Chapter 137: With Another Woman

​When Sofia returned home, her footsteps were light, nearly dancing across the hardwood floor. She couldn’t wait to tell Bella. She headed straight for Bella’s room and pushed the door open, her face beaming.

​”Bella! You won’t believe—” Sofia stopped mid-sentence.

​The room was dim, and Bella was curled into a tight ball on the bed, looking small and fragile. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were red-rimmed. Sofia rushed to her side, her excitement instantly turning into deep worry.

​”Bella? What’s wrong?” Sofia asked, sitting on the edge of the mattress. She reached out, noticing the salt stain of dried tears on Bella’s cheeks. “Are you sick? Did something happen while I was gone?”

​Bella didn’t look up at first. She was still hurt from the sensations of Alfred’s betrayal, her heart feeling like a bruised weight in her chest. She forced herself to take a shaky breath, putting her mask back on.

​”I’m sorry, Sofia,” Bella lied, her voice cracking. “I just… I started remembering things. Painful memories from before. Being an outcast, the way the pack treated me… it just all came back at once.”

​Sofia felt a wave of intense pity. She reached out and smoothed Bella’s hair, her heart aching for her friend. “Oh, Bella. I’m so sorry. But listen to me—you’re safe now. We’re going to rebuild your life together. Once I get settled at this new job, I’m going to help you find one, too. You’ll never have to look back at those dark days again.”

​Bella managed to squeeze out a single, fake tear, looking up at Sofia with a look of “gratitude.”

​”Now, cheer up a little,” Sofia encouraged, her smile returning. “I have some news to help. I got the job! I start tomorrow morning!”

​Bella forced a small, weak smile onto her lips. “Oh, Sofia… congratulations. That’s… that’s wonderful news. You deserve it.”

​”We aren’t just sitting here in the dark,” Sofia declared, standing up and pulling on Bella’s hand. “Let’s go out. My treat. We’ll go to that nice café down the street and celebrate. You need to get some fresh air.”

​”No, Sofia, I don’t think I can,” Bella refused, shaking her head. “I just want to stay here.”

​”I won’t take no for an answer,” Sofia insisted stubbornly. “You’ve been such a good friend to me; let me do this for you. Five minutes to get ready. Go!”

​Bella sighed, finally nodding. “Okay. Fine. Just for a little while.”

​As Sofia turned and hurried to her own room to change, Bella sat up slowly. The air in the room shifted as a familiar presence brushed against her mind.

​”Are you feeling better, my love?” Alfred’s voice echoed in her head. For once, he sounded genuinely concerned, his tone soft and low. “I felt your pain subside. I didn’t mean to hurt you that much.”

​Bella’s jaw tightened. The image of him with that subordinate was still burned into her brain, making her stomach churn with disgust.

​”I don’t want to talk to you for the rest of the day, Alfred,” she snapped back through the Mind Link. “Don’t communicate with me again.”

​Before he could respond, she slammed the mind link shut. She stood up and moved to the mirror, wiping the last of the tears away.

​Sofia and Bella finished getting ready and stepped out into the cool evening air. They walked down the street to the local café, but a sign on the door said it was closed for a private event.

​”Oh, no,” Sofia said, her face falling. “I really wanted this to be a special night.”

​”It’s okay, Sofia,” Bella said, feeling relieved that they were returning home. “Maybe we should just go back?”

​”No way!” Sofia insisted with a frown. “We are celebrating. Let’s take a taxi to that new restaurant across town. I heard it’s beautiful.”

​They hailed a cab and drove to a high-end restaurant. But the moment they stepped out of the car, Sofia’s heart stopped. She felt a familiar pull in her chest—a heat that could only belong to one person.

​Damien was there.

​”Mate,” her wolf howled.

​Through the clear glass of the restaurant, Sofia saw Damien sitting at a corner table. He wasn’t alone. Sitting across from him was a stunningly beautiful woman with long, chocolate-brown hair and a perfect smile. She was leaning in, laughing at something he said. Even worse, Damien was smiling back—a real, warm smile.

​Sofia felt a sharp, burning pain in her chest, jealousy clouding her senses. She wanted to turn around and run, but she was frozen to the spot.

​Bella watched Sofia’s face closely. She saw the way Sofia’s eyes clouded with hurt, and a wicked spark of joy lit up inside her. This was the perfect moment to twist the knife.

​”Oh… is that Alpha Damien?” Bella whispered, her voice full of fake shock. She stepped closer to Sofia, put an arm around her, and leaned in. “Who is that girl? She’s… she’s beautiful. They look so comfortable together, don’t they?”

​Sofia didn’t answer. She couldn’t.

​”I’m so sorry, Sofia,” Bella continued, her voice filled with false pity. “I guess this is because you two are having issues…”

​Sofia’s grip on the strap of her bag tightened. “I don’t care what he does or who he meets,” she whispered, acting emotionless, but Bella could see right through her act.

​Inside the restaurant, Damien’s head suddenly snapped toward the window. His powerful senses had caught Sofia’s scent, and his smile vanished instantly.

​”Let’s just go, Sofia,” Bella whispered, tugging at her arm. “We don’t need to see this. It will only hurt you more.”

​But Sofia didn’t move toward the taxi. A cold, sharp intensity settled over her, replacing the initial sting of jealousy. She wasn’t going to run away like a jealous little girl. She was a White Wolf, and she had just landed a job on her own merits. She wasn’t the old Sofia.

​”No,” Sofia said, her voice gaining its strength. “I’m hungry, and I promised you a celebration.”

​Ignoring the way her wolf was whimpering in the back of her mind, Sofia straightened her back and walked through the heavy glass doors of the restaurant.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep