Chapter 7
[ 1,306 words ]
Chapter 7:
Lianne’s POV:
My heartbeat slammed wildly against my chest as I watched the crumpled ultrasound report stop beside Ethan’s polished shoe.
We were no longer mates.
If Ethan discovered I was carrying his child, the future heir of the Thorn Pack, there was no way he would let me leave peacefully.
He would take my baby away from me. I was certain of it. And I couldn’t allow that to happen.
A burst of panic-driven strength rushed through me. I shoved myself out of Ethan’s arms, lunged forward, and snatched the paper from the floor before he could pick it up. Then I quickly stuffed it deep into my coat pocket.
Ethan’s hand paused midair. “What was that?” His eyes narrowed immediately, suspicion darkening his expression.
My pulse pounded so loudly it nearly drowned out everything else, but I still forced myself to smile. “Nothing. Just an old proposal draft. It’s useless now.”
𝖠𝖽𝖽𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝗇 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗌.𝖼𝗈𝗆
He stared at me for several long seconds. Then he gave a low scoff, seemingly losing interest. Without another question, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me out of the bar.
Outside, he opened the passenger door of his car, clearly expecting me to get in. But I pulled away from him.
“Why are you here?” I asked sharply, unable to hide the caution in my voice.
“Why?” Ethan laughed coldly and tugged at his loosened tie with visible irritation. “You disappeared without saying a word, left the Rejection on the coffee table, resigned from your position at the company. Lianne, stop making a scene. I already came to find you myself. What exactly are you still unhappy about?”
I stared at him in disbelief. So that was what he thought. He believed the Rejection was nothing more than another jealous tantrum.
I slowly clenched my fists and forced myself to stay calm. “This isn’t me making a scene. Ivy’s back now. You’re in love with her, aren’t you? So why not just end the mate bond? Are you actually reluctant to leave me?”
“Of course not,” Ethan answered without the slightest pause. “Now isn’t the right time. A few pack members know you’re my mate. If you suddenly disappear right now, people will blame Ivy and call her a home-wrecker. Is that what you want, Lianne? Do you really want to ruin her reputation like that?”
His words hit me harder than any slap could have. For a moment, all I could do was laugh softly. The sound that came out was empty and bitter.
So this was what mattered to him. Ending our mate bond meant nothing. But protecting Ivy’s image meant everything.
“And don’t misunderstand the situation. Whether the mate bond ends or not is my decision to make. You may not have family left, but you still have friends, don’t you? You can leave if you want, but you’d better think carefully about what might happen to the people around you,” Ethan warned, his voice growing colder.
Rage shook my entire body. He was threatening me with my friends.
But no one understood Ethan’s power better than I did. As the Alpha of the Thorn Pack, there was very little he couldn’t do, especially when it involved protecting Ivy.
In the end, I still got into the car and returned to the villa with him.
I had already made up my mind to leave him. It was only a matter of time before I would finally be free from him completely.
For my friends and for the child growing inside me, I could endure a few more days in hell.
Not only did Ethan refuse to end our bond, but he also canceled my resignation from Voss Group.
For the next several days, I buried myself completely in work. I stayed late at the office whenever I could, avoiding the villa and avoiding Ethan even more.
One morning, the moment I stepped out of the elevator, I ran straight into Nancy Walsh. Out of everyone in Voss Group, she hated me the most.
I knew she was interested in Ethan. She had wanted the position of chief assistant for years, but Ethan rejected her every single time.
Ever since I got the job, she had convinced herself I had only earned it by sleeping with him. And from that day on, she never stopped making things difficult for me.
Nancy walked toward me in sharp heels, her eyes sweeping over my pale face and tired appearance. The delight in her expression was impossible to miss.
“Well, look who it is. You look awful, Lianne. Let me guess… You saw the news this morning, didn’t you? That must’ve hurt.”
“What news? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I frowned.
“Oh, come on. I’m talking about Ethan and Ivy.” Nancy leaned closer, satisfaction practically dripping from her voice. “If I were you, I’d stop embarrassing myself by hanging onto him. Those photos didn’t get released by accident. Ethan approved them. Even the PR statement was written under his instructions. He publicly acknowledged Ivy as the only mate he truly wants. So give it up already. You’ll never replace her.”
Then she walked away in triumph, leaving me frozen where I stood.
The moment I returned to my office, I opened my phone. And then I finally saw it.
At the top of the trending page was a massive headline: “Thorn Pack Alpha Seen Walking Under Moonlight with First Love.”
Below it was a photo of Ethan and Ivy together beneath the night sky.
Ivy smiled brightly beside him, beautiful and radiant. And the way Ethan looked at her was unbearably gentle.
I had already decided to leave him. I had already accepted that he never belonged to me. But seeing those photos still felt like someone had torn open wounds that hadn’t even begun to heal.
My fingers trembled slightly as I continued scrolling through the comments.
“They seriously look perfect together. This is exactly what a power couple should look like.”
“I heard Miss Brooks was Alpha’s true love. Looks like he’s finally making it official.”
“That necklace is gorgeous.”
They didn’t know Ethan already had a mate.
For three whole years, he had hidden me away like something shameful, never once allowing me to stand openly beside him.
At that moment, I finally understood what true despair felt like.
I closed the app and forced myself to focus on work.
Then the office phone rang. Ethan’s cold voice came through immediately. “Come to my office. Now.”
I went upstairs without delay.
The second I stepped inside, I was hit by the stormy expression on his face. He threw his phone onto the desk with a sharp smack and glared at me furiously. “What the hell is going on with that trending article?”
“I don’t know,” I answered flatly.
“You don’t know?” His voice dropped colder with every word. “Those pictures could only have come from someone inside our circle. Did you leak them? Are you really so desperate to destroy Ivy’s reputation? First the stunt you pulled at the hospital, and now this?”
“I’m trying to destroy her reputation?” A bitter laugh almost escaped me as anger and humiliation twisted together inside my chest. Tears stung my eyes. “Ethan, have you forgotten who I am to you? I’m your mate. And now, just to protect Ivy, you’re forcing all the blame onto me?”
“Our bond was a mistake from the beginning. If you want money, property, compensation… just say it. But stop using Ivy to vent your resentment.” He stood up, his voice icy. “Ivy just returned to the country. She needs public support right now. These childish revenge tactics of yours disgust me.”
“Revenge?” I stared at him—the man I had loved desperately for three years. And in that instant, every bit of pain I had forced down, every tear I had swallowed silently, finally burst free.
I rushed toward him, grabbed his collar with both hands, and shouted in his face, “Open your eyes for once, Ethan! I’m the one who’s been hurt here. Ivy is the one who destroyed our marriage.”
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