~LANA
I finally made it back home after a quick dinner at the restaurant. Isabella wouldn’t stop complaining about how little I ordered, but the truth was, I did that deliberately to make our escape swift.
I was still fuming that Apollo chose to stay at a hotel with some random girl instead of being at home with his mate, me.
How could he be so heartless at times, then turn around and act like he actually cared about my safety on other occasions? My heart was still jumping for joy that he’d saved me just a few days ago. Now I was raging inside for something completely different.
Understanding my step–brother was becoming an impossible task; it often felt as if he thrived on confusing me.
I knew tonight would likely be another sleepless one. Glancing at my phone, I saw it was just past midnight, which meant the night was still young.
1 buried my face in the pillow to stifle a frustrated scream. What had I done to deserve this torment from the moon Goddess? Why was Apollo my mate? There were countless other men out there!
Maybe the universe was playing a cruel joke on me, relishing in my suffering as I yearned for a love that was always out of reach.
I checked my phone once more, wondering if I should send him a text. I’ve never had to send my step–brother a text in my entire life. If I sent one now, he would be able to tell how much this was bothering me.
Tinwardly groan, no matter how much it hurt, I couldn’t let him know the truth. I had to bury this crazy feeling in my heart.
If he wanted to sleep around, he could go right ahead, it didn’t bother me one bit.
Who was I kidding? Who was I truly trying to fool?
It bothered me to the point that I kept looking out the window, hoping that he would show up here for me.
Xwas foolish for even wishing for something so far–fetched.
~APOLLO~
“Well, that took forever,” my mother scolds as I step into the hotel room. Jada immediately rises from her seat at the desk, a smile lighting up her face, but I choose to ignore her. I can see my mother’s disappointment flicker across her features. She wanted me to be nice to Jada since this was practically
our first interaction.
She knew exactly what she was doing when she insisted I come here tonight. It was all part of her plan. Since I didn’t want to go to dinner with Jada, she decided to bring Jada to me instead.
“I had important matters to take care of,” I reply, trying to keep my irritation in check. “I already told you this earlier.”
“Yes, yes,” she replies. “I’m sure there are many more important people in your life than the woman who carried you for nine months.”
“Mother,” I growl, “can we please not start this now?”
With a sigh, she responds, “You’re right. Today isn’t about my disappointment in you; it’s about properly introducing you to Jada. I’ve been looking forward to this for so long, and it makes me so happy that it’s finally happening.”
At least someone was excited about all this. was still struggling to believe she came all this way just for that reason.
“Jada,” my mother calls, beckoning her over. “Come say hello to my son.”
1/2
Chapter 31
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jada approaches me. She exudes an air of propriety, and it’s clear she comes from money. Of course, my mother would only consider someone wealthy as a potential match for me.
I never promised my mother that I would marry Jada, but I did vow to do my best to make her happy. And knowing her, she’d likely believe that marrying Jada would fulfill that promise.
“Hello. Apollo,” Jada greets me, extending her hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from your mother!”
I glance at my mother, who beams with pride. All her earlier anger seems forgotten now that I’m engaging with the woman she hopes I’ll marry.
“I’ve heard quite a bit about you too,” I reply.
“I hope it was all good things,” she says playfully.
My mother waves her hand dismissively, “Of course, only positive things.”
My thoughts drift back to my mate. I hadn’t shared my true plans for the evening, and she likely thought I was spending the night with someone else. While I wanted to tell her the truth, doing so would only spark more questions about Jada. I wasn’t ready to reveal that just yet.
Besides, I still wanted her to see me in a certain light. The moment she realized I genuinely cared about her, everything would get complicated. I was desperately trying to avoid that outcome.
“Let’s pick this up tomorrow,” my mother interjects. “At dinner, you’ll both have more time to get to know each other.”
Jada looks disappointed that our conversation was cut short.
“Apollo,” she says, “let me show you to your room. I’ve already prepared everything for you.”
She leads me out of the room and into the hallway. “Finally, I can spend some quality time with my son. It’s been too long.”
I chuckle to myself. Naturally, my mother would find a way to push Jada aside to reclaim that time with me. I was relieved when she ended our chat; right now, I wasn’t in the mood to talk to Jada, especially with Lana still on my mind.
“What’s it like living there with that family?” my mother asks.
Great.
I could feel the conversation taking a direction I wasn’t keen on.
“It’s normal,” I reply, eager to keep things brief.
“Normal?” she presses. “What do you mean by that?”
She clearly wasn’t going to drop it, was she?
“Why are you suddenly so interested in my living situation?” I ask, my frustration simmering just beneath the surface.
2/2
