Page 132 of Alpha-Ex Wedding Ruse
“Mom, is Daddy still coming today?”
I stood, going to help him with the puzzle, unsure how to answer. Amidst all the chaos in his life right now, Luca had promised to come over this evening to see Ollie—and he wasn’t one to break his word.
I passed Ollie a bright smile. “He’ll be here,” I said, hoping to God he would. I didn’t want Ollie going to bed disappointed. He was already buzzing with excitement at the thought of seeing his father.
The timer in the kitchen dinged, signaling the lasagna I’d been making for lunch was ready. While pulling the tray from the oven, the doorbell rang—and from the living room came Ollie’s excited squeal. “I’ll get it!” His voice was pure joy. It had to be Luca.
I slid the lasagna back into the oven, stripped off my oven mitts, and headed toward the living room.
I froze halfway there.
It wasn’t Luca standing at the door. No.
It was the last person I ever expected to see.
Elena.
And she wasn’t looking at me. She was looking at my son—horror flashing across her face before it hardened into something sharper. Anger. Hate.
“Elena,” I said sharply, striding toward the door. Instinctively, I eased Ollie behind me. “What are you doing here?”
“You even have his son?” she demanded, disbelief slicing through her voice. But beneath it, something darker stirred. “How long have you both been fooling me?”
I turned to Ollie. “Ollie, go upstairs and work on your LEGO set. I’ll be up in a few minutes to help you.”
He didn’t argue, but disappointment flickered in his eyes when he realized it wasn’t Luca. Without a word, he turned and climbed the stairs, his small footsteps echoing. Only when he was out of earshot did I snap my gaze back to Elena.
Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, her chest rising and falling fast. The composed, polished woman I’d been planning a wedding for was gone. In her place stood someone unhinged.
“How long?” she demanded, her voice low and dangerous. “How long have you and Luca been lying to me?”
“Elena, I understand you’re upset about the wedding—”
“Upset?” She laughed, the sound sharp and brittle. “Upset doesn’t begin to cover it.” She stepped forward, uninvited, crossing the threshold of my house as if she owned it. “You’ve been planning my wedding to that man for weeks. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is for me?”
“I never meant for this to happen,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “When I took the job, I had no idea Luca was the groom.”
“Stop lying!” Her voice cracked through the air, loud enough to make me fear Ollie might hear.
“I don’t appreciate you barging into my home to yell at me.”
Her eyes went wide with outrage. “How dare you? How dare you steal my fiancé?”
Her hand shot up to slap me, but I caught her wrist before she could connect.
“I didn’t steal anyone,” I snapped, my own anger breaking loose. “Luca made his own choice.”
“Because of that bastard upstairs!”
The word hit like a blow. My wolf snarled under my skin, enraged by the insult. “Don’t you dare call my son that.”
She ripped her hand free. “Of all people to lose my fiancé to, it’s you. A fucking half breed.” Her fingers tangled in my hair, yanking it back hard. “You’re not even worthy to lace my shoes!” she screamed, pulling my hair so tight I thought she might rip it off my scalp.
I shoved her away with every ounce of strength I had. She stumbled, hitting the floor with a thud. She scrambled up, ready to lunge again—until a small, steady voice cut through the room.
“Stay away from my mom!”
My gaze shot to the staircase. Ollie stood there, his little jaw set, shoulders squared, eyes blazing with defiance.
