Chapter 3

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"When did you get such an amazing mate?"

"Look at that hand and that watch. You can tell he's got money."

I stared at the picture for several seconds.

Then I stood up and sealed the cardboard box with tape. I carried it downstairs and threw it into the dumpster.

There was a dull thud, and then I could no longer see it.

For the next few days, Dominic didn't send me a single message or make a single phone call. I was perfectly happy to have the peace and quiet.

A week later, Blake Hayes, a childhood friend we both shared, invited me to our final graduation party.

I replied, "Something came up. I'm not going."

Blake immediately answered, "Think about it. This is our last big night together this year. You have to come!"

At six that evening, I arrived at the party.

Just as I was about to open the door, my hand suddenly stopped.

A voice came from inside.

"You danced the first dance with Sloan at the ball. Aren't you afraid Adelaide will get angry?"

Dominic laughed without a care in the world. "What is there to be afraid of? She thinks that because she's my fated mate, she can take advantage of my affection and control all my time. Besides, it was just one dance. It's not a big deal."

Someone else asked, "But what if Adelaide is actually serious this time? She's famous for being gorgeous. There are so many male wolves chasing after her."

Dominic laughed. "Don't worry. I've known her for more than ten years. She can't live without me.

"The last time I drove Sloan home, didn't Adelaide make up with me after giving me the cold shoulder for two days?"

He paused, then spoke with even greater confidence, "She can't bear to let me go."

I stood outside the door as a cold breeze brushed the back of my neck. I couldn't feel the slightest bit of pain. I only felt tired and ridiculous.

Tired of having loved the wrong person for so many years.

Ridiculous because every time we'd fought, I was always the one who went back to him first, while he would smile and ruffle my hair as though he'd known all along that I'd come crawling back.

"I knew you couldn't bear to stay mad at me."

It wasn't that I couldn't bear to. It was that I had loved him too much.

But apparently, what I'd thought was tolerance had never been seen that way by him. To Dominic, my unwillingness to hurt him was simply a boundary he could trample whenever he pleased. He'd taken my love as proof that I couldn't live without him.

I was about to turn and leave when Sloan suddenly called out to me, "Adelaide, if you're here, why aren't you coming in?"

She smiled as she spoke, then grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the door.

Everyone inside the villa looked at me.

There was only one seat left beside Dominic. He stared at me for a second in surprise, then smiled.

Blake greeted me warmly, "Come on in and have some fun. We were just waiting for you."

Sloan pushed me into the living room.

Blake gestured for me to sit beside Dominic.

I pushed his hand away and calmly refused. "No. I have something to do later."

Blake laughed. "What could you possibly have to do?"

With no other choice, I sat down beside Dominic. He turned his head and glanced at me. "Why have you lost so much weight these past couple of days?"

His tone was so natural, as though nothing had happened between us. He had switched the cufflink on his sleeve back to the one I'd given him before. The wolf engraving caught the colored lights and reflected a silver glow.

My gaze fell on the other cufflink on his opposite sleeve. The black onyx one was quietly hidden in the darkness.

Mine and hers.

Dominic couldn't bear to throw away either one.