Chapter 204

The tantalizing aroma of perfectly seared steak and the rich bouquet of fine wine filled the upscale restaurant, a luxurious backdrop to what should have been a crucial business lunch. But Sylvia could no longer focus. Mid-sentence, her voice, usually so steady and commanding, abruptly trailed off into silence. Noah, across the table, glanced up from his meticulously organized notes, a flicker of confusion in his eyes at her sudden pause. Following her rigid gaze across the subtly bustling room, he saw them—Caesar, Sylvia’s mate, dining with an almost intimate familiarity alongside a breathtaking brunette. Helena Blackwood, Noah’s memory supplied, sharp and unwelcome. The formidable Alpha of the Northwestern territories’ sister. Noah instinctively turned back, bracing himself for the inevitable storm in Sylvia's expression. But what he witnessed was nothing short of remarkable. In the span of a single heartbeat, she had completely recomposed herself, her features a mask of cool, impene