Page 24 of Unbreak Me

Two people were already there: a police officer and… a young beta convict, sitting in a chair with a lunchbox in front of him.

And let me tell you, the guy was something else! Half of his head was shaved short, while the other half sported neon blue hair that fell to his shoulders. Tattoos covered the shaved side of his head and the left side of his neck—something resembling spiders or insects—while piercings decorated his nose, eyebrow, and ears. I couldn’t deny it—he had a striking face, sharp and undeniably attractive—but he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, that’s for sure. What really stood out were his eyes. One was completely black, while the other was light gray, creating a shockingly eerie contrast.

I think we all—redhead included—stared at him with expressions so ridiculous that the guy must’ve found it amusing. A contemptuous, smug smirk appeared on his lips, and he even let out a short snort. He was dressed all in black, exuding an unapologetically edgy vibe.

Nolan gestured for us to sit at the table, pretending like nothing unusual was happening and making no effort to introduce us to the guy—not that he had any reason to.

At the table, Jan was handed a few forms to fill out and a detailed version of the contract to read. But I could tell he was having a hard time focusing on the text.

Meanwhile, the little red-haired omega snuggled up to Nolan and whispered something to him, giggling softly. They talked a bit about some Nathaniel who was about to come very soon. I watched them with a pang of envy; their natural closeness and warmth stirred a longing in me—a quiet hope that I could someday have that kind of relationship again. I used to have it, once… before Nico left.

I quickly shifted my gaze back to Jan. He had slightly furrowed brows as he filled in the lines on the form with small, fine handwriting. I noticed his hands; they were the big hands of a man accustomed to physical work. I felt a slight shiver, though I wasn't sure if it was from fear or hope that maybe one day his hands would touch my body.

No. That’s enough. My thoughts couldn’t go too far. My past was… I wasn’t healed from what happened, and I wasn’t ready to face what could lie ahead. I had just met the man!

Although I must admit, with every passing minute, the cautious feeling grew within me that Jan could indeed be the right choice for me. He seemed somewhat shy and hesitant, and I hated cocky, aggressive, overconfident alphas.

Because there was a prolonged silence in the room, interrupted only by the rustling of the paper lunchbox package as the beta ate, I decided to say something, just for the sake of it. Glancing at Nolan, I muttered, "So, what's the thing with your talent for pairing people? Are you on our cases for this reason only?"

The Fate’s Choice employee smiled with subtle pride. "Well, yes. And I do believe I have a knack for it. I hope you'll let me know how it goes between you two. I like to stay in touch with my clients."

Neither Jan nor I commented on whether we would. I think we were both a bit annoyed by his ostentatious looks, his outward happiness, and a certain odd, unprofessional pushiness.

The redhead omega was still basically glued to his side and seemed completely in love with his ridiculously tall boyfriend. I averted my gaze from him just to avoid rudely staring at their lovey-dovey activities.

Now was a good time to point out to him that bringing his boyfriend to work and basically making out with him in front of us was highly inappropriate. And yes, I caught the moment when he squeezed the omega's butt! But I wasn't that much of a bitch to spoil people's lovely vibing on the day I was signing my own marriage contract.

When Eternal was finally signed—I also added my signature—Jan made a transfer to the account I had specified in the contract, minus, of course, the intermediary fee for Fate’s Choice.

After the bank confirmed the transfer, Nolan straightened up with a broad smile, saying, "So, what are your plans now, Day? Are you ready to move in with Jan today, or do you want to plan it for later?"

Surprised by the question, I instinctively winced. I was just too accustomed to those unpleasant grimaces.

And what should I even respond? Admit I had quite a different PLAN before, one that did not include moving in with a stranger?

"I think we need to discuss this further. Honestly, I didn't expect things to turn out this way during this fair, so I'm not packed."

Jan coughed quietly. "If you like, I can help you pack and move your stuff…"

"I can handle packing," I muttered, just out of habit using my favorite rude tone. "But I'll definitely need help moving things to the car and out," I quickly added, angry at myself. Why couldn't I just stop with this bitchy tone and my bitch face?

Nolan seemed bored with this part of the conversation, his hands already on the redhead's back like he was losing interest in our existence.

Their eyes met, and I just felt that sparkling energy in the air—they were so into each other, probably hoping to find a moment to fuck passionately in some storage room. A small sigh escaped me involuntarily; that kind of reality still seemed far away from my world.

My eyes darted to the convict, and I caught him staring at Nolan and the redhead too. I could swear he shared my feelings, but oh well. For him, any relationship was probably a million miles away. If it wasn’t easy for an ex-sex worker to find a husband here, it was almost impossible for a convict.

That’s when I noticed Jan peering at the laptop sitting open on Nolan’s desk. Camera feeds from the glass booths were displayed on the screen, slowly switching views. The first two were empty; one I recognized as mine, and the other was likely the convict’s booth. Then the view switched again… I spotted Mr. Ferro.

Jan suddenly raised his eyebrows and touched the screen, pausing the rotation. "I saw that short omega in the fifth section. I think his name is Darien. Are you also handling his case?"

Nolan looked a bit embarrassed, clearly not wanting to discuss his clients' matters, but before he could answer, the convict threw in his line:

"You probably shouldn’t check out the pretty prince of the fair. That’s rude, considering your new husband stands right beside you looking like a starved scarecrow."

His voice was husky, almost sensual in tone, but also pretty vile. A horrifying silence fell.

We all stared at him, but Jan was the first to recover.

---