Chapter 10

Hailey's POV

The name sounded incredibly familiar.

One of Connor's buddies mentioned it the first day I rocked up at this villa. Saying things like she was a good match for him.

Putting on a polite smile, I greeted, "Hello."

Elena gave a curt nod, then sauntered over to the living room, plopping down on the sofa. With a tone that commanded attention, she piped up, "I'd like a cup of coffee, please."

I froze for a bit. Eventually, I still went to the kitchen.

Just as I was about to get brewing, however, Elena suddenly changed her mind.

"Hold up," she said, a disdainful smile curled at the corner of her mouth. "Almost forgot Matt told me you sucked at making coffee."

I paused, feeling embarrassed.

"Never mind. I'll do it then," she went on, her tone filled with pride. "Now, watch and learn."

Elena took out a bag of coffee beans from the counter and poured some into the coffee machine.

Part of me wanted to bail, but leaving her here felt kinda rude.

So I just stood aside, quietly watching Elena maneuver the coffee machine, all graceful and confident.

As she worked on it, she explained each step to me.

"First off, pick the good stuff, like these." She waved the bag of coffee beans she just took out in my face. "Not the cheap junk you're probably used to."

Every word out of her mouth was a reminder that I was an outsider here.

"Then, you gotta grind them right," she continued as she set the grinding speed of the machine. "Too coarse or fine, and you've botched the brew."

I listened in silence. Though her words were filled with mockery, I still tried to catch every move, every detail.

"Next up, water temperature and flow," Elena said as she pushed the buttons. "That's how you make a good cup of coffee."

I was all eyes, memorizing each step in my mind.

After she finished, she picked up the cup and took a sip. Then, she turned to look at me with a provocative look in her eyes. "You should try it too. I can't stand those regular coffee beans. These are Connor's special stash for me."

I poured myself a cup and tasted it. "Indeed, it's good."

Elena put down the cup and sighed, "Bet it's your first time with pour-over, right? Well, everyone has their own place. Some people are born without any privileges. They are destined to be unnoticed and don't deserve anything precious."

Yep. My pack was located deep in the mountains, so I couldn't tell good coffee from bad one.

To me, it was just something that I drank to refresh myself.

I only agreed to learn from her cuz I was trying to be polite. But now, she was way out of line.

She went on in a gentle tone, "I knew Connor for years, and this villa's like a second home to me. He's the future Alpha of the largest pack in L.A. Not everyone deserves to be by his side, don't you think?"

These insinuating words annoyed me.

I didn't even give a damn about Connor, let alone his friends.

So I put down the cup, snapping, "Yeah, I totally agree with you. You seem to be a perfect match for him. So, why don't you marry him? Is it because you don't wanna be his mate?"

Elena's facade cracked, her face twisting with rage. "I beg your pardon?" she hissed.

I wasn't lying. I was indeed curious about it. Frank told me that Connor really needed a mate.

Since Elena was acting all lady of the house, why didn't she marry him?

Her gentle vibe was gone, replaced with a stormy look.

"How dare you talk to me like that? Believe me, Connor won't even say a word about it if I chase you away right now," she snarled.

I thought, 'She thinks that's a threat? I'll have to thank her for letting me go.

'I gotta clean up the storage room at the café and cook lunch. Talking to her is simply a waste of my time.'

So, I nodded and said, "Cool, I'm out."

Then, I went back to my room, grabbed my luggage, and headed for the door, leaving Elena dumbfounded.

When I was about to reach the door, it swung open, and Connor walked in.

Noticing my luggage, he asked, "Where are you going?"

I waved to him and said, "Your friend's here. Go chat with her. I gotta go."

"Come back!" he yelled.

I stopped in confusion, wondering, "What's up? Anything else?"

He said in a harsh tone, "I'm hungry. Go cook me lunch."

"Vita's coming soon. She'll cook," I replied.

"I don't wanna wait. I'm starving!" he insisted.

I hesitated, then went back eventually.

It was just a meal. No big deal. So I dropped my bags and headed to the kitchen.

As I walked past Elena, I caught her glaring at me. Well, it wasn't my idea.

"You should go," Connor told her.