Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
79\u00a0<\/p>\n
5 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment we stepped out of the jewelry store, the evening air felt heavier than it should\u2019ve been. My chest ached with all the words I wanted to say but couldn\u2019t inside that glittering room full of lies, diamonds, and ghosts from the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s hand was still on my lower back, his was grip firm and protective, almost claiming. It wasn\u2019t until we reached the car that I finally pulled away, the soft click of the door shutting behind me sounding louder than it should\u2019ve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWas that really necessary?\u201d I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter glanced at me, one brow arched as he started the engine. \u201cWhat exactly are you referring to?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d I said, folding my arms. \u201cMaybe the part where you practically told Beckett you\u2019d won some kind of prize. Or when you called me your wife like you were marking territory.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His lips curved\u2013not into a smile, but something darker. \u201cYou are my wife,\u201d he said smoothly, his voice low. \u201cAll I did was tell him the great news.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned toward the window, trying to steady my breath. \u201cYou knew exactly what you were doing, Hunter,\u201d I muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease, enlighten me, little dove. What do you think I was doing back there?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were having a pissing contest with Beckett. You were deliberately rubbing it in his face.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s hand tightened around the steering wheel. \u201cSo, what if I did?\u201d he said flatly. \u201cI just put him in his place. He doesn\u2019t have any right to look like you as if he still owns you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t,\u201d I said quickly. \u201cWhatever Beckett and I had\u2014it\u2019s over.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s gaze slid to me, his expression unreadable. \u201cThen what\u2019s wrong with me telling him we\u2019re married? And why does it bother you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze. He saw right through me, peeling away every layer I tried to hide behind. \u201cIt didn\u2019t,\u201d I lied. \u201cI was just surprised, that\u2019s all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave a low chuckle that didn\u2019t sound amused. \u201cYou\u2019re a terrible liar, Dylan.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My pulse quickened, frustration boiling under my skin. \u201cWhy do you care? It\u2019s not as if we\u00a0<\/p>\n
get married because we\u2019re in love. We are only here in this situation because we both got tangled in these unfortunate circumstances!\u201d I shot back, turning to face him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s jaw flexed, his eyes dark and intense. \u201cI thought I made myself clear,\u201d he said quietly, his voice husky and dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Sun, Dec 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
N\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
79\u00a0<\/p>\n
E5 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s jaw stayed tight as he gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles pale against the leather. The sharp lines of his face were carved in quiet anger, and the glow of the passing streetlights only made his expression look colder, more unreadable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to say something, but the tension inside the car felt too heavy to cut through. Every second that passed seemed to stretch longer than the last. The hum of the engine and the steady rhythm of his shallow breaths were the only sounds filling the space between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t glance at me once. Not when we stopped at the light. Not when I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. His focus stayed straight ahead, his body radiating irritation and restraint, like he was one word away from snapping.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my hands on my lap. \u201cYou\u2019re really not going to talk to me now?\u201d I muttered, unable to stand the silence any longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t answer. His jaw just twitched, and his eyes stayed glued to the road.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine,\u201d I said under my breath, crossing my arms. \u201cSilent treatment it is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the rest of the drive, I stared out the window, watching the city blur by. Every flicker of light felt distant, every sound muffled. It wasn\u2019t the comfortable silence we sometimes shared before\u2014this was cold, brittle, and sharp enough to draw blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the car finally rolled to a stop, I realized we were in front of the restaurant. The valet opened my door, and I stepped out, clutching my purse a little too tightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter came around the car a moment later, his expression still unreadable. His movements were precise and too controlled. The storm was still there, just beneath the surface.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He offered his arm out of habit, a small gesture that used to feel grounding. But tonight, it felt distant. Like we were strangers playing the part of a perfect couple.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitated, then took it anyway, because I wasn\u2019t sure what else to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we walked into the restaurant, I could feel the chill between us like a wall, thick and heavy with everything left unsaid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The waiter opened the door to a softly lit private room, the air heavy with the scent of wine and truffle butter. The table gleamed under the crystal chandelier\u2013elegant, intimate, and far too quiet for how tense things felt between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter said nothing as he pulled out my chair. His movements were calm, almost mechanical, but the sharp set of his jaw told another story. I murmured a thank you that barely reached my own ears. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my dress, pretending to study the menu just so I wouldn\u2019t have to look at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The waiter poured the wine and disappeared, leaving the air thick with silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you planning to ignore me all night?\u201d I finally asked, unable to stand it anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s gaze lifted to mine, cool and steady. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize you cared enough to notice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Sun Dec 28 N\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
His words stung more than I expected. \u201cYou\u2019re still mad about earlier.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
E 5 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMad?\u201d He let out a humorless chuckle. \u201cThat\u2019s putting it lightly.\u201d He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing on me. \u201cI saw how your face changed when Sarah mentioned their engagement.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest tightened. \u201cIt caught me off guard, that\u2019s all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOff guard?\u201d His voice dropped low, rough. \u201cShouldn\u2019t you be expecting that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s going to happen. the moment you step out of that marriage?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced myself to meet his gaze even though it hurt. \u201cI\u2019ve loved Beckett for three years, even longer. You can\u2019t expect me to move on that easily.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, do you still have feelings for him, I suppose?\u201d Hunter said, his tone flat, almost casual\u2014but the way he gripped his glass gave him away. He took a slow sip, his gaze never leaving mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a sharp breath, trying to steady the storm brewing inside me. \u201cWe\u2019ve had this conversation already, Hunter. I don\u2019t know why you\u2019re bringing it up again.\u201d My voice came out colder than I intended. \u201cAnd so what if I still have feelings for him? He was my husband, for Pete\u2019s sake! Keep your unnecessary jealousy in\u00a0<\/p>\n
check\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words slipped out like a blade. The moment they left my mouth, regret clawed at my chest. Hunter\u2019s jaw tensed, his eyes darkening, and the silence that followed was deafening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t mean it that way. God, I didn\u2019t. But it was too late to take it back now. Maybe it was my clumsy attempt to hide what I was really feeling\u2014the slow, terrifying realization that I cared too much. That somewhere between all the fights, the forced smiles, and the fragile truce we\u2019d built, something inside me had started to shin\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was easier to push him away than to admit that his anger affected me. That his jealousy, as misplaced as it was, stirred something dangerous in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I kept my chin high, pretending I didn\u2019t notice the flicker of hurt behind his glare. Pretending that my words hadn\u2019t just sliced through whatever fragile connection we had managed to build.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter set his glass down with deliberate calm, the sound of it against the table echoing in the small room. \u201cWell,\u201d he said finally, his voice low and rough, \u201cthank you for clarifying where we stand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s chair scraped against the marble floor, the sharp sound cutting through the silence like a slap. His expression was unreadable now, and that frightened me more than his anger ever could.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood slowly, tossing the napkin onto the table. \u201cYou\u2019ve made yourself perfectly clear, Dylan,\u201d he said, voice low but tight, each word wrapped in restrained fury. \u201cI thought we can still salvage the night. But I was wrong, I won\u2019t sit here and fight over someone you apparently still can\u2019t let go of.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHunter\u201d I started, but he was already turning away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t look back. Not once. His broad shoulders disappeared past the door, leaving behind the faint scent of his cologne and a hollow ache in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat frozen for a moment, staring at the untouched plates, the flickering candle between us, and the two glasses of wine\u2013one half\u2013empty, the other still full. My heart thudded unevenly, the weight of my own words\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:29 Sun, Dec 28 N\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 44\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0e41\u0e23\u00a0<\/p>\n
79\u00a0<\/p>\n
EZ 5 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
pressing down until I could barely breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t meant to hurt him. I just panicked. It was easier to throw harsh words at him than to admit that his jealousy had somehow mattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could stop myself, I was on my feet, the legs of my chair screeching against the floor. I grabbed my purse and hurried out of the private room, ignoring the curious glances from the staff. My heels clicked against the hallway tiles as I rushed toward the elevator, my pulse racing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHunter!\u201d I called out, spotting him near the exit. He didn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I picked up my pace, the air cool and biting against my skin as I stepped out into the night. \u201cHunter, wait!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stopped for a moment, his back still to me. Hope sparked in my chest that maybe he\u2019d finally decided to listen. But before I could say another word, his voice cut through the night, calm but laced with something sharp enough to wound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBring her home. I\u2019ll have somewhere else to be,\u201d he said flatly, tossing his car keys to the man standing a few steps behind us. I hadn\u2019t even realized one of his men had followed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked, caught off guard. \u201cHunter, where are you going?\u201d I asked, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned to face me then, and I wished he hadn\u2019t. His eyes were dark\u2013cold in a way I\u2019d never seen before. It wasn\u2019t just anger anymore; it was disappointment, maybe even hurt. That look sliced deeper than any insult could.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSomewhere away from you,\u201d he said quietly, each word slow and deliberate, like he wanted to make sure I heard every single one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The world seemed to tilt at that moment. My throat went dry, my pulse roaring in my ears. I stood there, watching him walk away under the pale glow of the hotel lights, every step taking him further from me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those words echoed inside my head until they blurred into one painful beat that refused to stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t realize how much I\u2019d come to rely on his presence, on his quiet strength, until I felt the hollow space he left behind. My chest ached, my stomach twisted, and the guilt hit me hard. I wanted to call out again, to tell him I didn\u2019t mean it, that I wasn\u2019t choosing Beckett, that I was just scared of what he was starting to mean\u00a0<\/p>\n
to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But my voice failed me. All I could do was watch as Hunter disappeared into the dark, leaving me standing on the curb\u2013lost, breathless, and utterly broken.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The night swallowed him whole, and I was left with nothing but the echo of his footsteps and the realization that I\u2019d pushed away the one man who made my heart feel alive again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 44 Chapter 44\u00a0 Chapter 44\u00a0 DYLAN\u00a0 79\u00a0 5 vouchers\u00a0 The moment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24395\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}