Chapter 5

Eyra’s POV

Maybe I’m just dreaming...

Everything I’ve experienced over the past three years might just be a lucid dream I've been trapped in.

The sound of heavy rain made me open my eyes and blink. It felt as if I’d just woken up from a three-year-long sleep—one in which, even though Dave was always cold toward me, he never left me.

This time, it’s the other way around. He wants a divorce.

I slowly shifted. The cold wooden floor made me shiver, so I inched my way up and curled up in the corner of the room.

There was no light, which meant night had fallen. I had no idea what time it was. I remembered someone locking the door, and I didn’t know what had caused me to lose consciousness.

I dragged myself toward the door, knocking again so someone would open it for me.

“Dave… please open the door,” I shouted weakly. But nothing had changed. There was no answer. In fact, I could no longer hear the buzz of the party.

Was it all over?

“Dave…” I called out as I turned the doorknob and… miraculously! The door wasn’t locked anymore. I froze, feeling completely disoriented.

This isn’t a dream, is it? Someone had locked me in a few hours ago. I didn’t even realize how long I’d been asleep—or maybe faint. I also had no idea why it was suddenly unlocked, and as I carefully stepped down each stair, Elara’s voice was the first thing I heard.

“I don’t know what I did wrong to Eyra. Could she still hate me because of what happened a few years ago? I was at fault, so it’s only natural she holds a grudge,” she said, sobbing, as Dave pulled her into an embrace.

“No, Elara. That’s not true. You’re not at fault. I was the one who made that decision back then, and it wasn’t without reason.”

Not without reason?

I just snorted softly. Without realizing it, my lips curved into a faint smile. Funny. Even after everything that happened, he still chose to defend her.

I took a few more steps and arrived on the ground floor. Two pairs of eyes immediately turned toward me. One of them was Dave, who glared at me.

“You finally came down,” he remarked, sarcastically. “Did you forget? Or were you too busy to even acknowledge Elara’s invitation to you to our party?”

Our party? He called the celebration he organized specifically for Elara “their party”?

How ironic.

Back then, he didn’t even bother with our wedding celebration. But I’m well aware of the reason. He’s never had a place in his heart for me. It’s just funny that he later asked me to marry him on the grounds that I was his fated mate.

I should’ve realized back then that everything he said was just nonsense. I was just his second choice.

“What are you trying to say, hm?” Dave challenged, causing me—who had originally intended to back down—to finally defend myself.

“I couldn’t open the attic door, and then, out of nowhere, smoke filled the room and I—”

Dave’s derisive laughter automatically cut me off.

“Aren’t you bored yet?” he said sarcastically. “Don't you know the most about that room? And… smoke? Give me a break.” He shook his head.

“Um, Dave… I think Eyra’s just too tired that she’s imagining that someone locked her in there.”

I froze upon hearing what Elara had just said, then turned and glared at her.

“I didn’t say anyone locked me in there. How did you know that? Did… you do it?” I immediately turned to Dave, who was staring at me intently, before finally turning back to Elara.

“W-what? I don’t know what happened to you, Eyra. Why are you accusing me?” she asked with a panicked expression, but the next second, her eyes looked wet and tears trickled down her cheeks. “No matter what you’re like, there’s no way I’d do something like that.”

Here we go again. And Dave would definitely defend her tooth and nail.

“I didn’t even say anything that make you feel accused. But if you feel like that, then maybe you’re right,” I replied flatly.

Hearing that, Dave jumped up from the sofa and rushed toward me. His hand gripped my arm and his gaze seemed to be trying to intimidate me.

He was a cold husband—never like this before, though he wasn’t exactly gentle either.

“I don’t understand what you really want, Eyra. If your goal is to seek attention like you’ve been doing all this time, stop it now,” he said sharply. “You only have to hold out for two more weeks—can’t you be patient and stop looking for trouble?”

Looking for trouble? I’m just explaining my side of things, and you never listen, Dave. Never… not even back then.

Receiving no meaningful response from me, the muscles in his face instantly tensed, revealing uncontrollable emotions—as if for the past three years, I’d been the one trapping him in this marriage.

“Go to your room; I’ll handle this,” he said gently to Elara, who immediately stood up—but not to leave. Instead, she walked toward Dave and grabbed his arm.

“Dave, you know I’m still traumatized when I’m alone. How about you stay with me until I fall asleep?”

“I’ll definitely stay with you, but there’s something important I need to discuss with Eyra.”

“Can’t you talk about it tomorrow at the dinning table? After all, you two are already divorced, aren’t you? You’re just waiting for the pack’s final approval, and then it’s all over. What else is there to discuss?” she whined, which instantly softened Dave’s resolve.

“All right… I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep, then I’ll talk to her,” he said, turning away. However, before heading toward the bedroom, he glanced back at me. “Wait for me in the study.”

I didn’t respond to his request but immediately headed to his study on the second floor.

I didn’t expect much, because it would be pointless to hope he’d realize how much I love him. It would all just be a fantasy, and I’ve already wasted three years of my life on it.

This wasn't a conversation between husband and wife. It was a business discussion. Maybe even a negotiation over when I'd finally be allowed to leave this hellhole—made me finally chose a chair at the desk instead of the sofa.

Thirty minutes passed...

An hour...

The sound of heavy rain had turned into a gentle drizzle. The cold began to creep into my bones. I stood up, closed the office window that was still open, then returned to my chair.

No sound of footsteps. No sign that Dave was coming.

I waited until I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep leaning on the desk. A sliver of light seeped through a gap in the curtains, causing me to stir awake and wince in pain.

Sleeping at a desk isn't exactly comfortable and it also made my stomach ache a little that I stroke it gently.

I looked around. There was no sign of Dave. Or had he already come and changed his mind when he saw me asleep?

Never mind… it’s true—I’m just wasting my time if I keep believing that Dave will change and fall in love with me.

I decided to go downstairs to check on my belongings and ask a servant to take them to the attic. However, I couldn’t find a single one of my suitcases where they had been.

One of the servants approached and curtsied. “Mrs. Hunter,” she said.

“Have you seen my suitcases?” I asked. Instantly, her face turned pale.

“I-I’m sorry, ma’am. Your belongings are outside. Miss Smith had her servants and personal assistant throw everything away. She said she doesn’t like it when the house looks messy,” she explained.

If she dared to do that, it must have been with Dave’s approval. And that meant even my mere presence here was starting to bother him, and he hoped to get rid of me as quickly as possible, like trash.

“I-I’ll bring everything inside and take it up to the attic, Ma'am.”

“No need. I’ll do it myself,” I said, refusing when she insisted.

No one can help me now. Two weeks is no short time. Mr. Wynter still hasn’t given any news, and that’s making me even more anxious.

Could he have changed his mind? He offered that a long time ago, and I turned him down. Going to him now, when my life is in shambles, feels unfair to him.

I straightened out the suitcases that looked like they’d been tossed haphazardly, then was about to drag them all inside when my phone rang.

“Miss Noir,” he greeted me in his distinctive deep, bass voice. My heart seemed to stop beating. My tongue felt tied, so I couldn’t speak and just waited for him to speak. However, only silence enveloped us for a while.

“Y-yes, Mr. Wynter. It’s me,” I finally answered.

“Still standing by your decision?” he asked, and I fell silent. I could hear his soft laughter on the other end of the line. “Tell me I’m wasting my time… again.”

“No. I haven’t changed my mind. I’m just surprised you called out of the blue. But I’m listening, Mr. Wynter.”

“Good to hear you’re sticking to your decision. I just wanted to let you know my business trip is over. I’ll be arriving at the pack tonight. Would you like to meet? Should I pick you up, or will you come on your own?”