Chapter 144

Chapter 144:

Days blurred together, and Ryder became a ghost, barely seen or heard from. Kade assumed the role of his errand boy, delivering Ryder’s clothes and essentials to wherever it was he was now staying.

Breakfast was the most dreadful activity so far, but I couldn’t remain in bed sulking every day. I had to see Ryder at least. Perhaps his anger toward me had lessened over the days. With this brave front put up, I settled into my usual spot beside Ryder. The nervousness that left me queasy had me acting silly—hopefully no one was observant enough to notice.

“Morning,” I said, trying to sound cheerful as I flicked my eyes at him. An empty silence was his response. He wasn’t even being hostile this time around… he was ignoring me, point blank.

I glanced around the table, and my eyes fell on Isabelle sitting across from us, a smug smile on her annoyingly pretty face aimed directly at me as she puffed out her chest. I rolled my eyes at her sight. She was the least of my problems for now. Ryder had invited her, I was certain of it. My grip on my glass tightened as I forced myself to gulp down some water. So this was his way of punishing me.

“Good morning, everyone,” Isabelle chimed in, her voice dripping with sweetness.

Ryder murmured an inaudible response, but his gaze never met mine. For someone whose eyes were usually all over the place, he seemed to be entirely focused on his food.

I let out a sigh, determined to focus on my breakfast, but Isabelle’s scornful gaze pinned me down, making my skin crawl as she watched me like a hawk, her lips curling at the corners with every move I made. Really? Every bite felt like a challenge. I wanted to scream and tell her she was being ridiculous, but instead, I looked away.

“So, Ryder, how’s the Pack doing?” Isabelle asked, her voice laced with the annoying tone I associated with Ryder’s fiancée.

Ryder launched into a detailed report, completely ignoring me.

“And what about you, Jasmine?” Isabelle asked, leaning forward as she placed her chin on her palms, her voice dripping with spite. “Enjoying the… views around here p>

Stay tuned for more

Her emphasis on “views” was a clear jab. Ryder knew it, too—anyone around could tell she didn’t care about that—but he said nothing.

I pushed my plate away, my appetite gone. “I’m done.” I wasn’t going to let this silly guilt make me endure more mental breakdowns because Ryder was bent on giving me the silent treatment.

Ryder didn’t bat an eyelid.

“Any more coffee?” Isabelle asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she winked at him.

Ryder poured her a refill, their hands touching briefly. Right, that was it. I pushed my seat back noisily and headed for the hallway. I’d spent almost a week crying; I wasn’t going to crack in front of him, and especially not in front of Isabelle.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. With the tip of my finger, I pushed them back. That was going to be my last breakfast with them.

Life without Ryder was a special kind of misery, one that hollowed me out a little more with each passing day. I told myself I was fine—that I’d get through this on my own—but every time my mind drifted to him, the weight of missing him pressed on me like a leaden blanket. My life had always been built around resilience, around pushing through pain, but Ryder was something different. Losing him felt like losing a piece of myself I hadn’t realized I needed until it was too late.

Still, I tried to focus on my goals, to keep myself grounded. My plan was simple: work, get my salary, and go back to my pack. At least then, I could retrieve my necklace, the one thing that still held some sentimental connection between us. Maybe it would make him happy to know I hadn’t given up entirely, even if I couldn’t stay.

But what about me? How did I feel? Was I willing to walk away from him completely? I was beginning to think I had no choice.

That morning, work was as uneventful as ever. Ryder had stopped picking me up. It stung, but I couldn’t say I was surprised. Instead, he’d delegated that small task to Kade, his beta, as though I were some errand that had to be managed. The mere thought twisted my stomach. Was this how little I mattered to him? I wanted to believe that sending Kade was his way of caring in some distant, detached way, but Kade was just as infuriatingly closed off. Any questions about Ryder’s whereabouts, how he was doing, or what he was thinking were met with the same curt, emotionless answers. “He’s fine.” Three words, as cold as ice, were all I got.