Chapter 175: Chapter 175 The Jealous Ex
Author
Meanwhile, at the same hotel’s dining room, Alpha Zack was finishing his meal when his assistant suddenly spoke up. "Alpha, I think I just saw Alpha Dominic checking into this hotel."
His brow furrowed. "Which floor?"
"Penthouse level. One floor above your suite."
Alpha Zack ’s grip tightened on his wine glass.
After days of knowing he’d been outmaneuvered, of realizing Alpha Dominic had orchestrated everything from the shadows, here was his chance.
He’d been too much of a coward to confront the Alpha King directly. But this? This felt like fate handing him an opportunity on a silver platter.
"I’m going up."
His keycard could access any floor. Getting to the top was easy enough.
But just as he reached Dominic’s door, the hotel manager intercepted him.
"Mr. Blackwood, your suite is downstairs. I believe you may have gotten turned around?"
Alpha Zack’s expression darkened. "No mistake. I’m here to see someone."
The manager smiled politely. "I’m terribly sorry, sir, but Mr. Wolfe has booked the entire floor and requested complete privacy this evening. Perhaps if you’d like to leave a message, I could have it delivered in the morning?"
Alpha Zack let out a cold laugh. "Playing favorites, huh? I’ll be sure to mention your... attentive service in my review."
He turned and headed back downstairs, a poisonous thought taking root in his mind.
[What if Alpha Dominic had brought some random hookup on his business trip? ]
The possibility made Zack’s mouth twist into a vindictive smirk.
[Oh, Elara. Your knight in shining armor isn’t any different from the rest of us.]
--
The next morning, when Elara woke up, Dominic was already gone.
She reached for her phone and found his message.
[Got a signing ceremony today. Won’t be done until afternoon. Have lunch at the hotel restaurant or order room service. Luna Wolfe, wait for me to come back.]
Elara was learning exactly what "thoroughly fucked" meant in the most literal sense.
And she’d been the one begging for it. One night of zero inhibitions, and now she could barely walk straight.
It was already eleven. She was starving.
The suite looked like a hurricane had hit it - pillows everywhere, sheets twisted beyond recognition.
She’d planned to order room service, but housekeeping needed to work their magic before round two tonight.
So after pulling herself together, Elara called for housekeeping and headed out for actual food.
She skipped the hotel restaurant, choosing instead a waterfront café she found online.
She grabbed a corner table with ocean views, craving some peace and vitamin sea.
Of course, the universe had other plans.
Alpha Zack spotted Elara immediately.
His jaw clenched. He stalked over like a man with nothing left to lose.
When Elara saw who was approaching, her expression went arctic.
"You don’t mind if I sit, do you?" He didn’t wait for an answer, dropping into the chair like he owned the place.
This man was like a bad rash that wouldn’t go away.
"Elara, still playing happy wife?" Zack’s voice was pure venom. "Do you even know your husband’s screwing around?"
She stared at him, completely incredulous.
"Last night. The Grand Hotel, presidential suite. He brought some woman back with him." Alpha Alpha Zack leaned forward, his smile razor-sharp. "All night long. Use your imagination."
Elara actually laughed. "Zack, this is pathetic, even for you."
His brow furrowed. "Pathetic? Your husband’s cheating and I’m pathetic?"
"You know, this level of desperation is actually embarrassing to watch."
She smiled sweetly. "Has it occurred to your tiny brain that the woman Dominic brought back... was me?"
"If you’re going to play games, at least be good at it. God, Zack, you just keep disappointing me."
Zack’s face went white. "Fine. Say it was you. But you think I’m stirring up trouble? What about the shit Dominic’s been pulling?"
"You have no clue how twisted that bastard really is!"
"Remember your birthday three years ago? He deliberately grounded my flight from London. Paid off some meteorologist to fake a blizzard report!"
"Elara, Alpha Dominic isn’t Prince Charming. He married you just to screw me over! He’s going to chew you up and spit you out."
SPLASH—
Elara grabbed her water glass and doused his smug face.
"Shut the hell up, Zack. I’m not an idiot, and I’m not buying your bullshit!"
"You’re telling me Dominic controls the weather? What is he, Thor? That’s the most ridiculous conspiracy theory I’ve ever heard, and you actually said it with a straight face."
"And here’s a thought - who exactly were you ’stuck’ in London with that weekend?"
"Don’t try to rewrite history. Between us, you’re the only cheater." Her voice cut like glass. "Though honestly, it doesn’t matter anymore. The thought of ever loving you makes my skin crawl."
Elara stood up. "Since you clearly enjoy sloppy seconds, this table’s all yours. Bon appétit."
She turned and walked away, not giving him the satisfaction of looking back.
Water dripped from his hair down his collar. Alpha Zack let out a bitter laugh.
Elara had just called him trash.
A server approached hesitantly. "Sir, can I get you some napkins?"
Alpha Zack stood. "Don’t bother."
His eyes went cold as winter.
[He would expose Alpha Dominic’s web of lies.
Elara, when you come crawling back broken-hearted, don’t say I didn’t warn you.]
Elara
When I got back to the hotel, the room had been transformed back to pristine condition.
Between skipping dinner last night and Zack ruining my appetite this morning, my stomach was practically eating itself.
I collapsed on the couch and ordered room service.
Then Zack’s poison started seeping back in. That birthday. I’d thought Zack would spend it with me. I’d waited all night, his phone going straight to voicemail.
I’d tossed that expensive birthday cake in the trash at 11:59 PM, mascara streaked and completely destroyed.
But at midnight, fireworks had exploded outside my apartment.It was the one beautiful moment in an otherwise soul-crushing day.
But there was no way that had been Dominic.
Dominic had bigger things to worry about than some random girl’s birthday. And he couldn’t have known Zack was cheating on me with Selina that night.
I’d never even told Dominic about that disaster of a birthday.
I wasn’t about to let Zack’s mind games poison what Dominic and I had.
"Want to stay a few more days?" Dominic asked when he got back.
I shook my head. "No. Didn’t your father say we should come back for dinner tonight? Please tell me you didn’t forget."
"Shit." Dominic looked deflated. "That manipulative old bastard."
"Let’s check out then. Unless..." He grinned wickedly. "After dinner tonight, what do you say we check into one of your hotels? Change of scenery?"
Dominic was obviously still riding high from our marathon session.
I smacked his arm playfully. "You want to ’mix things up,’ or do you want to find yourself banished to the guest room?"
"Point taken."
He looked genuinely like a kicked puppy.
