Page 113 of Alpha-Ex Wedding Ruse
Deeper.
The knife was still twisting.
“What happened between us at the suite…was a mistake.”
“Fuck, Leila. It’s always a mistake with you.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “Tell me—does it feel like a mistake?” I closed the space between us. “Does being this close to me feel like a mistake? Does your wolf feel repulsed by my presence?”
“That’s the thing, Luca.” Her voice cracked. “My wolf might have forgotten what happened five years ago. But I haven’t. And I doubt I ever could. You hurt me…deeply. And even though she might have forgiven you, I just…I don’t know how to. I don’t know how to move forward from this. How to trust you with my heart again. I can’t be a fool again, Luca.” She swallowed, her lips trembling. “And I won’t be your mistress.”
I flinched at the word. Leila was anything but that. I was ready to throw it all away for her—this wedding, Moreau’s million-dollar deal, even my position as Alpha. The council would never name me Alpha if I backed out now, but I didn’t care.
She was worth it. She was worth everything.
She looked up at me, the hurt in her eyes like a punch to the gut.
“I’ll go get started on that coffee now,” she murmured and brushed past me.
I stood there, hating myself for being the reason she was in pain. Hating that I had done this to her. That she had walked through hell five years ago because I couldn’t trust her. Couldn’t believe her.
I’d spent my life expecting people to leave—expecting her to leave eventually. So, I pushed her away first. Not because I wanted to stop loving her, but because I knew I couldn’t. Even if she hurt me, even if she betrayed me, I would still love her, and that terrified me. Better to end it on my terms than watch her walk away and take what little dignity I had left.
But I was wrong.
This pain…this hurt…was worse.
If the gnawing truth clawing at me was right, then someone had fabricated that evidence. The photos, the evidence of the money in her account.
I needed answers. I needed the truth.
I pulled out my phone and dialed the number.
On the second ring, the line cracked through. “Grant,” I said. “I’ve got a job for you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Leila’s POV
After reschedulingdinner with Victor more times than I could count, the day had finally arrived. I stepped into the restaurant and scanned the room. Luckily, it wasn’t crowded. I spotted him almost immediately as he waved, already seated.
“Hey, Victor. Have you been waiting long?” I asked as I approached the table, shrugging out of my coat.
He stood to help me. “No, I just got here,” he said with a small smile. “Though, I’ll admit, I was half expecting another text saying something came up. I mean, my brother’s wedding is just a couple of days away. I imagine you’re busier than ever getting everything ready.”
Luca’s wedding to Elena.
The bitter truth wedged itself in my throat like it always did—tight, choking, impossible to ignore. In forty-eight hours, my Fated Mate would belong to someone else.
I offered Victor a faint smile as he sat back down. “Yeah, you’re right,” I murmured.
This week had been nothing but a storm of final preparations,endless details to sort out before the big day, and every second of it had been torture. Each thought of that wedding made my heart clench painfully in my chest. It made my wolf stir faintly inside me—restless but tired. I could feel her pulling back, like she didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. Like she was quietly punishing me for letting our Mate go.
“So, what would you like to eat?” Victor asked.
I forced myself to shift gears, to leave that heartbreak-laced fog I’d been trapped in all week and focus on the dinner.
I picked up the menu and skimmed through it. “Shrimp pasta is fine,” I said.
Victor frowned slightly. “Didn’t you order that the last time we had lunch? Is that your favorite or something?”
