Page 52 of Wolf's Redemption

"It's not the most luxurious, but the atmosphere is nice," he said.

The mall was set in a sea-themed atmosphere. Its walls were orange brick, the floor was polished granite, and there were few people.

Eric paid for the tickets and bought some pretzels, sodas, and chocolates.

"Wait," I said, stopping before entering the screening room. My cell phone was vibrating, and I pulled it out to check who it was.

"Who is it, baby?" Eric asked as he read my screen.

I felt my stomach roll, and my body shed the sensations around me. "It's no one important," I said, hanging up the call and putting the cell phone back in my pocket.

Eric changed the expression on his face to a more serious and somber one and didn't say anything to me all the way to the seats.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Hmmm, yeah," he replied coldly.

I knew I wasn't okay, plus my cell phone wouldn't stop vibrating. I wanted to answer it because I knew Elliot wanted to hear from me, and I was dying to hear from him, but at the same time, I couldn't do it next to Eric. He would draw his own conclusions.

"Can you give me a second? I have to go to the bathroom," I said and made my way to the bathroom with fleeting steps.

"Hey, my little prince, sorry I didn't answer. Mommy was busy," I said.

Elliot cautiously looked at my surroundings, closing his eyes a little to focus.

"Mommy, where are you? And why is it so noisy there?"

"In a bathroom. I'm in a meeting and won't be able to talk long," I replied in a calm voice.

My pulse raced, and I immediately felt guilt and remorse. Not only was I hiding the truth from Eric, but now I was lying to my son.

"I just wanted to know if you were okay and if you were coming soon," my baby said with puppy eyes and pouting.

"I'll be home soon, sweetie, ok? Be a good boy and say hi to Nani from me," I told him. "Love you."

I hung up the cell phone and went to my seat. The movie had already started, and Eric was watching, but with his mind elsewhere, I knew it was just a matter of time before I had to tell him the whole truth, but as long as I could avoid it, I would.

Chapter 18 Eric

I was sitting next to Cathy, holding her hand and pretending to watch the movie, but I couldn't stop thinking about the phone call she received, the way she avoided answering, and her sudden visit to the bathroom. She was hiding something from me, and I knew it had to do with her supposed suitor.

"Eric, hey!" Cathy squeezed my hand. "The movie's over."

I looked over, and the credits were almost over, and the room was completely empty except for her, me, and a worker who was picking up the trash the other people had left on their seats.

"I was distracted for a moment," I replied without looking at her face so she wouldn't notice my discomfort.

I felt a flare in my stomach, the tension in my jaw and legs, and most of all, a feeling of doubt growing inside me that I couldn't control.

"What shall we do now?" she asked, rising from her seat with an almost imperceptible smile. Her gray eyes reflected the letters on the screen almost as sharply as if they were projecting them themselves.

"I'm so sorry, but I'll take you to the mansion. I completely forgot I had a meeting with my Beta," I said, trying to sound natural.

Cathy was in no mood for anything. I could tell by her distracted expression and subtle smile.

"That's okay. I'll take the opportunity to catch up on my business," she replied. "I have to go over the sales reports and see the week's progress."

I walked ahead of her and led her to the car, put random music on the player, and drove, squeezing the steering wheel with all my strength and my eyes fixed on the road.

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