Chapter 336

Tessa’s POV

What the hell was Penny doing here? And what did Megan mean when she introduced her as an old friend? I wasn’t aware that Megan knew my father’s wife. A blind rage coursed through me, and I found myself clenching my fists at my side.

I couldn’t just expose her as a fraud in front of everybody, let alone my boss. I had to play nicely and pretend that I was just meeting her for the first time. So, I plastered a fake smile on my lips.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound too strained. “How did you two meet?”

“We were sorority sisters,” Megan said, a wide smile on her red lips. “We have been friends since college. We lost touch for a while, but when she came to me a few weeks ago and asked me to lunch, I couldn’t invite her to my banquet.”

My eyes never left Penny’s and her eyes never left mine. Something transpired in her eyes, a look of mischief. There was a newfound darkness in her gaze now; ever since I discovered who she truly was, it all started to make sense to me. Like why I never liked her and why I didn’t trust her from the beginning. My body somehow knew she wasn’t who she said she was; she wasn’t genuine. Because of that, my father and probably a lot of others are going to get hurt.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“Such a beautiful banquet, Meg. I wouldn’t have expected anything less,” Penny said, sounding like a normal human and not a conniving bitch.

“So, Eevee,” I began, drawing her attention back to me. “Are you married? Seeing anyone?”

Megan’s eyes widened at my question, but I ignored her.

“What a strange question,” Megan said, her eyes narrowed at me.

I knew I was embarrassing her, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.

Penny… or Eevee’s eyes sparkled with something I couldn’t read, and a smile played on her lips as she held up the wedding ring on her finger. I knew it was the one my father had given her, and it made me sick that she still wore it with pride even after knowing what she was and that she was only using him. Especially knowing she was planning on hurting him.

“I have been married for the last several years. We are very happy,” she said a little too proudly.

I made a show of looking around with a curious look.

“And is the lucky gentlemen with you tonight?” I asked.

I was startled when Megan grabbed my arm, giving it a painful squeeze, her nails digging into the flesh of my arm. I winced at the pain and was startled by the force she used. When I looked at her, I saw anger flashing in her eyes and it made me coward away, not wanting to poke a bear. I knew Megan could be scary when she wanted to be and I had no intention of bringing that side of her out.

“No, I left him at home,” Penny said, her smile as fake as mine. “This isn’t his type of event.”

“I see,” I said, taking a sip of my water. “Well, maybe next time I’ll get to meet him as well.”

“Perhaps,” she said.

“Can I speak with you?” Megan said, gripping my arm so tightly I knew it was going to make a mark. She didn’t wait for me to answer, she pulled me along with her through the crowd.

“What is wrong with you?” She seethed, her eyes blaring with anger. “Are you trying to piss me off? She is my friend, and you need to treat her with respect.”

I raised my brows.

“I was respectful,” I told her, shrugging casually. “I’m a reporter and a writer, am I not?”

“No, you are a writer and my employee. You do as I say. You are not to interrogate my guests, especially not my friends,” she hissed. “Do I make myself clear?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Crystal,” I said after a beat of silence.

“Everything okay?”

Relief flooded me when Joseph appeared and stepped by my side.

Mega’s face lit up with happiness upon seeing him.

“Mr. Evergreen, I’m so glad you made it. Everything is perfect. Once the band finishes this next set, I’ll introduce you to the stage. Did you prepare a speech? I’m sure they will want to do a question-and-answer kind of thing.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Miss Huxley. I’m well prepared,” he told her simply.

She blushed.

“Please, call me Megan,” she said, swatting his arm playfully.

My stomach grew nauseated upon seeing her playful banter with him. I wanted to intervene, but I knew it was pointless. It would only end badly for me.

“Would you mind if I spoke to Tessa alone for a moment?” He asked her.

She looked surprised by this; she looked at me and then at Joseph once again before dropping her arm from his. It was clear she wanted to take him away to somewhere more secluded but upon hearing that he wished to speak to me alone, it put a damper in her plans.

“Of course,” she said after a breath. “I’ll be speaking with you soon.”

She winked at him before swaying her hips in a different direction.

“Are you okay?” Joseph asked me once she was far enough away.

“Penny is here,” I said in a hushed whisper. “And get this… she went to college with Megan.”

His brows furrowed.

“What?” He asked, just as confused as I was. “Are you sure?”

“That’s what they both just told me,” I told him, shaking my head with dismay written all over my face. My eyes wandered across the room to wear Penny once was but she was now gone. A nervous pit formed in the middle of my stomach. I hated not knowing what was going to happen and I hated not knowing how to stop it. “Apparently they were sorority sisters.”

His mouth nearly fell open.

He opened his mouth to speak, but then the light ringing of his phone started to ring in his pocket. His brows furrowed as he grabbed his phone, silencing it without even looking at the screen before shoving it back into his pocket.

“Where is she now?” He asked, looking around.

“I have no idea,” I admitted. “I lost her when Megan dragged me away.”

I instinctively looked at my arm and that was when Joseph noticed the bruising on my flesh. His eyes darkened and a sharp hiss escaped his lips.

“Did she do this to you?” He asked through his teeth.

“Yeah, I pissed Megan off when I questioned her oldest friend,” I said with an eye roll. “It’s fine though.”

“It’s not fine, Tessa. She’s your boss and should never lay a finger on you. Not to mention you are paregnat…”

“Not so loud!” I hissed; I all but put my hands on his mouth to silence his words, even though the music in the background was loud enough to ensure that nobody heard our conversation. In a world that has supernatural’s, I’m not sure who has excelled in hearing or not and I didn’t want to take any chances. “Megan doesn’t know that fact.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, his eyes darkening even more. “I’m not going to let her get away with hurting you. You are mine, Tessa Campbell, soon to be Tessa Evergreen. I protect what is mine.”

I smiled at the sentiment.

“Maybe Tessa Campbell-Evergreen?” I suggest trying to lighten the mood.

It worked because a smile twitched at the corner of his lips.

“That works,” he agreed.

I went to say more, but my eyes found a familiar figure speaking with a group of uppity rich folks.

“You should prepare for your speech,” I told him, putting my hand on his arm in a gentle, yet friendly, manner. “I need to speak with Amelia.”

He followed my gaze over to Amelia and then he nodded.

“Just be careful.”

I smiled.

“Always,” I said playfully as I walked across the room and toward Amelia.

When she saw me approaching her, her eyes widened and she forced a smile on her lips. She excused herself from the conversation and met me the rest of the way.

“Did you find her?” She asked before I was able to utter a word.

“Yes, she’s here,” I told her.

I glanced at the purple crystal around her neck; she was wearing it loud and proud.

“You need to keep that safe,” I warned her. “You shouldn’t have brought it.”

“I’m not leaving it anywhere I can’t see it,” she said through her teeth. “This bitch won’t be able to get past me.”

“You’ve never even seen her before,” I reminded her. “You don’t know what to look for. She’s blonde and wearing a black dress that ends just above her knees. It’s low cut so her breasts are on full display and she’s wearing way too much makeup.”

She nodded and looked around.

“That pretty much sums up half this room,” she muttered. “I’m only planning on staying long enough for my presence to be known and then I’m leaving.”

I nodded.

“Just keep yourself safe,” I warned her.

Megan was back on stage just as the music started to die down. She began to make her tribute speech and explain what this banquet was for, which was her charity. I found Joseph in the middle of the crowd, and he looked calm and confident. I found myself drifting toward him, wanting to stay close to him in case anything happened.

He noticed me beside him and gave me a small smile. I knew it was driving him crazy not touching me and believe me, the feeling was mutual.

“Can I borrow your phone?” I asked him. “I don’t have mine on me and I wanted to send Carter a quick text and ask if he can look up the college Megan attended. I want to find out if Eevee really was a student there.”

As he fished in his pocket for his phone, Megan’s voice boomed across the banquet hall.

“Now, without further delay. I want to introduce a very special guest who agreed to do a Q&A this evening. Please welcome, Joseph Evergreen,” Megan announced, clapping along with the crowd.

Joseph finally got his phone out of his pocket and handed it to me, giving me a “be careful” look before he walked towards the stage. The crowd’s applause only grew more intense.

I typed in Joseph’s phone password to unlock it and frowned when I saw how many times Carter had called him. My brows furrowed at all the missed calls and text messages left by Carter alone. Joseph silenced his phone, so he didn’t hear his phone go off.

There were also a couple of missed calls from Bernad.

I went to open the message thread between him and Carter, but then the phone started to ring.

My brows furrowed even more when I saw Chief Mulligan’s name appear on the screen.

Without much thought, I slid the green talk button and pressed the phone to my ear, trying to disappear in the back of the crowd so no one would notice me.

“Hello?” I said in a hushed tone to not draw attention.

Silence.

“Chief?” I tried again after a few moments.

“Tessa?” Mulligan’s voice sounded on the other end.

“Yeah, what’s going on?”

“Where’s Joseph?”

“He’s on stage making a speech. Is there a problem?” I asked him, sounding impatient.

Silence.

I was getting annoyed now.

“What is it?” I asked again, trying not to raise my voice.

“Ruby is your friend, correct?”

My heart fell into my stomach and the world around me seemed to freeze in place. I wasn’t sure if I was breathing anymore at the sound of Ruby’s name on Chief Mulligan’s lips.

I knew at that moment that something was very wrong.

I didn’t have to say anything, Mulligan already knew the answer to that question.

He sighed.

“We need Joseph’s help…” he continued. “Ruby was taken from the vampire academy early this morning. It’s a shitshow.”