Chapter 136

**Chapter 0136**
**Judy’s POV**

“Who do you think you are?” Meredith asked, raising her eyebrows at the man standing behind me.

“This is a private party,” Sophia added, joining the conversation.

“You weren’t invited,” Meredith said firmly.

“This is a pack party, and you’re not part of the pack,” she added, rolling her eyes.

Kelsey chimed in, “He’s handsome, though. Maybe he should stay,” as she batted her lashes playfully. My stomach churned at the tension.

I felt twisted inside and had to fight the urge to growl at her.

Then, a warm hand rested on my shoulder. Instantly, my body responded to the touch. I began to relax and let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.

“Are you okay?” Gavin asked me. I looked up at him and saw the concern in his eyes.

I nodded at him, even though my heart felt heavy in my chest.

“Oh, please,” Kelsey said, her voice filled with worry.

“Don’t tell me you brought a callboy to the pack barbecue. That’s a new low even for you,” Meredith laughed.

“Seriously, you had to hire someone to be your date tonight?” she asked, shaking her head at me.

“That’s truly disgusting,” she said.

“Pardon?” Gavin replied, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Gavin was dressed casually, and it made my heart flutter. Without his suit, he looked almost unrecognizable, but he was still incredibly handsome. He also seemed relaxed, which was a nice change from his usual formal self.

Ethan hadn’t been in the news lately, so it didn’t surprise me that he wasn’t recognized at first. I stayed quiet, unsure of what to say, while I watched Ethan’s family embarrass themselves.

Gavin had a deep frown on his face.

He watched the Cash family and how they treated me, a smirk on his lips.

“I can’t believe she even bothered to show up at all… but with a male prostitute?” Sophia asked, her lip curling in disgust. “You are a…”

Gavin looked at the woman, his eyes wide with surprise. “Is this how you treat your guests?” he asked, raising his eyebrows high. “This is so disrespectful. Who’s going to take responsibility for the wine on her clothes?”

“It’s honestly fine,” the woman replied.

“I think it was a mistake to come here,” I said, holding onto his arm. “I would like to leave now.”

“Not until I find out who is responsible for this,” he replied, his voice low and serious.

Warmth spread across my cheeks.

“She deserved it after what she said to me,” Kelsey said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I bet you didn’t know she was engaged to marry my brother. He didn’t want…”

She felt unwanted, just like her birth parents had. “You’re wasting your time with this girl, sir,” someone said. “She’s an abandoned orphan, and no one would ever want her.”

The speaker was relieved that her brother finally saw things clearly.

“Should come to yours soon too,” he said.

“Is that right?” he asked, his voice sharp and tinged with danger. I felt a chill run up my spine.

—

**Chapter 136**

Kelsey leaned in and playfully asked, “How much is she paying you to be here? I’ll pay you double if you come with me right now.”

“Really, Kelsey Cash?” Meredith replied, shaking her head in mock disapproval. But a smile danced in her eyes, showing she found Kelsey’s boldness entertaining. “You are something else!”

“You’re only 18, and this man is old enough to be your father. You shouldn’t be as bold as Judy here. You don’t need to pay anyone to be your escort.”

“Oh, but mom. Just look at him! He’s so hot,” Judy said.

Kelsey scoffed. “He can do so much better than that girl. Her family is broke. If she promised you any money, I can guarantee you’ll never see it. But I can give you cash upfront.”

“And you think I need your money?” Gavin asked.

“Look, I don’t know who you are. But this is a family matter,” Meredith replied, glaring at Gavin as if he were just a bug on the ground.

Gavin looked at the woman, noticing the wine stains on her clothes. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what part of that was the discussion?” His voice was sharp, and his mood seemed to darken.

The woman glanced down at her shoe, trying to regain her composure. “We were just talking,” she replied, a bit defensively.

Gavin wasn’t convinced. The evidence of their argument was clear. The wine splattered across her outfit told a different story.

Ethan’s family hadn’t noticed how dangerous he was becoming. I could see that he was holding back, trying not to cause a scene.

“She was disrespectful to our family,” Meredith said, narrowing her eyes.

Gavin’s eyes locked onto mine.

“It seems to me that you are the ones being disrespectful,” he said through clenched teeth. He was on the edge of exploding, and I didn’t want to be around when it happened. I tried to step back.

His grip on my shoulder tightened, keeping me in front of him.

Meredith pursed her lips and pointed a long finger at him. “Look, sir… I don’t know who you think you are, but—”

“Daddy?” Irene asked as she moved around the women to look up at her father with wide eyes. “W… what are you doing here?”

Meredith’s face went pale as she looked at Irene, then glanced up at the man.

Gavin. Kelsey’s eyes were so wide, I thought they might pop out of her head. Sophia gasped and took a step back, clearly shocked. The three of them stood there, speechless and unsure of what to say.

“I was invited…”

“I thought I would show some respect to my daughter’s future family,” Gavin said, looking at Irene. “But when I got here, I didn’t feel very welcomed.”

He then turned to Meredith, who looked shocked and horrified.

“I… I’m so sorry,” Meredith stammered. “Mr. Landry, I—”

“It’s Alpha to you,” he growled, his eyes glowing yellow as his wolf side surged forward. “Only those I respect can speak my name.”

“I don’t respect any of you,” they said, looking around the room. It didn’t matter if it was your first name or your last; the message was clear.

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