Chapter 5

Elena

“As expected, your soup tastes good.” Grandpa said while scooping the soup and afterwards, he raises his head, looking up at Alaric. “Don’t you think so too?”

I watched as Alaric just hummed, clearly admitting defeat at Grandpa’s antics and would just go along with whatever Grandpa would say between us.

Rowan ignored his indifference as his gaze fell on me.

“By the way, I already ask the servants to put the fertility charm in your room. Be sure to use it.”

The corner of my lips twitched upon hearing this.

As if we would use that thing nor do what he wanted us to do.

To conceive a heir.

“Grandpa, you know already that Alaric and I were no longer—”

Before I could finish my words, he coughed all of sudden that his face turned red.

I hurriedly brought him a cup of water which he hurriedly drank.

Seeing the color of his face regained, I sighed in relief. “So, grandpa, about the matters with Alaric and I—”

However, as expected, he coughed again and this time, he waved his hands as the servants hurriedly went to his side to guide him as he stood up.

With a handkerchief pressed to his mouth, he glanced at me, guilt shadowing his eyes. “It seems my old issues have flared up. I’ll rest for now—enjoy the feast without me.”

He didn’t wait for my response before hurriedly—urging his servants to help him drag him back to his room and guiltily running away from me.

I paused, letting out a helpless sigh and glanced at the table—especially onto the Alpha who seemed to not care about the small episode earlier.

“Not eating?” As if sensing my gaze, he raised his eyes.

I shook my head and excused myself, leaving him alone on the table and decided to wander around the mansion instead of staying in the same table which I know that it would only make us both feel uncomfortable.

Being with him alone made my stomach churn.

~

Night fell quickly.

As much as I wanted to stretch out the hours, I still ended up being dragged to the east wing where Grandpa had prepared a room for the both of us.

But before that, I even wandered around to the other rooms to check if it was vacant—just to not share with the same room of this Alpha who severed his bonds with me—only to notice Grandpa’s scheme.

To make sure that both of us would stay in the same room, he had locked all the other rooms and even went as far as removing the sofas or anything that could be use as a temporary bed.

I helplessly rubbed my temples, watching as the servants keeping their distance with me but at the same time, they were watching me closely—probably it was Grandpa who had commanded them to watch me and make sure that I would enter the room he had prepared for me and his grandson.

“Please do not make this hard for us, Luna.” One of the servant calmly said. “Please go inside.”

In the end, I left with no other choice but to entered the room.

My gaze fell onto Alaric who had just changed his clothes and newly bathe.

The moment I appeared, he paused. “I thought you left.”

I pointed the servants who tacitly closed the doors. “Monitored.”

“Did you ask Grandpa about this?” Alaric asked flatly. “This setup is ridiculous.”

I let out a bitter laugh, couldn’t be more agree with his words as I was roaming around the room.

“If you found this ridiculous, why didn’t you disagree and rebel with grandpa’s setup?”

“I’m giving you face for the sake of our three years bond,” he calmly answered as if he was just telling what was the weather today.

I paused.

Face?

What face?

I let out a cold chuckle, turning my gaze at him. “The moment you had announced the bond severance, we were already over and fuck that face you were talking about. Have you forgotten how you humiliate me in front of everyone?”

And the fact that he allowed that mistress of his continued staying by his side under the guise that her mate had died, seeking comfort from her mate’s friend—Alaric, letting everyone’s thoughts confirmed that he valued her more than he valued his own mate.

Seeing that he was silence, I rolled my eyes and bend my knees down, grabbing something under the bed.

Taking it out, without examining the wooden box nor daring to open it for fear that the charm would really charmed us, I tossed it on the trash.

“What was that?” his brows furrowed.

I didn’t answer and went to the bed, fully occupying all the space before he could do so. The bed weren’t a king bed size as what I had expected—it was a normal size that could fit two person which could clearly tell that this was all part of the plan.

“That’s my bed,” he coldly said.

I raised my brows at him, pulling the blanket on me, preparing to sleep. “There’s no name of yours here.”

After standing for a few minutes, he exhaled sharply.

“Fine, I’ll take the floor.”

I just closed my eyes and drifted to my dreamland—forgetting all the defenses I had raised earlier, for fear that something would happen to the both of us again.

The next morning, I found myself laying on the bed.

I sat up abruptly and hurriedly touched my body—feeling that my clothes were intact and there were no suspicious sores on my body, I breath a sigh in relief.

My gaze fell on the floor and couldn’t help but imagined him, an Alpha, sleeping on the floor—which I doubt he won’t.

Seeing that there was only me around, I breath a sigh in relief and tried to calm the pulsating sensation on my chest as I head to the bathroom.

After I washed myself, and dressed what the servants had prepared for me, my phone happened to rang.

While drying my hair with a towel, I answered the phone the moment I saw who it was.

Director Elliot.

“Luna Elena,” he said briskly, excitement threading his voice. “I wanted to confirm with you about the new drama project.”

“What is it?”

“We’re finalizing casting for the female lead. However, majority of your fellow investors voted this new actress very much.”

My brows furrowed. “Who?”

There was a brief pause on the other line.

“Hydra Vale.”

My hand that was drying my hair, paused. “And who are the other investors?”

Before I could receive his answer, my gaze fell onto a familiar phone that caught my attention when it lit up.

A notification pop out instantly and before the screen died down, I happened to read the contents coming from Hydra.

‘The doctor confirmed it, Alpha. The baby is healthy!’

My breath caught.

My knuckles whitened, tightly gripping the phone that was on hold.

My chest rose and fell in short, uneven bursts—I couldn’t tell if I was breathing too fast or not enough at all. My mind rejected the words I had just seen, pushing them away like they couldn’t possibly belong to me.

“...Elena?”

“Luna Elena?” A voice snapped me back from my thoughts. “You still there?”

I swallowed hard, forcing air into my lungs. For a second, I couldn’t remember how to speak—only the roar of blood rushing in my ears answered.

“…Are you okay?” he pried again, making me let out a heavy breath as I tried to calm the violent thudding in my chest and stop myself from shaking.

I didn’t answer to his question, instead, I pried another one. “Who was the investor who keeps insisting to have Hydra be part of the crew?”

There was a brief pause on the other line that made me chuckle—confirming my guess.

“Alpha Alaric huh?”

Aside from him, who else would spoil his other woman?

“I…” Sensing his intentions to explain, I cut him off.

“No need to explain,” I said. “I’ll invest more if you won’t cast her.”

I didn’t give him the chance to ask.

I hardened my tone. “Her temperament doesn’t suit the project. Choose another actress to act.”

It took him a few seconds before he agreed. “I will.”

After hanging the call, I took a brief gaze on Alaric’s phone before I turned my back and left the room.

As I walked downstairs, I happened to hear a loud bang coming from Grandpa’s study, making me panic, thinking that something happened to him.

Just when my hand was about to push the door, I stopped mid-step.

“Have you lost your mind?!” Grandpa Rowan roared. “You’re telling me you want to bring that woman into this house—and she’s pregnant?!”

I staggered back, my heart pounding.

He… was going to bring her into this home?