Chapter 148


    Chapter 148: Cityscape


    Moana


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    After Sam left, I felt relief wash over me. I was happy to see Sam finally get just as humiliated as I was


    when he cheated on me, and now he had to actually work his way up in thepany instead of using


    his Beta girlfriend to get the job.


    However, when I looked over at Edrick, his face had fallen and gone dark.


    “Thanks, Mia,” he said, his voice sounding rather coldpared to how it sounded earlier when he was


    acting mischievous with his old friend. “I’ll get you that car you wanted. Just let me know which day


    you’d want to go to the dealership.”


    Mia shook her head, the look on her face indicating that she also realized the sudden change in


    Edrick’s demeanor. “Don’t worry about it,” she replied with a wave of her hand. “I can afford my own car


    if I want it. I was just joking earlier.”


    Edrick looked a bit surprised, but he didn’t say anything. In fact, without another word he simply turned


    around and walked away. I could only watch after him with wide eyes as he disappeared into the crowd


    of employees, my heart practically pounding out of my chest. What changed so suddenly? He had


    been so full of life when he was making his little n with Mia, and now that it was over, he was sullen


    and quiet. Was it because I didn’t want Sam to get fired, or was it something else?


    “Good old Edrick,” Mia said with a shrug. “Gotta love when he does that.”


    I turned to face Mia then. “Um… Really, thank you,” I said. “You really didn’t have to do that for me.”


    Mia only smiled. “I’ll do anything if it means exposing a cheater and a liar,” she said. “But I have to


    say… I’m surprised that you didn’t want to get him fired.”


    I bit my lip for a moment, then shrugged. “I just don’t want to inflict too much suffering on others,” I


    replied. “An eye for an eye, you know? He got what he deserved.”


    Edrick’s childhood friend nodded slowly. I watched as her gaze shifted over toward where Enzo


    disappeared for a few moments, and I followed her eyes. He was talking to another business partner


    already with that same stic smile on his face. It was as though he put on a mask when he talked to


    people.


    I realized then that Mia had asked for a wedding invitation earlier. Although Edrick didn’t say anything


    at the time, which indicated that Mia didn’t know that our rtionship was fake, I feltfortable


    enough with her to tell her the truth. She was so kind and did something really important for me, and I


    felt as though she deserved to not be lied to.


    “Um… About the wedding,” I said, turning back to face Mia. “I don’t know if—”


    Mia suddenly cut me off and shook her head with a smile. “I know already,” she said.


    I raised my eyebrows. “Edrick did tell you?”


    “Well, not really,” she said. “I can just tell. I know him too well. But… If I’m being honest, I have a


    feeling…”


    “A feeling about what?” I asked.


    Suddenly, Mia shook her head again. “I’ve already said too much,” she said, shing me a warm smile.


    “I’ll see you around.”


    With that, Mia left me standing there feeling utterly confused.


    …


    Later that night, after everything was said and done, I was finally getting ready for bed in Edrick’s


    bathroom. The pic went on for much longer than I expected, but I didn’t mind. After everything that


    happened with Sam, I finally just wound up spending the remainder of the pic with the children.


    Hearing theirughter and seeing how happy E was to be ying with other kids her age made up


    for everything else.


    When I walked out of the bathroom, however, I noticed that the balcony doors were open. And Edrick


    was standing outside, which was rare for him.


    I watched him for a few moments. He was leaning over the railing and looking out at the city. In his


    white button-down shirt and ck trousers, with his dark hair moving in the breeze, he looked


    incredibly handsome even from behind. I tried to get a good mental image of the scene, because I


    wanted to sketch it at some point.


    Finally, I decided to join him. I quietly walked up to him and leaned on the railing beside him. He


    nced over at me for the briefest moment before both of us silently stared out at the city without a


    word.


    However, Edrick’s cold demeanor hadn’t changed much all day. Even now in this peaceful moment, he


    seemed sullen.


    “I’m sorry if I upset you by asking not to fire my ex earlier,” I said, breaking the silence.


    Edrick didn’t answer for a few moments, but I could see him tense up beside me. Finally, after a long


    time, he spoke.


    “It’s not that,” he said.


    “Then what is it?”


    He shook his head and stared down at the city street beneath us. “Did you really sleep with me on the


    same day that you two broke up?”


    I felt a lump rise in my throat. I should have known that that was what he was upset about; it only made


    sense.


    “It’s true,” I admitted, feeling my heart race in my chest. “But I never saw you as a rebound.”


    “Then what was it, then?” he asked, standing up straight and looking over at me with his steely gray


    eyes. “What would you call that night?”


    I swallowed. Maybe I didn’t know. Or maybe I just wasn’t willing to think about it. Either way, nothing


    woulde out, and Edrick only nodded and turned away. I watched as he slowly walked back into the


    room, where he went over to the closet without a word and kicked off his shoes before beginning to


    unbutton his shirt.


    “What would you call it?” I asked from the doorway. “It was all the same to you, wasn’t it? A one night


    stand?”


    Edrick froze. I immediately felt a little guilty for what I said. Finally, he just shook his head and finished


    taking off his shirt before turning to face me. I tried not to look at his bare chest, but it was difficult.


    “It was a one night stand,” he said. “A one night stand during which we just so happened to conceive a


    child together. Nothing more, nothing less.”


    I didn’t know what to say. I thought back to what Mia had said earlier, about how she had a feeling


    about something. What was it? A feeling that we would get married after all? Part of me wanted to ask


    him, but I knew deep down that I wouldn’t get an answer. Even if I could get an answer, the words


    wouldn’te out anyway. I could only stand there, frozen.


    “Let me release my scent, and he’ll calm down,” Mina suddenly said.


    “No.”


    Edrick froze. So did I. My eyes widened as I realized that I had just responded to my wolf out loud, and


    Edrick had heard me.


    “What?” he asked.


    I shook my head. “N-Nothing.” Without another word, I walked over to the bed and climbed in. Edrick


    didn’t say anything else about my slip-up as he got ready for bed, and the only noise between us after


    that was the sound of him getting into bed and shutting themp off.


    And in the morning, he was already gone when I woke up.