3

I stepped aside to avoid his hand, pouring a spoonful of oil into the pan: “No need, you two eat together. I'll just cook some noodles for myself.”

“What kind of attitude is that?” He frowned, his tone suddenly turning cold. “I specifically arranged this, and you insist on giving me that face?!”

I turned my back to him, not stopping my noodle cooking. But this unexpectedly enraged Gabriel.

“Is this because I abandoned you and we didn't complete our honeymoon?” He suddenly stepped forward, water droplets from his wet hair splashing onto my neck and arms, cold and sticky. “The pack was invaded by rogue wolves! That's a matter of life and death! As Alpha, how could I not care?! It's just one honeymoon trip, do you have to make such an endless fuss?! I said I'd make it up to you later!”

His movements were large, water trickling down his hair and splashing all over me.

I raised my hand and clicked off the roaring stove with a “snap.” The kitchen instantly fell into tense silence. Turning around, I looked directly into his eyes that were churning with impatience: “Gabriel, was the pack really invaded yesterday? Did you go to resist the rogue wolf invasion or to accompany your Omega secretary?”

“What do you mean?!” He roared angrily. “What filthy things are you fantasizing about in your head all day?! Victoria is just a new Omega secretary! She's unfamiliar with pack affairs, so as Alpha, what's wrong with me taking extra care of her?! You're the one with a dirty mind, seeing everything as filthy!”

I didn't even have time to argue. He had already eagerly, almost reflexively, cleared Victoria of any involvement. This urgency was itself the loudest answer.

A sharp, hollow pain shot through my stomach. I collapsed weakly into the cold sofa, my voice hoarse from long hunger and exhaustion: “Gabriel, I haven't eaten anything all day.”

Instead of continuing to argue with him, I endured my hunger and went to the cupboard to find food. He brought out several packages of junk food from the room and placed them in front of me. “Just eat something to tide you over, don't eat too much or you won't be able to eat dinner later.”

The concern in his eyes was genuine. I truly admired his acting skills.

At this moment, I only felt ironic.

“Don't we need to wait until your... Omega secretary arrives to eat dinner together?”

Facing my inquiry, Gabriel, who had already turned around, immediately turned back. This time the hope in his eyes was real, bright with light.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

In every choice, Victoria was always the priority.

How pitiful that I only see reality now.

After getting my answer, Gabriel hurriedly rushed into the kitchen.

I smiled bitterly and tore open a bag of chips, carelessly tossing them into my mouth.

My phone's social media contact page showed a new friend request.

It was Victoria. I recognized her profile picture immediately - it was a silhouette of Gabriel and her together.

The verification message read: “Aren't you curious why the Alpha wanted to give you a bag today? Do you know where he slept last night? I really admire you. Your mate has already fallen in love with someone else, yet you act like nothing happened.”

“The Alpha gave me a bunch of bags a few days ago. There was one I didn't like, and he just asked me to bring that unwanted bag to you.”

I clicked on her social media profile. It was full of photos with Gabriel. In several, the two were especially intimate, almost cheek to cheek. They looked like the real mates.

After accepting the friend request, Victoria sent many more photos. There were pictures of them making heart shapes under rare fireworks, holding hands watching the sunset. Finally, there was a kissing photo and prominently displayed matching rings.

Those were the ring designs I had seen on Gabriel's desk two months ago.

When we bonded, it was too rushed. We didn't even have a pair of mating rings.

When I saw the design, I didn't ask him about it. I just quietly hid this expectation in my heart. Sometimes when I glimpsed him staring thoughtfully at his drawer, I would secretly wonder when he might give them to me.

Last week, I saw him leaving with a ring box. He didn't say what he was doing, and I didn't ask. I assumed he was picking up the finished custom pieces. I even secretly planned in my heart what dress to wear when he gave them to me to make them look beautiful.

But now, the rings were on someone else's hands, given by him to the person he truly wanted to give them to.

“Oh my, when the Alpha went to get these rings, I thought they looked perfect on me when I saw them, so I casually asked about them. The Alpha ended up giving them to me. Luna, you're not angry, are you?”

She sent a bunch of passive-aggressive messages. I closed my phone and ignored them all.