MasukJARED"Yes. I'm still a student." "Oh, really? I had no idea." "It's been a year since we got married." "Child? No, we are not ready for that yet." "Yes, I do have a plan to." I breathed heavily as I rested weakly on a seat behind me. Uncle Bright seemed to have endless energy as he kept introducing me to almost everyone at the banquet, and each of them asked me different questions. I felt like my throat had gone parched, and my lips had dried up. I really didn't want to talk anymore. I only wanted to rest. "You're tired?" Uncle Brighton asked, standing before me while sipping his wine. I rolled my eyes. "Aren't you?" Uncle Bright laughed. He raised his glass and downed the wine. "You... tsk. You are so lazy. I wanted to introduce you to my whole circle so that you won't be bored in the future." He explained. My lips twitched, feeling the urge to sneer. "Thank you, dear Uncle. But I don't want to be in your circle. I'm happy in mine." I said, hiding the annoyance in my ton
NATEI shouldn't have lied to Sterly. I shouldn't have deceived him. But I was really scared. After staying away for two years... the money, it was only enough for two years and even those two years were horrible. Being away from my lover, the one alpha who dug deep into my heart, living was painful and lonely. No one was like Sterly. No one could be like him. Many nights, I'd sleep and wonder why I accepted that offer. I agreed to leave, thinking things would go the way I wanted. I wiped the tears off my face and slumped on my bed, feeling weak from within. I shouldn't have left back then. I shouldn't have betrayed my lover. But Jared... How was he any different?He was a liar, too!That bitchy omega, what made him any different from me? He left his three-year lover to marry Sterly as a substitute bride. Wasn't that because he was greedy for money?If he wasn't a gold digger, he wouldn't have left his lover, right? He wouldn't have been in a marriage where he knew he might
JAREDSterly released my hand after his response. He walked toward my door and opened it for me. "Go in. I will come for you in two and a half hours." He said. I nodded. My eyes avoided his as I stepped into my room, closed the door behind me, and dragged my weary feet toward the bathroom. I really didn't want to think about anything anymore. My head ached almost every day these days, and the feeling wasn't anything pleasant. If this continued, maybe I would grow old really fast and lose my youth before I was even done being 20...After a shower in the bathroom, I wrapped myself in a bathrobe and left the bathroom. Checking the time, I realized it was a few minutes past 5 in the evening. Sterly gave me two and a half hours to rest. Didn't that mean we would have to leave around 8?I initially thought the banquet started at 9, but it seemed I was wrong. I dried my hair and slumped in bed. The soft fabric felt really nice against my skin, and a loud yawn escaped my throat. My
JAREDI bit my lower lip and cowered a little. "I'm sorry," I whispered. I knew I went too far. Nate was his lover, and no matter what, I shouldn't have provoked him that way. Sterly stared into my eyes without saying a word. I couldn't read the emotions in his eyes, which made me a little uncomfortable. I tugged his shirt, blinking at him. "Sterly..." I called. He sighed and took my hand. His large hand wrapped mine firmly, and he turned to look at Nate. "Jared is my partner right now. I can only go to banquets with him." He explained calmly. My heart skipped a beat. I had no idea what I felt with his words. But I could tell Nate felt nothing good. Anger flashed across his eyes as he looked at Sterly. "When will you divorce him? Didn't you tell me you would divorce him?" He asked. His tone was high and filled with anger. Sterly's jaw clenched. "I will do that when I want." He said coldly, and without sparing Nate one more glance, he dragged me upstairs. I glanced at Nate
JARED I couldn't stop staring at Sterly as he drove down to the mansion. His eyes were colder than usual, and his scent was scarce. He hadn't looked at me ever since we entered his car.But something was surprising. His ears were red... like he was embarrassed?Why did he react that way earlier?He liked Stephen when they met. He also liked Ryan when I introduced them. He also acted cordially with Cindy. Why didn't he like Shawn, and why did he make it so obvious?"Is Shawn someone you know?" I asked, unable to keep my thoughts hidden. Sterly's lips pressed into a thin line, and he shook his head. My frown deepened. "Have you seen him before?" He shook his head again. My confusion spiked. "Then, why do you dislike him?" I finally asked the question I was most curious about. Shawn was my friend while Sterly was my lover. The best option was for the two to like each other so our group wouldn't be awkward in the future...Sterly's eyes twitched, and his eyes seemed to darken. "
JAREDGetting to the restaurant, we ordered and sat down to eat. Shawn was silent all through. His mood seemed a little heavy, and his focus was on his food. I couldn't help but wonder what changed his mood again. Could he have received a heartbreaking message from the person he loved?I shrugged, pushing down the thought as I picked food for everyone. Cindy, Stephen, and I played around, having fun to the fullest. A bit over twenty minutes after we began eating, the door of the restaurant opened for the umpteenth time. But something felt different this time. The cedarwood scent that wafted into my nose was different. It was unique. Special. Awesome. I turned around at the speed of light, and my eyes brightened. "Sterly!" I called vibrantly while waving my hand so he could get my direction. Sterly's eyes wandered to my side. The coldness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by the softness that seemed to be exclusively mine.He strode toward me and opened his arms to hug me. "Yo







