Chapter 16
[ 518 words ]
Chapter 16:
Ethan was sitting at the table. He had already taken off his suit jacket, leaving only a white shirt with the top buttons undone, looking effortlessly dangerous in a way that made him impossible to ignore. And Ivy was perched on his lap.
Ethan had his head tipped slightly toward her, his expression soft and attentive as he listened to her whisper into his ear.
Ivy’s arms were looped around his neck, their bodies pressed so closely together they looked almost fused.
The next second, she leaned in and kissed Ethan on the cheek.
R𝘦𝘢𝖽 𝘸𝗶𝗍𝗁o𝗎t 𝗶𝘯𝘁𝖾𝘳𝗋u𝘱tі𝗼ո𝘴 𝘰ո gа𝘭ոo𝘷е𝗹ѕ.𝖼o𝗺
Ethan’s POV:
The moment Ivy’s lips touched my cheek, there was no warmth, no affection—only a sharp tightening of my spine and an overpowering impulse to pull away.
As I turned my head slightly, my gaze caught on someone standing in the doorway.
It was Lianne.
She stood there, framed by the dim light from the hallway, her face unreadable.
Yet, despite the distance, I could feel the weight of her eyes drilling into me with an intensity I couldn’t ignore.
Arthur, my wolf, growled in my mind—a low, uneasy sound that echoed my growing unease.
In an instant, a wave of betrayal rushed over me, suffocating in its intensity.
“My apologies. Wrong room.” Lianne’s voice was flat.
She even offered a polite smile, her eyes skimming over both Ivy and me as if we were complete strangers.
I couldn’t stop the rush of irritation that surged within me as I remembered her in another man’s arms earlier. With a cold edge to my voice, I asked, “Dining with a friend?”
“Yes,” she answered shortly, offering no further explanation.
Oscar Harding, a slightly tipsy friend who was already familiar with Lianne, let out a laugh. “Well, if it isn’t Lianne? What have you been up to lately?”
“Busy with the Sparkle advertisement,” she replied, her tone polite but distant.
Oscar laughed again, his finger pointing toward Ivy, who sat on my lap. “What a coincidence. The endorser’s right here. Is this overtime for you?”
Lianne didn’t take the bait. Instead, she walked straight to the table, picked up an empty wine glass, and poured herself half a glass of red wine, all under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room.
“Since we’ve bumped into each other, I’d like to propose a toast.” She raised her glass, her eyes finally meeting mine. Her voice was flat, almost mechanical. “To you, Alpha.”
My fingers tightened around my own glass, the grip so firm my knuckles turned white.
For three years of our marriage, Lianne had called me “Ethan” with such tenderness, even in our most intimate moments, her cheeks flushed with warmth.
But now, that single word—Alpha—felt like a dagger to the heart, severing every thread of intimacy between us. It turned us into nothing more than cold, distant figures, separated by status and duty.
After the toast, Lianne made to leave, but Oscar wouldn’t let it slide. “Hey, Lianne, that’s not fair. You toasted everyone but missed Ivy. She’s, after all, our pack’s future…”
The unspoken meaning of his words lingered in the air, felt by everyone.
“Come on, Lianne. Toast to Ivy. You’ll be working together for a while,” another voice joined in.
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