Chapter 182
Sebastien's POV
I stood frozen, watching Iris's back as she disappeared into the elevator. The doors closed with a soft chime, cutting off my last glimpse of her. Something was terribly wrong. The look on her face—that mixture of hurt and disgust—made my chest tighten painfully.
"Alpha, we didn't mean to—" Daniel's voice, thick with guilt, came from the doorway.
I turned slowly, taking in the scene: Daniel's panicked expression, Blake's concerned face, the others looking anywhere but at me. The realization hit me like a physical blow.
"You called her here," I said flatly to Daniel, who visibly flinched.
"I thought... I thought you wanted to see her," he replied, swallowing hard. "She was avoiding all your calls and—"
"And she heard everything," I finished, the implications sinking in. Every dismissive word I'd said about my feelings for her, every callous remark about only caring about the Grey heir—she had heard it all.
I should run after her. My body tensed, ready to move, but then I hesitated at the doorway. The image of Iris smiling at Lucas Morgan that morning flashed through my mind—her face lit up in a way it never did for me anymore. My jaw clenched.
"Sebastien," Blake stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You should go after her. This is all a misunderstanding."
I stared at the elevator doors, already imagining her leaving the building, walking away from me yet again. My voice came out cold as ice: "You all should go."
They exchanged glances but didn't argue. One by one, they filed out, leaving me alone in my office. I sank back into my chair, forcing myself to focus on the documents spread across my desk. But all I could see was Iris's face—the way her eyes had hardened when she told Daniel, "Tell him I won't be accepting any more of his... attentions."
My fingers hammered against the keyboard, typing nothing of consequence. I couldn't focus. Her voice echoed in my head: "Thanks for calling me here today. I wouldn't have seen such a great show otherwise."
I slammed my fist down, making the desk tremble. Why had I said those things? That ridiculous line about not loving her to my bones—why had it come out of my mouth when nothing could be further from the truth?
My phone vibrated, distracting me from my spiral of self-recrimination. A message from Blake: "Check the chat group. Everyone's asking Lucas to explain, and you might need to see this too."
I opened the werewolf community chat, scrolling through dozens of messages tagging Lucas Morgan. People were speculating wildly:
"@LucasMorgan so did you and Stone finally get together or what? Saw you bringing flowers again."
"Is it true Iris Stone turned you down? That's cold after all those bouquets."
I scrolled faster, my heart pounding uncomfortably against my ribs. People were discussing Lucas and Iris like they were some kind of entertainment. The thought of them together made my wolf stir restlessly.
Then I saw it—Lucas's reply: "No, guys, stop speculating. It's just a friendship, nothing more."
I stared at those eleven simple words, reading them over and over. Just a friendship. I thought back to what I'd seen at the coffee shop, how I'd assumed... My mind raced, replaying every interaction I'd witnessed between them. The flowers, the smiles, the conversation—what if I'd misinterpreted everything?
I suddenly remembered the Lowell family dinner, how Lucas had stared at Iris, how his mother had suggested an arrangement between them. But Iris had looked uncomfortable, even angry at the suggestion.
"Shit," I muttered, reaching for the pink diamond ring I'd placed on my desk earlier. She might have been rejecting him all along, and I'd been too blind with jealousy to see it.
I grabbed my car keys and the ring, striding toward the door with renewed purpose. I needed to find her, to explain, to make her understand that what she heard wasn't the truth—or at least, not the whole truth.
The elevator seemed painfully slow. I kept checking my phone, trying to call Iris again. Still powered off. Where would she go? Home? The Stone family building? The Lowell estate?
When I reached the parking garage, I jumped into my car and peeled out, heading first to the Stone family headquarters. The tires screeched as I took corners too fast, my mind racing even faster than the car.
"Is Ms. Stone here?" I demanded of the receptionist, not bothering with pleasantries.
"No, Mr. Grey. Ms. Stone is not in the office today," she replied, eyeing me cautiously.
I tried calling again. Still off. Damn it.
I paced the lobby, considering my options. She wouldn't go to the Lowell estate—too many people, too much attention. No, she'd want somewhere quiet, somewhere she could be alone.
"Her apartment," I realized aloud, drawing a curious look from the receptionist.
Back in my car, I drove to Blue Harbor, to Iris's private apartment complex. I parked across the street, eyes fixed on the entrance, hoping to catch sight of her. The sky gradually darkened as evening approached, but I remained in place, turning the pink diamond ring over in my fingers.
My phone buzzed again—Blake checking in: "Any luck finding her?"
"Not yet," I texted back, not taking my eyes off the building entrance.
As dusk settled, I finally saw her—Iris, stepping out of the complex entrance. She wore a deep green dress that accentuated her slightly rounded belly. Even from this distance, she looked breathtakingly beautiful in the sunset light.
I was about to get out of my car when another figure appeared—Noah Phillips, emerging from a car parked down the street. He walked toward Iris, his body language attentive and solicitous.
I froze, watching as Noah approached her, his face lighting up with genuine concern. Something in the way he moved toward her, the care in his expression—it spoke of a connection I couldn't deny.