After dealing with Suzanna, I walked out of the restroom feeling slightly lighter–some of the pent–up emotion finally released.
My mood had been foul to begin with, and I hadn’t even planned to confront her today. But she just had to walk straight into the line of fire.
If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have caused a scene in public.
To be blunt, Suzanna brought this on herself.
And honestly, compared to the harm she inflicted on me, what just happened was nothing.
If Alexander hadn’t shown up when he did back then, I’d be a corpse floating in the ocean–face unrecognizable, skin eaten away by salt and time.
Was I afraid of her retaliation?
The Alpha Malcolm’s Pack was one of the few powerful werewolf bloodlines near Crescent Valley.
With their support–and a circle of lawless friends always ready to stir up chaos–Suzanna could make life very difficult for anyone she chose to target.
Once she set her sights on you, there was little room for defense.
But what good would fear do me?
Avoiding her wouldn’t have changed anything.
And today’s confrontation? It didn’t make things worse. It simply made things honest.
The flicker of recognition–and fear–in Suzanna’s eyes told me everything I needed to know.
She was alive.
So be it. That only made what I had to do next even clearer.
This wasn’t about survival anymore. This was about vengeance.
For Felix. For everything that had been taken from me.
And today?
Today was just a warning.
A sliver of the interest she owed.
I might as well enjoy the satisfaction of standing my ground.
Did Suzanna really think I was still the same Summer she once knew?
She was about to find out just how wrong she was.
Suffering once didn’t mean I’d suffer again.
If she provoked me now, she’d find out–I was capable of anything.
My phone’s ringtone pulled me from my thoughts. I slid to answer, and before I could speak, Aria’s voice came through the speaker. “Mom, why aren’t you back yet?”
“I’m coming right now,” I replied.
After ending the call, I slipped my phone back into my purse and looked up, continuing toward our private dining room.
Then, unexpectedly, my gaze caught a familiar silhouette not far away.
The man was leaning casually against the wall beside a private room door, his fingers hanging low, a cigarette held between those long, elegant digits. Smoke dispersed from his thin lips and nostrils, giving him an aura of mature intensity.
I felt a jolt of surprise. I had clearly seen Alexander leave earlier, so why was he here now? Could it be that he couldn’t let go of me after all?
I couldn’t help wondering.
Despite his repeated warnings to stay away from him, to not follow him, in this moment, I couldn’t restrain myself.
Pride might be a valuable thing, but before my mate, it meant nothing. If sacrificing it meant getting him back, it would be worth anything.
I took a deep breath, nervously gripping the strap of my purse as I moved in his direction.
The man seemed to sense my approach, slightly lifting his eyelids to look my way.
Our gazes connected.
I clearly saw Alexander’s brows furrow deeply.
Under his pronounced double eyelids, those pitch–black, dark eyes were filled with disgust and contempt.
The way he looked at me was as if he were regarding an unwelcome stray animal.
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over me. My steps faltered instantly, and my heart ached so badly I could barely breathe.
He despised me now.
Even though I already knew this, and had mentally prepared myself to be thick–skinned when facing him, when the moment actually arrived, the pain only intensified.
It’s okay, Sarah, I told myself. Is this small difficulty enough to defeat you? If so, how can you ever hope to win Alexander back?
From the beginning, you knew this path would be difficult and long. You told yourself that no matter what happens, you must see it through to the end.
In this life, you are determined to be with Alexander–that’s your deepest conviction. Before, you were able to approach him without shame, and now you can do the same.
In just a second, I had gathered my emotions, quickly hurrying to his side with a forced smile on my lips. ” Alexander!”
“You-”
Before I could finish speaking, Alexander refused to look at me any longer, turning away without a backward glance to push open the door of the private room.
I felt like I’d been plunged into an ice bath, cold seeping into every part of my body.
It wasn’t until Elena appeared in front of me, tapping my cheek and calling my name with urgency, “Sarah! Sarah!” that I snapped back to reality.
I blinked rapidly, momentary panic flashing through my eyes before Elena’s concerned face gradually came into focus before me.
In that instant, I nearly lost control of my emotions, almost throwing myself into Elena’s arms to sob uncontrollably.
But I managed to hold it in, choking out just two words with a raspy voice, “I’m fine.”
Elena’s situation wasn’t much better than mine, and I truly didn’t want to burden her with more of my problems. Besides, she was getting married soon. My negative emotions shouldn’t cast a shadow over her happiness.
“Sarah, what’s wrong?” Elena asked worriedly. “You just went to the restroom, but you didn’t answer your phone or respond to my texts.”
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere, making two rounds through the restaurant before finding you standing here in a daze. I called your name several times, but you didn’t respond.”
I shook my head. “I’m okay, really. I probably just haven’t been resting well these past few days, so I’m a bit out of it, zoning out frequently.”
Elena knew things weren’t as simple as I made them sound. She could see the problem with just one glance—it was too obvious. But at times like these, she chose not to press the issue.
If I didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t force me. “Then let’s finish our meal and head home early. You need a good night’s rest tonight.”
“Mm–hmm.” I pressed my lips together. “We should get back to our room; otherwise, Aria will start to worry.”
We turned to leave, completely unaware that the door to Alexander’s private room had opened once again behind us.
