The Goodbye That Wasn't 2

The Goodbye That Wasn't 2
EMMANUELLE

I still couldn’t believe it.

Adam quiet, unreadable Adam had done all this… for me.

The conference hall was alive with flashes and voices, heels tapping against marble floors, the hum of whispers weaving through the crowd like restless bees. CEOs, reporters, shareholders all watching, waiting.

But I couldn’t hear any of it.

All I could think about was the way his fingers had brushed mine when he pulled me to safety. The way his eyes softened, just barely, like the world had worn him down but left that one soft place intact for me.

I stood at the podium, hands curling around the edges like they were the only things tethering me to the ground. My palms were damp, my throat dry. The script in front of me blurred.

He should be here.

I lifted my gaze, scanning the sea of faces. Nothing. My heart beat a little harder, the silence in my chest growing louder.

Where was he?

And then I saw him.

Leaning against the back wall near the double doors, half-shadowed by a curtain. Dressed in black, as always. Arms folded across his chest. Unmoving, except for the way his eyes locked onto mine.

My breath caught.

He didn’t smile, not really. But there was a softness in his eyes, like he saw something in me the world had missed. Like he was proud.

And then he turned.

No hesitation. No wave. No goodbye.

He just walked away.

I felt it like a thread snapping inside my chest.

My lips kept moving, mouthing the words of the speech I’d rehearsed a hundred times, but they didn’t feel like mine anymore. Applause rose around me like crashing waves, but all I could hear was the echo of his silence.

He left.

Why did he leave?

I stumbled through the end, barely making it off stage before pushing through the crowd, out into the sunlit courtyard. The fresh air hit me like a slap sharp, cool, and empty.

And then footsteps.

But they weren’t his.

It was James.

He leaned against one of the stone columns like he belonged there, dressed in sleek gray with his usual half-smirk. “Took your time,” he said, eyeing me like he already knew what I’d ask.

I tried to smile, to force out something polite. “Where’s Adam?”

His brows shot up. “Wow. Not even a thank you for me showing up?”

I blinked. “I’m sorry. I just”

“Relax,” he cut in, the humor fading from his face. “You won’t find him here.”

The air left my lungs. “What?”

James straightened, hands sliding into his pockets. “He’s gone.”

I stared at him, the word refusing to land. “Gone?”

“To the werewolf realm,” he said simply, like it was no big deal. “It’s over.”

I took a shaky step back, as if the ground had shifted beneath me. “No. He wouldn’t just… leave. Not like that. He didn’t even say goodbye.”

James shrugged, but there was something softer beneath his usual smugness. “He came here to protect you. He did what he came to do.”

He turned and walked away, leaving the words hanging in the space between us.

I stood frozen under the setting sun, its golden light slanting across the courtyard like a spotlight I didn’t want. Cars passed in the distance. Laughter echoed from a corner of the building.

But inside me, everything was quiet.

Adam was gone.

Not just physically. Gone like he’d ripped something from my chest when he walked away. Gone like he’d taken the warmth and the thunder and left behind a strange, aching calm.

I pressed a hand to my ribs. My heartbeat stuttered there.

It shouldn’t hurt this much.

It shouldn’t feel like this unless...

Unless I wasn’t the only one who felt it.

And maybe just maybe it wasn’t over.

Because even now, with the sky turning orange and my world spinning, something inside me still pulled in his direction.

Still whispered his name.



Author’s Note

So… Adam's gone. Back to his realm. 😭

What do you guys think about his decision to leave Emmanuelle behind? Do you think the bond they share is real or just a trick of the heart?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and theories! Drop a comment, like if you're enjoying the story, and don’t forget to hit that subscribe/follow button so you don’t miss the next chapter it’s about to get even more intense. 💥

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! 💕🖤