Chapter 21

Giselle's POV

After the conversation I had with Cole that night, things had been moving quite smoothly from them on between us. We soon fell into a daily routine and before I knew it almost a week had passed since I entered Cole's pack. I still hadn't met Cole's family yet and I was beginning to get a little worried.

The wedding ceremony between Cole and I had been fixed and I was slowly making preparations for it. My thoughts kept on drifting back to Sonia and my grandfather and I couldn't wait until next week when Sonia would be able to come and help me with the wedding preparations.

As compared to the one I had with Jared, I wanted this wedding ceremony with Cole to be awesome and a fairy tale. That morning Cole had left early to oversee the pack matters and I had just finished getting dressed to go to oversee the preparations for the wedding when I heard a sharp squeak coming from Cole's office.

I paused for a second trying to remember if I had instructed any maid to clean up the room and noting I hadn't. I stood up quietly suddenly filled with suspicion as I approached his office slowly. Ever since the attempted attack on me Cole had made sure to introduce to me all the people that worked for him and were loyal to him.

I had not let my guard down as I know within me that if the rumors about Cole's stepmother are like what I have heard about her then I knew she would soon strike back.

I passed the corridor adjoining the room and peeked inside. To my surprise I saw my maid Cynthia silently tiptoeing about the room looking for something. I racked my brain trying to figure out how she'd gotten into Cole's office when I was still in the bedroom.

Filled with suspicion I pulled out my phone and began to record her movement and I gasped in shock when she pulled out a large expensive jewelry that could be worth a lot of money. I continued to record her as she took out a box that was lying in the corner of the cupboard beside Cole's desk and placed it there.

Just as quickly as she had come in she left the room leaving me in shock. I didn't know what she was doing in Cole's office or how she had gotten there but I was stunned. Cole had been suspicious of her when she'd taken a different route just only a few days ago but I had shrugged it off and now seeing her I was slowly beginning to believe she was working for Tiffany.

I shook my head in anger as I looked around Cole's office. I dreaded to think who might have watched us while Cole and I were sleeping. It was obvious there was a hidden pathway in Cole's office and I stood up to find it. It didn't take me long until I found an old door that had been hidden behind a large shelf of books. I wondered if Cole knew about it.

I decided I would show Cole the video I had of Cynthia. Something told me they were trying to frame Cole and I won't let that happen.

Shoving my phone into my pocket I glanced at the time. I was already late. I raced towards the hall where I would be choosing the decorations for the hall. I passed through the corridor quickly and easily without losing my way. Cole had made sure to take me on walks in order to know my way around without needing anybody. It was also his own way of keeping me safe.

When I arrived at the hall I noticed there were quite a number of people present at the hall. I raised my eyebrows in surprise as I walked into the room. A woman was seated in the middle of the commotion and the people present were groveling at her.

She was rail thin and quite tall looking. Her hair was light brown with dark roots and peppered with gray strands all over and it gave the impression that she was trying to stop herself from aging. She was adorned from head to toe with various jewelries and her dress screamed luxury.

She looked elegant and haughty as she turned towards me slowly. I could see how a man could leave his wife for someone like her. She was very beautiful. She looked at me below her nose like I was some speck of dirt and grimaced angrily when she saw it didn't faze me at all. She beckoned for me to come and pasted a fake smile on her face.

I arched my back and walked gracefully past the room to where she was standing and curtsied also wearing a fake smile on her face similar to hers.

"Your highness"

She peered over her nose at me again and looked at the butler beside her in anger. I smiled inwardly at them. They must have wanted to catch me unawares and embarrass me. Well not this time. I would show them that I had trained my entire life on how to be the perfect Luna and Queen.

"Giselle right. I've heard so much about you. It's such a shame I was not able to welcome you into the palace earlier. You know how it is with royal duties and all. I hope you understand," she said, taking on a friendly tone for the show.

"Of course I understand. I've also heard so many things about you from Cole. I must say the palace is lovely and I'm so glad to be here," I responded with mock excitement.

She sneered cuttingly. "Of course you're. After all the palace can't be compared to your pack"

She turned dismissively towards the rest of the nobles that were still within earshot, waiting for her.

"I came here today to invite you all to my garden tea party I'm hosting tomorrow afternoon. Do sure that you will be in attendance and the same goes for you Giselle. You're also invited too. Make sure to come too. I will be expecting you to"

There was something about the way she was inviting me and I felt uncomfortable about it. It was almost like she was planning to do something at the party. After her announcement she began to walk out of the hall.

The butler sneered at me as he followed closely behind her and I wondered what they were both planning on doing.