Alpha's Regret: Losing His True Mate-Chapter 158

“I’d like to know too.”

Those words slipped out of Elodie’s mouth before she could stop them. Last night. She’d actually waited up for Dante. She’d wanted to pin him down, look him in the eye, and demand to know when they could finally make this official. When could she stop being Mrs. Wilson?

But he’d left. Just vanished into the night like he always did, forgetting he’d even promised her five minutes of his precious time.

Across the table, Johnny just sighed, poking at his salad. “Just get it over with, Elodie.”

“I know,” she muttered.

At lunch, the manager had swung by their table to deliver the update: Sienna was fine. Dante had already taken her home to rest. Of course he did.

The herbal medicine Old Nonna had forced on her? Was still sitting on the counter, half-finished. Now, after leaving Wilson Tech, Elodie stood in front of the old house. It had been days since she’d seen Dante. Three, maybe four. The place felt empty, hollow. Even Liora had been quiet, either ignorant of Sienna’s injuries, had been sneaking out of the house last night without a word, probably to go see her friends.

There was only one dose of that foul medicine left. She just needed to drink it and leave.

She unlocked the door. The hallway was dark, but light spilled from the living room upstairs.

Her heart did a stupid, painful little stutter. He’s home.

She froze for a second, then steeled her spine. Divorce. Remember? That’s the only thing that matters.

She walked upstairs. Dante was there, standing by the window, looking out at the Pack lands. And of course, Levi was there too, looking like he owned the place.

They both turned when they heard her heels on the floor.

“You’re back,” Dante said. His voice was flat. Tired.

“Mm,” Elodie replied. She didn’t ask about Sienna. She honestly didn’t give a damn if the woman was on her deathbed.

She didn’t bother avoiding Levi. She looked straight at Dante. “That day, I mentioned—”

“Take a look at this.”

He cut her off. He didn’t even let her finish the sentence. He walked over and slapped a thick stack of papers onto the coffee table.

“If there are no objections, we can sign it.”

Elodie stared at the top page. DIVORCE AGREEMENT.

Her breath left her lungs in a rush. Finally.

She picked it up. Her fingers were shaking, just a little, so she gripped it tighter. She flipped to the first clause.

‘Custody of the minor child, Liora, shall be granted to Dante Bellini.’

She blinked. Stared at it. Then flipped the page. And the next. And the next. It went on for pages. Houses. Cars. Money. More money than she could spend in ten lifetimes.

Levi was watching her. She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her head. He was waiting. They all were. Waiting for the tears. The begging. The scene where she threw the papers on the floor and screamed that she loved him.

Because everyone knew how she’d clawed her way to the top. Everyone knew how pathetic she’d been for him. Levi probably thought she’d fall to her knees right now.

Elodie let out a short, dry laugh. It sounded ugly in the quiet room.

She looked up at Dante. He was staring at her, his jaw tight, his eyes dark and unreadable. He looked... surprised? Did he think she’d fight him?

“I have no objections,” she said. Her voice was... cold.

She dropped the papers back on the table. She opened her bag, pulled out a pen, and clicked the top.

She leaned over the table, her pen poised over the signature line.

Sign it. Just sign it and walk away.

Levi smirked in the background. *There she goes,* she could practically hear him think. Couldn’t even last ten seconds.

The pen tip touched the paper.

But then... Elodie stopped.

She pulled the pen back.

Levi’s smirk faltered. Dante’s eyes widened, just a fraction.

Elodie capped the pen with a sharp click. She looked at Dante, her expression bored, almost amused.

“On second thought,” she said, keeping her voice light. “I’ll have a lawyer look over this tomorrow. Just to be safe. Make sure you haven’t buried some poison pill in clause 4, subsection B.”

She slid the papers back toward him, just an inch.

“Once I confirm it’s clean, I’ll sign it the day after. My lawyer will contact you.”

She stared at the line item, ‘Bellini Pack Holdings: 15%—‘ and a dry, humorless laugh almost bubbled up in her throat. Fifteen percent. He was giving her a piece of the empire. The empire he’d built while she played the perfect, silent wife.

It was too much. Way too much.

Her thumb brushed over the edge of the page. The last time she had presented the divorce papers months ago, she was prepared to walk away with nothing but her suitcase and a bruised ego. She’d been the idiot who thought love was enough.

Not this time, she thought, her eyes scanning the dense legal jargon. I’m not that girl anymore.

If she signed this, she’d be rich. Independent. Free.

But Elodie didn’t trust free. Not from Dante.

He was an Alpha. He didn’t do anything without a reason. Was this guilt? A payoff to clear his conscience so he could marry Sienna without a shadow hanging over him? Or was it a trap?

Loopholes, her mind hissed. *Find the loopholes.

If the Pack went south, if the feds raided them, if a rival Pack made a move, those shares would make her a target. And if Sienna had her claws in Dante’s legal team... oh, she’d love nothing more than to throw Elodie to the wolves and watch her burn. Sienna would twist every clause until Elodie was taking the fall for something she didn’t do.

No. She wasn’t signing shit today.

"That’s fine," Dante said suddenly.

Elodie blinked, looking up. He was watching her, his dark eyes unreadable, leaning back in his leather chair like a king on a throne. He looked... bored?

"Fine?" she repeated, her voice flat.

"Take it home," he said, gesturing to the document. "Have your people look at it. I’m not in a rush."

Liar, she thought. You’re dying to marry her.

But she didn’t say it. She just nodded, folded the paper with deliberate slowness, and slid it into her tote bag. The zzzzzip of the zipper sounded like a gunshot in the quiet office.

She stood up. Her legs felt shaky, but she forced them to be steady. Chin up. Shoulders back.

"Elodie," Levi called out, sounding like he’d just watched a car crash in slow motion. "Wait, you’re just... leaving?"

She didn’t turn around. "I have things to do, Levi."

She walked out. She didn’t run. She didn’t cry. She just walked.

***

Levi stared at the closed elevator doors, his mouth hanging open. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.

"Is she okay?" he asked, turning to Dante. "Like... mentally? Did she hit her head?"

Dante didn’t answer immediately. He was still staring at the spot where she’d been standing. The air still smelled like her, jasmine and something sharp, like rain. He hated that he noticed that.

"I don’t know," Dante said finally, picking up his whiskey glass. The ice clinked.

"You don’t know?" Levi stood up, pacing. "Dude, she just took the deal. She didn’t scream. She didn’t throw the lamp at your head. She didn’t even mention Liora!"

Dante’s jaw tightened. "I noticed."

"That’s messed up! Liora is her life. She literally breathes for that kid. And you’re suing for full custody, and she just... took the stock options and left? That’s not Elodie. That’s a pod person." Levi stopped pacing, his eyes widening. "Wait. Did you guys settle it? The custody? Did you already talk about it?"

The room went quiet.

Dante’s gaze darkened, the lazy mask slipping for a fraction of a second. "No," he said. "We haven’t talked about it."

"What the fuck?" Levi threw his hands up. "Then why isn’t she fighting? She should be tearing your throat out right now!"

Dante didn’t have an answer. And that pissed him off more than anything. He took a long drink of the whiskey, letting the burn slide down his throat. He expected tears. Begging. A fight.

He didn’t expect... nothing.

Ding.

The elevator opened again. Nonna stood there, looking impatient, her silver hair perfectly coiffed.

"Dinner is ready," she announced, her voice sharp. "Elodie and Liora are already downstairs. Why are you two still sitting here like statues? Hurry up."

Levi looked at Dante. Dante looked at Levi.

"Coming," Levi muttered.

_______________

Downstairs, the dining room was warm. Too warm. The smell of roasting garlic and rosemary hung heavy in the air.

Liora was on the couch, kicking her little legs, showing Elodie a drawing. "And this is Mommy, see? You have curly hair!"

Elodie was smiling. It was a perfect smile. She was leaning in, nodding, her hand resting on Isabella’s knee. "It’s beautiful, baby. You’re so talented."

It was a Hallmark movie scene. Mother and daughter heart melting scene.

But Levi felt ice in his veins.

He looked at Elodie’s eyes. They were dead.

She was looking at her daughter like she was memorizing her face. Like she was trying to burn the image into her brain before... before what?

She’s not giving up, Levi realized with a jolt. She’s not giving up Liora.

Then why the hell did she take the deal?

Levi frowned, a cold dread pooling in his stomach. Something was very, very wrong.