Semua Bab TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS : Bab 81 - Bab 90

LisaThe evening my mother was discharged, James came to Cameron’s estate for the first time. He stepped into the entrance hall and stopped. He took in the ceiling and the staircase that curved above us.His mouth stayed slightly open before he caught himself and cleared his throat.“Are people even allowed to own this much space?” he muttered.I laughed. “Try not to sound envious.”“I’m not. I’m concerned for society.”He dragged his palm along the railing and glanced at his hand after, as if expecting dust. I led him through the sections I was allowed to access. Each time we reached a locked corridor, I turned away from it. He kept nodding as if none of it surprised him.A maid stopped a few steps behind me.“Alpha Cameron would like to see you in the west wing,” she said.I looked at James. “Call Mom. It's time to break the news to Evangeline.”I wiped my palms on my dress before we walked. This was the contract. I reminded myself of that as we headed down the corridor. We walked t

Lisa POVI stood in the bathroom with the door closed, staring at my reflection. The light above the mirror showed the tiredness under my eyes and the faint crease between my brows that had not been there a few months ago. I leaned forward and splashed water on my face. The water felt cool against my skin.Evangeline’s face kept coming back to me.The way she held Cameron’s arm during the ceremony. The way she kissed him in front of everyone. The way she kept saying our child. It should not have bothered me. It was her child. At the end of the day, I was carrying a baby that would belong to her and Cameron. That was the agreement from the beginning. Still, something about the way she acted made me uncomfortable.She was afraid I would run away with the baby. Fear that I would take something from her. The insecurity was so obvious that it almost felt painful to watch.I dried my face with a towel and pressed it against my cheeks for a second.She was recovering from surgery. She was s

LisaFranklin had disappeared somewhere behind me, probably watching from a distance. Sasha, Cora, and I were dancing. I was laughing at one of Sasha’s dry jokes when she suddenly went still and tried to get my attention.“What is it?” I asked, but she couldn’t speak.My eyes followed the direction she was staring. The music was loud enough that I felt the bass in my chest more than I heard it.Cameron.Oh.Shoot.My brain stalled. He looked completely out of place under the flashing lights, tall, solid, and serious while everyone else moved around him like he was some kind of obstacle in the room. A few people nearby had already noticed him, whispering that the Alpha was in the club. Heads were turning. Whispers were spreading fast.Not their fault. The Alpha rarely showed up anywhere without warning. And definitely not at a club.Franklin rushed forward. Cameron’s glare landed on me, and my heart started pounding.“Why the hell are you here?”I opened my mouth to answer, but the wor

Cameron POVThe suite was quiet when I walked in, but the silence felt wrong.The lamp beside the sofa was on. A cup of tea sat on the table, untouched. Evangeline's medication tray was pushed to the side like someone had moved it without care.She stood near the window instead of resting on the couch. That alone told me everything. Her arms wrapped around herself, fingers gripping the fabric of her sweater. She did not turn when I closed the door.“You love her,” she said before I could speak.Her voice sounded controlled, but there was strain under it.“Eva, please let's not do this. I went to bring her back from the club. I was only being concerned “She scoffed. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”I stepped closer. “Eva—”“No.” She turned toward me sharply. Her eyes were wet. “You promised me you would take care of me. That you would not leave me while I’m sick and barely holding together. And tonight you were out enjoying yourself with her.”“I was not enjoying myself.”“You le

LisaMy hand remained on the door handle as I stood there like a fool. I didn’t move away from it.Evangeline had looked at me with pure hostility. It wasn’t normal anger or jealousy. It was something harsher, the kind of look that made me react before I even understood why.I backed away from the door and sat on the edge of the bed. My legs didn’t feel steady under me. She could have hurt me.The realization sat heavy in my chest. What am I doing here?The house felt too big and too quiet, and I couldn’t shake the sense that I didn’t belong in it. I had never felt unsafe here before. I had felt awkward and out of place, but never unsafe. Now it was different.Headlights swept across the gravel. I stood and walked toward the window. A car turned into the driveway and stopped near the entrance.Franklin and Doctor Beauty headed straight for the entrance without stopping. Voices carried faintly from downstairs. Doors opening. Footsteps moving fast across the floor. This was happenin