Semua Bab I Signed a Marriage Contract, Not a Love Triangle: Bab 31 - Bab 40

“Her name was Mira.”Mr. Mustard bit into his lettuce.“And she looks like me.”He kept chewing.“And Ares admitted the resemblance bothered him too.”Irene wrapped both hands around her coffee and leaned against the counter.Monday morning had returned her to the original version of her life in her apartment. Mr. Mustard was back in his own tank.Everything felt normal again.After spending an entire weekend in rooms large enough to require directions, Irene had never been happier to stand in a kitchen where she could reach the refrigerator without planning ahead.Mr. Mustard tore another piece from the lettuce.“You’re very calm about this.”He looked at her.“That woman’s portrait was hanging in his private wing.”Another bite.Irene had left the estate Sunday evening with no useful information, two containers of food Bastian insisted she take, and a growing suspicion that everyone in Ares’s household had agreed to protect her from the truth by feeding her until she stopped asking.

“What did you just do?”Ares remained on the other side of the desk, watching her with the same attention that had caused the problem in the first place.“I did nothing.”“I just…” Irene swallowed and tried to even her breathing. “I think I just stopped breathing.”Her chest rose too quickly now. She put another step between them and refused to look directly into Ares’ eyes again.She had come here to argue about a contract. Somehow, she had ended up forgetting how to breathe while staring at her husband.Ares tilted his head. “I think you reacted before you had time to stop yourself.”“My first reaction was to leave.”“That isn’t the reaction I meant.”Irene looked at him. “Then say what you mean.”His gaze stayed on her face before dropping briefly to her mouth.“I meant your attraction toward me.”“My attraction?” Irene paused. “I don’t feel any attraction toward you. My body was obviously reacting to you acting weird with your eyes.”“I don’t think so, my dear wife.” Ares smiled.

“I’m not yours.” Irene pulled her wrist back. “And that’s rich, coming from you.”Kael’s eyes lifted from the bracelet. “I never put a tracker on you.”“No. You just memorized my work schedule and showed up uninvited several times. Completely different. Much more respectful. Yeah, right.”“I didn’t memorize your schedule.”“You knew when both my shifts started.”“I followed your scent.”Irene stared at him. “Well, that is somehow worse, isn’t it?”Kael looked away for a second, like he had heard himself too late.The store was empty apart from them. The refrigerators hummed along the back wall, and the bent water bottle remained trapped in his hand.Irene pointed at it. “You’re still paying for that. I’d hate for the Alpha of the Moorwen Pack to become a shoplifter over a bottle of water.”His eyes narrowed. “You think this is funny?”“No. I think you’re being ridiculous.” Irene rested both hands on the counter.Kael gave her a look. “He knows you’re my mate, doesn’t he? And now he ha

Irene pushed open the east wing door before she could talk herself into behaving.Ares had been on a Coven call since breakfast, which Dorian had explained that he would be occupied for most of the day. He was not to be disturbed unless something was urgent.Irene had no urgent reason to disturb him.She did have a few free hours, though, after calling in sick. Amanda's rehab and Belle's tuition for the next six months had already been paid for, so for the first time in a long while, she could afford to take the day off and actually rest.She had eaten lunch, checked the water in Mr. Mustard’s tank, replied to two messages from work, and read the same page of a book four times. By the fifth attempt, Mira’s face was bothering her.So here she was.The east wing looked less sinister during the day. The corridor was still quiet, but sunlight filtered through the heavy curtains and exposed ordinary things the darkness had hidden: faded carpet, dust along the baseboards, and pale marks on

“Stop looking at the door.”Irene kept stacking lids. “I’m not.”Blythe leaned against the counter and watched her add another lid to a stack that had already been full.“You looked up before the bell even stopped ringing.”“Someone came in.”“Someone carrying two boxes.”The delivery driver stood near the entrance, waiting for the manager to sign his paperwork. He was short, round, and very clearly not Kael.Irene picked up the next sleeve of lids.“I was checking the delivery. I was making sure it arrived.”“It was inside the shop, Irene. I think we can safely say it arrived.”Irene gave her a look and carried the extra lids toward the storage room.It was Monday morning, just after nine-fifteen.She had simply worked the same morning shift for long enough to notice when regular customers came in. Kael had become a regular customer by showing up repeatedly, ordering the same black coffee.Now he wasn’t there.Which was what she wanted.He had said he would stop coming to her work. A