“Olivia, don’t worry about it,” he said casually. “It’s just a cup. There are dozens in this house.”
Just a cup.
Adriana’s fingers curled at her sides.
That cup had not been ordinary.
It was the one they had used during their engagement ritual—the one they had raised together before the elders when their bond was announced. She had washed it herself every time. Kept it carefully on the highest shelf.
To her, it had meant something.
To him, it was replaceable.
“It’s fine,” she said after a moment, her tone light. “I’ll grab a disposable one.”
She poured herself some water, drank quietly, then returned upstairs without another word.
Once inside the bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed, her thoughts circling back to the transfer application tucked away in her drawer.
The urgency inside her sharpened.
If Nathanie refused to sign off on it as Alpha, the Council wouldn’t approve her departure.
She needed to understand exactly where he stood.
“Why are you still up?”
His voice came from the doorway, pulling her from her thoughts.
She quickly lifted her phone to her ear, as if she had been in the middle of a conversation.
“Mm. Alright. I’ll ask him about it for you,” she said into the empty line before lowering the device.
Then she looked at Nathanie casually. “You’re not asleep either. My ankle’s throbbing, so I was talking to someone from the infirmary to pass the time.”
At the mention of her injury, something flickered across his face.
He seemed to recall, belatedly, that he had said he would reapply the liniment.
Without commenting on it, he stepped forward and pulled back the blanket, inspecting her ankle again.
“The swelling’s gone down,” he observed. “Another few days of rest and it’ll be fine.”
Then his gaze shifted to her phone.
“Who were you speaking to?” he asked lightly. “You sounded pretty relaxed.”
Adriana tightened her grip on the device.
If he had looked closely, he would have noticed the dark screen—no call in progress.
“Dr. Donovan,” she replied smoothly. “Everyone’s been talking about the overseas relief program. He was asking if you’d heard any updates.”
Nathanie nodded, not questioning her.
The program had indeed been a frequent topic at the infirmary. The initial volunteer numbers hadn’t met the quota, so the application window had been extended.