Chapter 144: The Dress

Lorali Pov

I looked at her sharp, defiant posture, and despite the heavy darkness sitting in my chest, a sudden spark of nostalgia cut through my mood.

She wasn’t lying. Susie was a fighter. Back during our academy days at Alma, before the Spade pack ruined my life, before the venomous mark, before the politics, Susie was the only irrational person like me, using logic wasn’t our strong suit. A quiet, raspy laugh escaped my throat, breaking the tension entirely.

"God, you’re ridiculous," I muttered, shaking my head as the dark aura around me finally dissolved.

"How could I forget?" A genuine, unforced laugh bubbled up from my chest, cutting through the lingering tension as I pulled a deep sapphire gown off the rack to run my fingers along the silk. "We snuck into her room right before the winter gala after she spent all week running her mouth about Arabella. You pinned her arms down while I mixed permanent red hair dye straight into her expensive blonde leave-in conditioner."

Susie wheezed, clutching her stomach as she bent over, her dark eyes glittering with total delight. "She walked out to morning assembly looking like a turnip! She spent four hours crying in the washroom trying to scrub it out, only to make it spread down her neck! The headmistress almost suspended us both, and Arabella had to save our butts, again."

"Looking back at it now... we were genuinely crazy," I admitted, shaking my head as a smirk tugged at my lips. It was almost frightening how effortlessly unhinged we had been back at the Omega Academy. We were the craziest and we were the ones who wanted to be in a pack the most badly, weird how both of us are in compromising situations now. We were absolute wild cards, and poor Arabella was constantly forced to play diplomat to keep us from getting expelled.

"Crazy?" Susie echoed, wiping a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye. "Lorali, we were absolute menaces. But that’s my point! That’s who you are under all this heavy, suffocating darkness. Don’t let those Spade idiots turn you into someone who only knows how to bleed rage. You’re better than them."

Before I could process her words or formulate a response, my gaze drifted past her shoulder and caught on a pair of dresses hanging at the very end of the private display rack.

My breath hitched in my throat.

They were exquisite. Made of heavy, liquid-like satin in a shade of deep, midnight navy, they practically shimmered under the warm boutique lighting. The structured corseted bodices possessed a sharp, aristocratic cut, paired with dramatic asymmetrical off-the-shoulder necklines and fluid, sweeping skirts. They were designed as a twin pair, one embellished with delicate silver leaf embroidery tracing down the waist, and the other detailing sleek, dark crystal work along the spine.

For the first time all day, the heavy weight in my chest lifted, replaced by pure awe. I wanted those dresses. I needed to see how they looked on us. Susie followed my line of sight, her rowdy laughter dying out instantly as her mouth fell open. "Oh... wow."

"Those," I murmured, stepping forward and reaching out to let the freezing, smooth silk slide over my fingertips. "Those are the ones."

"They’re incredible!" Susie gasped, already snatching the hangers off the gold display bar with eager hands. "Grab yours! Let’s go test them on right now!"

We didn’t waste a second, heading straight for the adjacent fitting suites. I stepped into my private stall, pulling the heavy velvet curtain shut before I stripped off my jacket, kicked off my sneakers, and carefully stepped into the freezing silk of the navy gown, pulling the heavy structure up over my hips.

Just as I reached behind my back to work the rear zipper, my phone buzzed hard against the small marble vanity table.

I leaned over and picked it up, my brow furrowing at the notification flashing across the screen.

Oracle:

I apologize for bothering you. The security guy and I are still waiting outside the main entrance. My stomach is reacting poorly to the coffee from earlier. May I step away to the restroom for five minutes? I will remain within the required proximity.

I stared at the text, my lip curling in sheer annoyance as a surge of bitter exasperation rushed through me. "What on earth is he telling me this for?" I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes so hard my temples ached.

I didn’t bother replying. I tossed the phone carelessly across the bench, watching it land with a dull thud against the plush leather cushion.

Turning back to the full-length mirror, I reached behind my back and hauled the zipper all the way up to my shoulder blades. The heavy navy silk cinched my waist perfectly, the structured corset framing my collarbones with sharp, dark elegance. It fit as if it had been tailored specifically for my body.

Then my eyes drifted upward to my shoulder.

Exposed by the sweeping off-the-shoulder cut was the disgusting looking bite mark, marred by faint, dark, veiny lines crawling up toward my neck, the residual trace of the Venomous Bond mark Oracle had forced onto me. Even suppressed by his physical presence nearby, the dark, spiderwebbing veins remained, a permanent, grotesque reminder of what had been done to me.

A sickening wave of disgust hit my stomach. I hated looking at it. I hated knowing it was there under my clothes, a constant mark of my humiliation and the Spades’ cruelty. No, I thought fiercely, taking a slow, grounding breath to force the rising bile back down. I am not letting this ruin today.

"Suck it up, Lorali," I grumbled to my reflection.

Reaching up, I tucked my purple hair behind my left ear, pulling the thick, heavy waves forward over my shoulder until every single trace of the dark, veiny mark was completely hidden from view. I squared my shoulders, adjusted the corset, and swept open the velvet curtain.

At the exact same moment, Susie pushed open her curtain and stepped out. She looked breathtaking. The sapphire satin hugged her waist flawlessly, the silver leaf embroidery catching the light of the crystal chandeliers and making her dark skin glow.

We both froze, staring at each other across the plush ivory carpet. "Wow," Susie gasped, her dark eyes widening as she scanned me from head to toe. "Lorali... you look insanely good."

"You look stunning," I replied, a small, genuine smile touching my lips. "Vanya is going to lose her mind."

We walked over to the main lounge area where Vanya was waiting. She was sitting gracefully on the edge of a velvet armchair, holding a wide tablet in her hands. Mounted on the screen via a live video stream were Arabella and Cleo. Arabella’s distinctive, bright pink hair was swept up into a sleek clip, her sharp eyes scanning the room, while Cleo leaned in close to the lens.

The moment Susie and I stepped into the camera’s frame, the chatter on the tablet died instantly. Vanya’s jaw dropped, her eyes lighting up with pure delight. "Oh, wow... this is perfect! My bridesmaids are actually wearing these dresses! You guys look so insanely good!"

"Oh... my... God," Cleo breathed over the speaker, her hand coming up to touch her lips. "Wow, you two look stunning.!" Arabella said over the call, leaning so close to her camera her face filled half the screen.

"See?!" Vanya squealed, turning the tablet toward us so we could see their reactions clearly. "I told you! I told you’d find the perfect dress here!"

I intentionally kept my gaze guarded, avoiding direct eye contact with Arabella’s face on the screen. I could feel her heavy, analytical stare burning straight through the digital feed, probing for any sign of weakness or stress after everything that had happened. I kept my mouth closed, letting Susie take the lead on the conversation.

"They fit perfectly!" Susie said, doing a slow, graceful turn in front of the camera. "We don’t even need custom alterations on the waist or hips!"

"We need the boutique to get two more of those exact designs cut for us immediately," Cleo said, tapping something onto her side of the screen. "Arabella and I. We’ll send our measurements today so that the dresses can be made. You guys look really good."

"Thanks," I said softly, keeping my tone light, polite, and neutral. "They’re easy to move in." While Susie, Vanya, Cleo, and Arabella kept talking over the call about shoes, hair styling, and delivery dates, a sudden movement near the glass doors of the private suite caught my eye.

I looked up.

Walking past the wide entrance was a man. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp, dominant features, dark hair, and a high-end tailored suit that practically screamed top-ranking Alpha authority. I recognized him immediately, he was one of Vanya’s mates.

My eyes narrowed as I watched him step closer. He wasn’t looking at the boutique setup. He wasn’t looking for security. His eyes were locked directly onto Susie