Chapter 199
I ignored the king’s letter and began toying with the idea of planning a real ceremony. Perhaps somewhere out in the gardens?
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I turned my head toward my office door. “Yes?”
Henri stepped into the room. I immediately noticed the bewildered expression on his face.
“Henri?”
“Sir…”
He stepped off to the side to reveal the slim-figured woman, who’d been hiding behind him.
“Oh my gods,” I whispered.
My heart stopped beating; my whole body froze. It took a full minute for me to process what I was seeing -or rather, who I was seeing. This wasn’t possible. Was I hallucinating?
“…Olivia?”
She offered a gentle smile and nodded. “Hello, Kane,” she said softly.
A shadow from my past. The love of my life that I was forced to let go of. Hearing her voice was nearly enough to cause my knees to buckle.
I snapped my head toward Henri, demanding an explanation. “How? Why?”
Goddamnit. I could barely form a proper sentence. The beta gently shook his head.
“Sir, we were finishing up sweeping through the battlefield, and one of the team members found her wandering along the outskirts,” he explained. “I recognized her almost instantly.”
got up from my desk and drew closer to the woman who once ruled my heart. My brows pinched together. My voice was barely audible; it hurt to look at her. “Why were you at the battlegrounds?”
Olivia stepped forward. “I was looking for my husband,” she answered. “It’s been a week since the battle took place, but he never came back. I…I was informed that he had been killed during the battle.”
My heart sank into my stomach. Remorse spread viciously through my veins. “I’m sorry.”
Olivia lowered her gaze to the floor. “I know, it wasn’t wise for me to head out there, but…I needed closure. When Henri found me, he brought me here.”
I didn’t know whether to throttle the man or hug him. Olivia and I have known each other since we were children. Our parents were close friends, and the two of us were as thick as thieves. It came as no surprise that our friendship bloomed into something deeper.
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A love that was once so powerful, but forcibly torn from me when it turned out that Olivia had found her mate. I was so convinced that the two of us were going to be married and spend the rest of our lives together.
But no.
She shrugged. “Well, I’m glad I got to see you again. It’s been so long. I should head back-”
“Stay,” I announced. “I think you should stay until you’ve figured out a new living situation.”
A stunning smile broke out across her face. One that I swore I would never get the chance to see again. A long-forgotten feeling swelled in my chest.
Olivia gushed at the opportunity and threw her arms around me, hugging me close. Her scent, vanilla and sandalwood, consumed my senses. A deliriously happy smile pulled at my lips that I hardly noticed the door open.
Evelyn’s familiar voice broke through the air. “Kane, you’re not gonna believe this, but I…Oh…Umm?”
Olivia and I pulled apart, where I was suddenly met with Evelyn’s questionable look. I cleared my throat.” Evelyn, this is-”
“I’m Olivia.” She introduced herself with a firm smile. “Kane’s former fiancé. And you are?” she asked
pointedly.
My stomach flipped. Evelyn raised a brow at Olivia’s assertive tone.
“I’m his wife,” Evelyn stated.
Much to both of our surprise, Olivia giggled. “Wow, I suppose I never thought there would come a day when Kane would marry someone.”
“Oh, really? Why is that?”
Olivia tilted her head with striving confidence. “Because Kane promised to love me forever.”
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