Paula's POV
They said I was crazy. That my brain was scrambled. Some even said that I was heartbroken over Noah and lashing out like a pathetic, rejected girl. That was the most stupid of them all, I am the one who broke up with him. But there was more, and I heard it all.
"She's always been unstable."
"Noah was too good for her anyway."
"Her own stepmother? She must be lying."
Lies spread faster than truth ever could, especially when it came from pretty mouths and fake tears. And Cassie was the queen of both.
It all started the morning after I turned Noah down. News traveled fast. I didn't even get to enjoy the moment of Noah's pain before the first wave of bullshit came crashing down. Headlines. Gossip forums. Stupid little whispers from people who smiled in my face all week.
They called me the ungrateful omega. Said I humiliated him in front of the elders. Said I was throwing away a "solid alliance" for… what? Attention?
If only they knew.
If only they saw the blood that spilled out of me when I fell on that cliff, their overall betrayal.
But I didn't lash out. I didn't explain. I just didn't do anything.
I had other plans and it didn't include me pacifying these ass holes.
I would rather let them choke on their own poison.
Because I had something better.
I now had proof.
Still, I won't lie, there were moments it got to me. Like when I walked into the market and all the heads turned, then turned again when they saw I wasn't broken. Or when some bitch behind the counter asked, "How's your betrothed, dear?" with that fake sympathetic smile that I have grown weary off.
I wanted to slap her teeth out of her damn mouth.
But I didn't.
I just smiled, leaned forward, and whispered, "He's a liar and a cheat. But you don't really care, do you?"
Her face went pale. I walked out.
***
Noah didn't come crawling right away. No, he was too proud for that. He waited a whole week before showing up at my old apartment, the one Daddy bought for me. I was packing the last of my things, getting ready to move to the capital under the King's protection, when I heard that knock.
I opened the door and there he stood, same boyish smile, same warm golden eyes, same scent that used to make my heart skip.
Now it just made me sick. He was nothing like his father.
"Paula," he breathed like I was air after drowning. "Can we talk?"
I crossed my arms. "You can say it here and make it quick. I don't have all day."
He hesitated, glancing at the hallway like someone might hear. "Please, let's talk inside."
"I'm good right here, thank you."
He rubbed the back of his neck, all nervous and pathetic. "Look, I know you're hurt. I probably made mistakes, alright? But this thing between us, what we had, it was real, wasn't it? What did I do to make you hate me?"
I stared at him. At that mouth I once dreamed about. At those hands that shoved me off a cliff, and instantly my stomach turned.
"You killed me," I said flatly, without thinking.
His face paled.
"You and Cassie."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, too quickly.
"Of course you don't," I spat. "But you will."
His eyes narrowed. "You think someone's gonna believe this nonsense you are saying?"
I smiled. "I don't need them to believe me. I just need them to see you for who you truly are."
He stepped closer. "Paula, you have to stop this. I get it you're upset. You hanging around my father is dangerous. You're making a huge mistake getting close t—"
"No," I cut him off. For a minute there I wondered how he knew about my relationship with his father. Deciding not to dwell on it, I continued. "The mistake was trusting you. The mistake was thinking you loved me. The mistake was thinking you weren't a monster."
He reached for my hand. I slapped it away.
His face changed then. Dropped the sweet act like a mask. Something colder peeked out from behind his eyes.
"Be careful, Paula," he said, his voice low. "You have no idea what kind of game you're playing."
I stepped into his space, chest brushing his. "Oh, but I do. And guess what? I am going to fucking win."
Then I slammed the door in his face.
***
The press conference came two days later.
I called it myself. I leaked it to the wolves and the humans, the media houses and the social climbers. I wanted all of them to come, tongues were wagging, claws were out, waiting to see the "unstable Whitmore girl" crash and burn.
I wore black. Not for mourning. But for war.
The cameras flashed as I stepped up to the podium, flanked by two of Theo's men. I didn't tremble. I didn't falter. I looked right into the lens and smiled.
"Thank you all for coming. I know the past few weeks have been filled with speculation and rumors regarding my relationship with Noah Roosevelt."
I paused. Silence.
"For the record, I ended the engagement. And no, I am not grieving over it. I have no regrets."
Gasps. A few murmurs. I raised my hand and they shut up.
"But I do believe the public deserves the truth. Since so many seem to care about my private life, allow me to offer some clarity."
I reached into my folder and pulled out the photos. Printed. Blown up. High-resolution. Cassie and Noah in my father's guest room. Bare skin and betrayal tangled in one ugly, undeniable image.
I slammed them down on the podium.
A gasp rippled through the room.
My voice didn't shake. "Cassie Whitmore. My stepmother. Is pregnant as we speak. With Noah's child."
Chaos exploded.
Reporters shouted. Cameras blinked. One woman fainted, I think.
But I didn't flinch.
"They didn't just betray me," I continued, voice rising. "They betrayed the legacy of my father. They desecrated his home. And now they want to play the victim while I am painted as the villain."
Flashes, screams, and questions were flying at me.
But I turned and walked off the stage like a queen on the battlefield.
Outside, the wind hit my face like a slap. I breathed it in. Tasted the fire building in the air. Theo was waiting by the car.
He didn't say a word. Just opened the door.
I slid in beside him and shut the door behind me.
"You just started a war," he said finally.
"No," I whispered, heart pounding with something close to satisfaction. "I just fired the first shot."