Chapter 265
Chapter 265
Third Person’s POV
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“Victor, slow down!” Lana protested as she stumbled after him, tugged along by his unrelenting grip. “I haven’t even washed my face, brushed my teeth, or touched my hair this morning p>
Her words might as well have been wind against the mountains. Victor didn’t spare her a glance. He kept pulling until they stood before his sleek black vehicle parked outside the complex. He yanked open the passenger–side door and ordered, his voice edged with command, “Get in p>
“I can get back on my own. I don’t need your car,” Lana muttered, folding her arms.
Victor’s eyes, sharp as a hunting wolf’s, cut toward her. “And you don’t think there are matters between us that need to be settled? Or do you prefer I create… complications for you today p>
Lana stiffened. She knew Victor’s reputation. The Alpha was more than just a high–ranking wolf–he was a lawyer whose name carried weight across the Capital. If she refused, if she tried to brush him off, he could make her life very, very difficult.
She bit her lip, then reluctantly slid into the passenger seat.
Victor started the engine, the growl of the vehicle matching the tension in the air, and drove them away from the gated complex.
“Where exactly do you want to talk?” she asked cautiously.
“Your place p>
Her brows shot up. Of all places, that was the last she wanted him to see. “Can’t we go somewhere else? ”
He glanced at her, eyes narrowing in faint amusement. “With your hair unbrushed, your face untouched, where do you think is fitting for you to appear? A café? A pack hall? Don’t fool yourself. You’d be more at ease at home p>
His logic struck like a blade. Lana grimaced. He was right. As much as she didn’t want him in her
space, there wasn’t really another option.
When Victor stepped across the threshold of her apartment, Lana felt her skin prickle with unease. This was her den, her sanctuary–and he carried with him the force of a storm that didn’t belong here.
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10:02 Sat, Sep 20
Chapter 265
“Wash up. Then we’ll talk,” Victor said simply.
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“…Fine. Make yourself comfortable,” Lana replied stiffly. She gathered fresh clothes and retreated into the bathroom.
Victor remained in the living area. His eyes swept the apartment with the practiced assessment of a hunter sniffing out secrets. He saw no men’s boots at the entrance, no scent of another male lingering in the air, no toothbrush beside hers in the washroom alcove. The realization sank into him like a cool draught of water. She wasn’t sharing her space with her so –called boyfriend.
Against his will, his chest eased with a strange relief.
Ridiculous, he scolded himself. She was just a woman he’d once taken to his bed. A woman he had long since cut ties with. He hadn’t sought another mate since–but that was only because he had no patience for distractions, not because he still carried her in his heart.
Still… tongues whispered otherwise. Many in the Capital and the wider territories had begun to assume his reluctance to choose another had roots in Lana Rook.
As if he could be the kind of man to dwell on a broken bond. Impossible. She wasn’t worth that.
His gaze landed on a photo album lying on the coffee table. He picked it up, thumbing through casually–until his eyes hardened. Page after page revealed photographs of men. Young, strong, handsome men.
His jaw clenched.
The sound of the bathroom door opening reached him. Lana padded out in fresh clothes, damp hair clinging to her shoulders. When she saw what Victor held, her face paled.
“You had no right to go through my things,” she snapped, striding forward.
“ If you want to file charges, do it,” Victor replied smoothly, his tone clipped. “I’ll answer in court p>
Her irritation faltered. “…It’s not that serious. ”
Victor flicked another page before closing the album with a snap. “Never thought you’d enjoy collecting faces. These men–your targets? A scrapbook of conquests? Do you not worry that your boyfriend will get jealous? ” His voice carried a faint, biting edge of jealousy he didn’t even notice himself.
“My boyfriend doesn’t care,” Lana said with a light smile, though her heart raced. She wasn’t
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10:02 Sat, Sep 20
Chapter 265
82
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about to explain that the album wasn’t hers at all but material a friend had left behind–model portfolios, nothing more.
Victor’s eyes darkened. “He wouldn’t care that you spent the night in Kade’s apartment? Alone. Just the two of you p>
“No,” she said firmly. “I already told you. He’s generous p>
Victor gave a low, humorless laugh. He set the album down with deliberate calm and strode toward her. His presence filled the room, pressing down on her chest. “If he’s that generous, then one of two things is true: he doesn’t love you, or he’s very good at pretending p>
Her brows knitted. “What’s that supposed to mean p>
“Men aren’t as magnanimous as you imagine. If you’re blind in choosing a mate, you’ll only get burned,” Victor said. His gaze lingered on the damp strands trailing her collarbone. With a sharp motion, he snatched the towel from her hand and began rubbing her hair dry.
Lana froze, stunned. The intimacy jolted her with memories she didn’t want. He had done this before, back when they were together. Every time she washed her hair, he’d towel it dry, muttering about her catching a chill. Back then, she’d basked in it, her heart full.
Now, all she felt was awkwardness and the dangerous pull of nostalgia.
“That’s enough, Victor,” she said quickly, jerking back two steps. She shook her hair, droplets scattering like dew. “I’ll dry it myself with the hairdryer. If you’ve got something to say, say it plainly p>
Victor’s brows tightened. For a long moment he said nothing, then asked in a low, firm voice, “Do you truly feel nothing for Kade p>
“By the Moon, no!” Lana blurted instantly, hands raised as if swearing an oath. “I swear it–I don’t have the slightest interest in him p>
This was one misunderstanding she could not afford to let fester,
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