Chapter 4
With nowhere to run, Aveline shifted away and spoke in a frozen tone. “Wipe that lipstick off your mouth before you start talking.”
Jaxson’s face fell. His hand flew to his mouth without thinking, eyes flashing with a hint of panic.
“The Tidal Development Project hit a snag–cash flow problems. I had to partner with the Stormwasteland Pack down in Mexico. Lirael Storm–she’s the alpha’s daughter.” His tone turned defensive. “She doesn’t speak our language well and had been drinking. I was just making sure she got back to the hotel.”
His voice softened, and he leaned in the way he always did when he wanted to charm her. “Don’t be upset, okay? I’ll make it up to you.”
Aveline looked at him, her eyes sharp and cold.
“So… is that how you secure investments? By seducing their alpha’s daughter?”
Aveline spoke with a chilling calm, too composed to be angry. Her quiet words stripped every excuse from Jaxson’s mouth, leaving them meaningless.
That same heavy emptiness crashed into him again. Frustrated, he pulled at his tie, trying to breathe.
“Aveline, I’m doing this for The Thornpeak Pack. Can you not blow this out of proportion?”
Aveline almost laughed.
She hadn’t even raised her voice.
Did he want her to throw the photos in his face to make it count as drama?
All these years she’d held onto this love–and now it was tearing through her chest like claws.
“If you’re done with me, Jaxson, just be honest. I won’t hold on–I’ll break the bond.”
Why did he have to play games? Why lie?
The moment the words left her mouth, Jaxson grabbed her shoulders, hard enough to make her wince. “Don’t ever say that again. We swore before the Moon Goddess–we face everything together. Breaking the bond is “never* an option!”
He had already slept with one
else–and now he was talking about “facing things together“?
Aveline felt nothing but absurdity.
Suddenly, Jaxson’s phone rang. He checked it, frowned, and declined the call.
But Aveline caught the name on the screen. “Sweetheart Wild Thing.“”
Before he could tuck it away, the phone lit up again–this time with texts. The sender’s name? ““Sizzling Baby.“*
“Baby, I’m in pain.“*
“I need you. Come now.“*
“I’m bleeding… am I going to die?“*
Three texts in Spanish, one after another.
It was as if Jaxson believed she couldn’t read Spanish at all–he didn’t bother hiding the screen and typed a swift *“On my way“* before shutting off his phone without a word of hesitation.
Chapter 4
“Aveline, I’ve got something urgent to handle. If you can’t help, at least stay out of the way. Be good, alright?” he said softly, brushing her hair as if she
were a child.
Then he turned and walked away without once looking back. She just sat there and let him go.
Aveline felt something inside her shatter into pieces–so painful it went numb. She couldn’t feel anything anymore.
She dropped the conference materials off at the institute for recordkeeping, then quietly headed home without another word.
Jaxson didn’t return for the next three days, and she didn’t call. Not even once. There was nothing left to say.
While waiting for her final approval, she kept herself occupied by sorting through her things–anything to keep her mind from collapsing.
In the Thornpeak Pack house, the storage room had been their secret hideaway–handwritten notes from their first confession, the lopsided pottery they made on their first date, a small heart–shaped stone from a mountain night sky, and rows of framed photos bundled by year. Even the Polaroid cameras were neatly arranged from oldest to newest.
But now, it all felt like some cruel joke. Without hesitation, she tossed the keepsakes into the fireplace and watched them burn.
As for the expensive gifts–diamonds, luxury watches, delicate necklaces, even the mating rings–she lined them up, took photos, and messaged her contact at the resale boutique. She told him to clear them all out.
When she saw the empty jewelry box, it finally sank in–love, no matter how glittering, was worthless once tainted by betrayal.
After another two days, she got the news that her application for joining the closed–door research project had been approved.
She had ten quiet days before the project would begin.
♡ (0)
