Inside, Anastasia sat on Marcus’s lap. Her fingers tangled in his hair as their lips met in a slow, intimate kiss.
I couldn’t breathe.
Gracie's POV
My hands trembled as I lifted the glass of cold water to my lips, forcing back the tears threatening to fall. Across the kitchen, Marcus smiled at me as he prepared my favorite meal, acting as if nothing had changed—as if he hadn't shattered me just moments ago of the truth.
“I’m sorry I didn’t visit you for five years, Cie,” he said softly, using the nickname only he ever called me.
He plated the grilled beef, adding spices and a perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg. “You need to eat more. You’ve lost too much weight.”
I stared at the food, my fingers tightening around the glass. My wolf growled inside me, urging me to lash out, to scream, to demand answers. But I held it all in, swallowing the lump in my throat.
The image of what I had seen earlier burned in my mind. The words they had spoken—betrayal woven into every syllable—didn’t just break my heart. They shattered it. Twice over.
At that moment, I would have rather died than face the truth.
My hands were still shaking as I set the glass down and moved toward the table. My gaze flicked to the knife. A cruel, bitter thought crossed my mind—I could drive it straight into his heart, make him feel the pain he had inflicted on me. Him and Anastasia.
Instead, I grabbed the fork, cutting into the beef with unsteady hands as tears finally escaped, sliding down my cheeks.
Marcus noticed immediately. “Cie, are you okay? Why are you crying?”
He reached for me, his warm hands gripping my shoulders as he tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Did something happen? What's wrong?”
His touch, his concern—it made me want to scream. He wiped my tears away so gently, and my heart ached. I wanted to believe this was just my imagination. A hallucination born from years of suffering.
But it wasn’t.
I loved Marcus. So much that it hurt.
“I love you,” I whispered, my voice trembling with pain.
He smiled, tender and soft. “Is that all you wanted to say? I thought something was wrong.” His relief was evident as he pressed a kiss to my forehead, then down to the tip of my nose. His lips hovered over mine, about to close the distance—
I stepped back.
The memory of him kissing my brother’s wife made bile rise in my throat.