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I thought the guard was joking or wrong. Jaris was here? What was he doing here? I knew there was no way he’d be looking for me. He should be more than happy that I left.
I followed the guard to the living room, and to my surprise, Jaris was there, Kael and Nerion
top.
Father was standing beside Jaris, and they all looked at me as I walked in.
1
Okay. Maybe he’s here to terminate the contract. That’d be the best news I’d have heard in
years.
Right now, I didn’t want him here. I didn’t even want to see him. Seeing him only brought back painful memories of what he’d done to me the previous night.
I didn’t even bother to greet him as I stood with them, making sure to keep my distance.
“Alpha Jaris is looking for you,” Father said, surprising me.
I looked at him but didn’t say a word. I noticed he’d been staring at me since I came into the
room.
“I’d love to speak with her alone, if you don’t mind,” Jaris said to those around him.
What?
“No.” My voice was firm. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it now.”
With the good things that’s happened with Jaris and I for the past few weeks, I didn’t think I’d be so cold toward him.
I was furious. He hurt me and I didn’t want him around.
He looked at me with surprise, clearly not expecting I’d to say that in front of all these people.
His voice turned colder when he spoke again. “I asked to have the room.”
“If they leave, I’m leaving, Alpha Jaris.” I made sure to include sarcasm in the way I called his
name.
I could see the glint in his eyes. He was getting pissed. But above all, he looked hurt.
Too bad I didn’t care right now. I was beyond hurt last night. I was shattered. And why was he even here like he cared?
“Okay. Since you want to do this here.” He tucked his hand into his pocket. “Why are you here?
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I shrugged. “Maybe because you asked me to leave. You told me to sleep with other men. And since I didn’t have any, I decided to come here.”
The surprise in Jaris‘ face was unmistakable. He probably didn’t expect me to reveal that in front of everyone.
They all looked at me in shock, father’s own being the most obvious. Well, I didn’t have any intention of hiding it. They should all know what Jaris was doing to me.
“Go get your things. We’re going home.” Jaris started toward the door.
He was clearly pissed. Very pissed.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” My words stopped him at the door. “I’m staying here, Alpha Jaris. For now.”
Looking at him, I wanted to cry right now. He may not have said the word, but he called me a slut last night. He made me feel so ashamed of myself, for even loving him.
His jaw ticked as he turned around to face me. “What did you say?”
I forced myself to remain strong. He looked intimidating right now, but this wasn’t the time to
cower.
“I said I’m not going with you. I’m staying here for now.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know. I just know that I don’t want to be near you. Or that place.”
Pain flickered across his eyes. But a second later, it was gone, replaced by hostility.
“You seem to be forgetting that we had an agreement, Lyric Harper. As much as you’d want to do what your silly head wants, we have a contract binding us.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure the contract doesn’t include you calling me names and asking me to go sleep around.” I tried to sound and look nonchalant, but only I knew how hurt I was. How I was shaking inside. “Right now, Alpha Jaris, I don’t really care about the contract. The only way I’m leaving here is if you ask them-” I tipped my head toward Kael and Nerion. “-to drag me out of here. They’d have to humiliate me. But it’s fine. It wouldn’t be the first time you’d be hurting or humiliating me.”
My eyelids stung with the heat of unshed tears. But I couldn’t let them fall. I couldn’t let him see how broken I was.
I turned on my heel and hurried away, going up the stairs.
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MARTA
B
There was finally some good news for the Monroes.
Marta happily went home when her mother called and told her they’d found Penelope, the woman they’d gotten the kids from.
She walked into the house and found the tall fine woman sitting on the couch with her head high, looking like she was the boss among them.
She was just like Marta remembered. She’d always had that bossy nature.
“How are you here? I thought you were far from here or something?” She asked the question that’d been on her mind since her mother told her they found her.
“I could ask you the same thing. I didn’t know this was the country you resided in,” the woman said with slight arrogance in her voice.
“Are you here on a mission?” Marta stepped toward her. “Are you here to ruin things for me?”
“Oh, please. You wouldn’t have seen me had your family not been looking for me. Besides, I was born here. I only traveled out on business.”
“Marta, drop it. This isn’t the reason we looked for her,” her grandmother scolded.
She stopped arguing but kept her suspicious eyes on the woman.
“Penelope, where did you get the kids from?” Her grandmother asked..
Now it was Penelope’s turn to look suspicious. “Why are you asking? We all agreed the mother’s identity would stay with me.”
“Well, there’s a lot at stake, okay? Because those kids themed out to actually belong to the man I bought them for.” Marta snapped.
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