Chapter 3
After finishing my IV, I felt worse instead of better. My legs wobbled as I tried to leave the hospital, my vision blurring with every step.
Alpha Esmond still hadn’t returned.
Reluctantly, I decided to telepath him. As much as I hated relying on him, it was better than fainting in a hospital corridor.
When his voice filtered into my mind, it carried an irritating casualness.
“Nancy? Still at the hospital?”
“Yes, I replied curtly.
When he heard I was still at the hospital, he
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paused for a moment.
“I’m sorry, Nancy,” Alpha Esmond finally said. “I planned to come back after taking Carly home, but her stomach started acting up, so
Before he could finish, I overheard him “Carly, that’s too cold. You have a stomach problem now so you can’t order it.”
Though Alpha Esmond quickly stopped, I’d already heard it all.
“It’s fine. I’m on my own–I can manage.”
I said it to reassure myself and to reassure him.
Just as I was about to Cut the telepathy, he suddenly called out my name, “Nancy, just head home. I’ll explain everything later.”
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Explain what? More empty promises? Another excuse to keep me tethered while he played hero for Carly?
I ended the telepathic link without a word and arranged for a driver to take me home.
That night, Alpha Esmond didn’t come back.
I stayed awake, the crackling of distant fireworks mocking me from the darkness. Giving up on sleep, I picked up my tablet and resumed sketching a custom house design for a client.
My fingers swiped across the screen, accidentally opening the chat app on the tablet. A new post popped up.
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It was from Carly.
A beautiful shot of fireworks bursting against the night sky, captioned with poetic words:
“After half a lifetime away, I return to you. And here, the fireworks bloom, a welcome in all its glory!”
I stared at the post, bile rising in my throat. Then I noticed something that made my stomach drop.
The app was logged into Alpha Esmond’s account.
Of course. He’d used my tablet before and never bothered to log out.
I had no interest in their flirtations or his excuses. Without a second glance, I logged
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out and tossed the tablet aside.
+ 5 Points
The next morning, after forcing down a lukewarm breakfast, I arrived at the Red Moon Packhouse on time to finalize my resignation.
The Officer held my resignation letter, her expression a mix of happiness and wistfulness.
“So, you’re going back home to get married? I’m losing one of my best team members.“”
I managed a weak smile, giving her a hug. “Thank you for everything. You’ve been amazing.”
Formalities over, my colleagues insisted on a farewell lunch. They wouldn’t take no for an
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answer, so I picked a restaurant Esmond and I used to frequent. The food was good, and I was too drained to think of anywhere else.
Halfway through the meal, I excused myself to go to the restroom. That’s when I ran into her.
Omega Carly.
She greeted me with a warm, almost mocking smile. ” Alpha Nancy! What a surprise. Didn’t expect to see you here!”
Her voice was honeyed, but my wolf stirred uneasily.
“You know,” she continued, her tone deliberately casual, “this was the restaurant Esmond first brought me to back in college.
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We’ve been here so many times.”
I gave her a polite nod, already turning to leave
But she wasn’t done.
“Wait” she called out, her voice tinged with amusement. “I noticed something last time. Alpha Esmond always rinses your shrimp in water before peeling it for you. Do you also not eat spicy food?”
Her emphasis on *also* made me freeze.
The truth? I love spicy food. But Alpha Esmond always insisted on rinsing the shrimp, claiming it wasn’t healthy for a girl to eat too much spice. I’d believed it was his way of looking out for me.
Now I realized it was simply a habit.
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Not for me. For Omega Carly.
My wolf growled low in my chest, but I forced myself to stay composed.
