Chapter 196: Help Her Make a Choice

Ember's POV

The next morning, Asher was woken up by his own ringtone. He reached over and picked up his phone, and through my half-asleep haze I heard it was his beta calling.

Asher frowned with a hint of irritation and answered in a low voice: "What is it?"

"Alpha, we have a problem!" The beta on the other end sounded urgent. "There's an issue with the European project. The other party is demanding you come in person to negotiate. They're insisting it has to be you, or they'll pull out of the deal."

This project was critical to Blackwood Group. There was no room for anything to go wrong.

"Got it." Asher's expression darkened. "Book me the earliest flight out."

"Yes, alpha."

After he hung up.

", I have to go to Europe for a few days." Asher murmured close to my ear. "Stay home and be good while I'm gone. No getting cozy with Zane, you hear me?"

I wasn't really awake. I just let out a groggy, uncomfortable grumble, then rolled over and went back to sleep. Asher looked at me and gave a helpless little laugh, then pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. He got up, washed up, and got dressed. Before he left, he stood at the side of the bed looking down at me still sleeping, his eyes full of reluctance. He said quietly, "Wait for me."

Not long after Asher left, I finally woke up. I opened my eyes and stared at the empty hotel room, and for no clear reason felt a hollow ache settle in my chest. I reached over and touched the space beside me. It was still warm from him, but Asher was already gone. I couldn't explain why, but in that moment, a wave of loss I couldn't quite name washed over me.

I pulled myself together, checked out of the hotel, and drove straight to the office. I looked terrible — dark circles heavy under my eyes, my face pale with exhaustion. Asher had kept me up the entire night, and I hadn't gotten any real sleep.

My assistant saw me walk in and hurried over with a worried look. "Ms. Hart, are you okay? Are you not feeling well?"

"I'm fine." I shook my head tiredly and dropped into my chair. "Just didn't sleep well. It's nothing. Hand me today's schedule."

"Of course." She passed it over, then hesitated before adding, "Mr. Sawyer called earlier asking where you were. He said he'd come pick you up again this afternoon."

My chest tightened. Last night I'd been dragged off by Asher without warning, and after everything that happened at the hotel, my head had been such a mess that I'd completely forgotten about the wedding dress fitting. But looking at myself now — this wreck of a person — there was no way I could face Zane.

"Tell him I have an important meeting this afternoon," I said to my assistant. "I can't make it. We'll reschedule the fitting for another day."

"Got it." She nodded and stepped out.

I looked down at the schedule in front of me, but my mind was a complete mess. I couldn't take in a single word. All I could see was Asher's face, over and over again. He'd said last night he was heading to Europe, and I still had no idea when he'd be back. I shook my head irritably and forced myself to stop thinking about him. That jerk. What did she care where he went? None of it had anything to do with her, Ember. He could drop dead out there for all she cared. Never come back. At least then she'd finally have some peace and quiet.

That afternoon, I was in the middle of a meeting when my phone buzzed on the table. I picked it up. It was a message from Asher: [Just got to the airport. Wait for me.]

I stared at those words, and something bittersweet stirred in me. I hovered over the reply box for a long moment, then put the phone down without typing anything.

After the meeting, I dragged myself back to my office and barely had time to sink into my chair before my phone started ringing again. Loud and grating. Asher. A video call. I frowned and ended it without answering.

A moment later, a message popped up: [Why aren't you picking up?]

I looked at it, decided not to bother, flipped the phone to silent, and tossed it aside.

Right then, the office door swung open. Zane walked in, carrying a cake box.

"Ember." He smiled as he came over, his voice warm and easy. "I heard you've been slammed today. Figured you probably haven't eaten, so I grabbed you some of that strawberry cake you like. Hold you over until dinner."

I looked at his kind face and managed a small smile. "Thank you, Zane."

"No need to thank me." He set the cake on the desk and came to stand beside me. Something shifted in his expression — quieter, deeper — and he said in a low voice, "I'm sorry about the other night. I just... don't take it to heart."

"It's fine." I shifted my gaze away, looking down at the desk. "I wasn't handling things well either. Hey, I've been really busy these past few days, so I can't make it for the fitting. Can we push it back a bit?"

"Sure." He nodded. But then his eyes dropped to my phone, still lit up on the desk, and he asked, "Who was just calling you? Why didn't you pick up?"

My stomach lurched. "Nobody," I said quickly, smoothing it over. "Just a sales call."

"A sales call?" Zane smiled, but the warmth didn't reach his eyes. He just watched me. "Really? I thought it might be Asher."

My expression shifted just slightly. I forced myself to sound steady. "Why would it be? Asher and I don't really talk anymore." When he used the rejection to sever our mate bond, we became the past.

"Good." Zane reached out to touch my hair, but I instinctively turned my head away before I could stop myself.

His hand froze in midair. A flicker of hurt crossed his face, though he covered it quickly, pulled his hand back, and said, "There's a dinner tonight, Ember. A group of clean energy entrepreneurs. Come with me — it'll be a good chance to connect you with some potential partners."

"Okay." I agreed. I genuinely needed outside partnerships to push Hart Group's transition forward in a big way.

That evening, I went to the dinner with Zane as planned. Throughout the night, he was the same as always — attentive and thoughtful, looking after me at every turn. Watching him move around the room, working on my behalf, the guilt built up in me until it was almost too heavy to carry. I felt awful. He deserved so much better than this.

Halfway through dinner, my phone buzzed hard in my pocket. I pulled it out with a guilty jolt. Sure enough — Asher: [Just landed in Europe. Got a minute? Let's do a video call.]

My chest clenched. Terrified someone nearby might see the screen, I shoved the phone back into my pocket as fast as I could.

"Who's that?" Zane's voice came right beside me. His eyes were fixed on me.

"No one." I forced a casual smile. "Just Penelope asking when we can go shopping."

"Oh yeah?" He looked at me with a smile that didn't quite settle. Then he reached out his hand. "Why don't you call her? I'd love to say hi — it's been forever since I've seen Penelope. Hope she's doing well."

He kept talking, and then he actually reached over to take the phone from my hand.

I flinched back and hid the phone behind me, my heart hammering. "There's nothing to talk about," I said, my voice coming out too tight. "If you want to catch up, we can grab lunch with her tomorrow."