Noleen’s POV

The instant I saw her with him—laughing, her voice warm and soft—a sharp pang tightened in my chest. But then he leaned in, his lips brushing her cheek, and anger flared up inside me.

I clenched my jaw, fists curling. Jealousy wasn’t something I was familiar with, but right now, it was consuming me, heating my blood. Nobody else had the right to touch her. Nobody.

She was mine.

She didn’t realize I was watching… until she did.

I forced myself to breathe, resisting the urge to storm over and pull him away. She had no idea I was here.

But when her eyes met mine from across the room, her smile faded, replaced by a cold, hard expression.

Maria turned her head, catching my gaze across the courtyard.

Her eyes, so familiar, immediately hardened, showing none of their usual warmth—only a defiant coldness I’d seen before, but never directed at me.

I hated it—that she was looking at me as if I were the enemy. Worse, I knew I deserved it.

Her lips tightened, and I sensed that any chance I had was slipping away if I didn’t act soon.

“Alpha, she’s heading to her boyfriend’s room,” murmured Adel behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Keep an eye on her,” I replied, my voice steady. I didn’t need anyone’s pity.

I needed her forgiveness, yes, but she’d understand on my terms.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Part B

Maria’s POV

The hallway was silent, but my heart wasn’t. It pounded with each step toward Room 26—a place that had once felt like my refuge.

I moved forward, swallowing against the nausea rising within, keys cold in my grip.

Jude mattered to me, more than I’d wanted to admit. But as I stood at the threshold, I felt the bitter irony—he was about to meet the real me.

Just not in the way I’d hoped.

The door clicked open, and I stepped in, met by Jude’s familiar scent mixed with something sour that made my stomach lurch.

Clothes lay scattered on the floor—shirts, pants, fragments like the aftermath of a storm.

My breath caught when I saw something unmistakable: a lace bra entangled with his shirt—the one I’d given him, black with silver threading. He’d worn it the night he’d said he loved me. Now, it lay tossed aside, mocking everything I thought I knew.

A shiver ran down my spine, a cold dread settling as I took cautious steps deeper into the room.

The bedroom door was ajar, a sliver of dim light spilling out. Soft murmurs, whispered words, and then a laugh—her laugh.

The sound cut through me, raw and jagged.

I nudged the door open, and there was Jude, head thrown back, eyes closed, reveling in a private moment where I had no place.

The woman’s hands slid down his back, her lips against his neck. They didn’t even notice me.

I might as well have been invisible, a ghost witnessing their intimacy. My pulse raced, cheeks burning with humiliation, yet my skin felt cold.

I hadn’t intended to make a sound, but something inside me broke—a voice I couldn’t contain.

“How dare you.”

My words sliced through the room, halting everything. Jude jolted, eyes snapping open.

He twisted around, nearly falling as he tried to cover himself with a pillow, stumbling over words.

The woman yanked a quilt over her shoulders, shrinking away. Neither of them met my eyes.

“Babe—please, I can explain,” Jude stammered, his voice shaky, hollow, telling me everything I needed to know.

“Explain?” My tone was icy, though betrayal burned within. “Explain what, Jude? That I wasn’t enough? That you needed… this?” I gestured toward the woman clutching the quilt, her face pale and unfamiliar.

He stammered, moving closer, but I held up a hand. I didn’t want his rehearsed excuses, his empty words.

In that moment, everything fell into place—every late-night text left unanswered, every look I’d brushed off, every excuse I’d believed.

My throat tightened, every part of me screaming to escape. And I did.

Outside, the night air hit me, sharp and unforgiving as I stumbled onto the street, vision blurred by tears.

The city lights blurred together, indifferent to my pain. My feet moved on their own, carrying me far from him, that room, and the betrayal searing in my chest.

Headlights flashed, blinding me, and I froze as a car screeched to a halt.

I stumbled back, colliding with something solid—a wall of muscle and warmth. I twisted, ready to pull away, but strong arms held me firm.

I looked up into the impassive gaze of a man with tattoos along his neck, his face unreadable.

Before I could scream, he pressed a cloth to my face, the scent sickly sweet, overpowering.

My vision blurred, darkness edging in, and as my world faded, one final thought echoed in the silence.

“Is this how it ends?”