Chapter 66

I hadn’t told James about what happened with Michael. I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary drama by having to explain the fact that instead of returning to the room like I said I would, I ended up spending some decent time with Michael.

God only knew the kind of scene that would have unfolded if James had decided to end his night early too. I mean, it wasn’t as though Michael and I were doing anything wrong. But I knew for a fact that James was still against the idea of me having anything to do with Michael since the one meeting we all had together.

At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about running into him at the party. But to be honest, I was glad that he and I were able to clear the air between us and move on.

Michael wasn’t the person who I originally thought him to be. He wasn’t some mindless womanizer who cared about nothing but himself. From what I learned, Michael truly enjoyed his work as a model and was always looking into projects that required him to travel.

“The further away from home, the better,” he remarked.

I’d tilted my head with interest. “Why? Is David too overbearing?” I asked jokingly.

I noticed Michael’s expression turned serious for a brief moment. “You could say that,” he muttered over the rim of his glass.

I replayed our conversation in my mind at least a dozen times over. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary to justify what had happened afterward. That scolding heat consumed my insides and left me wanting something I never knew I’d been missing.

“Bella,” I whispered under my breath.

My wolf...Could it really have been possible that I actually heard the inner voice of my own wolf?

It all happened so quickly that I almost forgot the starling piece of information that she’d given me before fading back into the recess of my mind. I wish I could have heard more of her voice, but the one word that she said was still bouncing around my head.

Mate.

I couldn’t believe it, nor could I find a way to understand it.

It’s why I spent the majority of the following few days wondering if what I felt for Michael was real. The world around me blurred as I fell into a series of mental ditches where I continuously contemplated the possibility of him being my mate.

I felt like there was some sort of war going on between my mind and my heart. While I had never felt anything romantic toward Michael before, whatever happened the night was enough to awaken the wolf inside of me for just a few seconds.

That, alone, should have been enough of an indicator. Right?

Then again, why had it happened the night of the party? It wasn’t the first time Michael and I were alone with one another; so, why hadn’t this remarkable occurrence come about sooner?

Nonetheless, another thing I wasn’t so sure about was what it essentially meant for my relationship with James.

Hell, the man had finally come around to admitting his feelings for me—even then, I was still wondering if they were real or if they were said in the heat of the moment during the press conference.

“...Mia?...Mia?”

I heard someone calling out my name. Slowly, my vision started to clear and I pulled myself back from the heavy train of thought I had fallen into yet again. James stood a few feet from me with a worried look on his face.

“Huh?”

“Are you alright?” he asked. “I’ve been calling your name for the past five minutes.”

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “Oh...Sorry, I guess I was just lost in thought. I’m okay.”

James raised a doubtful brow. “Are you sure?”

I nod my head and lower my gaze to the floor. A wave of disappointment washed over me. I knew I should have just come out and asked James about him declaring his love or about the strange encounter I had with Michael.

For the time being, I had to shrug it off as though it was nothing because I didn’t have enough viable evidence to confirm anything.

I noticed Lily coming into the room and turned my head to see what was going on. “James, the gardener has just arrived back.” The tone in her voice hinted that something was off.

James turned to face the housekeeper and swiftly noticed the same thing.

“Lily? What is it?”

“I’m not sure. I think the two of you ought to follow me.”

James and I made our way toward the front door where the gardener stood with his eyes fixed on the ground. When he lifted his head, we were greeted with a startled expression.

“Sir, I...I don’t know what to make of it,” the gardener muttered.

We both shared a nervous look. “What is it?” I asked softly.

Instead of saying anything, the older man simply raised a pointed finger in the direction of the opened door behind him. Apparently, someone else was standing there and started to make their way inside.

It was a young woman with dark, thick hair and beautiful features. I had no idea who this woman was but James appeared thoroughly shocked and frozen on the spot.

“E-Evelyn?” he gasped.

The woman smiled back. “Hello, James,” she said.

My heart dropped into my stomach. Oh my god.

Anyone who was around to see the scene unfold had stopped dead in their tracks and gapped in disbelief. Some of the staff members looked as though they were on the brink of passing out, which made me believe that this truly was the same woman who’d gone missing five years ago.

‘What is going to happen now?’ I asked myself.

If Evelyn was trying back...Where did my relationship with James stand now?