Chapter 162

I didn’t even realize I had collapsed against the door until I felt the wood press against my back. My breath came in shallow and uneven gasps, my fingers gripping the fabric of my dress so hard I thought it might tear.
The sound of them… of him —was unmistakable now. The quiet creak of the bed. The rhythm of it. Rosa’s breathless little noises, so sickeningly sweet, so full of pleasure.
And Axel.
Axel.
The same Axel who had kissed me. The same Axel who had made me believe..
I pressed my hand against my mouth, forcing myself not to make a sound.
I couldn’t believe this.
I wouldn’t believe this.
But the proof was right there, behind that door, sinking into my ears, making me feel like something inside me was being ripped apart, piece by piece.
He said he cared about me.
He marked me.
And now… now he was in there with her?
The betrayal was unbearable. It was a deep, gnawing pain that settled in my chest like a wound that would never heal.
It would never heal.
And as if the universe hadn’t humiliated me enough, footsteps began to approach.
I barely had time to lift my head before I saw them, the maids. They stopped when they saw me sitting there, and then… they smiled.
” Oh, look at this, ” one of them cooed.
” Señorita María José, waiting so patiently for her beloved Beta Axel. What a sight! ”
A few others giggled.
I said nothing. I couldn’t. Newest update provıded by.net
I sat there, staring at the floor, my whole body numb.
” Tell me, ” another one sneered. ” Did you actually think a nobleman like Beta Axel would settle for a useless little Omega like you? ”
Laughter boomed through the group.
” She really thought she was special, didn’t she? ”
” Poor thing. Sitting here like a stray dog, waiting for scraps. ”
” Maybe she should listen a little closer—hear just how much he prefers Lady Rosa. ”
I flinched.
They giggled again, then walked past me. Soon enough, their laughter faded into the distance and I was again left alone to bask in the soundtrack of Rosa and Axel’s sexual intercourse.
I wished I had something to throw at them. Something sharp. Something that would make them bleed.
But I had nothing.
I was nothing.
I pressed my forehead against my knees, my chest tight.
I had thought this was going to be different. It wasn’t.
However, I wasn’t going to move an inch from here until I had spoken to Axel, and he rejected me to my face.
.
.
I don’t know how long I sat there.
Minutes. Hours. An eternity.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and still, the sounds continued. The rhythmic creaking. The low, breathy moans. The occasional gasp, muffled laughter.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn’t matter. The sounds had already carved themselves into my skull, playing on a loop in a cruel and inescapable torment.
How much longer could they possibly go on?
Was Axel using his supernatural stamina?
Were they stopping for water breaks? A snack?
I hated myself for even wondering.
I shifted against the door, my legs stiff and aching from sitting for so long. The maids had passed through a few more times, each more delighted than the last to find me still here, still humiliated, still pathetic.
I ignored them. I ignored everything.
All I could do was wait.
And suffer.
It wasn’t until the moon had fully risen that the door finally creaked open.
My entire body tensed.
A rush of cool air hit me first, the scent of sweat and perfume entered the hallway first. Then, them.
Axel stepped out first, his broad frame making my stomach ache as I pictured it on Rosa, rocking her all day. His dark hair was a little disheveled, his shirt slightly unbuttoned, as if he hadn’t even bothered to straighten himself before leaving.
Behind him was Rosa.
Her hair was effortlessly perfect, cascading over her shoulders like she had just stepped out of a painting. Her dress, which she had most certainly not been wearing earlier was practically announcing what had just transpired.
She caught sight of me instantly.
Her lips curled into something that was supposed to be a smile but was far too sharp and far too satisfied.
“Oh, my sweet little Hermana. What are you doing here like some kind of creep?”
I barely looked at her. I couldn’t. I didn’t give a damn about her, frolicking with a man who had marked her sisters
All my focus for now – everything —was on Axel.
His eyes met mine.
For the briefest moment, something flashed across his face. Surprise? Guilt?
It was gone before I could name it.
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to work. “I need to talk to you.”
Axel exhaled slowly, as I had just presented him with a particularly tedious task. “Not now, María José.”
How could he say no to me? How could he?
“Please.” I took a step closer shamelessly. “Just for a moment.”
His expression remained cold and indifferent, but I didn’t miss the way his fingers twitched at his sides, as if he was resisting the urge to reach for me.
Rosa, of course, was thrilled by this.
She gasped, clutching Axel’s arm as if I had just attacked him with a knife. “Are you serious?” she scoffed. “You’re still here, begging? This is pathetic, María José. I love you so much, so maybe it’s high time you learn to return my sisterly love!”
I ignored her.
She hated that.
Axel sighed, rubbing his temple. “María José, go to your room.”
Go to my room? What did he expect? That I’d return to living my life like nothing happened? Like I’d overlook all of this and pretend like I was bearing his mark, like I wasn’t on the verge of losing myself and my life. Like Father wouldn’t marry me off to a rogue should they discover my secret. Our secret.
I shook my head, reaching for his arm once again. “Not until you talk to me.”
I meant it.