Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Iris Bennett's POV

"That's exactly what happened. When I think about how Zoe tried to hurt you, only to end up scarring her own face, I could literally cry from laughing." Amelia's voice dripped with theatrical satisfaction.

I hadn't intended to laugh, but her tone was infectious.

As long as I stayed vigilant, I wouldn't get hurt.

"Wait, Iris. Did your phone just light up?" Amelia raised her hand, pointing at my purse on the side table.

I'd silenced my phone ages ago. The screen only lit up briefly when messages came through. If Amelia hadn't noticed it, I would've missed it entirely.

"Well, isn't this a surprise? They're all from Adrian." I unlocked the screen and scrolled through carefully.

The first two messages asked where I was and why I wasn't answering. Between them sat five missed calls from him.

The last message asked if I was angry about Zoe.

Combined with the flash Amelia had just witnessed, I understood.

For the past several hours, Adrian had been calling me nonstop.

He should've been at the hospital with Zoe. I couldn't understand why he was doing this. Was it possessiveness? Or did he simply want revenge on Zoe's behalf?

Either way, I had no interest in dealing with him right now.

"So what are you going to do?" Amelia's eyes filled with concern.

"Good God, he's not going to lose his mind looking for you, is he?"

"That's probably the funniest joke I've heard all day." I widened my eyes at her.

Adrian looking for me? How was that even possible? Though I had been away from Bloodridge Pack for quite a while.

"Alright, I need to head back now. I haven't talked to Mrs. Stuart today. She's probably bored out of her mind."

"Luna! You're finally back." Ryan rushed forward anxiously.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? The Alpha couldn't reach you—he was really worried!"

Was he? It certainly sounded like concern, but I knew Ryan loved talking like this.

He always embellished Adrian's behavior. When I'd first arrived at this pack, I'd believed his words. Later, I learned to treat them as nothing more than pleasantries.

Besides, even if Adrian really had called me, so what? He was definitely still in Zoe's hospital room.

"I was just out with friends. I forgot to check my phone." I offered a casual explanation.

Amelia and I had already coordinated our story. They wouldn't suspect a thing.

Ryan nodded. As I passed him, he pulled out his phone and dialed.

"Alpha, yes. The Luna's back."

If he really cared about me that much, why couldn't he leave Zoe's hospital room and greet me in person?

I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to Ryan anymore. I turned and stood before Mrs. Stuart's door. I adjusted my smile and knocked.

"Mrs. Stuart, I'm home." My voice was gentle as I met her gaze.

"Oh, Iris! I haven't seen you all day yesterday." She'd been looking at a photo album, which she quickly set aside when she saw me. She came over and pulled me into a warm embrace.

"Adrian told me there was some kind of incident yesterday. Are you feeling alright now?"

How could Adrian tell her about that? My smile froze for a second, but I eventually nodded.

"It's nothing, Mrs. Stuart. I'm perfectly healthy. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

That wasn't a lie—at least, Amelia had said as much.

She studied my sincere expression, then finally relaxed.

"No wonder neither of you came to see me. I thought you two had gotten into a fight." She patted the back of my hand.

"How could we?" I laughed softly.

"You don't need to worry about our relationship."

"Of course not." Adrian pushed the door open and walked in.

I hadn't expected him to return from the hospital so quickly. I froze for a few seconds, forcing myself to control my expression.

"Adrian, you're back?" I smiled at him. I carefully recalled how I used to act with him before Zoe appeared.

I needed to perform naturally.

He walked toward me, but I subtly dodged. I sat down in the armchair, deliberately leaving no space for him to sit close to me.

"Of course. I've been looking for you all day." Adrian was still catching his breath. "Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Did he really have to discuss this in front of Jocelyn? Her expression had clearly become uncomfortable.

Though he did look like he'd been running for a while, I didn't believe it was because he'd been searching for me. Perhaps he was just exhausted from taking care of Zoe?

Still, in front of Jocelyn, we had to put on a loving performance.

"I just had my phone on silent. I'm so sorry, Adrian. I was with friends all day, and I completely forgot to check it."

I adopted the coquettish tone I'd used as a child. I waved my hand innocently, trying to lighten Jocelyn's mood.

"Really, I swear to the Moon Goddess, I won't do it again. I never meant to hurt you."

"Alright, I think I should give you two lovebirds some privacy. You need to sort this out properly." Jocelyn's frown gradually smoothed.

"I need to rest anyway. Have a good talk, won't you?"

I stood and walked out with Adrian. The instant Jocelyn's door closed, he rushed forward and grabbed my arm.

"If you're angry about last night, I—"

Hearing him say these words made me want to laugh. At this point, what could he possibly say?

"I'm not angry, Adrian." I yanked his hand away forcefully. His grip had been so tight it left faint fingerprints on my arm.

"Besides, you don't need to worry too much about what happened last night."

"What?" He clearly hadn't expected that response. He dropped his hand and stood there, studying me.

"Yeah, I think you were right. In that situation, she could've been humiliated, so you chose to let me take all the blame." I smiled at him.

"I think if I were you, I would've done the same thing. I understand you, so what you did was right."