Chapter 13
Even if it didn’t look that way on the surface, Aveline truly had no hidden intentions; she simply didn’t want to owe Alistair anything.
Even if he was her fated mate.
After slipping the note into the shopping bag, she quietly made her way to Alistair’s office.
The space was spotless, everything lined up perfectly as if untouched by time. She didn’t linger. With a respectful pause, she set the bag on his desk and quietly backed out, making sure not to glance at anything that wasn’t hers to see.
Once outside the office, Aveline let out a soft breath. With that task done, she turned her thoughts to the upcoming research project and how she might begin getting more involved. But just as she reached the corridor, her phone buzzed in her bag.
She pulled it out, her brows drawing together when she saw the caller ID.
After a pause, she accepted the call.
“Luna, the patent contract has expired,” said Jaxson’s beta, his tone all business, completely detached. “We’ll send someone over with the new documents for you to sign.”
For years, Aveline had let Jaxson use her patents without asking for a cent. The contract had always listed a price, but she never collected it. Back then, she believed they were one family, and Jaxson had said nothing to make her think otherwise.
He probably thought that becoming her mate meant he owned everything she had.
And now, instead of calling her himself, he had his beta handle it like she was just another supplier.
Aveline’s grip tightened around the phone.
Maybe she was never anything more than a convenient source of free profit.
No pay required. Just empty promises she’d swallowed whole.
“There’s no need for that. I’m free today anyway, so don’t trouble your people,” she said calmly, then ended the call before the beta could say anything
more.
In the early days of their marriage, she’d visited Jaxson’s office often, especially when her inventions needed adjusting. She used to know everyone in the building. Lately, though, she hadn’t stepped foot inside.
But even if they were going to break the mate bond, she was still his partner. Showing up wasn’t just her right–it was long overdue.
Aveline put away her phone and hailed a cab to the Thornpeak Pack’s Thorne Group headquarters.
The moment she walked through the front doors, heads turned. Everyone knew who she was. The receptionist stood up quickly, offering a polite but slightly stunned smile.
“Luna! It’s been a while–what brings you in today?”
Aveline smiled politely, unfazed by the subtle nervousness in the girl’s voice. “Just here to sign a contract. Is Jaxson in?”
The two receptionists exchanged glances. “Alpha… should be.”
Without another word, Aveline made her way to the elevator.
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Betrayed by Her Ex, Marked By the Alpha King
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Chapter 13
As the doors began to close, she caught a glimpse of the receptionist picking up the phone in a rush, but she didn’t care enough to stop and wonder
why.
The elevator opened on the top floor–the executive level. Jaxson’s office was there, along with the legal department.
Aveline was planning to head straight to legal when Jaxson’s beta, Kian, came rushing around the corner.
“Luna! You’re here!” he exclaimed, breathless and jittery.
His face was tight with unease, though he tried to plaster on a calm smile. The result was painfully awkward.
“I know where the legal department is,” Aveline replied coolly, stepping forward.
But Kian quickly moved to her side, almost too obviously trying to block her view down the corridor.
Jaxson’s office was just a short walk away, separated from the legal wing by a narrow passage.
Even though Kian tried to block her line of sight, Aveline still managed to catch a glimpse inside Jaxson’s office, and sure enough, she let out a quiet,
sarcastic scoff.
“Who else could it be but Lirael?*
From where she stood, she could clearly see Lirael sitting on the edge of Jaxson’s desk, leaning in toward him. The two were whispering back and forth, smiling as if no one else existed.
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