Chapter 22

Calvin’s POV
Clara’s call came through on my work phone, which happened to be connected to the computer system. The entire boardroom was focused on the presentation when it happened.
The presenter’s face paled as Clara’s call came through, his finger slipping and accidentally accepting it. But what echoed through the conference room speakers wasn’t Clara’s voice,it was Evelyn’s. Her words about first kisses, first nights, first marriage, and fatherhood cut through the air with crystal clarity.
Every word that followed was equally distinct. The silence in the room was deafening as my team kept their heads down, not daring to look at me. The expensive sound system in the Wolfe Haven International boardroom was too damn good – I could hear every pause, every breath in Evelyn’s voice.
Crack.
The pen in my hand snapped in two. Zeon immediately disconnected the call, but the damage was done.
I swept the room with an icy gaze, feeling Cyra, my wolf, snarling within me. When I spoke, my voice was cold and angry.
“Continue the meeting.”
Three simple words, yet the room temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. My wolf was restless, agitated by hearing our ex-mate’s words.
I couldn’t afford to show weakness here, not in front of my pack members.
Alpha never shows weakness.
Evelyn’s POV
After sending away a furious Clara, I returned to the restaurant to join my children for dinner. Back in our suite at Lakeside Resort, the three of them tumbled around with pillows, playing and giggling.
Astrid waited until I finished my shower before returning to her own room. I played with the children for a while before starting our bedtime routine. After a full day of activities, their energy was nearly depleted. They fell asleep before I could even finish one bedtime story.
I closed the door quietly behind me and settled in the living room to respond to messages. Eryx had worked efficiently, sending me information on several attorneys that afternoon. I carefully reviewed each profile, selecting the most experienced one, and asked Eryx to arrange a meeting.
As drowsiness began to overtake me, I was startled by a knock at the door. Glancing at the clock, eleven at night. Definitely not Astrid.
For some reason, an image of Calvin flashed through my mind, though I immediately dismissed it.
Yet when I peeked through the peephole, there he stood-tall, broad-shouldered, with those sharp features partially concealed by the dim hallway light.
I opened the door. A strong smell of whiskey hit me right away. It filled the air so much I could barely smell his usual minty scent.
I wrinkled my nose instinctively. I’d never liked the smell of alcohol, and my distaste must have shown in my eyes.
His dark eyes fixed on me like a hawk studying its prey. The usually cold, distant expression now held something unfathomable as he remained silent, just watching me.
“Alpha Calvin I said softly, unsure why he was here in the middle of the night, saying nothing.
Calvin’s mouth twisted into a bitter smirk, the coldness reaching his eyes. Something flickered across his face at my formal address, some emotion I couldn’t quite identify.
Without a word, he strode past me into the room. Even after all this time, I couldn’t help noticing how perfectly the black suit fit his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He’d always worn suits better than any man I’d known.
He stopped only inches from me, and I instinctively backed up.
His steps were slow, deliberate.
Then, in a slightly slurred voice, he said, “So… you still remember our first night.”
I froze. My breath hitched.
“Clara told you that?” I asked in disbelief.
He gave a humorless laugh as he stepped closer.
“No, Evelyn.” He murmured. “I didn’t need Clara to tell me anything. I heard every word. Every damn word… broadcasted straight into the boardroom.”
My stomach sank.So that’s why Clara provoked me. She was on the phone with Calvin at that exact moment.
I turned to move past him, desperate to escape the weight of his gaze, but he cut me off.
One hand braced against the wall beside my head, the other slipping around my waist with familiar ease.
I backed up until I hit the wall.
He leaned in, his scent flooding my senses.
“You really shouldn’t have said that,” he whispered, eyes blazing. “Because now I can’t stop remembering… how inexperienced I was that night. How eager. How starved.”
His lips brushed the shell of my ear. “You trembled under me, Evelyn. You gasped like no one had ever touched you before.”
His fingers grazed my waist, slow and deliberate.
“Every kiss. Every touch. Every sound you made… I memorized it.”
My knees weakened, but I refused to look away.
“That’s in the past,” I whispered, more to convince myself than him.
He tilted his head. “Is it?”
A cruel smile touched his lips. His fingers trailed down to my thigh, the intimate touch making my breath catch.
“Then why are you shaking, Evelyn?” His touch wasn’t rough, but it wasn’t gentle either. He knew exactly what he was doing.
“Tell me,” he whispered, “the woman who taught me everything… does she ever think about those nights?”
I could feel my knees weakening, heart pounding erratically in my chest.
He was angry, I could feel it simmering just beneath his teasing words, but he wasn’t growling. He was maintaining tight control, which somehow made him even more dangerous.
He didn’t need to. His proximity alone was enough to break me apart.
“You should go,” I bit my lip, trying to push him back with the last of my restraint.
“Go?” he laughed bitterly. “Right. After all, you rejected me three years ago. So I’ll leave now.”
Before I could push him away, Calvin went into the bedroom and emerged carrying both boys.
In seconds, he was crossing to the suite opposite mine, the door closing firmly behind him.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the closed door across the hall.
The silence in the suite felt deafening now.
A minute ago, he had me pinned against the wall, breath hot on my skin, whispering words meant to unravel me. And now… he was gone. With the boys.
As if none of it had happened.
I slowly exhaled, my fingers trembling slightly as I brushed back my hair. The scent of him still lingered.
I thought about our mateship years ago and shook my head. Distance from this man had been the best thing for me.
I turned to go back to my bedroom, but hesitated. The boys were with their father, and I shouldn’t worry. Yet I couldn’t forget the strong smell of alcohol on him.