Chapter 105
“Are you alright?” she asked, her brow furrowed in concern. I quickly masked my discomfort, forcing a smile. “Yes, I’m fine. Just… surprised, that’s all.”
Odette approached us, her gaze falling on Cyrus, who was busy laughing and playing nearby. She crouched down, gently teasing him with questions, her tone friendly yet sharp. Something about her felt off. I told myself it was harmless–just socializing–but I couldn’t
shake the feeling of unease.
Then she straightened up and turned her steady gaze on me. “I don’t think we’ve properly met,” she said, her tone confident. “I’m Odette, the Alpha of the Sunshine Pack.” “Odette,” I repeated, recalling Carlos mentioning her. “The fiancée.”
“Exactly,” she confirmed, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. “I didn’t introduce myself earlier because I wanted to see how you’d handle this meeting without that knowledge. I have to say, I’m impressed. You’re holding your own quite well.” I met her gaze, feeling a surge of pride. “Thank you. I believe in leading with strength and integrity.” Odette nodded, clearly evaluating my response. “That’s good to hear. We’ll need leaders like you as we move forward together.”
She studied me for a moment, her expression thoughtful. “I can see you have strength and determination. Those qualities will serve you well.”
A realization hit me. Carlos had once mentioned that the Sunshine Pack would “provide
financial support.” Now it made sense–Odette’s influence over him ran deeper than I had thought. She wasn’t just his fiancée; she was a powerful ally and perhaps his greatest strength.
As we rejoined the others, Carlos noticed my tension and quietly moved to sit beside me. His eyes softened with worry, but I couldn’t give him any explanation. The whole situation
felt strange.
Eventually, I decided it was time to leave. I gathered Cyrus and noticed the concern on Carlos’s face, as if he wanted to say more–something that would convince me to stay. Hist lips parted slightly, but ultimately, he let out a sigh, and the moment slipped away. “Just… drive carefully, okay?” he urged.
“Going Up My First Love For Secret Research Second Chance
Just as we were about to leave, Cyrus pulled out the present. “Carlos, Mummy and I….” I quickly interrupted him. “Cyrus picked this out himself.”
Carlos took the gift with care, kneeling down to look in the eye. He kissed his forehead gently and smiled. “I love it, thank you, Cyrus.”
Watching him, I felt a surge of
fusion. How could he treat Cyrus with such tenderness if
he saw him only as a subject of study? The line between sincerity and observation was blurred, leaving me in doubt. Is this really the way to treat a subject of scientific
observation?
I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I drove, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. My thoughts kept drifting back to the image of Odette and Carlos standing together. Odette’s soft smile, the way she held herself with such grace, it was like she was meant to be by his side. They looked so right together, like the most compatible Alpha and Luna, fitting in a way I never
felt I could.
I felt a profound sadness enveloping me, like a thick fog that I couldn’t seem to clear away. I’d been through so much, divorce, heartbreak, the feeling of always being one step behind. Seeing them together only reminded me of what I’d lost, and maybe what I’d never truly had.
As the miles stretched ahead, the pain within me grew sharper. I thought I’d moved past this kind of hurt, but watching them had brought up a feeling of loneliness I hadn’t felt in a long time. I was used to handling things on my own, to being strong for Cyrus, but tonight it felt different. I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, and I fought them back. It hurt to think of what I wanted but didn’t have, a love that felt real and solid, like the bond 1
saw between Carlos and Odette. Instead, I was left with a heavy heart and an emptiness that resounded in the quiet of the car. Maybe I was just exhausted, but it felt like a part of me was aching for something I could never have, and that thought was almost too much to
bear.
I glanced over at Cyrus, his small face calm in the dim light, and a faint smile crossed my lips. He was my world, my reason for pushing forward. Yet even with him beside me, I couldn’t deny the emptiness that seeing Carlos and Odette together had left in its wake. It
as a reminder of all I’d lost and all I could never regain.
“Mom?” Cyrus’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked over and saw his worried eyes on me. “You seem… upset. Did something bad happen at work?”
|_ “Giving Up. My First Love For Secret Research Secund Chance at Happiness.
hapter His
Forcing a small smile, I tried to brush it off. “No, nothing happened at work. I’m just tired,
honey.” He looked at me skeptically, his young eyes too perceptive. After a pause, he pressed further. “Mom, are you upset because of Dr. Carlos? Did he say something that hurt
you?”
Hearing Carlos’s name made the feel tense. I shook my head, brushing it off with a gentle
tone. “No, sweetheart, there’s nothing to worry about. I promise.”
But he still looked unconvinced. Cyrus had always been sensitive to my emotions, and as
much as I tried to protect him, he always seemed to know when something was off.
As we rounded a corner, my eyes caught sight of a long black car in the rearview mirror. It was keeping an unsettlingly steady distance behind us. My heart sank, and worry set in. I turned again, looking to see if they were still behind me. They were.
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My First Love For Secret Research. Second Chance at ilappuies
