Eve and the Devilish Alpha

EveI never imagined my wedding day would begin like this. If someone had told me that my fiancé of three years would reject me on this day, I would’ve called them insane. Yet here I was, standing in the cramped dressing room, layers of silk clinging to my suddenly trembling body, staring at the man who was supposed to be my future.He wouldn’t even look me in the eyes.“Eve… I can’t do this,” Nate said quietly, almost as if he hoped the walls would swallow his voice before it reached me.My smile froze. “Can’t do what? We’re about to walk out in ten minutes.”He finally looked up, and something in me broke at the emptiness in his gaze. “I can’t go through with this wedding.”For a second, the world tilted. “What?” My voice cracked. “Is this some kind of joke? Why would you—”“I never loved you, Eve,” he cut in, rubbing the back of his neck as if he was the one stressed. “I actually already have a family. A real one. Out of the country.”The words hit me like a slap. My lips parted, b

EveAfterward, I returned to my car, opened my laptop, and tried working from the passenger seat. My eyes kept drifting, my focus slipping every other minute, but I forced myself to keep clicking through documents. Anything to keep from screaming or even crying.By the time evening crawled in and the sky began to dim, I finally texted Mia.“Hey, Mia. Did you find anyone? Please tell me you found someone.”Her reply came seconds later.“I’m so sorry. I haven’t found anyone yet. I didn’t know it would be this hard.”My heart dropped so fast it hurt. I slumped back against the seat, the weight of everything pressing down on me. Five days. I had five miserable days to find a husband or lose everything my father built. I tugged at my hair, breathing hard as I stared at the windshield.“Where am I supposed to find a man?” I muttered to myself. “Where? Who? Anyone. I just need someone.”The pressure was too much. My thoughts were spinning, and my chest was tight. I needed to breathe. I neede

EveThe moment Aunt Clarissa moved closer, her eyes narrowed as if she were studying Sage under a microscope. “And who’s this handsome, young man?” she asked, with a satisfied little smile. “He looks quite familiar, I must say.”I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat felt tight, and the last thing I wanted was for her to sniff out the panic crawling up my spine.“Why are you here?” I finally asked, keeping my voice as flat as I could manage.“Oh, come on now. It’s not respectful to keep your aunt outside. Invite me in, and invite this young man in too. He seems to be impatiently wanting to see you or talk to you.”I resisted the urge to groan. Instead, I rolled my eyes and turned to Sage. “Can we talk later? There’s something I really need to do.”“I came concerning—” he began.“I’ll give you a call,” I cut in quickly.Before he could say another word, I pulled myself inside and shut the door right in his face. My heart was still beating too fast when I turned around, my back facing m

SageShe reached the living room and stopped abruptly. Mia was right where I left her, sitting on the couch, quiet but unharmed. Her eyes lifted immediately when Eve appeared, and she straightened as if she’d been waiting for that exact moment.“Mia,” Eve breathed, touching her shoulder. “Are you okay?”“I’m fine,” Mia said. “I told you I’m fine.”Eve’s shoulders dropped in relief. For a moment, she forgot I existed, and something in my chest tightened at how easily she could shut me out.I moved closer. “Do you believe me now?” My voice came out softer than intended, and that irritated me. I wasn’t here to comfort her.She turned sharply. “You can’t just walk into my house, Sage.”“You opened the door for me.”“Mia opened the door for you.”“Because she recognized me,” I said. “Everyone recognizes me.”She folded her arms and took a step back. She was still shaking a little. She hated that I could see it.“Look,” she said, “I told you I’m not doing this marriage thing anymore. I’m no

SageI stepped out of Eve’s room and shut the door behind me, locking the heat of the moment where it belonged. Nothing about me looked shaken, but the taste of her still lingered on my mouth like a challenge I wasn’t done with. I rolled my shoulders once, easing the tension that had pushed too close to the edge. If I had stayed a second longer, I would have taken more than a kiss. That was the simple truth, and it simmered quietly under my skin.I walked to the car, checked my watch and saw it was 6:28 p.m. Looking up, I saw as the darkening sky suited me. It was easier to breathe in the cold.I unlocked the car, sat inside, and pulled the door shut, letting the quiet swallow me whole. The person that had called me was none other than Alex. He called me again, except now, I didn’t answer it.He almost never called me twice in a row unless something was wrong. And earlier, he told me to come to the bar near the edge of town. He didn’t explain why. He just said he needed me there. I di