Chapter 153
Thorne’s POV
The second I heard that name–Dorian–something snapped in me.
My fists clenched at my sides, nails biting into my palms. I could feel the rage, sharp and wild, trying to claw its way to the surface.
..You spent the night with him?” My voice was barely a whisper, strained like a rope on the verge of snapping. I stared at Elara, waiting for the truth to hit me like a blow.
Elara’s lips parted, but she didn’t answer right away.
She didn’t want me to know. I could tell. But it was out now, hanging in the air between us like smoke.
“Yes,” she finally said, sharp and clear.
The word sliced through the room, cold as ice.
I was sure the heat in my chest was visible, radiating off me in waves. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even think.
My hands were shaking, my chest tightening. I wanted to scream at her, grab her and demand answers, but I swallowed it all down.
“How… dare you!” I forced out, the words rough, guttural.
“Who I spend my time with isn’t your concern,” she shot back, quicker than I expected. The audacity of her!
The maids stood there, frozen, eyes flicking back and forth between us, their expressions a mixture of shock and confusion. They couldn’t understand how Elara had the nerve to speak to me like this, the Alpha.
I let out a breath through my nose, cold and deliberate. Striding toward her, I grabbed her arm, squeezing tight enough to hurt.
“I’m taking her with me,” I snapped, my eyes locking onto hers with a fierce, possessive glare.
Wendy, caught off guard, nodded hastily. “Of course, Alpha Thorne. Whatever works for you…”
I didn’t even look at her as I dragged Elara along. The elevator ride was silent, the tension thick enough to suffocate. We passed other maids on the way up, their eyes wide with curiosity.
They were all whispering already, probably imagining the worst–rumors spreading before the first meal of the day.
When I slammed the door open to my suite, I didn’t care about the looks. The maids inside froze, but I didn’t spare them a second glanced.
“Get out,” I barked, my voice cold, dismissive.
They scrambled, backing out of the room like scared rabbits. I turned to Elara, my eyes narrowing. “You think you’re still my maid today?”
She didn’t say a word.
I opened my arms. “What are you waiting for? Help your master get dressed.”
She didn’t flinch. She didn’t hesitate either.
erge
I felt the edge in my own breath as she approached me, slowly, deliberately. She reached for the button of my shirt.
For a second, I could feel the weight of everything between us–everything I’d tried to forget.
“You used to do this for me all the time,” I muttered, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
The nostalgia was sharp.
But Elara didn’t react the way I wanted. She didn’t say anything. She just kept unbuttoning my shirt.
I could feel the knot in my stomach tighten.
And then, before I could stop myself, I asked, “Did you undress him the same way? Did you let Dorian touch you like this?”
Her hands froze on my chest. Her wrist snapped back in my grip, cold and shaky.
“Answer me,” I demanded, my voice trembling between rage and something else. Something I couldn’t name.
She took a slow breath. “No,” she said, the word calm, measured.
The relief that hit me in waves almost knocked me back.
“So you didn’t sleep with him?” My voice softened slightly, barely more than a growl.
She finished the last button and stepped away, her body stiff. “I don’t want to bother you with my personal life, Master,” she said, her voice distant, clipped, like a knife’s edge.
Her words stung more than I expected. The way she said master–so detached, like it was some kind of shield.
She turned away, walking to the closet to fetch my suit. I watched her, my insides burning with an emotion I couldn’t place. She handed me the suit, but I didn’t take it from her. Instead, I yanked it from her hands and put it on myself, every movement sharp and deliberate.
“I’ll find out what happened, Elara,” I muttered darkly, my eyes narrowing on her. “If you betrayed me, if you let that bastard get close to you… I’ll make sure he regrets ever being born.”
Her back stiffened. I could see the way her hands clenched, the way her jaw set.
Betray me?
We weren’t mates anymore.
Did he really think I’d just let him walk back into my life?
Did he think he had any right to act like we were still together?
I could feel my temper rising again, but I held it in. There was no point in making it worse.
She was no longer mine to control. And yet, here I was, still caring. Still watching.
Her cold voice broke through my thoughts, “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Master?”
That word again.
It stung. But she was right. I didn’t belong here anymore.
Not with her.
I yanked my tie from my neck and threw it on the floor. “You want me gone, don’t you? So you can sneak around with your new mate.
A
I chuckled bitterly, though the joke didn’t reach my eyes. “Too bad, I’m staying here. Right here. With you.”
A few minutes passed before the maids returned to begin the daily cleaning. Their eyes widened when they saw me sitting there, book hand, as if nothing had happened.
“Apologies, Alpha Thorne,” one of them stuttered. “We can come back if you’d prefer…”
I waved them off, not even bothering to look up from my book. “No need. Do what you need to do. And find something for her to do
The maid turned to Elara. “Do you know how to dust the bookshelf?”
Elara nodded. “Yes.”
The maid hesitated before speaking again, glancing at me. “Well… you can clean the windows.”
She handed Elara a rag and a ladder, giving instructions with a nervous edge.
h
Elara climbed the ladder effortlessly, cleaning the window like she’d done it a thousand times. I couldn’t help but watch her.
She was good at it. Too good.
As she climbed down, though, her foot slipped.
The ladder swayed.
My heart stopped.
“Watch out!” The maid screamed.
And then, before I could even think, I was on my feet, running.
年
I caught her just before she hit the floor, my arms wrapped around her as if she weighed nothing,
She blinked, her eyes wide with confusion.
I set her down gently, still gripping her shoulders.
“Are you out of your mind?” I snapped, my voice hoarse. “You could’ve broken your damn legs!”
She stared at me for a second, then scoffed. “You were watching me?”
I didn’t answer right away. I was still trying to understand why I’d cared enough to stop her from falling.
Maybe because, for all the rage I carried, I was still… worried.
