Chapter 16
Raiden’s POV
62%i
+5
The heavy tension in the air presse[1] [2] s down on my chest, but I don’t show it. I sit at my desk, eyes scanning the papers in front of me, though my mind is elsewhere. The words on the page blur as I hear the steady rhythm of my beta’s voice, cutting through the quiet of my office.
“King, according to the intel, Luna has been applying for large sums of funding lately…” His tone is steady, professional, but there’s an edge to his voice that catches my attention. “After analysis, there are two possible uses for this money. One is for investment to win the SOA championship, and the other… could it be related to the trouble Luna mentioned before? Could that be true?”
I pause mid–motion, my hand hovering over the papers, my eyes narrowing. The words hit me with more force than I expect, and I can’t help but feel a twinge of unease. Luna, my wife, has been up to something again, and I don’t like it. The thought of her getting involved in anything… unsavory makes my skin itch.
“Impossible,” I mutter under my breath. I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms. “I remember. The money from the fake marriage contract, plus the extra reward I gave her, was all advanced to her already.”
My beta’s eyes flicker briefly to the papers in front of him, and then he meets my gaze, a flicker of concern in his eyes. “Yes, King, but it seems like that money still isn’t enough for Luna.”
My wolf stirs inside me, pacing uneasily.
“Mate must be in trouble!”
I push back against the thought, trying to keep my focus. Shut up, I tell him, my mind growing more restless. What kind of trouble could she have? Too many jewels to wear, can’t even keep up with them?
My wolf doesn’t quiet.
“But I remember she doesn’t wear much jewelry.”
I grit my teeth, my patience starting to wear thin. “She’s just pretending to be frugal,” I snap inwardly. “She’s the same as her father.” My tone is dismissive, but even I can hear the hesitation there. Something’s gnawing at me, something I can’t quite place. The idea that Siena might be in some kind of trouble doesn’t sit right.
It’s been so long since I’ve seen her father. We don’t meet often, and honestly, I don’t think we ever really did much beyond formalities. It’s a political marriage, nothing more. But now… now the thought of Siena doing something underhanded, or involving herself with someone like Zion, feels more pressing than ever.
I make a mental note. It’s time to pay Siena’s father a visit during the upcoming event. See what’s really going on.
“Make a note of this plan,” I say to my beta, who nods and starts to take down the instructions.
I lean back in my chair, rubbing the back of my neck, trying to clear my head. But my thoughts won’t stop swirling around.
I remember the first time I met Siena.
She was just a child then–nothing like the woman she’s become now. Back then, she was pure, innocent. I can still picture her, her face streaked with tears as she cried over her mother’s death.
God, she was so fragile, so vulnerable back then.
I had been just a boy, but even then, I knew I had to be the strong one. I held her as she sobbed, her small hands clutching at my chest as if I could take all her pain away. She had looked up at me with those big, trusting eyes, and I had promised to always protect her. Back then, I believed that promise.
1/3
08:35 Sun, 20 Apr
Chapter 16
But now
I let out a slow breath, and a bitter taste rises in thy Hot
Who would have imagined then evreet, innocem Sis would or she
5236
This cold, calculating woman who would rather reach out to Zas the the ones like atout divorce, as if it’s something that could ever be so simple 1er love for the wore it ever faça
1 thought back to that night, when she had seen 1 ils and tre together The rage in her eyes, the hurt in her wire She Harl hurt Lila–physically hurt bes–in the moment, and I couldn’t help but wonder where did that came fres
Was she always like this? Was her ewert nature just a front for the chaos inside her?
I don’t have time to dwell on it for long. There’s too much at stake.
Just then, the door to my office opens, and Zion walks in
He looks. disoriented, like someone who’s had their entire world turned upside down. His eyes are bloodshot, his posture slumped as if the weight of the world is resting on his shoulders.
“What’s wrong with you?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. Zion has always been unpredictable, but today he seems different There’s an unfamiliar heaviness to him, one that even I can’t ignore.
“Did some woman charm you again?” I add, casually naming a few noble ladies who might have caught his eye, but Zion shakes his head, barely acknowledging me.
“No.” His voice is distant, as though he’s not really here at all. “No, it’s not a woman.”
I’m intrigued now, watching him closely. Zion is always the one who laughs in the face of anything serious. But now… now. he seems off.
“If it’s not a woman,” I ask, leaning forward slightly. “Then what are you thinking about?”
Zion hesitates, and for a moment, I think he’s going to brush it off like he always does. But this time, he doesn’t.
“It is a woman,” he says, his voice low, almost hesitant. “But…”
I raise an eyebrow, urging him to continue. Zion doesn’t hesitate often, and this is not like him at all.
“But?” I repeat, leaning in. “Could it be that you’ve really fallen in love with someone? Tell me about it.”
Zion doesn’t say anything for a long time. I can see the battle in his eyes, the turmoil inside him. He’s struggling with something–something that’s clearly more than just another fleeting affair.
Finally, he sighs, the sound deep and resigned. “…Siena.”
The word hangs in the air between us like a bomb, and I feel the floor shift beneath me. Zion’s eyes are distant, lost in his own thoughts.
“I think I’ll never be able to forget Siena for the rest of my life…” he says, his voice cracking slightly. There’s a rawness there, something unexpected.
I’m speechless for a moment, trying to digest what he’s just said. Zion, the man who has always been a playboy, the one who scoffs at anything resembling real emotion–he’s telling me he’s in love with my wife.
The realization hits me like a slap to the face.
“What?” I manage, my voice colder than I intended.
08:35 Sun, 20 Apr 2
Chapter 16
Zion doesn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he stares down at his hands, his fingers clenched tightly.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” he says quietly, as if trying to convince himself. “But it did.”
62%
My heart races, but I force myself to remain calm, my mind scrambling to process everything. Zion in love with Siena…. this I hadn’t expected.
I should be angry. I should be furious. But instead, something colder sinks into my gut.
Zion, despite all his flaws, despite everything he’s done, has fallen for her. And if I’m being honest with myself, it makes me wonder.
What am I really holding onto with Siena?
Could it be that I’ve lost her, too?
AD
Comment
