Chapter 123


    Chapter 123: Decisions


    Edrick


    “What if I fall in love with someone someday?” Moana asked, her green eyes full of fire and fury. “What


    then?”


    I froze at her words. My eyes widened as what she said settled in fully, and already I felt a little bit of


    anger and jealousy beginning to bubble up inside of me.


    Even though I partially understood what Moana meant, and that she didn’t know yet that she was my


    mate, what she said just then angered me. The thought of her being with anyone else, despite the fact


    that I knew I would never be able to get married, made me feel almost sick. I didn’t know how to


    respond for the longest time as a million different things whirled around inside my head.


    Finally, I was able to speak.


    “You’re free to make any decision you want,” I replied, feeling my blood run cold as I spoke. “But you


    had better be prepared to pay the price for a decision like that.”


    Moana’s face fell. She red at me intensely for several long moments, almost as though she was in


    disbelief, before she spoke. “Is that a threat?” she asked, instinctively cing her hand over her belly


    and instantly making me feel guilty for my choice of words. Of course I wasn’t threatening her; I only


    meant that she should be prepared to face the consequences if she chose to be with someone else. If


    she was going to have an issue with me being with someone else, even if it was only a fake


    rtionship with another woman, then I felt as though I had every right to set my own boundaries as


    well. If she was going to fall in love with another man, then she could also leave my house to go and be


    with that other man.


    In fact, I was frankly appalled by her sudden double standards. I wanted to tell her all of these things


    that were on my mind, but I was suddenly reminded of what the man in the baby supply store had said


    about not fighting with the mother of my child. Moana had already dealt with enough stress this early on


    in her pregnancy, and I wasn’t about to cause more stress by arguing with her.


    All I could do was sigh. “Listen,” I said, passing my hand over my tired face. “What’s done is done. For


    now, you need to just go along with it and pretend to be my fiancee. We can cross those bridges when


    — or if — wee to them. It’s best for everyone right now if we just go through with this.”


    Moana was silent. Her hand stayed nted on her belly, almost protectively, but I knew she was also


    soothing herself by holding her stomach. Then, without a word, she turned on her heel and stormed


    out.


    I watched after her while she walked away; and admittedly, she looked sexy in her robe. She had the


    sash tied around her waist tightly, entuating her small waist and round hips. Maybe it was just


    because it had been so long since I’d been intimate with anyone, but even as she stormed out angrily, I


    couldn’t help but be a little turned on. Maybe now that I knew that she was my fated mate, it would


    prove to be too much of a distraction.


    As soon as the door mmed shut behind her, I let out another sigh and sank into the armchair by the


    firece.


    Of course I didn’t like the idea that Moana could ever love someone else; she was supposed to be my


    fated mate. And after everything that had happened recently, I couldn’t imagine not having her by my


    side. But at the same time, I knew that I would never get married, and I still wasn’t even sure if I was


    willing or ready tomit myself to a mate bond. Would it be best if I just cut her loose so she could be


    in a normal rtionship with someone? If her wolf never fully emerged, then she would never know that


    I was supposed to be her fated mate, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be better for her like


    that. Not only that, but if she was already distracting me this much, I couldn’t imagine the level of


    distraction that woulde from it if we had a mate bond. How could I ever continue to perform well at


    my job as the CEO of WereCorp if I was constantly being distracted by this beautiful red-haired


    woman?


    Maybe it really would have been best if I hadn’t announced our fake rtionship earlier that morning.


    But what was done was done, and we needed to stick with it for the time being if we didn’t want even


    more unnecessary attention. If I announced my fake rtionship with Moana and then she moved out


    and we “broke up” a weekter, it would onlybel me as someone who couldn’tmit to anything.


    WereCorp stocks were already on the verge of suffering enough from this entire mess and I didn’t want


    to risk them dropping even more.


    But that wasn’t the only thing on my mind.


    The stunt that Kelly pulled was still fresh, and I couldn’t let her get away with it. I knew that she would


    only pay off the police if I tried to turn her in, or she would feign innocence too easily, and she would


    never receive any repercussions. However, I knew that her parents would not be proud of their


    daughter if they found out what she did.


    And so, even though it waste, I decided to call her father anyway.


    Just as I suspected, Kelly’s father answered almost immediately. He was a businessman just like my


    father, and rarely slept. He was in his office until all hours most nights, poring over documents, and


    probably had no intention of going to bed anytime soon.


    “Hello?” he answered in his usual gruff, gravelly voice.


    “Hello, Mr. Anderson,” I replied. “It’s Edrick Morgan.”


    “Ah, Edrick! To what do I owe the pleasure at thiste hour?”


    I stifled a sigh and chewed on my lower lip, unsure of how to broach the subject. I had always


    respected Kelly’s father. Even though he was a ruthless businessman, he was a sessful and proud


    person, and I always looked up to him in some ways. I hated to be the bearer of bad news, especially


    when it came to Kelly; she was his pride and joy, and aside from that, she had also given him plenty of


    trouble throughout her life. Hearing about yet another antic that she pulled might have just sent him


    over the edge.


    “Oh no,” Mr. Anderson said. “You went silent. It’s about Kelly, isn’t it?”


    That was another thing about Kelly’s father: he was terribly astute.


    “…Yes,” I replied.


    “What did she do this time?”


    I sighed and cleared my throat. “Kelly paid Rogues to attack my daughter and my… fiancee.”


    Kelly’s father was silent for a long time. I could only picture his face turning bright red and his knuckles


    turning white as he gripped the phone for dear life.


    “She what?”


    “It’s true,” I replied solemnly. “I wish I was joking, but I’m not. She nearly got my fiancee — and our


    baby — killed. I found Moana in the Rogue district the other day after Kelly was supposed to take her to


    a doctor’s appointment. Kelly confessed to it herself; she thought she would y a ‘prank’ on my


    fiancee, and it got out of hand.”


    Mr. Anderson let out a long, drawn out sigh. “I see…”


    “I don’t want to press charges right now,” I replied. “But I think that Kelly needs help. Serious help.”


    Kelly’s father made an indiscernible sound through the phone that seemed like a grunt. I could hear


    him pacing around the room through the phone.


    “Very well,” he said. “Thank you for letting me know. I knew that Kelly would get in trouble like this


    someday… And I’ve been thinking about it for awhile, but I think it’s finally time.”


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    “Time for what?” I asked.


    Kelly’s father sighed. “Time for me to cut her off financially until she bes a better person.”