Chapter 23
Celia’s POV
From a distance, I can tell that his eyes are dark, filled with rage, Soren’s jaw is clenched, tists balled at his sides. Is he…jealous?
We stand in silence for an agonizing couple of seconds. It’s only when be begins to move that I am able to breathe again.
Soren’s body turns but his gaze remains on mine. He inches closer to the store doors. My body unconsciously moves in his direction. My eyes fixate on his, never leaving
“Celia? Where are you going?” Ethan asks from behind me. He grabs my hand but I continue to walk, his grip slipping from mine. I don’t pay him any attention, though, and keep my momentiam towards the front of the store where Soren stands.
I know that I should feel nothing towards this man. He is the one who rejected me, not the other way around. He is the one who is engaged to be married to the Lycan bride. I am not Blanca. He has made sure of that, drilling the fact into my mind to the point where it haunts my
dreams.
I know that I should not have any expectations from him. The more I hope and dream that he’ll come to me, when the outcome I do not wish to happen comes to fruition.
If I never expect anything good, I’ll never end up disappointed.
the more disappointed I will be
I have loved him for so long. For five years I remained at his side in the shadows, the only place where he would openly greet me into his arms. I loved him for all those years, is he here to retum them to me?
cand pull o
1 pull me
Has Soren finally uncovered the truth? Has reason finally come to grace his mind with the truth behind all of our troubles that have brewed between us?
Soren! Do you also see that I love you? Do you see that I was never the gold digger that Bianca and others have made me out to be!?
I am not a thief!! am not a shallow person who only wants money in life! You know that I have turned down all extra forms of compensation that you have thrown at mel Thave had dreams to be at your side and my intentions have been nothing but pure and out of the love I hold for you!
Do you finally see it, my love?
Soren grows closer and closer to me,
e, but he stays outside of the store’s boundaries. I mimic his decision and stay behind the open glass doors. He stands in the dark gray concrete of the sidewalk while I stand on the black tile of the expensive store
It’s silent between us. My breathing becomes shallow. My heart races inside my chest, leaving me to listen to nothing but my own racing heartbeats.
Soren deserves to speak first. After all, he is my superior, so I should wait until spoken to like the good and loyal follower I am
“Celia,” he breathes my name out. My heart skips a beat. “Follow me.” He immediately cums on his heel and begin to walk to the exit of the store. I turn around and the store clerk waves me to go after them. Clearly, they noticed him as the Alpha King,
I slowly follow behind Soren, quickly dodging passing people, and stare at him once we reach his car. He opens up the passenger door and gestures to it. “Get in
Tobey his command and enter the car, goosebumps spreading across may skin. He gets inside the passenger side door a few moments after. He turns to look at me and I follow suit.
Remaining quiet, I’m able to memorize the small details of his face. His eyes twitch every so often, his fingers drunning against the steering wheel of the car. His chest rises and falls at a quick pace, almost like he is out of breath. He slightly jerks forward every other second.
His eyes drop from my face, raking in my red dress and lavish appearance. There are golden bracelets on my wrists matched with a decadent golden necklace. Has paze leaves me breathless, all of the oxygen being swept out from my hings
“Why are you buying the dress?” Soren asks. My gaze snaps back to him. I blink a few times, processing what he asked of me. He stares at me In silence
“This? Oh, well, Lily convinced me to attend your engagement party,” I promptly respond.
“Ali,” Soren leans forward, his finger Looking around the necklace and giving it a bug. “So the love you talked about before… was fake after all.”
W–What?” I lean forward, subconsciously closing the distance.
Soren doesn’t respond. He reaches into the side pocket of the car and pulls out a pen and blank checkbook. I train my eyes on then, watching as he scribbles down onto the notepad.
+25 Bonus
“I went to make a deal with you on one condition.” Soren rips the check out and hands it to me. I don’t take it. “I know you need money. If you agree, the amount on the check will all be yours. Your grandmother can receive the best medical treatments. You can use it to buy all of the Jewelry you want, all of the dresses and glamour you desire so much…”
“Soren,” I try to interrupt him but he keeps talking.
“You can even use the money to take the man from the store out on a nice date with you. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?” Soren’s voice is laced with a bitteness that I cannot quite out my finger on.
How can he do this to me? This is…utterly humiliating to say the least. Tears brim my eyes but I refuse to let them fall, blinking them away
before he can notice.
He’s still humiliating me despite knowing my love and adoration for him. How can Soren be so cruel to me? After all we’ve been through the past five years.
I need the money for my grandma. I need the money to get away from him and to completely cut him out of my life so I can go and live without his face and voice and smell haunting my very move, Soren is suffocating…so this may be the only way for me to escape his influence.
“Okay… agree.” My voice trembles yet remains firm. I look at him, my tears now long gone.
Soren’s eyebrows raise for a split second before immediately falling. He clears his throat and watches as I take the check from his hand.
“Actually,” a breathy and quiet laugh escapes my lips, “I thought you were here because of your mother’s condition. I did find a way to help save her, so I thought you were here because of that. “I feel foolish even admitting it to him. Why did it admit this to him?
God! Why do I have to embarrass myself even more?!
When Soren doesn’t respond, my body goes cold and clammy. I stare at him, heart pounding in my chest once again. I sigh and look at the check, biting the inside of my cheek, unable to look at him.
“Sorenwhy are you actually here?”
He’s silent for a long time. It’s unnerving. It makes me feel so small and so unimportant. He sighs and I watch him face the front of his car from the comer of my eye.
“I want you to leave the park forever.”
