ELLA.

It was impossible.

There was no way anyone could have known about the birthmark on my body unless they had seen me—truly seen me—up close, without barriers, without distance.

My breath came out uneven as that realization settled in.

Could I really be Theresa?

The thought lingered, heavy and unsettling, refusing to be ignored. Everything around me pointed to it, the way they spoke to me, the certainty in their voices, the familiarity in their actions.

And now... this.

But if that was true... then why couldn’t I remember?

Why was my mind blank when it came to them?

Fragments of confusion collided within me, each question leading to another, none of them answered.

If we were lovers...then why were we separated?

The thought made my chest tighten slightly, a strange discomfort settling deep within me. None of it made sense. Nothing aligned. It felt like I was standing in the middle of someone else’s story, trying desperately to understand a plot I had never lived.

And yet...

There was something more unsettling.

I hadn’t even fully processed the fact that he had seen me like that, bare, vulnerable and now he was asking to see me again as though it was nothing.

Was Lurgard insane?

My fingers curled slightly at my sides as I steadied myself, my heart still racing from the intensity of the moment.

I wouldn’t allow it.

I couldn’t.

But the look in his eyes...it told me everything I needed to know.

He wasn’t fully in control.

There was something else beneath the surface, something darker, more primal. He was fighting it, I could see that much. Fighting to hold himself back, to keep whatever was inside him from taking over completely.

And that made it even more dangerous.

I had to think.

Quickly.

Anything—anything that could stop him.

And then it came to me.

"No," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the tension building inside me. "Until the divorce is finalized, I’m still married."

The words hung between us.

A perfect excuse.

Or at least... I hoped it would be.

He should have some dignity, right?

For a moment, he said nothing, but the look on his face...It changed. Something dark flickered there, something intense, almost violent. A surge of emotion I couldn’t quite place, but it made my breath hitch nonetheless.

And then it clicked.

They were Alex’s rivals.

Of course.

That alone was enough to ignite whatever anger was now burning in him.

Lurgard didn’t say another word.

Not a single one.

He simply turned and stormed out of the room, his movements sharp, controlled, but filled with something he clearly wasn’t willing to show any further.

The door shut behind him.

Silence followed.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding, my shoulders relaxing slightly as relief washed over me.

I wasn’t bothered by the way he left.

If anything... I felt safer, more at ease with the distance between us because the truth was...this place was becoming dangerous.

Not just for me but for my pup.

My hand moved instinctively to my stomach, my fingers resting there protectively as my thoughts darkened.

If that was his reaction to something as simple as related to Alex’s name...

Then what would happen if he found out that marriage wasn’t the only thing relating me to Alex ?

That the life growing inside me...belonged to him as well—his enemy. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

I didn’t waste another second.

The moment I got a hold of myself from the thoughts earlier, that sent a chill down my spine, I moved quickly, grabbing my pajamas and slipping into them without hesitation. My hands worked faster than usual, almost rushed, as though I expected someone else to walk in at any moment.

Once I was fully dressed, I pulled the covers over myself, wrapping them tightly around my body like a shield.

Only then did I breathe.

This place... it was draining me.

Mentally. Emotionally. In ways I couldn’t even begin to explain. Every second spent here felt like walking on fragile ground, like one wrong move would shatter everything around me.

I needed a distraction.

Something, anything, to take my mind off everything that had just happened.

With a quiet sigh, I reached for my phone and unlocked it, hoping for a moment of peace, even if it was just for a few minutes.

But the moment the screen lit up, my expression changed.

Several messages.

From Alex.

My fingers stilled slightly as I stared at his name, a mix of emotions rising within me before I even opened them.

Slowly, I tapped on the messages.

> What the hell were you thinking, Ella? How could you seek help from my rivals?

My jaw tightened faintly.

> You are still my wife. Even if I rejected you just so I could mate Eva, doesn’t mean I would divorce you.

A scoff escaped my lips before I could stop it.

The audacity.

The sheer hypocrisy of those words made something in me twist with irritation. This... was coming from the same man who had ordered my death.

The same man who had discarded me without hesitation.

And now he was talking about marriage?

Possession?

I shook my head slightly, disbelief flickering across my face.

If he wanted me gone so badly...

Then why not just divorce me?

Why hold on to something he had already tried to destroy?

My eyes moved to the next message.

>Just come back already. We can make things work. We can go back to what we were.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath, the word slipping out before I could hold it back.

I felt it then—irritation bubbling beneath the surface, clouding my thoughts, pushing me toward something impulsive.

Before I could rethink it, before I could stop myself...my fingers moved.

I typed.

>The only thing I want from you right now is for you to sign the divorce papers, Alpha Alexander Blake. Don’t keep me waiting.

I paused for only a second, staring at the message and then I hit send.

A small, almost unintentional smile crept onto my lips as I lowered the phone slightly, watching the message go through.

For the first time in a while...I felt like I had taken back a little control.