CHAPTER 67: BETRAYAL, FURY, AND FRAGILE LIFE

Before Lucien could speak, Ash stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

That evening, the drive home was heavy with silence. Neither spoke, each lost in the tangle of their own thoughts.

At home, the usual routines felt stiff and awkward. They moved through dinner and chores with minimal words, the tension lingering until bedtime.

As Lucien headed toward the guest room, Ash’s voice stopped him. "Did I make myself clear earlier, or do you think I was joking?"

Lucien froze at the doorway.

"If you step out that door...it’s over between us."

He turned slowly, a bead of sweat tracing his temple. His pheromones simmered around him, sharp and electric. Softly, almost pleading, he said, "Ash...can we...do it the day after tomorrow?"

Ash’s eyes widened, hurt in his voice. "Why...the day after tomorrow?"

Lucien stayed silent a moment before answering evenly, "I just need to finish something personal...then I’ll be completely ready...ready for us."

Ash’s hands clenched at his sides, the urge to press him for more nearly overwhelming. Lucien’s gaze, pleading and vulnerable, held him back.

"Please, Ash."

Ash exhaled, tension easing slightly. "Fine..." he murmured, then quickly added, "It’s cold...to sleep alone. Sleep here with me."

Lucien nodded and returned to the bed. Ash lay beside him, head resting near his shoulder and neck, hands lightly on his chest. He inhaled Lucien’s scent slowly, thoughts racing.

"His scent..." Ash murmured internally, "...has been changing...sharper, deeper."

He stirred slightly, breathing it in. "Wait...it smells like...my scent...and a faint vanilla scent."

Lucien noticed Ash shifting, one arm wrapping protectively around him. Softly, he asked, "Are you comfortable?"

Ash nodded against him. "Yes..."

Meanwhile, at Leiclar Mansion...

Adrian lay sprawled on Ash’s bed, arms clutching Ash’s giant puppy doll, inhaling its familiar scent. His face was shadowed with quiet sadness.

Puppy...I really miss you. I don’t know how to fix this misunderstanding...

His thoughts darkened as he recalled the trending video of Lucien. Anger flared within him. It’s Lucien’s fault this all happened. If he hadn’t entangled himself with that unknown Enigma...everything could’ve been fine.

Suddenly, the bedroom door slammed open. Celeste stormed in, her voice sharp and accusing. "When are you going to stop spending the night in your brother’s room and come back to ours?"

Adrian didn’t stir, silent and unmoved.

Celeste pressed on, voice tense, "I’m pregnant! I need your dominance...for our child’s growth!"

A mocking smirk tugged at Adrian’s lips. "I’m not even sure that’s my baby."

Celeste’s eyes widened in shock. "You mean...I made it myself?"

He muttered slowly under his breath, barely audible,...If you could fake losing your virginity to me, why not this too...

Celeste’s gaze sharpened, alarmed. "What did you just say?"

Adrian’s lips curved into a faint, lazy smirk as he feigned sleep. "Nothing...I’m sleepy."

Celeste’s breaths came fast, her eyes blazing with fury as she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

...

The next day after school, Lucien dropped Ash off at home. "I have to head to the hotel," he said. "Something important came up, and I need to take care of it."

Ash nodded, understanding. It was part of his work as the hotel owner.

That evening, in a lighter mood after finishing his assignments, Ash decided to make dinner for Lucien. He had ordered all the ingredients for mashed turnips and beef stew. While washing the turnips he had just peeled, he murmured to himself, "Yesterday I was too harsh...I hope my grandma’s recipe will make him feel better about me."

He cooked carefully, following his grandmother’s methods, then set the dining table neatly, arranging each dish with precision. Satisfied with how everything looked, he smiled to himself.

Deciding to capture the moment, Ash snapped photos of the meal from different angles. Sitting at the table with his phone, he opened Instagram, paused, and muttered, "Which caption should I use?"

An idea struck him, and he quickly typed it in, posting the pictures.

As he scrolled through his feed after posting fingers froze mid-scroll. His eyes locked on a new post: a photo of Lucien and Stephene at Haven Hotel, sitting close, with Stephene gently wiping something from Lucien’s lips with thumb.

The caption read:

Enigma Stephene Hawthorne, heir of Kingsley National Hospital, spotted with Alpha Lucien Johnson. Rumors say they had a love history before Alpha Lucien’s engagement to Ash. Are they back together?

Within minutes, the post exploded. The views skyrocketed, trending rapidly across the platform.

The comments section became a frenzy:

.Wait...is this the Enigma from the last viral video?

.They’re back together? Finally!

.If I were Ash...I’d give up. You can’t beat Enigma Stephene in power, money, or influence.

.OMG, they’re so cute together!

Ash’s jaw tightened. His hands trembled slightly as he stared at the screen. The calm evening he had tried to create; cooking dinner and arranging the table with care, was shattered. Anger and hurt churned inside him, sharp and uncontrollable, slicing through the quiet like a blade.

In one sudden motion, he swept the table, dishes crashing to the floor. "I trusted you..." he muttered through clenched teeth, voice trembling with rage. "So it turns out you’re still b*tch...You and Adrian are the same."

He stood there for a moment, chest heaving, the scent of the ruined dinner filling the air. "No...no," he whispered, shaking his head. "You need to explain this to me right now."

Without another thought, Ash closed his eyes, focusing on the hotel’s location. His aura pulsed faintly, air warping around him. A moment later, he vanished, reappearing inside one of Haven’s Hotel’s washrooms, breath still uneven, heart pounding.

At Mega Company, late at evening, most employees had already left. The quiet hum of the building echoed faintly as Adrian sat alone in his office, scrolling through his phone, exhaustion heavy in his eyes.

He paused when he saw Ash’s latest post on Instagram-photos of homemade food beautifully arranged, captioned: Me and him forever ❤️"

A soft ache tugged at his chest. He exhaled slowly, muttering under his breath, "Now...we’re not three anymore. It’s just them...two."

He kept scrolling absently, but his screen froze on another post-the one trending everywhere.

Adrian’s expression hardened. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles whitened. "So after all..." he muttered, voice low and tense, "that unknown Enigma was Stephene...he’s back."

For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted to Ash, picturing him seeing the same post, eyes filled with tears, breaking in silence.

Adrian pushed back his chair abruptly, standing.

"No...you can’t do this to Ash," he murmured, his tone sharp with resolve.

Without wasting another second, he grabbed his coat and strode out of the office, heading straight for Haven Hotel.

...

At Haven Hotel, Lucien and Stephene sat opposite each other at a VIP table, sipping juice. The tension in the air was palpable.

"Please...help me," Lucien whispered, his voice strained. "I can’t keep it."

Stephene remained silent for a moment, then shook his head slowly. "It’s very risky, my little Lucien...I can’t..."

Before he could say more, the door slammed open. Ash stormed in, his presence breaking through the calm like a tempest. Lucien froze, rising abruptly. "Ash...what are you doing here?"

A sharp slap landed across Lucien’s face. He staggered, stunned, while Ash’s pheromones simmered aggressively, filling the space with a heated intensity. Stephene quickly stepped forward, attempting to shield Lucien.

A commanding voice then cut through the chaos.

"How dare you do this to my brother!" Adrian’s figure appeared behind Ash.

Before Stephene could fully intervene, Adrian shoved Lucien hard in the stomach. Lucien stumbled, coughing violently as blood spattered from his mouth. Stephene lunged, holding him upright to prevent him from collapsing.

Ash and Adrian exchanged shocked, worried glances before moving toward Lucien.

"Let’s take him to the hospital," Ash said urgently.

Stephene bent to lift Lucien in his arms, but Ash’s sharp voice stopped him. "You don’t have my permission to carry my fiance."

Stephene opened his mouth to argue, but Adrian had already scooped Lucien up. "Let’s go," he said, heading toward the exit.

Ash noticed Stephene stepping forward to follow them, "Don’t follow us," he snapped.

"I’m a doctor" Stephene began.

Ash cut him off sharply while running behind Adrian, who was carrying Lucien. "He’s not your patient."

By the time Stephene tried to catch up, Ash and Adrian were already in the car, engines running, pulling out of the hotel driveway.

They reached the hospital swiftly, and Lucien was immediately taken inside. Ash and Adrian followed, moving quickly and tensely. In the emergency ward, they waited, pacing and shifting impatiently, their eyes darting toward the doors every time someone passed.

Finally, Dr. Eric emerged, his expression stormy, eyes fixed sharply on Ash and Adrian.

"Who shoved Alpha Lucien in the stomach?!" he demanded, his voice cutting through the tense air.

Ash’s gaze flicked to Adrian, who stared at the floor, silent.

Without a warning, Dr. Eric’s hand lashed out, slapping Adrian across the cheek. His finger jabbed at him as he seethed.

"I can’t hold back-even if you’re an S-Rank Alpha!" he snapped. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You endangered the child Alpha Lucien is carrying!"