Chapter 14
Olivia's POV
Ethan’s head dipped slightly. Anyone who wasn’t actively looking for it would never know, but it was enough.
Grace's face lit up with excitement, like she'd just won some priceless gift.
“Really?” she breathed, practically glowing with anticipation.
The sight of her made my stomach twist, though I wasn’t sure why. After all, this was just an arrangement, a relationship of convenience and mutual gain.
But still, an unexpected twinge of disappointment flickered in my chest.
I clenched my fists at my sides, fighting the irrational sting. It wasn’t like I had any right to feel betrayed, and yet, something in me had hoped Ethan and I might at least grow to be friends.
Maybe I hoped we might grow to be more someday. I definitely had hoped he would honor our deal the same way I had.
I swallowed hard, pressing my back against the cool wall, trying to steady my breath. This was the reality check I finally needed. I was nothing more than a means to an end. I needed to remember that.
Still, I stayed frozen in place, waiting for him to say more, to offer something, anything, that would make this all feel less... empty.
Matthew’s words were the good news I needed. “Your mother’s condition is stable now. She can be discharged soon,” he said, smiling kindly.
Relief washed over me like a wave. “Thank you, Dr. Calder,” I sighed, my shoulders relaxing for the first time in days.
“Please, Luna Olivia, call me Matthew. I took the liberty of writing down the instructions for her medication and strongly suggest she start to manage her stress more effectively. Some grief counseling would help too.”
I noted everything down carefully. My mother would be home soon, and the constant weight pressing down on my chest felt a little lighter.
As I tucked my notebook of instructions away, Matthew stepped closer, his hand reaching out. I froze for a moment before realizing he was brushing something from my hair.
“Just some tiny bits of petals,” he explained with a soft chuckle. “From your lab, I assume.”
I smiled, my cheeks warming. “Thank you.” It was a small gesture, but it left me feeling slightly embarrassed.
“Ready to admit you’re a gold-digging liar? Did you overhear that Ethan is already planning your divorce and you’re lining up a backup?” The shrill voice cut through the moment.
I turned to see Grace shuffling up, her eyes gleaming with smugness. My stomach twisted. Of course she’d pounce on anything she could twist into a scandal.
I didn’t dignify her taunts with a response, focusing instead on finding my Zen. I’d been doing that a lot lately.
When I didn’t react, Grace’s smug smile faltered. “Hey! Didn’t you hear me?” she shouted, her voice demanding attention like a spoiled child.
Matthew, ever the professional, intervened with a calm but firm tone. “You just had surgery, Miss Grace. You need to rest. Also, I have to ask you to keep it down; shouting disturbs the other patients.”
Grace sniffed, casting a scornful look between us. “You have Alpha blood? No wonder she’s trying to seduce you.”
Matthew opened his mouth to reply, but I caught his eye and shook my head slightly. I could handle Grace, and she needed to know I wasn’t going to roll over at her tantrums.
He nodded slightly, understanding, and excused himself politely, leaving me to face Grace’s wrath alone.
“You better know your place,” Grace sneered as soon as Matthew was gone. “Ethan’s only marrying you to get the Alpha Council seat. Don’t start thinking you can claw your way into his heart now.”
I forced a smile, biting back the urge to lash out. “The same advice goes for you,” I said coolly, already walking away.
Grace’s hand shot out to grab my sleeve. “What did you just say?” she hissed, yanking me back with more force than I expected. But her movement threw her off balance, and she stumbled, hitting her injured leg against the wall.
I gasped, stepping back instinctively as she hit the ground hard. Blood began to seep from her cast, dripping to the floor. I was about to call for help when Marlus rushed over to help Grace.
“Grace!” Marlus’s voice was full of frustration. “The doctor told you to rest! You’re making everything worse.”
He bent down to Grace, who was now groaning and clutching her leg. And just behind him, Ethan appeared.
Without a word, he moved past and scooped Grace up effortlessly, his focus entirely on her as he carried her back into the room.
It felt like the worst case of déjà vu.
I stood there, my heart sinking as he ignored me, his attention fixed on her. It shouldn’t have bothered me. This was a business arrangement, after all. But somehow, it still stung.
As Ethan disappeared around the corner with Grace, Marlus turned to me, offering an awkward apology.
“Luna Olivia, I’m sorry for all of this. The wedding really hit her hard. She went for a ride on her motorcycle to clear her head, and then…” He trailed off, as if the rest of the story didn’t need to be said.
“Not my problem.” I replied sharply, cutting him off. My patience was wearing thin, and Grace’s drama was the last thing I wanted to deal with right now.
Marlus shifted uncomfortably, “Luna, actually…” He started to say something else, but I was already done with the conversation.
“My marriage to Ethan is indeed a partnership,” I seethed, my voice low and cold. If Ethan could have a heart of ice, so could I.
“If Grace keeps throwing tantrums and spreading rumors like this...” I let the implications just hang in the air. “It’s not just my life here, Marlus, it’s my Pack. Yours too.”
I walked away before he could respond, leaving the chaos of Grace behind.
But no matter how far I went, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this secret we were all protecting was hanging by a thread and would snap at any moment.
My mother’s eyes lit up when I walked into her hospital room.
“Why are you here alone? Ethan said he’d visit me today,” she asked, her scent full of curiosity. She kept trying to peek around me as if Ethan’s 6’3 frame could somehow hide behind my small one.
I forced a smile, trying to keep my tone light. “He had some work to handle.” It was probably the truth. Grace seemed like a lot of work and definitely needed to be handled.
Was Ethan here to visit mom and got sidetracked by Grace?
“I’m sure he’ll come soon. He’s always so busy.”
I nodded, but the unease lingered, leaving me wondering how much longer I could keep up this performance.
As I stepped out of the lab at LB, my phone rang with Mia’s ringtone, Paint the Town Red.
“Where are you? I’m dying to get this girls’ day started immediately! We have a dress to find.”
My heart sank. “Oh shit, I forgot that was today.”
Mia’s frustrated sigh echoed in my ear. “How could you forget something this important, Olivia?”
Before I could respond, I spotted Ethan’s car idling by the road.
“Gotta go, Mia! Ethan just pulled up. I’ll be right there!”
I walked Ethan’s car, feeling his gaze on me as the window rolled down. “I thought you were planning to break our agreement.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Sorry, I forgot,” I said, keeping my tone as cold as his.
“Forgot?” His eyes narrowed in irritation. “Are you planning to wear the dress from your wedding with Aiden when you marry me?”
