Chapter 22
Evelynne:
Gabriella hesitated, considering her next words. She opened up to say something but shut her lips close again, before muttering, “Nevermind.”
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I rose my brows in suspicion, but she stared back at me with a smile, “Desmond really liked you, you know. And it was very obvious you swooned at his feet, so it came like quite a huge surprise when you rejected him, she titled her head and asked, “Is there anything you aren’t telling me?”
Hearing her say how Desmond liked me made my insides churn in anger. I once thought he did also, but in all honesty, he never did. He just liked the idea of possessing me.
“Like?” I quirked a brow in her direction.
“Anything at all, that you aren’t telling me.”
“There’s nothing.”
She shrugged, and switched the topic by asking, “Desmond still wants you. He went as far as having the Pack council cancel the request to have you banished from the pack cause of your deeds.”
Soon as those words were out from her lips, I was unsure of how to react. Banished or not, I’ve already made my decision to leave this Pack behind, “Why are you telling me this?” I asked her.
She was acting so unnatural and I couldn’t figure out why she was speaking so highly of him.
My fingers clutched around my purse, “What exactly are you trying to do, Gabriella?”
Without wasting a breath, and as if ready for my question she answered, “I want you to go back to him.”
I shot a frown at her, finding the whole situation funny, “Why would you want me to go back? you wanted him, right? and now you have him all to yourself, so why try to make me take him back?” I crossed my arms to my chest, and asked, “You must be nuts.”
“I’m not.” She refuted with a sharp glare, giving response to only my last statement and leaving the rest.
I shook my head, deciding it was time to end this conversation.
“If you have nothing else to say, leave.” I rubbed a palm on my forehead, ready to shut the door.
“You seem very angry by just the fact that I had slept with Desmond,” her lips pulled into a mocking smile, “Wait till you find out how your mom had a hand all this,” she dropped, taking a step back.
I snapped my head in her direction at her words. For some reason I believed her, I believed there was more to it–despite the fact that she could be lying, and just trying to cause more drift with my mother and I since she already knew how strained our relationship as mother and daughter was.
“What do you mean?” my eyes narrowed at her.
“See you next time, Evelynne.” She turned around and left before I could say anything else.
I intended to call after her, but at that moment, I found it hard to say anything. My legs remained frozen at that spot, and I stared at her back as she walked over to the red Lexus parked by the other end of the road.
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Chapter 22
A couple of minutes later, she drove out of the street.
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I pursed my lips, trying to have all the bothering thoughts at the back of my mind, but nothing worked, and even as I locked my apartment door and walked towards the road, I couldn’t stop thinking about what she said.
1 considered going over to my mother to ask her about it, if she perhaps knew anything–but it would be stupid of me pointing fingers at her with no reason or proof.
‘Gabriella must be lying. I mentally recited before finally getting into a taxi and heading to Somerville.
The time was already twenty minutes after eight. It would be difficult to get to Somerville on time, so I texted Rhysand.
Evie: Hi.
My gaze lingered on the text message for God knows how long, and almost close to ten minutes later, a messaged popped
- up.
Rhysand: WHAT?
I stared hard at the message for long, wondering what I must have said to get such a flat response.
Deciding to ignore it, I thought long about how to tell him I won’t be able to get there on time, before typing.
Evie: Something kind of came up here, so I might not get to Somerville on time. Could you please wait for me for a while?
There was no response for another ten minutes.
Rhysand: WHAT CAME UP?
His response was unexpected, and my brows squeezed to a frown, wondering what to say to that.
Evie: Private matters. I’ll be there a couple of minutes after 9.
I stared at our chat messages, and then noticed that he was fond of using capital letters always, which was very weird, but I wasn’t close to him enough to mention it, so I just ignored it.
Placing the phone on my lap, my eyes drifted to the scenery outside as we drove across streets.
A while later, my phone vibrated with a new message and I checked immediately but it was from Elli.
Elli: Hey!
–“Are you on your way already? stay safe!”
–“I’ll call you later, kind of busy right now.
I responded to his messages before dropping my phone back to my bag.
Despite how hard I was trying to not ponder over Gabriella’s words, all my efforts remained futile and I couldn’t stop thinking about what she said.
I pursed my lips and subconsciously bit my bottom lips in thought before glancing down and swiping my phone to my call logs. Unfortunately, the disappointment that filled my nerves when I noticed there was not even a single call from my mom since yesterday lingered.
Shaking my head, I tried to think of something else, anything else at all, other than how disheartened I felt about my
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08:26 Mon, 10 Feb S
Chapter 22
mother’s attitude, my ex mate’s infidelity and my ex best friend’s betrayal.
But the worries in my chest persisted.
Closing my eyes, a deep breath escaped my lips and my body finally relaxed.
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‘He helped you out for no reason?‘ Desmond’s question from yesterday invaded my mind. A tiny bitsy itsy part of me wanted to ask Rhysand why he helped me out, but another whole part of me considered that he probably would have helped anyone else in my shoes.
But why did I feel off knowing about this? the urge to confirm for myself and still ask him about it remained for a while, and close to thirty minutes later, my phone vibrated in my bag.
Rhys: Okay.
Dry. So dry. The texter and the text.
To think I had to wait for a while just for a simple short response grated my nerves, but considering I had no reason to be pissed, wiped away the anger in a couple of minutes.
The drive to Somerville was quiet, and I had enough time to think over through how to finalize Rhysand and I’s conversation from yesterday.
It would have been more convenient and better if I had booked a flight, but the costs had made me have a heavy rethink on it.
Several minutes later, the bolt car came to a stop, and I gazed out the window at the imposing skyscraper that towered before me. My eyes were drawn to the massive billboard prominently displaying “Thorne Enterprises“, the company’s name in bold, towering letters.
I paid for the fare before finally stepping out, and the first thing to hit my nostrils was the serene smell of summer as the
face. wind whooshed through my
As soon as I stepped into the entrance and stopped at the receptionist’s office, she regarded me with a familiar gaze before ushering me in.
“An appointment?” she asked, searching my eyes but then I shook my head, and her brows squeezed into a frown but she nodded.
It was then it dawned on me that she was a human and not a werewolf like us. She probably didn’t know she was in the midst of countless werewolves, considering we live in a world were the existence was private.
A world were werewolves dominated humans in secrecy.
“Give me a moment to acknowledge your presence to the Executive’s Line,” I gave her a small nod as she went further to dial the number.
After the short conversation between the two ends of the call, she finally spared me a glance, and said in a firm town, “You can go inside.”
“Thank you,” I muttered before turning around and heading towards the elevator.
Before I could get closer, a large hand stopped me, “You can’t get in.” My eyes trailed up to the huge bulky man standing in my front, dressed in clad black, with a small speaker connected to his mouth from his ear.
My eyes tightened to a frown at him at his words, “But I used here yesterday.” I said.
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Chapter 22
“And you were allowed cause you were with the CEO,” when he said so, I finally realized that yesterday it had only been Rhysand and I in the elevator.
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Considering the company was packed with a lot of employees it would have been tighter, but it wasn’t, “Go use the Visitor’s elevator down the hall,” he turned his head to the other end, showing me where there were a lot of people standing and waiting for their turn- how do I get in on time?
“Alright,” I said before turning around and heading in the other direction.
I waited in line for close to 20 minutes, but it still didn’t seem like it would get to my turn anytime soon, a sigh escaped my lips after realizing that it was close to 10AM already.
After the next ten minutes, I had just few people before me, so I stood patiently, hoping Rhysand understands that I was left in a drastic situation when I got to his company.
“Hello there,” A voice said from beside me and I turned my head at the familiar voice.
My eyes landed on the pale green eyes that were staring at me, as if with every intention of reading through me. He tilted this head, with a small smile, and his blonde hair fell to the side, “Hi.”
“How have you been doing?,” I stared suspiciously at how comfortable he was becoming around me, “You have another appointment today?” he asked, tucking his hands to his pocket before standing straight beside me and I wondered if he was a visitor here too.
But then why did he say he’ll help me reach the CEO a day back if he’s just nothing but a mere visitor at the company–not even an employee.
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” I gave him a small nod, “I do, and yes, I have an appointment today also.”
“Oh, okay, I get,” he nodded in understandanding before sparing me a glance once again, but then looked away immediately. “Seems you still have a long way to go before it gets to your turn,” Xavier–with an X, as he called himself— stretched to see the long line of people.
“How about I help you get into the Executive Elevator but you’ll owe me one?” he tilted his head in my
direction.
Hearing his words, I couldn’t help but recall what he had said yesterday, thinking about it caused me to roll my eyes and he must have seen it cause he chuckled softly at my
“Are you a visitor here yourself?” I asked finally.
reaction.
He rubbed a palm at the back of his forehead, “You can say I am. But I’m not just a simple visitor.”
“A visitor is a visitor,” I said with an eye roll.
“Well, this visitor here has special reservations and treatment,” he smiled and gave me a harmless shrug.
I eyed him suspiciously, before turning my gaze back to the line, realizing it had reduced and I and 3 men were next, “No, thank you, but it’s already my turn over here,” I offered him a polite nod before walking away.
The urge to look back gripped me the farther I walked and felt his pair of eyes on me.
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