A cruel deception

Honestly,

I hate rich people. No—Allergic to them.

Yet, I fell in love with a rich man who made my life pretty much tormenting.

"Where did you go off? I told you don't make a—!"

"I know." I cut in, my voice shaky, "That was what I was doing when you held your lover's waist in front of the reporters and left me in the middle of hundreds of cameras."

Alessandro froze. His eyes widened as if I'd slapped him across the face.

The realization hit me too—but instead of pain, there was a numbness curling in my chest. I knew I deserved that money for working the last three years, but right now, none of it seemed worth it. I was exhausted. Tired of pretending. Tired of being someone else's shadow.

Alessandro rubbed his forehead, his eyes flicking around as if searching for something to anchor him. I braced for the storm—for the lashing words, for his usual dominance to kick in. But instead, he leaned against the wall and looked at me.

"Since she came back, I had little control over my mind."

He didn't blame me. Didn't shout. Didn't accuse me of causing a scene. What was happening here?

"Sorry for that. I really thought you were following us. But… it has no excuse since I messed up myself."

For a moment, I stared. Maybe he wasn’t as blind as I’d thought. Not like the others. And truth be told, he hadn’t treated me unfairly—not really. Over the last three years, he'd paid off all my debts, with interest. Those loan sharks? Gone.

The only times he lost control were when I broke his rules… or when his wolf was in heat. He had paid me more than enough every month for acting like Evelyn. He sometimes mocked me for being human. But I didn't feel anything about it. After all, I had been bullied by people entire life.

Because I didn't have any scent on me to be recognised as a werewolf.

So, seeing her again—in flesh and blood—must have felt like a slap of reality for him.

I didn’t know what made Evelyn give up on him. He had loved her truly. Fiercely. Unapologetically. I even envied how much patience he had for a woman who left him. I wanted to be that woman in his life. Unfortunately, I wasn't...

"Since we are husband and wife now, with no contract attached, can I ask you something?" I finally asked, my heart racing against my chest.

He looked at me, eyes narrowing, "What is it?"

He didn’t look annoyed. Surprising. Come to think of it, we had barely talked like this—like two people who shared a home.

"What are you going to do? Find someone else to replace your ex-lover again?" I asked carefully. I didn't want to face his wrath right now.

I might’ve imagined it, but his face stiffened—as if my words struck a nerve he didn’t know he had.

Alessandro was a man who never replied without calculating the weight of his answer.

After a moment of silence, he looked at me. "No. Not anymore." His voice was smooth with no hesitation attached.

My breath caught in my throat. He was… done? Done with pretending, done with living in a marriage that was nothing but a performance?

He folded his arms, and for a brief second, a flicker of defeat crossed his eyes—something raw and unguarded.

"I wanted to see if I’d still be in love with her after seeing her again. And… while I can’t lie and say I’ve completely moved on, the last two nights made me realize something." His voice softened. "This time, I didn’t mind letting her go. Maybe I just needed closure." A tired smile adorned his face as he said. Clearly to himself.

"I see."

"Yes… That’s why I decided to divorce you. To let you go, as soon as possible. These last three years—it has been a good time with you. Thank you for your patience with me. And I’m sorry. For everything I’ve done."

The words pierced deeper than I’d expected. My heart ached—not because of rejection, but because somewhere in that pain was… respect.

He could still be cold, ruthless. Yet, now he wasn’t.

"Will you search for your mate then? Your wolf can’t live without its mate. You know that." I asked, avoiding that silent pain.

"It’s doing well. It doesn’t want anyone either. But if my mate crosses my path… I may reconsider."

So he would reconsider love. Consider another chance. But it wouldn’t be me.

A strong urge gripped me. Maybe I should confess. Just once. If this was going to end, I wanted to say something—anything.

"Mr. Simmons!"

Before I could even draw a breath to speak, someone grabbed Alessandro’s arm—

"Alessandro! Your parents are asking you to host the party." Evelyn. The woman who once walked out of his life and refused to introduce her mate to anyone.

There was something off. A twist in my gut. A bad feeling I couldn’t shake off.

As Alessandro’s face darkened under the weight of his family’s orders, I stood still—watching. Alessandro didn't want to hurt her. He didn't lie like his eyes couldn't lie. He wasn't completely moved on. But he couldn't hold her back as well.

And that’s when a man walked toward me. Tall, tanned skin, silver hair that caught the light. His eyes—a piercing, unnatural blue—stopped me cold.

A tattoo marked the side of his neck, the unmistakable aura of an Alpha wrapped around him like smoke.

"Hello, Mrs. Simmons." His voice was smooth as he offered me a glass of wine. "Here."

"Thank you. I don’t drink," I replied politely, stepping back.

"I’m Steven Quill Johnson. Alpha of the SilverHorn Pack. The Silver Wolf Clan."

I flinched when I heard the Pack's name. He had emphasized those last words with a smirk. My blood ran cold. I should have recognised the moment I saw his distinct silver hair.

"Hello, Alpha Johnson. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Hope you—"

Before I could finish, he leaned in and whispered something that turned my stomach. I stumbled.

"I’m sorry. But I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please enjoy your time."

I moved quickly, heart pounding. My gaze met Alessandro’s across the room. His eyes were sharp, jaw clenched. Was he watching me? I thought he'd be on the stage, hosting.

Then He mouthed, his eyes sharpening with cold and seriousness—

"Don’t mess up."

I nodded, barely able to breathe, and walked to the other side.

Alpha Johnson’s amused chuckle followed me. He raised his glass, "Long live!"

What the hell was that? Who was he? I had never seen him before, and yet… my body reacted like it remembered something I didn’t.

Before I could process, Evelyn approached with her glass of wine. "Your husband is doing great, isn’t he?"

I smiled, nodding stiffly. What was she trying to say?

"Gosh. He’s such a big catch. But too late. Should I regret?"

I turned to look at her, startled. Did she really just say that?

"Are you surprised? Oh honey~" She smirked.

"He was such an obedient person. Like a dog. Letting me use him however I wanted. Pathetic. That’s why I left. But seeing him now… maybe I’ll regret it. Or… maybe not."

I didn’t fully understand what she meant—until I did. The weight of her words, the cruelty dripping from her voice—sickened me. I felt my blood boiling. That Man had been loving her so badly that he was ready to keep a woman to act like her for years.

But she said... What?

She walked away, leaving a trail of poison behind. And yet, the family adored her—especially Luna Simmons.

But I knew my place.

After the Alpha succession announcement, Alessandro didn’t waste a second before coming to me. He looked tense and relieved. But I felt warmth washing over me when he came to me instead of going somewhere.

"Dammit. I didn’t know they would use me to get more interest from the other packs. It always happens."

"You did a good job," I said quietly.

"Thank you."

He smiled—a real one. Something had shifted since we admitted we were husband and wife without a contract. He had started seeing me as… a person.

But that moment shattered as Alessandro’s brother—Alexander Simmons—spoke into the mic.

"Now, please welcome my other half and the future Luna of the Pack—Evelyn Graham. My mate, who has been with me the last five years!"

The glass Alessandro held slipped and crashed onto the floor. His face went pale.

Five years?

But they broke up three and a half years ago… Evelyn had claimed she met her mate in another pack.

So this… this was deception.