Chapter 10
August’s face was still badly swollen.
I stared at him warily. “How did you find this place? What do you want?”
For him to evade so many of Ryder’s pack members and track me down here, he must’ve gone to great lengths. The image of Hailey’s deranged expression flashed through my mind, and my heart clenched tight in alarm.
August seemed to sense my fear and quickly spoke up, “Sophia, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I just…”
I took two steps back, feeling irritated. “Just what?”
“Sophia, the truth is… the one I’ve always loved is you. Every time I think about you being with another werewolf, having his pup … it feels like my heart is being ripped apart.
“I know you love me, too. Come with me. Let’s run away. Let’s go somewhere no one knows us and start over.”
August was covered in wounds, but it was obvious he had dressed carefully before coming to see me. He was even wearing the suit I had once gifted him.
But I remembered clearly that back then, he’d said the suit looked cheap and ugly and had thrown it straight into the trash.
Seeing that I stayed silent, August seemed to think he had a chance. His eyes lit up with hope as he rushed forward, trying to embrace me. However, I dodged him with disgust.
“Start over? August, when you abandoned me in the Pack Affairs Department and turned me into a public joke, did it ever cross your mind that this day would come?
“And now you’ve got the nerve to talk about love? Doesn’t it make you sick to say that out loud? It’s disgusting.”
August scrambled for a last-ditch explanation, rushing to say, “Hailey was pregnant with my pup. I couldn’t just walk away. You .wouldn’t want me to be the kind of werewolf who shirks responsibility, would you?”
I sneered. “You’re absolutely shameless. You cheated on me, and that’s how that pup came to be. The moment you betrayed me, you lost every right to talk about responsibility.
“Even now, you’re still trying to justify your mistakes. It’s pathetic and disgusting, really. You’re rotten, just like garbage.
“The only thing I regret is being blind enough to fall for someone like you. And now, after everything, what makes you think I’d ever take you back?”
August opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get a word out, the guards who had rushed in seized him.
Ryder followed close behind, his gaze ice-cold, his voice low and lethal. “August, you’ve got some nerve. Since you’re so desperate to die, I’ll grant your wish.”
His dark, stormy eyes swept over me, checking carefully to ensure I wasn’t hurt. Once satisfied, he gave a small wave of his hand. The guards immediately began to drag August out.
Struggling against them, August thrashed and shouted furiously, “You really think Sophia loves you? You’re nothing but a substitute! I’m the one she truly wanted. You’re just the loser she settled for…”
Before he could finish his sentence, one of the guards knocked him out.
He had always known about my past with August. Even though we had been together for years, he still couldn’t shake his insecurity.
He was always afraid I’d leave him one day, and my love wasn’t genuine. That fear never truly left him.
Looking at Ryder’s silent figure now, I felt a sharp ache in my chest.
He was such a proud werewolf, but a few wild words from August made him doubt. This only proved that he loved me too much. At that moment, I genuinely wished August would die. Having him share the same space was a waste.
After we visited my parents and returned home from the Aurelis pack, I found myself staring blankly at the wedding photo on the wall.
In the picture, Ryder was looking at me with nothing but deep affection in his eyes, while my expression remained calm and distant.
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