#Chapter 71- Clear the Air

Cora I hadn’t expected to be this nervous. Dinner had always felt like a mundane task, a way to keep myself and Riley fed, something to do while the evening passed. It was rare that a special occasion put an emphasis on the meal. But tonight, the table was set with care, Kingston had cooked, and there was a bottle of wine on the counter to underscore the formality of it all. I stood in the kitchen, smoothing my hands over my dress for the fifth time, trying to calm the rising anxiety gnawing at my chest at the sight of the bottle. The idea of meeting Liana—Kingston’s stand-in fake lover—felt like willingly stepping onto a landmine. I didn’t know what kind of woman she was, only that the pack wanted her to take my place beside him. That they thought she was better than me. And that alone made me want to hate her. “She’s not your rival,” Kingston had told me hours ago. “Not even close.” Easy for him to say. The doorbell rang. My shoulders jumped to my ears. Kingston