Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Chapter 144 No Way Back

Freya

The moment I stepped out of Silvano’s sleek black Aston Martin, I could feel the weight of dozens of eyes following me.

Artemis stirred restlessly within me, sensing what I already knew: Jasper was watching us from the building’s entrance. His tall figure was unmistakable, arms crossed.

"I can come inside with you," Silvano offered, his hand resting possessively at the small of my back.

I shook my head slightly. "That would only complicate things."

Silvano’s eyes narrowed, the gold flecks in his irises becoming more pronounced—a sign of his wolf rising closer to the surface. "I don’t like leaving you here with him."

"I survived eight years under his leadership," I reminded him, my tone deliberately light. "I think I can manage a few hours."

His thumb traced a small circle against my spine, a gesture both intimate and claiming. "Call me when you’re finished. I don’t care what time."

I nodded, acutely aware of Jasper’s gaze burning into us from across the courtyard. When Silvano leaned down to press his lips against mine.

As Silvano drove away, I squared my shoulders and walked toward the entrance where Jasper waited. Each step felt like crossing an invisible boundary, moving from my new future back into my complicated past.

"You’re late," Jasper said by way of greeting, his tone clipped.

"By seven minutes," I countered evenly. "Considering I had no obligation to come at all, I’d say that’s fairly punctual."

His jaw tightened as his eyes flickered to where Silvano’s car had been. "I see Moretti is taking his role as your keeper seriously."

"Partner," I corrected, meeting his gaze directly. "Not keeper. Something you never quite understood."

For a moment, something flashed across Jasper’s features—a hint of the emotion he worked so hard to conceal—before his mask of indifference slipped back into place. "We have issues to discuss. The transition reports you sent over have gaps."

As we walked through the main doors, I noted how the employees reacted to our presence. Their eyes followed us with a mixture of curiosity and respect, many nodding deferentially as I passed. Despite Jasper’s attempts to diminish my position these past weeks, eight years of leadership had earned me their loyalty in ways no Alpha command could erase.

"Good morning, Gamma Stone," called Amanda from reception, her smile warm. "It’s good to see you back."

"Just for a month," I replied with a polite smile. "After that, the work will—"

Before I could finish, Jasper appeared and all but yanked me into the elevator. His grip was firm, his behavior so juvenile it almost made me laugh. News of my limited stay had already spread through the pack; did he really think I’d come crawling back to him once the month was over?

"The quarterly projections are down fifteen percent," he said as the elevator doors closed, immediately switching to business. "Timothy can’t make sense of the Blackwood merger documentation, and the council is asking questions about the succession plan for your position."

I leaned against the elevator wall, studying him. Jasper looked tired—the kind of bone-deep exhaustion that came from trying to maintain control when things were falling apart.

"I warned you this would happen," I said, keeping my voice neutral. "Eight years of systems and relationships don’t transfer overnight."

"It’s been almost three weeks."

"And I’ll be here for exactly one more month," I reminded him firmly. "After that, Stone Lake and its problems are no longer my concern."

The elevator doors opened to the executive floor, and Jasper caught my arm before I could step out. "This tantrum has gone on long enough, Freya. The pack needs you."

Artemis growled low in my mind, indignant at his dismissal of my decision as mere emotional acting out. I carefully removed his hand from my arm.

"This isn’t a tantrum, Jasper. This is me finally recognizing my worth." I held his gaze steadily. "You had eight years to appreciate what you had. Now you’ll have to learn to function without it." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

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