I walked calmly to the desk and placed my resignation letter down. Speaking as if nothing unusual had happened, I said, “I’ve already discussed my resignation with you, Xavien. Preparing for travel takes time, so I won’t be coming to the office starting tomorrow. Of course, I will make sure to complete the handover of my duties.”
Xavien avoided my gaze. “Do whatever you want,” he muttered.
“Good,” I replied briefly. Then, with a slow, deliberate smile, I shifted my eyes to Cira and back to Xavien. “Please continue with your… meeting.” I bit the last word sharply.
I had barely taken two steps when Cira’s high-pitched voice sliced through the air behind me. “Whether you continue or not is none of your business! Celina, who do you think you are? Xavien doesn’t love you anymore. He loves me now. The one who should leave is-“
“SILENCE!” Xavien’s shout cut her off abruptly.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain composed.
Straightening my spine, I turned back toward them. “Let her speak. I’m curious to hear just how shameless the Shadow Pack’s daughter can be.” My gaze locked on Cira. “Love him or not, you’re nothing but a mistress. And the fact that I can push open this door means I can expose you for the disgrace you are, nailed to the pillar of shame for all to see. Understand?”
“How dare you call me cheap!” Cira snarled, fury blazing in her eyes as she charged at me.
Without hesitation, I slapped her hard across the face. When she lunged again, I yanked the towel from her body and shoved her down to the floor by her head.
Before I could react further, a sudden, powerful force yanked me backward.
I lost my footing, stumbling until my lower back slammed painfully against the sharp corner of the desk. The agony was immediate and overwhelming; cold sweat broke out across my skin, and I couldn’t even find the strength to cry out.
Celina
Without hesitation, Xavien swiftly took off his suit jacket and carefully wrapped it around Cira’s bare shoulders as she collapsed onto the floor, her sobs loud and raw, tears streaming down her face in a dramatic outburst.
Watching this entire scene unfold, a bitter laugh almost escaped my lips. The irony was almost too much to bear-eight years of shared moments, loyalty, and honesty, all shattered by a fleeting moment of pleasure he found with another woman.
At that moment, Xavien didn’t spare me a single glance. His entire being-mind and body-was wholly devoted to protecting a woman who had betrayed him.
A sharp, searing pain radiated through my lower back, as if it might snap in two, but the ache in my heart from humiliation and betrayal was far worse. It constricted my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
“Celina, get the hell out of here!” Xavien’s voice thundered, harsh and unforgiving, completely oblivious to the deathly pallor that had overtaken my face.
Beta Henric, snapping out of his shock, hurried to my side, steadying me as I swayed. “Are you alright, Luna Celina?” he asked, concern etched on his face.
I clenched my jaw, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. The physical pain was intense, but the sting of betrayal was almost unbearable.
“Xavien, you disgust me,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, thick with hurt and anger.
I pushed away Beta Henric’s hand, refusing to accept help in front of everyone, even though every muscle in my body screamed for support. Pride wouldn’t let me show weakness here.
Xavien’s eyes widened, panic flickering across his face.
“Celina, you’re going to the hospital with Beta Henric right now. Afterward, I want a private conversation about the monstrosity you’ve done to Cira,” he ordered coldly.
Ignoring his command, I steadied myself and turned back toward him, flipping him off with a defiant glare before storming out of the conference room, watching his expression twist in disbelief.
Leaning against the cold metal wall of the elevator for support, I whispered shakily into my phone, “Harlow, I need to end this sooner than we planned. I… I can’t bear to see his face again.”
My voice cracked, choked by the sobs I was desperately trying to hold back. The pain in my back was excruciating, but the wound in my heart felt infinitely worse. I couldn’t face returning to my department in such a shattered state. Instead, I forced myself to leave the building and drive to my new apartment.
Harlow immediately sensed the breaking point in my tone. I heard the rustle of her purse and keys as she moved quickly, footsteps purposeful and urgent. “Where are you?” she asked, her voice thick with concern.
I gave her my address.
“I’m on my way,” she promised without hesitation.
Harlow wasn’t just my divorce attorney-she’d been my closest friend since childhood. She understood me better than anyone else: beneath my calm exterior was a proud, fiercely determined woman. Ever since discovering Xavien’s affair, I had remained composed, methodically preparing for the divorce without ever breaking down in front of her.
For my voice to sound this shattered, she knew something truly devastating had happened.
“That bastard,” she muttered under her breath, fury barely contained.
“I’ll wait for you,” I whispered before ending the call.
Closing my eyes, I leaned heavily against the elevator wall, my long hair falling forward to shield my face from the harsh fluorescent lights. My thoughts spiraled downward into a dark, endless void, pulling me deeper into despair.
I lost track of time.
“Are you done?”
The rich, cool voice cut sharply through the silence, startling me so much I could have sworn I heard a pin drop before it spoke.
My eyes snapped open, and I turned my head in alarm.
Looking up, I took in broad shoulders draped in black fabric, a pale, elegant neck contrasting sharply with the darkness of his clothes. The combination gave him an icy, almost otherworldly beauty.
His deep-set eyes, cold as glaciers, studied me intently.
“It’s you… the guy who rear-ended me last time,” I whispered in recognition, then fell silent, caught in an awkward staring contest.
He seemed slightly amused by my description and frowned slightly. “Call me Sebastian,” he said with a hint of a smile.
Apparently, he had followed me like a shadow from the parking garage into the elevator, where I had claimed a corner and refused to budge.
He leaned forward.
At six-foot-four, he was like an imposing mountain looming over me.
Instinctively, I raised my hand to block him. “What are you d-“
Before I could finish, a perfectly shaped hand gently grasped my arm, palm outward, and moved me aside just enough to reach the fingerprint scanner behind me.
Oh.
Only then did I fully emerge from my mental fog.
The elevator hadn’t moved because I hadn’t pressed any buttons…
And I’d been standing right in front of the fingerprint scanner, blocking him from selecting his floor.
How utterly embarrassing.
Truly mortifying.
The elevator began to ascend.
When the display hit “5,” I discreetly reached out to touch the scanner, noticing the floor he had selected.
Floor 46-the penthouse.
I shifted awkwardly to the side, the atmosphere between us suddenly thick with tension and discomfort.
Just then, a phone vibrated nearby. The smooth, rich voice broke through my swirling thoughts:
“What is it? Hmm? My measurements? Celina asked about them…”
I turned toward him stiffly, feeling as if rusted gears were grinding inside me. My embarrassment had reached such a peak that my vision blurred.
I took a deep breath. “Is this… a bad time?” I asked cautiously.
Sebastian’s expression remained unreadable, like ink etched on stone.
“Ding!”
The elevator doors slid open.
I practically fled out, one hand clutching my injured back as I hurried away.
When Harlow arrived, I was lying face-down on the large bed in my bedroom, having managed to regain some composure.
“What happened?” she asked softly, crouching beside me.
I focused my gaze, trying to gather my scattered thoughts.
–
That strange elevator encounter had unexpectedly pulled me away from my downward spiral of despair. My mind felt clearer now.
I told Harlow everything that had happened at the office, my voice steady despite the pain.
But Harlow was furious.
“You’re still working at Blood Moon Pack, and he’s already brought that vixen into the company? Having sex openly in broad daylight and then physically attacking you?!” Her eyes flashed with anger, her protective instincts flaring fiercely.
“He’s completely lost his mind! Has he become so shameless and vile that he doesn’t even bother hiding it anymore?”
“Celina Moore,” she said firmly, using my full name to show her seriousness, “they’re openly challenging you now. Are you absolutely sure you just want a divorce and nothing more?”
I tried to roll over but winced sharply as a stabbing pain shot through my lower back.
Giving up, I remained lying on my stomach. “You know why I’m doing this. It’s not fear. I want him to understand that I rejected him first. I won’t waste a single moment longing for a man who’s become so corrupt and filthy. I’ll toss him away like the garbage he is.”
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