Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow - Chapter 363

Chapter 363: Discovering Her True Nature
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CHAPTER 363

~Ella’s POV~

The house was quieter now that Ares had left, but my mind wasn’t. My thoughts churned, fixating on something that I couldn’t quite shake.

Vani.

I still didn’t understand why she had barged into my room when Ares was there. The moment she saw us, the fury in her eyes—raw and unfiltered—was unmistakable.

And why? She didn’t even know me. So, where did that hostility come from?

Ares had been annoyed too. Before he left, I had asked him if he knew Vani. He said no but admitted that he didn’t like her either. A maid, he had scoffed, had no right to interrupt a moment that wasn’t hers to witness.

He had left in a sour mood, muttering about Kent and Vera, and just at that moment, something clicked in my head.

Vera.

My blood ran cold.

Ares had mentioned wanting to kill both Kent and Vera. If Vani was Vera, then surely, she would have reacted badly to that.

I turned in my bed, wincing from the lingering pain in my body. Though my injuries weren’t fully healed, my wolf’s regeneration was finally kicking in, allowing me more movement than before. I could still feel the ache in my limbs, but it was nothing I couldn’t push through.

Determined, I swung my legs over the bed and stood, careful to keep my balance. If I was right, if Vani and Vera were the same person, I had to confirm it.

And I knew just how to do it.

I made my way downstairs, heading to the kitchen. It was late, and most of the house had quieted down for the evening. If Vani was lurking around, she’d show up soon enough especially if she was Vera, the very one who hated me.

It made me wonder if she knew somehow I would be brought to Zara’s house and came waiting for me or if she had another agenda of her own altogether.

I poured myself a glass of juice and grabbed some cookies, settling into a chair by the counter. I barely had a bite when, right on cue, Vani entered the kitchen, wearing her ever-so-fake smile.

“I didn’t know you were here,” she said, her tone light, but the smirk in her eyes betrayed her. “You know, with your leg and all.”

I sipped my juice, watching her carefully from the corner of my eye. “I’m not confined to my bed. I can move and do things just like certain people.”

Her smirk faltered for a second before she recovered.

“So, um…” she started, fidgeting near the sink.

“You want to apologize,” I cut in smoothly, “for barging into my room?”

She hesitated, clearly not expecting that. “Well… I… am I supposed to apologize? Considering how rudely he asked me to leave?”

“Rude? That’s a first, considering you were the one invading my privacy,” I shot back. “Or have your brain cells lost the ability to grasp what that means?”

Vani blinked, caught off guard, before plastering another fake smile. “Look, I was worried, that’s all. I sensed anger and wanted to check in on you.”

“Anger, huh? More like anger directed at you,” I thought.

“Is that so?” I mused, placing my cup down. “Then why did I sense your anger and hostility if you were truly just checking in on me?”

Vani tensed and I smirked, pressing further. “Turn around. Face me. I want to watch you lie to my face.”

Vani inhaled sharply before turning, her smile never wavering. “I have nothing to fear,” she shrugged. “I didn’t lie.”

“You didn’t answer my question, though.”

She hesitated. “I… well, nothing. I was recalling my parents’ death when I sensed anger and thought you might want to… end your life. So I rushed in. Nothing more.”

“Hmm,” I hummed, tilting my head. “And why would I want to end my life?”

Vani’s eyes flickered slightly before she shrugged. “I don’t know. Jealousy, maybe? Zara has everything—a doting husband, a beautiful home—and here you are, you obviously have no man or boyfriend. You are stuck with a bruised leg, unable to move freely, so yeah. It must be hard.”

My eyes narrowed. That was a test. And she failed.

I smiled sweetly, finishing my juice. “No thanks to you, that’s for sure.” She wanted to instill malice in me with Zara. Foolish fool.

Our friendship goes a long way for me to envy Zara. She was my bestie and someone I trusted with my life.

So, if Vani’s sorry excuse for masking herself as Vera was that she failed again, my intuition couldn’t easily deviate.

“Enjoy whatever it is you are doing here.” I stood up, picked up my glass, and left the kitchen, but my work wasn’t over yet. “Spy,” I muttered on my way out.

For an hour, I sat in the living room, pretending to relax. However, my mind was constantly racing.

Something about Vani’s reaction—her deflection, her excuses—only solidified my suspicions.

Just as I decided to push it to the back of my mind for the meantime until I could discuss it with Zara, a strange energy rippled through the house. My body stiffened, my wolf stirring uneasily.

What… was that?

I focused, trying to pinpoint the energy’s source. My senses led me downward… toward the servants’ quarters.

Heart pounding, I moved as quietly as I could, ignoring the slight limp in my steps. The further I went, the stronger the energy became.

Finally, I stopped right outside Vani’s room.

I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the doorknob. If I was wrong, this could be nothing. But if I was right…

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open slightly—just enough to peek inside.

And what I saw froze me in place.

Vani—no, Vera—stood in the center of the room, surrounded by a swirling aura of dark blue light. Her hands moved in intricate motions as she chanted Zara’s name.

My blood turned to ice.

She’s casting a spell on Zara.

Fear clawed up my spine, but I forced myself to stay calm. Quietly, I shut the door and turned to leave.

I had to tell Zara. Now.

I hurried down the hall as fast as my injuries allowed. “I have to tell Zara,” I whispered to myself.

I looked over my shoulder to make sure the coast was clear.

And when I turned back—

Vera was right in front of me.

I gasped, stumbling back, but her hand shot out, gripping my forehead.

Her eyes glowed a sinister blue, and her real face was exposed now—Vera, not Vani.

“I can’t have you do that,” she murmured, her voice slithering into my mind. “I cannot let you ruin my plans by telling Zara Zephyr.”

I struggled, my body screaming at me to fight, but I couldn’t move.

“You… can’t stop me,” I gritted out, forcing my body to push back against her magic.

Vera only smirked. “Oh, dear,” she purred, her grip tightening. “I will. And effortlessly so.”

Her hand glowed, and suddenly, searing pain ripped through my skull.

My vision blurred. My body convulsed. My own eyes turned white against my will as her power overwhelmed me.

The last thing I saw was her smiling.

Then, everything went black.