Chapter 12

Patience's POV

Yvette's words didn't sway Kelsey. He was convinced I was embarrassing him on purpose.

His Alpha pheromones, cold and metallic, grew agitated as he stared at me.

His tone reeked of condescension and impatience, "What will it take for you to make your friend shut up? Want me to compensate you? Fine, name your price, just stop causing a scene!"

As his words hung in the air, I felt the familiar tug of our broken mating bond.

He was trying to assert his Alpha dominance over me, hoping my wolf would yield to his will as it had countless times before. But this time, I felt no urge to obey.

I looked at the man before me, his eyes cold and his protectiveness for Hazel blatant. My heart turned to ice.

How naive I had been years ago, thinking that sincerity and patience could make him love me.

"I don't want any compensation from you," I said, taking a deep breath to steady the emotions churning inside me.

I shut out the weak attempt at dominance and spoke calmly, "I just want to resign."

"What?" Kelsey froze, his anger replaced by shock. The vertical pupils in his eyes flickered with surprise.

Even Lionel looked stunned, as if he'd heard a wild tale.

"I'll submit my resignation tomorrow and ensure a smooth handover of my projects," I stated firmly. "From then on, Hoffman Tech will have nothing to do with me."

Having decided to divorce him, I aimed to sever all ties completely.

Work was the last link, and I intended to cut it cleanly.

"Are you threatening me?" Kelsey frowned, his tone analytical.

He tried again to strengthen the mating bond's hold, but it was like a dying flame, too weak to penetrate the barrier I'd raised.

"You're upset because I didn't protect you during the gunshot and now you're using resignation as leverage?" He asked.

I met his gaze steadily. "It's not a threat—it's a negotiation."

"I resign, and I no longer involve myself in Hoffman Tech's operations. As for you and Hazel, you're free to do as you please without any interference from me. Does that satisfy you?"

As whispers and pointed fingers grew around us, Kelsey's face flushed with a mix of anger and panic.

He rubbed his forehead irritably, his pheromones chaotic. "Fine, resign if you want. Take this time to cool off and rethink your decision."

I sneered inwardly— he thought I was just throwing a tantrum and would eventually regret it.

But the flicker of fear in his eyes didn't escape me—he realized the woman he once controlled with a mere thought was gone.

I said nothing more. I took Yvette's hand and walked out of the police station.

As we left, Hazel's disdainful laugh reached my ears.

"Quitting over trivial matters—what a waste of a good education!"

Lionel chimed in, "Graduating from Thornmoon means nothing if all she's fit for is menial work. What real skills could she possibly have?"

Shaking my head with a cold smile, I refused to engage.

The next day at work, I called an emergency meeting with my project team to announce my resignation.

"You're leaving?" a junior colleague blurted out, eyes wide with disbelief and reluctance.

"What about this project we're in the middle of?" a tech lead frowned, worry lacing his words.

The company didn't know I was Kelsey's wife.

Only Kelsey's assistant was in on the secret.

But my team knew my capabilities.

My resignation sent ripples of anxiety through the team—I was known for delivering results no matter the hurdles.

"Kelsey will assign someone to take over soon," I reassured them. "Don't worry, I'll organize all the documents to ensure a smooth transition."

With that, I handed in my resignation letter to Kelsey's office.

Inside, Kelsey and Hattie were present.

Hattie lounged on the sofa, flipping through a fashion magazine as if waiting for my arrival.

Kelsey scanned the resignation letter, his expression darkening at my signature. "You're really leaving?" he asked.

"I thought I made it clear yesterday at the station," I replied cooly, my tone as detached as if discussing a business deal.

"If this is a ploy to blackmail me with your resignation, let me tell you, you're deeply disappointing," Kelsey said, a hint of accusation in his voice.

I almost laughed at the irony—disappointment was a feeling I knew all too well in this mating.

"Kelsey, I have no interest in playing games," I said, my voice steady and clear. "I just don't want to work with someone who would push his wife aside in a crisis to protect someone else."