chapter 10

Jace's POV

I stood before the mirror, admiring my reflection as I adjusted my tuxedo, a sly grin tugging at the corner of my lips. "Looking great, Jace. I'm so gonna make a lot of girls wet just by staring at me," I muttered to myself.

The door to my room opened, and Fredo walked in, his expression unreadable. I turned to him with an expectant look. "Well, Fredo, how do I look?"

Fredo's eyes scanned me up and down, and he nodded approvingly. "You look amazing, Jace. As always."

I chuckled, appreciating the compliment. "Good, good. Now, how are the preparations going?"

Fredo's face turned serious as he began, "Jace, you won't believe what almost happened. The pack mistress was about to ruin everything. She was stopping Bella from attending your party."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise, and a sense of urgency washed over me. "What? Why?"

Fredo shook his head, his tone filled with concern. "Something about cleaning toilets, thankfully I intervened just in time."

I clenched my fists, my jaw set with determination. Bella was going to attend my party, no matter what. "Thank you, Fredo. You did the right thing. Now, let's make sure everything goes smoothly tonight; we can't afford any further slip-ups."

Just as Fredo was about to lay down the details, Matthew appeared, a sense of urgency in his voice. "Jace, guests are starting to arrive. You need to get out there immediately; everyone is asking about the birthday boy."

I nodded, my heart pounding with anticipation. "Alright, let's do this."

Fredo chimed in, his excitement palpable. "Everything is set, Jace. There's a spot marked on the center stage; all you have to do is get Bella to stand inside the marked area. Then you give me the signal for when you want the bucket of grease to drop on her head; I'll be waiting by the switch. Good luck."

A wicked grin spread across my face as I imagined the scene. "Perfect. Let's make this day a spectacular one."

With our plan in motion, we stepped out to the party by the pack hall, where laughter and music filled the air.

As I stepped out into the party, the energy of the crowd was electric. Friends and pack members greeted me with warm wishes for my birthday, and I exchanged pleasantries with a few of them. The spotlight was on me, quite literally, as I was firstly guided to the red carpet for a photo shoot.

A chaos began as soon as I stepped foot on the red carpet, ready for the cameras. A few girls, pack members I knew, rushed over to me. They wrapped their arms around me and started complimenting my appearance, fighting for my attention as if they were the stars of the night.

"Jace, you look absolutely stunning tonight," one of them purred, her eyes locked onto mine. She leaned in closer, her scent intoxicating.

Another one chimed in, her voice sultry, "I can't take my eyes off you, Jace. You're a sight to behold."

And the competition escalated as they all vied for my attention. It was amusing to watch them, but I had other matters on my mind.

"I appreciate the compliments, ladies," I replied with a charming smile, "but I have to make sure the party goes smoothly. I'll catch up with you later."

With that, I excused myself from their midst, exchanging a few more pleasantries.

As I exchanged pleasantries with the guests, enjoying their birthday wishes, Matthew stepped forward, microphone in hand, ready to make an announcement. It was time for a toast to the birthday boy.

"Hey, everyone! Let's raise our glasses for the man of the hour, Jace! Happy birthday!"

I was led to the center stage by Fredo, who whispered in my ear to stay alert, telling me that Bella was nearby. My heart raced at the thought of seeing her, and I couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

Glasses of champagne were distributed throughout the crowd, and soon, the room was filled with the melody of a birthday song.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Jace..."

As the song concluded, a resounding cheer erupted as everyone raised their glasses in a toast to my name. Fredo retreated, leaving me alone in the spotlight.

Amidst the cheerful chatter and the clinking of glasses, I felt a tap on my shoulder from behind. I turned, and there she was – the most stunning version of Bella I had ever seen, she looked like the moon goddess slowly descending from the sky with a majestic aura.

"Hey!!!" I murmured fidgeting slightly, caught in a moment of sheer admiration, my adrenaline suddenly started pumping, and my heart went up by a million beats, and I started sweating from my forehead.

Something isn't right, must be the champagne, I thought. I must be allergic to it. I tried to regain my composure, running my eyes through her body, and "oh, moon" she looked delicious.

She held a glass of champagne, her hands also trembling slightly as she gazed into my eyes. It was a moment that felt like an eternity, two souls connected like a Bluetooth device. Time seemed to stand still as we held each other's gaze.

And then, in the blink of an eye, Bella lost control, and the glass of champagne slipped from her hand.

"Oh no," she whispered.

Before I could understand the sudden turmoil in my heart, a word escaped my lips, loud and uncontrolled, "Mate!"

In that instant, everything around me blurred like time slowed down, and I spotted Fredo, standing nearby with an excited grin, probably misinterpreting my exclamation as the signal to release the bucket of grease.

Panic coursed through me as I attempted to stop him, shouting, "Noooo!" But it was too late.

A massive bucket of grease descended from above, slamming an unsuspecting Bella to the ground, drenching her messing her up completely.

Bella struggled to rise, but her heels broke making her slip back into the grease smashing her face into the mess on the floor once more. Laughter echoed through the hall as guests took out their phones to take photos, some cruelly commenting, "Isn't that the girl who cleans toilets?"

I rushed to shield Bella from their mockery, attempting to stop the humiliating spectacle. "Enough! Stop taking photos all of you, please stop!" I pleaded.

Fredo, instead of intervening, stepped forward with his phone, eager to capture the moment. I blocked his view, shouting, "This is madness! Stop it!"

Confused guests questioned what was happening. Fredo, with a sly smile, remarked, "Relax, Jace. The plan is working perfectly, it's even better than we expected . You did a great job. You should be proud of yourself, why ruin the fun now?"

Bella, now on her feet, demanded an explanation. "What did he just say?" she demanded as she turned to me, but I tried to discreetly signal Fredo not to spill the truth.

I shot Fredo a warning look, a silent plea for him to keep our secret. However, he either ignored or misunderstood it. My attempt to silently communicate with Fredo failed miserably as he continued.

"Bella," Fredo began, a sly grin on his face, "What do you... ." Without another thought, I leaped at Fredo, throwing a punch at his jaw, my frustration boiling over, shutting him up before he says more than he should. "You idiot! What are you doing?"

The party descended into chaos, guests gasping and stumbling back as I continue to throw punches at Fredo, attempting to silence him. The festive atmosphere shattered into a frenzy of confusion and shock.

In the midst of the chaos, Matthew and a few pack warriors finally succeeded in separating us, Bella, her face smeared with grease, stared at me in disbelief. "Jace, what's happening? What's the meaning of all this?"

I tried to maintain composure, my frustration evident as I stretched my neck, cracked my knuckles and adjusted my tux. "Bella, it's not what you think. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Fredo, nursing his bleeding mouth from the punches, finally spoke up. "Jace, what's the meaning of this embarrassment, what have gotten over you, have you forgotten this is all your idea, and I was only following instructions, what is going on in your head, did you forget the plan?"

I gritted my teeth, realizing that Fredo had revealed too much. "Shut up your mouth, you imbecile, you seize to be my friend from this moment, good for nothing don of a bitch."

Bella's eyes narrowed, anger now replaced by confusion and tears. "Plan? What plan is he talking about, Jace? Please don't tell me you're behind this. Is what Fredo saying true?"

I shook my head, regret weighing on me. "Of course not, Bella; don't listen to this bastard who can't control himself with alcohol. He's probably had too much to drink and doesn't know what he's talking about."

She glared at me, wiping grease from her face. "How can I believe you, Jace, when all you've ever done is find a way to make me hate my life and humiliate me?"

"No, never," I insisted. "I'll never do such a thing to a woman that is mine. I love you, Bella; don't believe this bastard."

The party, once lively, now buzzed with tension and whispers. Some guests looked on in shock, while others exchanged gossip.

Bella's anger softened into hurt. "Jace, I thought... I thought you were different. I thought you actually changed, and things could be different between us, but now I know my place in this pack, and I'll never dream beyond scrubbing the toilets anymore" and with that Bella stormed off running her eyes heavy with tears.

"I'm sorry Bella. I messed up, but I didn't want to hurt you," I pleaded. " I swear this time I've changed for real believe me please!!!". But she didn't stop to listen.