Chapter 35: Jealousy’s Madness–2
“Never thought the heir of the Rivers family could cook,” I teased, unable to hide my smile.
Connor glanced over his shoulder, his ice–blue eyes warm with amusement. He rinsed the vegetables unhurriedly.
“Remember that healing broth I brought you last time? The one you asked where I bought it?” he asked. “I made it myself.”
My eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. “You cooked that? Why did it taste exactly like my mother’s cooking from years ago?”
Connor’s expression softened. “I secretly learned it from Sarah back when I used to
come over for family gatherings.”
I shook my head, skeptical. “Impossible. You only came to our house a handful of
times before my mother passed away. How could you have learned everything?”
Instead of arguing, Connor simply continued his work, slicing celery with practiced
precision and marinating beef. After a moment, he changed the subject.
“Remember I promised to take you somewhere? That day you were hurt so we didn’t
go,” he said. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you.”
I blinked, momentarily distracted. “And this has something to do with your cooking
skills?”
“Yes, it does,” he answered with a mysterious smile.
“Alright,” I agreed, my curiosity piqued.
Soon, the kitchen filled with delicious aromas. Connor served two dishes and a soup:
celery stir–fried with beef, herb–scrambled eggs, and winter melon soup.
I rarely ate much in the evenings, but tonight was different. The familiar flavors reminded me so much of my mother’s cooking that I found myself finishing an entire bowl of rice. Together, we cleared every plate.
When I stood to wash the dishes, Connor gently caught my wrist. “Sit down. I’ll
handle it.”
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I couldn’t resist teasing him. “Wow, Connor, you’re so virtuous and gentle. Should I marry you and bring you home?”
He chuckled, reaching out to flick my forehead lightly. “No, I’ll marry you.”
The simple statement sent an unexpected warmth through me. My wolf, Cora, stirred contentedly inside me.
After tidying the kitchen, Connor prepared to leave. I noticed with a strange disappointment that he made no attempt to stay the night. I leaned against the doorframe, watching him gather his things.
A thought suddenly struck me: why didn’t he want to stay? Did he not find me attractive? I glanced down at my own figure reflexively. I was curvy and alluring enough, surely?
Connor caught my distracted look and smiled knowingly. “What are you thinking about, looking so deep in thought?”
I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Nothing. Drive safe.”
“See
you tomorrow,” he said softly.
He even took out the trash on his way out. I watched his calm, broad–shouldered figure fade away down the hallway.
A secret smile played on my lips. He’s so upright, it’s almost wicked–doesn’t even
have a single inappropriate thought.
(Ethan’s POV)
The harsh fluorescent lights of the police station made my head pound. I sat on a
hard bench, hands cuffed, surrounded by the stench of cheap coffee and
desperation.
I had nearly been detained for assault, but Jason Mitchell had rushed over, paid a
hefty fine, and somehow managed to get me released.
When we finally emerged from the station, it was nearly 4 a.m. Jason looked utterly
exhausted and miserable. I knew why–earlier that night, he’d finally had a rare moment with his girlfriend after work, only for my urgent call to drag him away before
any intimacy could happen.
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< Chapter 35 Jealousy’s Ma.
+8 Points
“She’s threatening to break up,” he muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Says she can’t compete with your emergencies.”
Guilt added itself to the cocktail of negative emotions swirling inside me. I had ruined yet another relationship tonight.
Jason sighed deeply as he drove us away from the station. “Ethan, where to now?”
I was drained, both physically and mentally. “Back to the hotel.”
The drive passed in silence. When we arrived, Jason didn’t come up. He simply nodded goodbye, his eyes reflecting his own personal disappointment.
I entered my empty suite and switched on the lights. The vast room felt deathly silent, devoid of warmth or comfort.
I walked to the window and lit a cigarette, inhaling sharply. The smoke scorched my lungs, but I welcomed the pain. It was a distraction from the images that wouldn’t leave my mind.
The room felt wrong. There were no antique porcelain vases that Olivia loved to collect. No fresh flowers arranged just so. No healing herbs stocked in the fridge for my digestive issues. No cute little trinkets or pastel curtains that she favored.
I closed my eyes, but that only made it worse. Behind my eyelids, I saw them
together. Olivia and Connor. Bodies entwined. Limbs wrapped around each other. Her soft sighs meant for him instead of me.
“Alpha Grey, return to the hotel?” Raymond had asked earlier. I had thought for a moment and said, “Stop at the Lunar Jewelers entrance ahead.”
Each vivid tormenting image stabbed my heart anew. Before coming to Riverdale, I had considered many things, but never the possibility that Olivia might already be with another man.
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