Chapter 17

Patience's POV

It took a while before he finally lowered his head, his tone carrying a hint of barely noticeable panic, "I know I've wronged you. How about this weekend, I'll accompany you to pay respects to your parents and apologize to them?"

I knew this was Kelsey's way of appeasing me.

In reality, I didn't need him to join me in honoring my parents, as our formal divorce would take place in just over twenty days.

But he did owe my parents an apology, an admission of respect that was long overdue.

"Alright," I said, suppressing the storm of emotions within me as my pheromones gradually settled.

However, come the weekend, Kelsey stood me up once again.

"Sorry, the company has a last-minute critical meeting today. I can't make it to the memorial with you. I promise I'll join you next time," Kelsey's voice carried a forced sense of guilt.

Listening to him, I felt nothing but numbness.

"Okay, I understand," I responded, hanging up the phone calmly.

No argument, no questioning, not even a trace of disappointment—such emotions had nearly faded away entirely.

Kelsey had disappointed me one too many times, and my heart, calloused from the constant letdowns, no longer had room for hurt.

I picked up my phone and opened the gallery.

There were scant photos of Kelsey and me, most being group shots from company events where his figure could be spotted with some effort.

I was well aware that Kelsey's phone housed an encrypted album filled with pictures of him and Hazel—a collection that spanned from their naive college days to moments of intimate camaraderie, each photo radiating an exclusivity that left no room for others.

One by one, I deleted every photo of him from my phone.

We hadn't splurged on wedding photos to save money, and we lacked even a decent picture together.

This made the dissolution of our mating feel seamless, as if it had left no trace behind.

Subsequently, I began packing my belongings.

My wardrobe and jewelry were minimal, mostly practical and durable pieces. The items I shared with Kelsey turned out to be a pair of inexpensive wedding bands.

Back then, he'd wanted a secret mating, so these rings had lain forgotten in a drawer, never worn.

I picked up the rings, examining their oxidized, darkened surfaces, and casually dropped them back into the drawer.

I had once truly not cared about their modesty, valuing instead the sincerity in his eyes when he promised, "I'll compensate you with a lifetime of devotion."

But now I realized that in his heart, I might be as expendable and worthless as these rings.

My phone rang—it was Yvette.

Answering it, I was greeted by her excited voice, "Free today? How about joining me at the riding arena?"

"The riding arena?" I echoed, puzzled. She usually showed no interest in such places.

"I heard Cyrus would be there," Yvette's voice dropped a notch. "I want to make a good impression on him, see if I can network. But I'm too nervous to go alone—will you come with me?"

Cyrus's handsome face and those haunting, lifeless eyes immediately came to mind.

He was a dangerous werewolf, with an aura so chilling it instinctively urged one to keep their distance.

"Do you have a thing for him?" I teased.

"Ahem..." came Yvette's flustered cough from the line. "I'm not that foolish! It's just that the Gross Group is reportedly looking to invest in drones. I thought I'd check it out for potential collaborations."

I hesitated, an instinctive sense of danger making me reluctant to see Cyrus again.

Yet deep within me, my wolf stirred unusually, emitting a faint sigh.

The mere thought of Cyrus's scent—a blend of cedar and leather—triggered an inexplicable signal of affinity. My tail tip seemed to brush against my spine, carrying a longing I couldn't quite place.

This unusual reaction left me momentarily stunned, but in the end, I sighed and agreed. "Alright."

Perhaps it was my wolf's intuition guiding me toward something.

However, upon arriving at the riding arena with Yvette, we spotted Kelsey—supposedly attending an "urgent meeting"—with Hazel.

Dressed in matching riding outfits, they rode side by side on two chestnut horses, basking in the sunlight that painted them as the perfect affectionate couple from afar.

"Bad luck bumping into them again!" Yvette muttered under her breath, her tone dripping with disdain.

I offered a faint smile, calmly shifting my gaze away. "Let's pretend they're invisible."

But of course, Kelsey and Hazel had also noticed us.

Kelsey promptly rode over, reining in his horse abruptly in front of me, kicking up a cloud of dust.

His brow furrowed, the metallic coldness of his cologne slightly disordered from the unexpected encounter, betraying a tinge of panic as he questioned, "What are you doing here?"

I glanced at his brand-new riding attire, recalling his "urgent meeting" excuse, and let out a cold laugh.

My pheromones instantly froze, the air around me seemingly icing over. "And you? What brings you here? So this is your idea of an urgent meeting?"

A flicker of discomfort crossed Kelsey's face. His eyes darted away, avoiding mine, while his knuckles whitened from gripping the reins. "I... I stopped by after the meeting and ran into Hazel."

Yvette chimed in with biting sarcasm from beside me, "Next time, your impromptu meeting might just be in bed, huh?"