Chapter 94

Chapter 94
The city of Denver never truly slept. Even past midnight, the skyline still shimmered as the tall glass buildings blinked with lights, creating an illusion of tiny stars. Cars still sped past the café where she sat. She guessed the occupants were young people, probably on their way to a party, or even coming back from one. To be young and free—some part of her missed that life.
But in this corner café where she sat, it was the opposite. It was warm and slow and felt old and worn. Like the people in here had all gone through fire and come out with scars.
Slow jazz music sifted through the air, creating ambience with the fairy lights overhead and on some parts of the wall.
Her fingers curled around the cup of hot chocolate in her hand, her mind going back to her college days. Somewhere between being Seth’s wife and becoming Kael’s mother, she forgot that it was her favorite drink. A lot had changed, and she couldn’t even compare the woman she was now to the woman she used to be.
She hadn’t told Jethro where she was going, only that she needed to take care of something, and yet, she had a feeling he knew where she was going and what she wanted to do.
Rashel liked to finish things and not leave them halfway, and Seth was no exception. Her plan had failed, and so there was no need to string him along and give him false hope. Jethro had been understanding and patient enough, but she didn’t know if he would be for very long.
Her plan had been careful and deliberate. Build trust, disarm him, make him question Viola, and then expose her. It was all going perfectly until it wasn’t. And now, their partnership was over.
When she left home earlier, it all seemed like an easy thing to do. Meet Seth, tell him she couldn’t keep seeing him, and then leave. But now, there was a growing sense of guilt in her heart, and she didn’t know why.
This man was the person who rejected her, humiliated her, and condemned her to death! So why was she feeling sorry for him? Rashel took a moment to compose herself, and just then, the doors swung open and Seth walked in.
He was the same tall, confident, and totally attractive man she always knew, even though he looked like he had aged a bit in just a year. Nothing had really changed, except that her heart no longer leapt for joy when she saw him, and she no longer felt anything for him. Only pity.
A smile crept up his face when he sighted her from afar, and she offered a small smile and waved to him. He took long strides that brought him to her table in minutes and took the seat opposite her.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting. There was a situation with the guards at one of my borders I had to handle. It was a priority.”
“It’s alright. I had quite the view to keep me occupied from here.” Rashel smiled, trying to keep the mood light until she dropped the bomb.
“I’m glad you weren’t bored then.”
She looked outside through the glass walls again before turning to meet Seth’s gaze.
“Thank you for coming, Seth. I was hoping we could talk.” She began cautiously.
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” Seth chuckled.
Rashel exhaled slowly before speaking again.
“Yes, but we can’t keep talking, Seth.”
“And why is that?”
“Because we can’t. I’m not yours anymore and will never be anymore. I need you to understand this. Meeting up and talking like this is only going to complicate things, and I don’t want to disrespect Jethro like that.” Rashel explained.
“Really?” Seth asked, his brow raised.
“Seth—”
“Listen here, Rashel. I’m not a kid. You can’t draw me in like that and then kick me out. You don’t play with my feelings like this.” He reduced his voice to a whisper so that only Rashel could hear him.
He was starting to lose his temper, and Rashel could sense it. It made her angry to think that Seth even had the nerve to be angry about this. He owed her!
“Listen here, Seth, I’ve been trying to play nice with you, but guess what? I don’t owe you anything, and so I can stop being friendly with you whenever I damn well please.”
“I see what’s happening; you wanted to use me, didn’t you? You did this to get back at Viola, right?”
“And so, what if I did?” She asked, lifting her chin defiantly. She wasn’t scared of this man, not anymore. So, she would sit here and say everything on her mind.
“I trusted you, Rashel. I gave you my hours! I had fights with Viola because of you.”
“I trusted you as well, Seth. And you threw me into your dungeons to die. You didn’t even blink while you passed judgement. And now you’re back, expecting me to open my arms to you? Hell, no. So, yes, I used you.”
Seth was quiet for a long time after she spoke. He just sat there, staring at her, and she returned his gaze without flinching.
“So, all of that time we spent together didn’t mean anything to you? Not even a little bit?”
When Rashel didn’t say anything to him, he nodded in acceptance.
“So, you did all that just to prove a point?”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess.” Rashel shrugged.
“You’ve changed, Rashel. It’s like you’ve become someone I don’t even know anymore.”
Rashel let out a stream of laughter that left Seth confused. She found it funny that he would be the one to say something like that when he was the cause of the problem in the first place. For a moment, it seemed like he had lost a part of his memory.
“Really, Seth? Do you really want to go down that path? I can refresh your memory because it seems you have lost some of it.” Rashel narrowed her eyes at him.
The look on Seth’s face was one of pure confusion.
“Rashel, you betrayed me. You went after Jethro. I saw the evidence. You left.”
“How many times do you want to be told that I was framed! I didn’t betray you; someone set me up! And you, who was supposed to be my husband, my protector, you left me for another woman without thinking twice. So, who is the betrayer now?”
“What are you saying?” Seth asked again, looking as confused as the first time.
Rashel was beginning to lose her patience, so she started to pack her purse to leave, but Seth held her hand, forcing her to sit back down.
“You’re not leaving until we sort this out.” He hissed.
“Let go of me!” Rashel hissed and snatched her hand away, eyeing Seth.
“You betrayed me, Rashel. And you’re about to do the same thing to me. But you’re making it seem like I’m the bad guy—”
“You are the bad guy.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“All is fair in love and war.”
Seth stared at her for a long moment, and then he shook his head.
“Goodnight, Alpha Set,” Rashel said finally and walked out of the café.
As she walked to her car, she wondered about his behavior. Did he really not remember what had happened, or was he pretending not to? It all seemed so weird, but it wasn't her business anymore. She had finally done what needed to be done. She broke whatever ties she had left with Seth and killed whatever hopes or expectations he held. If all went well, she would never have to see him again.

Rashel got home about forty-five minutes later. Kael was already asleep when she got there, but Jethro was up. He was waiting for her.
“Hey, can’t sleep?” Rashel asked, even though she knew she was the reason why Jethro was still up.
“Yeah. I was waiting for you, actually. You weren’t taking your calls, and I was worried.”
Rashel heard what he didn’t say, that he knew she went to see Seth, and he hoped that everything was fine and he didn’t hurt her.
“Seth didn’t hurt me. And I told him to stay away from me.” She said, and watched him sigh.
“Good. I hope he listens, or I’ll have to make him.” Jethro said and pulled Rashel into an embrace.
“For his own good, I hope he does.” She laughed softly.

As Seth sped through the city, he gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was angry. Rashel had made a fool of him.
He couldn’t shake the memory away. Her conviction that he deserved what she had done to him. He had held hope that everything was finally coming together for him, but Rashel had played him.
It worried him that what she remembered differed from what he remembered, and it almost seemed like some things he thought had happened didn’t even happen. Like he just imagined them.
It was either that Rashel was lying to exonerate herself, or something was wrong with him. And if something was wrong with him, then he had to find out what exactly it was.