Chapter 85 TILL IT HAPPENED TO YOU
Chapter 85 TILL IT HAPPENED TO YOU
Kali's POV
I’d never thought silence could be this loud. I honestly thought the reason why a room could fall silent or a group of people could go quiet was simply thanks to the absence of things to say. I'd never truly believed that a room full of people could be likened to a graveyard. If someone had told me this prior to this moment, then best believe I would have laughed their heads off. But you know what they said, never laugh at a situation or somebody, until it happened to you.
I sat in silence as I watched the servants bustle here and there. While a couple of them threw glances at me, the others simply refused to.
I wasn't one to be dramatic, but I was sure that they would rather chew glass than talk to me. Even though it unnerved me, I couldn't say I blamed them totally. On my way to breakfast this morning, I'd overheard a couple of servants whispering about me.
Apparently, Raelyn had started some nasty things about me. They hurt, but I refused to tackle it. I wasn't scared or anything, I just told myself that I had more important things to focus on, especially the handsome hunk that had refused to make things easier for the both of us.
I'd barely thought about him, when Diego walked into the dining room. To say he looked handsome had to be the biggest understatement yet. He looked fresh out of bed, and even though he was in nothing but casual clothes, all I did was swoon.
Why was one man this hot?
He'd reminded me of our ultimatum last yesterday, but best believe all I could think of was the moment he had me trapped in between his body and the wall. I'd never wanted someone to kiss me as bad as I wanted him to kiss me yesterday, and deep down, I deluded myself into thinking that he would have, had Leo not interrupted.
“Good morning.” I let out the moment Diego settled into the seat opposite mine. I even managed a small smile, but if I had known what he had up his sleeve, I wouldn't have even bothered. “I hope you had a good night's rest?”
Diego didn't acknowledge it , he didn't glance at me either. If it wasn't for the maid who reached out to serve me my food, I would have quickly jumped into the conclusion that I was somehow invisible.
It took everything in me to not combust from embarrassment, and I focused on the plate in front of me. As I filled my stomach with food, I didn't stop trying to talk to Diego, but the more I did, the clearer it became that he was ignoring me.
Diego didn’t even glance my way, not when he sat down, not even when my hand brushed the edge of his plate by accident. He spoke to everyone else. He was calm, commanding, and effortlessly picking up conversations, but not to me.
I couldn't wait for breakfast to be over, and when the others filtered out of the dining hall, I stayed seated, waiting for my moment. As soon as he stood, I moved to follow.
“Diego,” I called after him. The chair scraped loudly against the floor as I stood up. I almost knocked it down, but I didn't care at this point. “Wait. Please.”
He didn’t stop, he didn’t slow down either. The back of his broad shoulders was the only answer I got as he crossed the room with that infuriating, unhurried stride of his.
“Diego wait.” I caught up to him in the hallway. “Stop ignoring me please. I need to talk to you.”
I knew he could hear me. The fact that he let out a puff of air every time I spoke was a good sign that my words weren't just flying over his head. If he could express his obvious distaste and irritation, why couldn't he just talk to me and be done with it?
“You can’t just ignore me like this ” I let out again. “I just need you to…”
“Busy,” he cut in, not even looking at me, before disappearing around the corner. “I'm busy. I don't have time to waste.”
By the third attempt, I felt stupid. Pathetic, even. Chasing after a man who clearly wanted nothing to do with me today. My chest burned, half with frustration, half with something heavier that I refused to name. Maybe hurt, jealousy, I wasn't sure.
I’d just decided to let it go when a voice came from behind me.
“Kali.” I turned to find Leo watching me, his expression unreadable but his eyes sharper than usual. “Walk with me.”
I wanted to argue, but I didn’t . I didn't fully trust him, but the fact that he was Diego's beta was somewhat calming. It was strange, but I just knew he couldn't hurt me, at least not in the palace.
Leo led me down one of the quieter corridors, where the hum of the packhouse faded and we could speak without curious ears nearby. I hoped.
“What’s this about?” I asked when he stopped in a shadowed corner. “Why did you bring me here?”
“It’s about Diego,” he said bluntly. “And the council.”
“Oh.” My stomach tightened. “What about them?”
“They’re pressing him harder than he’s letting on,” Leo said. “That proposal? It’s not just politics. If he refuses it, the fallout won’t just touch him. It’ll burn everything around him.”
“I know that.” I folded my arms, trying to steady myself. “And what does this have to do with me?”
“Everything.” He gave me a look that made me feel like he was peeling back my defenses one layer at a time. “And that's because you’re the only one who can get through to him.”
“Me?”I let out a sharp laugh. “You’ve seen how he’s treating me today, right? He’s not exactly…..”
“I know you were in his office yesterday,” Leo interrupted, his tone casual but edgy. “That’s why he didn’t open the door.”
“What?” The words hit me like a cold draft. My cheeks flared up with heat, and I hated how I couldn't hide the obvious blush on my cheeks with my hair. “How…”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said quickly. “What matters is this, you have to find a way to make him agree to that breeder proposal. If you don’t…” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to something low and deadly serious. “…the consequences won’t just be bad, Kali. They’ll be deadly.”
He didn't need to explain further, and I wasn't sure I needed one. It was clear what he was going to say.
If Diego didn't do what the council wanted, then I wasn't even sure what was going to happen to him. To me too.
Shit.