This marriage had torn me apart, nearly destroyed me. After finally reaching its end, all I wanted was to leave on my own terms. But Xavien couldn’t even grant me that small mercy.
He pushed me until I snapped, shattering everything.
“Celina, after this… will you ever believe in love again?” Harlow asked softly.
Though she was speaking to me, I sensed she was also questioning herself. Had she lost faith too? Was it inevitable that every woman, no matter how beautiful, accomplished, or kind, would eventually be betrayed and hurt?
I hugged my glass close, staring into the peaceful darkness. “I can’t reject every wolf in the world just because one bit me.”
“But I will be afraid. When one tries to approach, I’ll keep my distance.”
Harlow nodded, understanding.
In the end, I knew I wouldn’t trust so easily again.
We finished our drinks and, slightly tipsy, wrapped ourselves in blankets and talked for hours-about happy things, sad things, the past, the present, and the future. We laughed, we cried, and eventually, I drifted to sleep with my arms around her.
–
Morning came.
I wore a trench coat and wheeled my suitcase into the living room.
Harlow hugged me tightly. “Go enjoy your trip without worries. Leave everything else to me. When you return, you’ll have your divorce certificate and be completely free of him.”
“Okay,” I nodded.
I decided to stick to my original travel plans. Though leaving Harlow to handle everything felt selfish, I desperately needed to escape-to go anywhere but here.
My flight was scheduled for eight a.m.
Harlow had planned to drive me to the airport but received a call from the police station: Xavien’s charges had been dropped, and he would be released within thirty minutes.
I left the apartment with my luggage.
While waiting for a taxi outside the building, my phone rang from an unknown number. I stared at it, an instinct telling me not to answer.
At that moment, a silver-topped Maybach glided smoothly from the complex and stopped right in front of me.
The driver’s window lowered, revealing Lian’s kindly face. “Celina, where are you headed?”
I looked up, momentarily surprised, and answered truthfully, “To the airport.”
“That’s just as well,” he said. “We’re going to the airport too, on the way.”
Celina
I was caught off guard when Lian suddenly appeared. “I already called a taxi,” I said, surprised by his arrival.
“Cancel it,” he replied smoothly, stepping out of the sleek car with a warm smile. Before I could protest, he took my suitcase and placed it carefully in the trunk.
If it weren’t for the luxury of his vehicle, anyone passing by might have mistaken the scene for a mugging.
With practiced ease, Lian opened the back door for me. “Come on, don’t be shy. We’re heading the same way.”
His enthusiasm was infectious, and though it felt a bit awkward to have someone of his status open the door for me, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse his kindness. I thanked him quietly and slid into the backseat.
On the other side of the car sat Sebastian.
He was dressed casually-no tie, no jacket-just a crisp light blue shirt paired with black trousers and polished shoes. The look was understated but undeniably sharp.
The morning sunlight filtered through the window, catching the silver gleam of his cufflinks. The soft light cast a pale glow over his shirt, making him seem almost ethereal-cool, composed, and distant.
I smoothed the hem of my trench coat, trying to steady the sudden quickening of my heartbeat in his presence.
“Good morning,” I said, keeping my voice calm and even.
We sat far enough apart to avoid any accidental closeness-no touching, no false familiarity-but despite the space, a silent tension seemed to pull the air tighter between us.
Sebastian gave a slight nod.
Polite. Dismissive. Effortless.
I pressed my lips together, swallowing the small wave of embarrassment that crept up inside me.
Of course-the warm, approachable demeanor he showed in public was just a fa?ade. Beneath it lay the cold detachment that was his true nature.
And why wouldn’t it be? He was born into power, raised among wolves who ruled through silence and bloodlines. Charm was unnecessary when you had legacy.
The car pulled back onto the road, merging smoothly with the morning traffic.
I looked down at my phone, starting to cancel my other rides.
“Going on a trip?” Sebastian’s low, clear voice broke the silence.
I turned toward him instinctively, answering without hesitation, “Yes.”
“Where to?”
“Iceland.”
His questions were surprisingly detailed. Strange-Alphas usually didn’t waste time on small talk. Maybe he was just bored.
I expected him to drop the topic, but he added thoughtfully, “That’s quite far.”
“Yes, it is,” I admitted, feeling a little awkward.
“Was this trip planned well in advance, or was it a last-minute decision?” he asked, his tone suddenly more approachable.
I began to answer naturally, “Of course, it was planned-“
But halfway through, I stopped abruptly. Suddenly, I remembered I had recently asked him for a job. A woman with a long-planned trip applying for employment-how ridiculous that must sound.
My face flushed with embarrassment as I silently prayed he wouldn’t recall.
But the friendly expression faded from his face, replaced by something sharper. He had remembered.
No-he was setting a trap.
At that moment, Beta Sawyer, seated in the front passenger seat, poured gasoline on the fire. “So, Celina, have you given up on your job application?”
I wanted to disappear. Shrinking beneath the leather seat seemed like a perfectly reasonable option.
Feeling embarrassed and a little stung, I whispered, “I was going to cancel the trip if the job application went through, but since Alpha Sebastian rejected me…”
It was the truth. I needed the space. But if I had been hired, I would have rearranged everything. Easily.
“What if I’ve changed my mind?” Sebastian’s voice was calm and controlled, but his eyes were sharp, unreadable.
My breath caught. “You mean… I’ve been hired?”
My voice sounded breathless and disbelieving, even to myself.
Now? While I was already on my way to the flight?
He didn’t answer directly, but the corner of his mouth twitched into a subtle, almost playful smile.
“Weren’t you going on a trip?”
I blinked, the meaning sinking in a moment too late.
But I haven’t left yet!
“I can cancel the trip. I can start work right away,” I said quickly, sitting straighter. My voice held more confidence now.
Only a fool would turn down an opportunity like this.
“Right away?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, immediately,” I replied without hesitation.
He studied me for a moment, then smiled.
“I just thought Iceland was too far.”
There it was again-that layered meaning. Distance, loyalty, escape.
He exchanged a glance with Sawyer, who had been listening intently.
Beta Sawyer spoke up, “Celina, if you can start today, that would be perfect. Once we board the plane, I’ll brief you on the exact itinerary for this business trip.”
I felt a bit dazed.
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