Chapter 0252


    Hannah


    "Pre... Preposterous?"


    The word felt like venom on my tongue. The boardroom had gone so silent you could hear a pin drop; even Noah began to shift ufortably beside me, although when I looked over at him for support, he just gave me a tiny nod-a silent encouragement.


    I supposed that was exactly what I needed right now, even though I really just wanted him to do all the talking for me.


    "Exin what you mean, Leonard," I said, my earlier polite tone suddenly giving way to a colder, more authoritative one.


    Leonard leaned forward, his eyes narrowing to slits. The sunlight streaming through therge windows cast harsh shadows across his aged face, making him look even more intimidating.


    "dly. Firstly, $50,000 is an absurdly lofty amount to fundraise in a single night. Secondly, the ofte


    troupe you mentioned is notoriously selective about their performances. Andstly, renting out the opera house would be exorbitantly costly, not to mention the additional expenses for food, decorations, drinks, security, and so on. There is more I couldin about, but these are the main issues."


    I felt a twinge at his dismissive tone, but I quickly pushed it aside. I wouldn''t back down because of the statements of one man, even though I could tell he was just trying to set me on edge and get under my


    skin.


    "I appreciate your concerns, Leonard," I said, my voice cool and collected. "But I think you''ve misunderstood something fundamental about this meeting."


    "Oh?" Leonard raised an eyebrow, his tone practically dripping with condescension. "And what would that be?"


    I straightened my shoulders, pressing my fingers into the hard mahogany of the table. "You seem to have forgotten that I am your Luna. You will speak to me with respect."


    it was even possible, even more of a hush fell over the room. I even felt Noah stiffen beside me, the rest of the board members watching with rapt attention; but my focus was on Leonard, whose smug face had gone a ghostly shade of white.


    "Furthermore, I never intended to use pack funds for this event," I stated firmly before he could respond. I''ve been saving my own personal funds for years, and n to use those to cover all expenses."


    A murmur of surprise rippled through the room. Noah''s eyebrows shot up, but he remained silent, his green eyes fixed on me with a profound intensity.


    "And finally," I continued, choosing to ride the wave of confidence that had begun to surge through me before it simmered away, "I''ve already taken steps to ensure the opera troupe''s participation. I intend to invite the Luna Queen herself to the g." The room fell silent. I could practically hear jaws hitting the floor. The tension in the air shifted from skepticism to shock.


    "The Luna Queen?" Noah was the first to speak after being quiet this whole time. "Are you serious?"


    I nodded, allowing myself a small smile as I turned to him. "Absolutely. She''s Drake''s aunt, after all, and she adores the opera. Her presence will not onlypel the opera troupe to ept but also attract more high-profile attendees." And help me get on her council, I thought to myself, although I didn''t say that out loud.


    Leonard sputtered, his face shifting from white as a sheet to a rather interesting shade of red. He looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. "But... but that''s..."


    "Ambitious?" I asked, unable to keep that tiny hint of smugness from my voice. "Or will you say that it is preposterous, too?"


    Leonard was silent.


    "Perhaps you still think that," I said. "But I''d like to reiterate onest time that I am Nightcrest''s Luna, and I have every right to n such events. And since I''m using my own funds, not pack funds, I don''t believe you have grounds to argue, Leonard. Despite being Noah''s CFO."


    I turned to Noah, my heart pounding. This was the moment of truth. Would he back me up or side with Leonard? The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the Alpha''s official verdict.


    Noah was quiet for a moment, his green eyes unreadable. I could almost see the gears turning in his head as he considered the situation. Then, to my surprise and relief, he nodded. "If my Lunamands it, then it will happen," he said calmly.


    I felt my face flush at his words. My Luna. It had been so long since he had referred to me that way, outside of pure necessity. Something in his tone told me that he meant it.


    Leonard was as still as a statue aside from his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The other board members looked between Noah and me, clearly unsure of how to react to this unexpected turn of events.


    "Well," I said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room, "if there are no further questions, I believe we can conclude this meeting. I''ll keep everyone updated on the progress of the g nning." With that, the sound of papers rustling and chairs scraping against the floor filled the room. Leonard was the first to burst out of the room, his shoulders tense and his lips pursed. As the rest of the board members filed out, still murmuring amongst themselves, I began gathering my things.


    I was surprised to feel Noah''s presence remaining beside me, the scent of his cologne blowing into my face as a soft breeze slipped through the open window


    "That was... impressive, Hannah," he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear.


    I looked up at him to find that he was standing directly next to me, and I was startled by both his proximity and his praise. "Really?" I sputtered.


    Noah nodded, a small smile ying at the corners of his mouth. It was a rare sight these days, and there was no denying the way it made my heart skip a beat.


    "It''s refreshing to have some female perspective on the board," he said, "especially for nning public events. You handled Leonard masterfully."


    I watched, my eyes as wide as saucers, as he stretched and walked over to the window with his hands. sped behind his back. He was silent, just watching as the gardeners turned over the garden beds for the new annual flowers. "Thank you," I said, suddenly feeling bashful. "I feel like I have a bit of a knack for event nning."


    "I can tell," Noah said. He paused, his fingers twitching thoughtfully behind his back. Thete morning sunlight caught in his hair, and it was all I could do to look away to hide my flush. Not that he could see me, since his back was turned. "It''s a shame you won''t be around much longer to help n the Summer Hunt this year."


    My heart skipped a beat at the reminder of not only the uing annual hunt that Nightcrest hosted, but also our impending divorce; exactly one month to go now. The warmth I had felt moments ago dissipated, reced by a cold, hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Oh,"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    "I said, swallowing hard as I stuffed thest of my papers into my portfolio. "Well, we don''t have to beplete strangers after... you know. Perhaps Nightcrest and Silvermoon packs could create a Summer Hunt together."


    Noah turned to look at me then, and I saw that his face had darkened slightly. He regarded me for a long moment before he uttered one word. "Perhaps."