The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 82: Judged him Wrongly

​Aurora’s POV

​In the picture, there was a private beach, secluded and beautiful. In the center of the frame was Cassey. She wasn’t the raging woman I had seen earlier; she looked soft, her arms wrapped tightly around a man I didn’t recognize. She was kissing him with a passion that felt far more real than any of the possessive glances she had thrown at Oliver.

​"That’s her mate," Oscar said, his voice dripping with irony. "The man she actually loves. But she’s hiding him from the world because he isn’t wealthy or powerful. He’s just a low-ranking wolf from a small pack. She takes Oliver’s money, the ’gifts’ she complained about, and she uses them to go on secret vacations with him."

​I stared at the screen, my chest tightening.

I had felt sorry for her. I had judged Oliver... thinking he had used someone who truly loved him.

​"I caught them during one of my trips," Oscar continued. "I sent the picture to Oliver immediately, thinking he’d be furious. I thought he’d want to tear that guy apart."

​He swiped the screen again, showing me a chat thread. I saw Oscar’s message with the photo, followed by Oliver’s reply.

​Oliver: It doesn’t matter, Oscar. She can do whatever she wants. We aren’t dating, and I don’t own her. She can find her happiness wherever she likes.

​"He didn’t care," Oscar whispered. "Not because he’s heartless, Aurora, but because he was never interested in her. He was honest with her from day one. He didn’t want a lover. He didn’t want love."

​He put the phone away and looked at me, his eyes hard. "And then he met you. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t ’discreet.’ He wasn’t ’uninvested.’ He carried you in a public restaurant. He kissed you publicly in that restaurant, not minding the cameras, and you still don’t believe he loves you?"

​I swallowed hard. I never doubted his love. I was just confused... but I couldn’t tell Alpha Oscar that.

​"And so you know, Oliver is hunting the people who tampered with the jet. In his words, they almost killed you, and he is going to make them pay with their lives," Oscar added, his voice low as he prepared to walk away. "And please go inside. It’s freezing out here."

​He left me standing there, the silence feeling heavier than ever. I didn’t say a word as I turned and climbed the stairs. My legs felt heavy, barely able to move, but I forced myself forward. Once inside my room, I collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling as every word Oscar spoke echoed in the quiet.

​He loves you... he’s not heartless... she was the one using him.

​The guilt was now suffocating me, pressing down on my chest. I had been so protective of my own heart, so afraid of being a replacement, that I had completely ignored the man who was actually standing in front of me. I had used his trauma as a weapon. I had called him heartless... when he was actually overflowing with feelings he didn’t know how to handle.

​Even with my feelings tangled between him and Raymond, I knew one thing for certain: I owed him an apology. A real one.

​I stood up, braced myself, and went downstairs. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

​I sat in the grand living room, the ticking of the clock the only sound in the vast space.

Maids and staff walked by, their eyes lingering on me for a second too long—whispering, no doubt, about the "mistress" who had caused the morning’s explosion. But I ignored them all. I kept my eyes on the front door, my fingers twisting together in my lap.

​One hour passed. Then two.

​The house grew darker as the evening settled into deep night. Every time a car pulled up or a door creaked, my heart leaped into my throat, only to sink again when it wasn’t him. I was restless, my mind replaying the pain in his voice when he walked away from my bedroom door.

​Finally, the heavy front doors groaned open. I stood up instantly, my breath catching.

​But it wasn’t Oliver.

​Alpha Oscar walked in, looking even more exhausted than before. He stopped when he saw me sitting there in the dim light, his eyes widening in surprise. He looked at the empty foyer, then back at me.

​"Aurora? You’re still up?" He walked toward me, his brow furrowed. "It’s past midnight."

​"I’m waiting for him," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Where is he, Oscar? Why isn’t he back yet?"

​Oscar sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked at me with a mixture of pity and hesitation. "He’s not coming back tonight, Aurora. He called. He’s staying at the downtown headquarters. He said he has ’work’ to finish before the transport arrives for you at dawn."

​My heart shattered. He was avoiding me.

​"But... we’re leaving together tomorrow," I said weakly.

​Oscar looked away, his silence giving me the answer I dreaded. "I have no idea if he will leave with you. Let’s wait until morning."

He gave me a concerned look. "Go get some rest, Aurora. He’s impulsive when he’s hurt... but he’s never let you go back alone."

I nodded, even though I knew sleep wouldn’t come. "Goodnight, Oscar. And... thank you. For telling me."

​I climbed the stairs, every step feeling like a mile. Once inside my room, I lay on the bed fully clothed, staring at the ceiling. I was restless. My skin felt too tight for my body. Oscar’s words played on a loop—the image of a ten-year-old Oliver watching his world shatter, the truth about Cassey’s betrayal.

​I have to tell him, I thought, clutching the pillow. I have to apologize. Even if I can’t confess my feelings for him, I need to apologize.

​I must have drifted off into a shallow, fitful sleep just as the sun began to peek through the curtains. A sharp knock at the door startled me awake. I sat up, my heart leaping. Was it him? Had he come back?

​I rushed to the door, disheveled and breathless, and swung it open. But it wasn’t the King.

​It was Oliver’s personal driver. He bowed his head slightly, his expression professional but strangely distant. "Good morning, Miss Aurora. I’ll be waiting downstairs to take you back home."

​I blinked, the sleep clearing from my head as a cold dread began to settle in my stomach. "Where is... where is Alpha Oliver? Is he in his room?"

​"The King has already departed," the driver said, his voice professional but lacking its usual warmth. "He flew out an hour ago. He left instructions for me to drive you back to the city once you were ready."

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