the Academy, sweetheart," her stepmother called out, holding a sealed envelope in her manicured hand.

Victoria paused, blinking in surprise.

"The Academy? Already?"