“You thought this is what I wanted?” Alex barks, his voice slicing through the tense silence like a blade. “Yes. I tried to tell you the dress wasn’t appropriate, but you threatened to come in and put it on for me, so I had to wear it,” I explain, hoping that he sees I didn’t choose this dress on purpose. Alex releases a dark chuckle that sends shivers down my spine before he speaks again. “So, you're telling me my pack arranged for you to wear this f*****g excuse of a dress?” His voice takes on a different tone, filled with a mix of frustration and curiosity. I nod, too frightened to utter a word, my heart pounding in my chest as I navigate the unpredictable shifts in his demeanor. "Maybe the clerk made a mistake. I don’t know," I add after a pregnant pause, hoping to diffuse the tens