Chapter 175 You Cannot Treat Me Like This

Third POV

Zayne’s face turned red with rage. The temperature in the office plummeted as his aura filled the room, making both Mason and Rosalind step back instinctively.

Mason, sensing the dangerous shift in his king’s mood, stepped forward protectively. “How dare you speak about the future Lycan Queen in such a manner?”

“Out,” Zayne said, his voice deadly quiet.

Rosalind’s face lit up with smugness. She turned to Mason with a victorious smile. “Are your ears not working? His Majesty told you to leave.”

She waved her hand dismissively at Mason, as if shooing away a servant. “You can go now. The King and I need to discuss important matters privately.”

Mason looked confused but didn’t move. He glanced at Zayne, waiting for confirmation.

Zayne’s electric blue eyes locked onto Rosalind with an intensity that made her confident smile falter. “I wasn’t talking to Mason.”

The words hit Rosalind like a physical blow. Her mouth fell open slightly.

“I want you out,” Zayne continued, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “Not just from my office. From the royal palace. You are no longer welcome here.”

The photographs fluttered from Rosalind’s suddenly numb fingers, scattering across the marble floor. “What?”

“You heard me correctly.”

Rosalind’s eyes filled with tears as the reality of his words sank in. “Why? Why are you treating me so cruelly?”

She took a shaky step toward him, but Zayne remained unmoved. “Our families have been on good terms for generations. We grew up together!”

“Is that supposed to mean something?” Zayne asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Everyone thought that I was supposed to be your bride,” Rosalind said shakily. “Before you announced that werewolf, I was supposed to be the next queen. Everyone thought—”

“I’ve never acknowledged those rumors,” Zayne coldly said. “In fact, I distinctly remember telling the council that I have no intention of taking you as my bride. Your father should’ve relayed that to you.”

“The council merely wanted what’s best for you,” Rosalind said, her tears welling in her eyes. “I want what’s best for you.”

“And so you’ve decided to have someone follow my fiancée?” Zayne asked coldly. “Who gave you the right?”

“I was only doing it for your own good!” Rosalind’s voice cracked with desperation. “I just wanted you to know what sort of person she really is. You ought to know what sort of woman you’re marrying before you regret it later.”

Her tears began to fall freely. “Mates are for life, Zayne. Don’t you understand what you’re throwing away? I know that you’re upset at the council for your childhood, but that doesn’t mean that you go against them at every turn now as an adult. They might actually be looking out for you!”

Mason sucked in a cold gasp of air through his teeth. He worriedly looked at Zayne. Zayne’s childhood was a sore subject. If it weren’t for the council and some of the members of nobility, Zayne would’ve grown up as a proper prince. He wouldn’t have spent his childhood wandering the streets, fighting just to live to the next day.

True enough, Zayne’s expression darkened even further.

“Who are you to meddle in my affairs?” Zayne’s voice was like ice. “What authority do you have?”

Rosalind stepped back as if he’d slapped her. Her face went pale as she finally realized something. “You… you already knew, didn’t you?”

The realization dawned on her features. “You knew she was still entangled with another man, and yet you chose to ignore it. Why? Why would you do this?”

Zayne remained silent, his expression giving nothing away.

“Answer me!” Rosalind cried, her composure completely shattered. “Why are you willing to overlook such humiliation? She’s making a fool of you!”

Still, Zayne said nothing. His silence seemed to break something inside Rosalind.

“This is insane,” she whispered, then her voice rose again. “You’re willing to throw away everything we could have had together for someone who doesn’t even respect you?”

Mason watched the exchange with growing discomfort. He’d never seen Rosalind so unhinged, and Zayne’s cold fury was equally unsettling.

“Security will escort you off the premises,” Zayne said finally. “You are not to set foot into the palace ever again, even if you’re invited by any member of the council, or even my grandmother.”

“No,” Rosalind shook her head frantically. “You can’t mean this. We’ve known each other since we were children. I… I’ve loved you for years!”

Zayne remained silent. One look and it was obvious enough that he didn’t feel the same for her. In fact, everyone could tell that this had always been one-sided wishful thinking.

Rosalind’s tears turned to desperate anger. “She’ll never love you the way I do! She’s already chosen someone else over you!”

“That’s enough,” Zayne’s voice carried a warning that made even Mason tense.

“You’re making a mistake,” Rosalind said, her voice breaking.

“Mason,” Zayne said, turning to walk to the desk.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You know what to do.”

“You can’t do this!” Rosalind screamed, all pretense of nobility abandoned. “My family has supported the royal family for generations. I grew up with you; we were childhood friends! You cannot just treat me like this for a stranger!”