Dumped Omega? Now Their Alpha King Begs at My Feet novel Chapter 21

Valerie's POV

That evening, my parents held a formal family dinner to welcome me home. The long, dark wood table was set for four, gleaming with more silver and crystal than I had seen in my entire life at the Blackwoods' ceremonies.

The dining room was beautiful, with a massive fire crackling in a stone hearth, but the atmosphere felt tense, heavy with unspoken expectations. My mother kept looking at me with a nervous, hopeful smile.

"We thought it best to start small," Richard said, his voice warm as he pulled out a chair for me. "Before we introduce you to the whole pack, we wanted you to meet the daughter we raised in your place."

My heart tightened in my chest. In the overwhelming flood of finding my real parents, of discovering my true identity, I hadn't truly considered the other girl.

The one who had lived my life. The one who had grown up with the love and privilege that should have been mine. What must she be feeling right now?

A beautiful she-wolf walked into the room just then, as if on cue. She was graceful, her movements fluid and elegant, and she had a warm, practiced smile that seemed to light up the room. She was wearing a simple but obviously expensive silk dress that probably cost more than everything I had ever owned.

"This is Isabella," Evelyn said, her voice soft but laced with a complex mix of love and nervousness.

Isabella came directly to my side and, without hesitation, wrapped me in a warm hug. It felt a little too perfect, a little too rehearsed, like a scene from a movie. I could smell her expensive perfume.

"Sister," she said, her voice sweet as honey, her cheek soft against mine. "I'm so happy to finally meet you."

"I can't even imagine what you must have gone through," she whispered, her tone dripping with perfectly pitched sympathy. Her performance was flawless.

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