Chapter 259 

Chapter 259 

-Ava’s POV 

(13) 

I had been completely sucked into the madness that came with planning a wedding–especially one happening tomorrow. 

Not that I was complaining. 

After everything that had happened with Damien, with the chaos of nearly losing everything, I would take this kind of chaos over that any day. If my choices were life–threatening battles or Isabella shrieking at someone over flower arrangements, I would pick the shrieking. 

And there was a lot of shrieking. 

“Who put the candles there? I said ivory, not cream! Do you think I won’t notice? I notice everything!” 

Eliza and I exchanged a look from our spot at a side able, where we had wisely stationed ourselves with a much safer task- making paper flowers. 

Because of course Isabella had wanted handmade paper flowers. 

She had pouted and said it had always been her dream to have them at her wedding. And after everything she had been through? There was no way we were going to deny her that, even if our fingers were cramping from folding so much paper. 

Besides, getting in Isabella’s way right now was dangerous. 

She had gone full–blown Monica Geller mode–the type of bride who had color–coded lists, backup plans for her backup plans, and a terrifyingly detailed itinerary that included things like “cake admiration time” and “scheduled happy tears.” 

The wedding was going to be normal not werewolf centered because humans would be in attendance and it had been set to take place in an actual venue, but with such short notice, nothing had been available and because Isabella was Isabella, she wanted it to happen it the night when the stars were out. I had offered Grayson’s mansion as an alternative, and Isabella had taken that offer and run with it. 

Now, the entire estate was absolute chaos. 

The Omegas were scrambling around like their lives depended on it, trying to keep up with her demands. Someone had misplaced the silverware, and Isabella had looked at them. Not said anything–just looked. And that had been enough to send them into a full–fledged panic. 

“She’s insane,” Eliza muttered beside me, carefully folding a petal before passing it to me, “I thought she was crazy before, but this? This is a whole new level.” 

I laughed, some of the tension easing from my shoulders, “At least she is channeling all her energy into something constructive instead of, you know, world domination.” 

Eliza snorted, “You say that now, but give it a few hours. If someone so much as moves the wrong chair, we might be looking at a full–scale war.” 

She wasn’t wrong. Across the room, Isabella was currently terrorizing a group of Omegas about the placement of the wedding arch, her hands waving wildly as she pointed from one spot to another, then back to the original spot. 

Still, watching her like this–alive, happy, unapologetically herself–made something warm settle in my chest. After everything we had all been through, it was nice to see her so invested in something as normal as a wedding. 

For a few minutes, we worked in comfortable silence, carefully folding the paper flowers, letting the background noise of wedding madness fade into a dull hum. It wasn’t until Eliza sighed softly that I looked up again, suddenly reminded of something that had been weighing on me. 

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Chapter 259 

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“I never really got the chance to tell you how sorry I am.” I said, my fingers hesitating over the next fold, “For missing one of the most important days of your life.” 

Eliza glanced up, her expression softening. “Ava…” 

“No, really,” I insisted, “I hate that I wasn’t there for you. That I couldn’t be there.” 

She was quiet for a moment before setting down the flower she had been working on. “I get it.” She said gently, “I mean, 1 don’t get it–not really, because I can’t imagine what it was like for you. What you actually went through. But I do understand that it wasn’t your fault. And honestly?” She let out a small, tired laugh. “I’m still processing everything we all just went through. I can’t even begin to imagine how you feel” 

I swallowed, suddenly feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me. The past few weeks had been a blur of survival, of fighting, of trying to make sense of everything. And now, standing in the middle of a wedding hurricane, it was hitting me 

all at once. 

Eliza must have seen something in my face because she reached out and squeezed my hand, “You’re here now. That’s what 

matters.” 

1 exhaled slowly, nodding. “Yeah. I’m here now.” 

She gave me a small smile before picking up her paper flower again, “And you’re making paper flowers, which I think should count as penance. 

I laughed, “Definitely.” 

For a brief, fleeting moment, it seemed like Eliza and I might actually get a few minutes of peace. 

However, that moment didn’t last. 

Because suddenly, Isabella was right there, her hands thrown up in frustration, her eyes wild with barely contained stress. “I haven’t gotten anything done!” 

Eliza and I slowly turned to look at each other. 

I blinked. 

Eliza blinked. 

Then I let out a short laugh, shaking my head, “Excuse me? You haven’t gotten anything done?” I gestured vaguely around us, where Omegas were running in a full–blown panic, chairs were being shuffled and reshuffled into different formations, and decorations were being adjusted for the hundredth time. “Are you sure about that?” 

Isabella’s glare snapped to me so fast I nearly flinched. 

Her expression was so sharp, so deadly, that I immediately shut my mouth, pretending I hadn’t said a single word. 

Eliza, bless her brave soul, stepped in, “Why don’t we go through the checklist you made?” She suggested, her tone gentle, like someone trying to calm a feral animal. 

Isabella inhaled sharply, nodding. “Yes. Good. Checklist.” She stood abruptly, moving to grab the thick, terrifyingly detailed wedding planner that she had been carrying around like a lifeline for the past week. 

But before she could leave, I raised a hand, stopping her. 

“Don’t worry,” I said, sighing dramatically, “You have yelled at me so much that I have it memorized.” 

Isabella narrowed her eyes at me, looking both suspicious and intrigued. “Go on.” 

Chapter 259 

I sat up straighter, clearing my throat, then began listing things off like I was reciting a sacred text 

“Finalize the seating chart.” 

“Check” Isabella crossed her arms. 

“Confirm the arrival time of the cake decorator who mist, and I quore, have hands stearly enough to perform open–heart surgery.” 

“Check” 

“Ensure the flower arrangements are placed at the precise forty–five–degree angles that create an optimal aesthetie experience. 

“Check” 

“Test the lighting at least three times because lighting makes or breaks a wedding, and I will not have my wedding ruined by bad angles and poor ambiance.” 

“Check” 

I glanced at Eliza before continuing, “Locate the exact shade of ‘romantic yet timeless‘ lipstick you picked out, which apparently looks too pink in the wrong lighting but too red in pictures.” 

Isabella groaned, “Ugh, don’t remind me. But check.” 

I continued, “Make sure the flower girl is actually throwing petals and not just hoarding them in her tiny little evil fists.” 

Eliza snorted, and Isabella sighed, “Check. And I swear, if that child refuses to throw petals, I will personally. 

I very wisely moved on before Isabella could say something that would land her on some kind of blacklist. 

Triple–check that the groomsmen’s socks are all matching because you cannot and will not tolerate ‘even a single fashion disaster.“” 

“Check.” 

“Make sure the bridesmaids do not, under any circumstances, have ‘ugly crying faces‘ in the pictures.” 

“Check and you two better make sure you remember how I told you to smile.” 

I shook my head and moved on, Ensure the backup dress is steamed and ready in case of an ‘emergency–level wardrobe malfunction.“” 

“Check.” 

“Ensure there is also a backup for the backup dress.” 

“Check.” 

I glanced at Eliza again before saying the next one. 

“Have a signal in place in case someone makes an ‘absolutely cringe speech‘ and we need to stage an ‘immediate yet graceful intervention.”” 

“Check. The code word is ‘peonies.“” 

Eliza was actively biting her lip to hold back laughter, and I was trying to keep a straight face as I continued. 

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at the perte combative to make sure you sell ‘expensive, mysterious, and slightly intárnádating but in a way that is 

is showwm ad inviting” 

“Make sure the reception is a perfectly curated experience that tells a subtle yet powerful love story and not a 

1 flipped to the final mental page and sighed. 

“And loudly.” I looked at her, barely containing my grin, “Make sure Lilian and Eliza are actually working on the paper flowers and not just sitting here walking” 

Isabella’s eyes narrowed, 

Eliza and 1 immediately picked up the nearest unfinished flowers and started folding furiously. 

She exhaled, shaking her head “Check” Then, finally, the sat down with an exhausted sigh, rubbing her temples. “Okay, Maybe I have gotten some things done” 

Eliza let out a breathy laugh, “Some? 

I shook my head, still grinning, “Bels, you have single–handedly orchestrated a wedding in a matter of days. This place is practically running like a military operation” 

She buffed but didn’t argue, which, frankly, said a lot 

For a few blissful moments, she just sat there, rubbing her temples, letting the weight of it all settle in. And honestly? I think she needed that moment. 

Then, just as I thought maybe–maybe we could all relax for two seconds, her eyes snapped open again. 

“Wait-” her head jerked up. “Did we confirm the font for the place cards. Yes, yes we did.” Then her eyes scanned the madness and a beautiful wishful smile grew on her face, “It is actually happening tomorrow. I’m marrying him.” 

Eliza and I both smiled, but then her expression faltered just slightly, her fingers tightening around a loose petal A flicker of something–hesitation, maybe–crossed her face as she glanced up. 

“Please, universe, She murmured, her voice quieter now, almost like a prayer. “Let nothing ruin this wedding.” 

Something about the way she said it made my stomach dip. Just for a second. I reached over and squeezed her hand, offering a reassuring smile, “With all of this? Nothing stands a chance.” 

She exhaled, nodding, but that tiny shadow of doubt lingered in her eyes. 

If only I knew just how wrong that statement was about to be…..