第11章
I couldn’t help but frown when I sensed Grayson’s approach. The familiar scent of his cologne mixed with desperation hit me
before I even turned around.
I quickened my pace, speaking more urgently to my beta assistant.
“Make sure the northeastern boundary markers are placed exactly where I marked on the map. Any deviation could cause
territorial disputes later.”
“Yes, Ma’am. What about the mineral rights survey?”
“Schedule it for next week. I want everything documented properly before we proceed.”
My assistant nodded and hurried away, leaving me alone with the man I’d once called mate.
J
Grayson had been waiting for over an hour, I could tell by his restless energy. But surprisingly, his face didn’t show the
impatience it used to. Instead, he looked almost… broken.
His usually perfect hair was disheveled. His expensive suit was wrinkled and mud-stained. Dark circles ringed his eyes like he
hadn’t slept in days.
He approached slowly, as if I might bolt at any sudden movement.
In his hands was a familiar coffee cup from my favorite café downtown.
“Aria,” his voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of pleading I’d never heard before. “This is your favorite iced latte. Extra shot, oat
milk, no sugar.”
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I stared at the cup, memories flooding back of mornings when he used to bring me coffee in bed. Back when he paid attention to
small details like how I liked my drinks.
“I…” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I’m sorry. I was impulsive before. Cruel. Stupid.”
His hands were actually shaking as he held out the cup.
“I apologize to you. For everything. I hope you’ll give me a chance to make amends.”
“As long as you take back the hunting grounds you gave to Logan, I can hand the entire pack over to you to manage. I’ll step
down. Be your beta, your assistant, whatever you want. Aria, I’m sincere.”
The desperation in his voice was almost painful to hear.
But I felt nothing.
My expression turned ice cold as I looked at the coffee cup, then back at his face.
“I haven’t been able to drink cold beverages for a long time,” I said flatly. “Stomach problems. Stress-induced ulcers, actually.”
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I handed the coffee back to him, watching his face crumble as he realized he didn’t even know about my health issues.
+25 Bonus
“Also, I didn’t give away the hunting grounds. If an Alpha can’t manage his pack members properly, shouldn’t he reflect on his own problems instead of blaming me?”
“You want to know where your precious territories went? Ask your lying secretary who’s been selling pack secrets for months.”
Grayson’s face went white.
“I don’t need your pack,” I continued, my voice gaining strength. “I’m building my own. Something better. Something clean.”
His humble expression froze completely, like I’d slapped him.
“What do you mean?” His voice cracked. “Are you talking about Stella?”
The name hung in the air between us like a curse.
Remembering Stella’s calculated tears at the hospital, panic suddenly gripped him.
He fumbled for his phone with shaking fingers and quickly dialed her number.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
“Come on, pick up,” he muttered desperately.
Nothing.
He tried again, his anxiety mounting with each unanswered ring.
Still nothing.
His expression rapidly darkened as the implications sank in.
I didn’t have time to waste watching him piece together his own stupidity.
I turned to leave, but my wrist was suddenly grabbed in a grip that was firm but not painful.
“Wait, Aria. Please.” His voice broke on my name. “Can you give me a chance to explain?”
I looked down at his hand on my wrist, then up at his face.
“Explain what, exactly?”
“The dissolution agreement was my impulse. I was angry, hurt, confused. I never actually thought about separating from you permanently. This is all just a misunderstanding.”
He was babbling now, words tumbling over each other.
“I’ve never wronged you trust me. You’re carrying our pup now, you can’t be without someone to care for you. I can change, I can be better, I can-”
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“Can what?” A new voice cut through his desperate plea.
Before Grayson could finish his sentence, another hand wrapped around my shoulders with confident familiarity.
Logan appeared beside me like he’d materialized from thin air, his challenging gaze meeting Grayson’s shocked eyes.
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“The pup has already been terminated,” Logan said conversationally, as if discussing the weather. “What, didn’t you know, Mr.
Gray?”
