Chapter 16
Reyna Cruz:
“Oh no! I’m so sorry,” Polline kept apologizing for the third time as I grumbled about Hunter spotting Turner.
“Do you reckon he’ll figure it out?” I asked, getting all worked up.
She gazed at me, offering a weak smile that made me feel a bit foolish.
“How could he? Kids between 3 and 5 all kinda look the same. You can’t just look at their faces and say for sure how old they are,” she made a good point. Maybe I was worrying for nothing. Hunter probably wouldn’t even care.
“Plus, you could just say he’s my kid,” she joked, and I shook my head.
“I mean, it’s not like I could ever tell Hunter that he’s the father. He didn’t believe it at first, and I’m sure he still wouldn’t want anything to do with him. He’s moved on, probably thinking about starting his own family soon. A family where my son. would never have a place,” I sighed and reached for my wine glass to take a sip when I heard something break outside my study room.
Polline and I exchanged a quick glance before rushing outside to see what had caused the commotion. Turner should have already been in bed.
“Do you think it was him?” I nervously inquired.
“Let me check,” she said, and I hurried ahead of her to make sure he was okay. My heart was pounding in my head. I never wanted him to hear anything unsettling. The things we were discussing would shatter his innocent little heart.
“Look! He’s fast asleep. Polline reassured, shaking her head and offering a soothing rub on my elbow.
“You’re right. I’m just scared. Fortunately, it turned out to be nothing, and we soon left his room.
“Don’t overthink it. You don’t owe anything to Hunter anymore. Just go get some rest. You’ll have another day filled with challenges as you work under the same roof as him, she gave me a weak smile while mentioning Hunter.
I rolled my eyes and nodded wearily. It was going to be so exhausting.
As I was walking away, she called my name and halted the in my tracks
“Yeah?” I inquired.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do regarding your second chance mate?” Her question made me avert my gaze. It was the perfect response because I couldn’t make up my mind about accepting the second chance mate.
“I am not yet ready for anything, I mumbled.
“I know. Sooner or later, you’ll have to meet him again,” she asserted.
“Only if he wants to see me. Remember, he’s lurking around the woods?” I reminded her that the only way I could see him again was if he ventured out of the woods to find me, as I wasn’t going back into those woods again.
“Time will tell,” she offered me an empathetic smile before going her own way. That night was the weirdest. From the memory of my second chance mate to seeing my ex with my ex–friend, I couldn’t find a single moment of relief until it was already 3 am.
I woke up to the sound of the alarm, and after getting ready, I hurried to the office without having any breakfast because I was already running late.
173
蚁寫45%公
Chapter 16
The moment I walked into the office, I spotted Hunter waiting for me at his desk.
“Where’s Jeffery?” I asked, trying to sound calm.
“Why? Are you afraid of being alone with me?” Hunter’s comment sent shivers down my spine, but I didn’t let it show on my face. I continued searching for the files in my bag.
“Who was that child with you yesterday?” he inquired. I hesitated for a moment, awkwardly pushing my hair away from my face and pulling out the file I had prepared for the day.
“Why do
you ask?” I inquired, keeping my head down instead of making eye contact. It was clear that I was avoiding his gaze.
“Is it his father who helped you with getting your education and this job?” Hunter’s assumption about me took me by surprise.
“Excuse me?” I stopped avoiding his gaze and met his eyes. He seemed quite pleased with himself for making me uncomfortable, sporting a visible smirk on his face.
“Oh, come on. Don’t act so surprised. I’m just stating the facts. You got kicked out with no work experience or anyone to take care of you–” he paused when he noticed me smile a little.
“So you knew I would be completely helpless in the world of the rogues,” I nodded in understanding, and his smirk faded away. He appeared displeased with the direction of our conversation.
“Because you committed the crime of cheating on your mate, he was about to slam his hand on the desk, but my raised brow halted him.
“Huh? Yet you were the one who ended up getting engaged to my friend before even rejecting me, I laughed sarcastically at how messed up the pack’s rules were
“As for your carlier confusion, since you’re so curious,” I paused, placing my hands on the desk and leaning down to meet his eye level, “I did it all on my own because I worked hard.”
Despite the weight of my statement, it should have been enough to satisfy his curiosity, but he still didn’t seem satisfied. “And the baby came from the sky?” he commented, giving me a hint that he wouldn’t stop asking questions about him. “Why does it matter to you, anyway?” I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh as I returned to reading the file in my hands.
“I don’t. I just wanted to see how much you lowered yourself to get here today, his derogatory comments about my achievements were truly bothering me. To avoid giving him the satisfaction of getting under my skin, I pretended to be unbothered, which seemed to annoy him even more.
“Here, the file is ready, I slammed the file on the table and took my seat, my body language exuding confidence.
“So, I’m planning to marry Tara. How many invitations do I need to write for you? You, the kid, and that lady, is that all?” he kept his head down and his eyes on the file’s contents while casually asking me this question
I couldn’t quite grasp what he was aiming for with all these questions.
“I’m pleased I could expedite the process of your marriage. I thought you’d already be married and have a child,” my comment interrupted his actions, and he made a subtle remark.
“Not everyone can move on, especially when their trust has been shattered so brutally
The way he phrased that statement was truly disheartening, and I chose not to respond. It was just a situation where we let misconceptions fester.
2/3
For me, I harbored anger toward him for never believing me or trying to sit down and uncover the truth. He seemed more interested in punishing me, as if that would bring him satisfaction.
I didn’t quite know how to feel about the fact that he didn’t appear very happy in his life even after all these years.
We fell silent for a few hours, and then Jeffery joined us with some snacks and news.
“Reynal” he mentioned my name while directing the server on how to place the food, “there’s a kid at the counter, saying he’s your son and that he’s come to meet you.”
For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Even Hunter tilted his head and continued to stare at me..
“What?” I exclaimed, quickly rising from my seat.
“There was a kid… oh, look! There he is,” Jeffery pointed to Turner, who was being led to the office by one of the employees. My heart sank in my chest when my son, whom I had been hiding from the alpha king, walked straight into the lion’s den with an innocent smile on his face.
“Turner!” I called for him in shock, and he rushed in my direction, hugging me tightly
“Mommy! I didn’t feel like staying at school,” he stated, causing my heart to skip a beat even more. This was not how I had wanted things to unfold.
Now he was here in the presence of his father, who didn’t even know he was his son.
“How did you get in here?” I asked, squatting down to his level. I was not only frightened but also annoyed because I had a feeling he hadn’t come here with the driver.
“I took an Uber,” he shrugged, then added, “Oh, donuts! Without fully answering me, he dashed past and grabbed a donut, plopping down in my chair, and facing the Alpha King.
In those few moments when the Alpha King continued to stare at him, I felt my heart sinking in my chest.
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