Marked By the Pureblood Alpha (Deanna and Luis) novel Chapter 141

**The Heart I Buried for You by Serene Lockwood**

**What Do You Want, Jake?**

**Deanna’s POV:**

I found myself entranced by the sketch, my mind momentarily adrift in a sea of thoughts and emotions. The delicate lines of his face seemed to come alive on the paper, pulling me into a whirlpool of memories and feelings that I had tried so hard to suppress.

His words from yesterday reverberated in my mind like an echo that refused to fade. “There’s no one else. Only you.” The weight of those words pressed down on me, making my heart flutter and my stomach churn. Did it mean he had truly been faithful to me during our time together? Or was it merely a fleeting sentiment, a moment of passion that would soon be forgotten?

The specter of his childhood sweetheart loomed large in my thoughts. She must have been the one pursuing him, not the other way around. I imagined her, with her bright smile and confident demeanor, chasing after him with the fervor of a love that had bloomed long before I had ever entered the picture. But then again, did it really matter?

At this moment, all that seemed to count was his interest in me—however temporary it might be. Even as the heiress of the Mistbane Pack, I felt an insurmountable distance between us. I had spent two decades away from the pack, my identity shaped by a world far removed from theirs. How could I ever compete with the pure-blooded lineage that surrounded him?

With a heavy heart, I lowered my gaze and picked up an eraser, scrubbing furiously over his profile on the page. Each stroke felt like an attempt to erase not just the drawing but the emotions that came with it.

Suddenly, Maggie’s voice sliced through my thoughts like a knife. She was scrolling through the news on her phone, her excitement palpable. “Wow! You won’t believe this! Famous doctor Jorge Gilbert and the Alpha’s illegitimate daughter from Iceclaw Pack just got sentenced to ten years in prison for kidnapping and extortion!”

I glanced at her screen, my eyes widening at the bold headline that screamed for attention.

Maggie’s enthusiasm was infectious. “And get this! The report even claims Mr. Olson reported them himself! Wasn’t Peggie supposed to be his one true love? Honestly, I just can’t wrap my head around the world of the wealthy.”

She caught my gaze and spun her chair around, leaning in closer with a conspiratorial grin. “Ms. Deanna, rumor has it Mr. Olson had a fiancée who was madly in love with him. But his heart? It was with Peggie! That poor fiancée kept trying to cling to him, making a complete fool of herself. Mr. Olson even threw a grand mating ceremony for Peggie, yet she still swallowed her pride and stayed. Isn’t that just pathetic?”

Maggie shook her head in disbelief. “She’s just like those clingy side characters in romance novels who refuse to let go. If it were you, what would you do?”

I was struck dumb, unable to respond. Because that foolish fiancée was, in fact, me.

Forcing a small, awkward smile, I tried to mask the turmoil inside me.

Maggie continued without missing a beat. “Sure, Mr. Olson has that charming looks, but he’s nothing more than a two-timing jerk. If I were in her shoes, I’d go full revenge heroine! First, I’d take over his family fortune. Then I’d make him experience betrayal firsthand. After that, I’d build my own empire—”

Her words trailed off abruptly.

Her eyes widened in shock as she glanced between her phone and the doorway.

Then, without warning, she leaped to her feet. “Y-You’re Jake Ohon? Who are you looking for?”

I turned to follow her gaze and felt my heart stop. There he was—Jake—standing in the doorway. He looked thinner than I remembered, shadows accentuating the sharp angles of his face. The once untouchable aura he radiated now seemed tinged with a hint of sorrow. He didn’t move; he simply stood there, his gaze fixed on me, as if I were the only thing in his universe.

Maggie gasped, her voice trembling with excitement. “Ms. D-Deanna, don’t tell me he’s here for you?”

Her eyes sparkled with a mix of gossip and curiosity, and I felt a wave of unease wash over me.

I stood up, brushing past her with a chill in my voice. “Come with me.”

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