Chapter 1

When the call came in, Aiden Rothschild had only taken two bites of his steak.

I saw his expression shift to one of worry and heartache before he abruptly stood up.

"What? I’ll be right there!"

His entire attention seemed to be consumed by that call. It wasn’t until he reached the door that he suddenly paused, appearing to remember I was still sitting at the table. He turned back and said, "Sorry, Chloe, there’s an emergency in the pack. I need to step out for a bit."

"Mm, go ahead."

I turned my head away, lowered my gaze, and placed a small piece of steak into my mouth. It tasted delicious, yet bitter, as my tears streamed down and blended with each bite.

Aiden couldn’t see my expression. He hadn’t expected me to be so calm, and furrowed his brows uneasily. He came back and hugged me from behind. "Be good and wait for me. I’ll bring you a gift."

With that, he rushed off.

Swallowing my grief, I finished the meal bite by bite.

In the end, we couldn't even spend our tenth anniversary happily together.

I waited for a long time, but Aiden never came back. My wolf shifted from anticipation to loneliness, eventually letting out a soft, choked whimper.

To lift my mood, I picked up my phone, only to see a photo and caption Lana Owens had just posted.

In the photo, Aiden was kneeling on one knee, gently holding Lana’s foot. He was completely focused while carefully applying medicine. Meanwhile, Lana was half-reclined on the sofa, her eyes shining with moved tears. A warm floor lamp bathed them in golden light, casting an intimate, cozy glow over the scene.

[Twisted my ankle while cleaning the roof. It got better quickly, but Aiden still rushed over the moment he heard. You're always there when I need you, no matter what. I sure am luckier than any other woman!]

I stared at those words, my fingertips trembling slightly.

The moment Lana suffered a minor injury, Aiden rushed to her side immediately. On the other hand, I waited the whole night and did not even receive a single message from him.

I closed my eyes and curled up in the corner of the bed. My chest felt heavy, like something was blocking my breath. I don’t like crying, but the tears kept falling uncontrollably.

Late that night, I heard familiar footsteps. He slipped into bed and gently pulled me into his arms, placing a guilty kiss on my forehead.

The next morning, I made breakfast for myself. As I brought the cooked meat and juice to the table, Aiden walked into the dining room.

He looked at the food and frowned slightly. "Why didn’t you make mine?" He’d always preferred heavy-flavored breakfasts, and I usually made a separate portion just for him.

"Sorry, I forgot today. You can go eat at the pack’s dining hall." I quickly finished my meal and got ready to head to pack headquarters for work.

Aiden didn’t look pleased, but suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at me with concern. "I know you’re mad about last night. But you’ve always had issues with Lana, so I…"

"I’m not mad."

"Lana’s an Omega living alone. Of course, I was worried when something happened to her…"

"I’m really not mad."

"Stop this, Chloe. I’ve told you over and over—I only see Lana as a sister. Why can’t you understand that?"

"I said I’m not mad!"

My voice rose without me realizing it. Seeing the shock on his face, I quickly quelled my emotions. "I really do understand. But I have to go to headquarters now. We can talk later."

With that, I ignored the complicated expression on his face and stumbled out the door.