Chapter 0049
Irene eagerly opened the box, and the moment her eyes landed on the pink gems inside, she gasped. Her entire face lit up, a dazzling smile spreading across her glossy lips.
“Oh, Dad!” she squealed, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. “I love it! Thank you so much!”
She pulled away just as quickly, practically bouncing over to Judy.
“I’ve been wanting something special for the inside of my car! This would look so cute on my mirror, don’t you think?” she asked, holding the gems out to her.
“That was my thought,” I said.
Judy glanced at the gems, her lips curling into a small, forced smile.
I was surprised she was even trying to get along with Irene, considering the circumstances. She was standing in front of the woman marrying her fated mate—and yet, she was holding it together.
My wolf let out a low huff at the thought, and I forced him away.
“It’s really pretty,” Judy finally said after a moment. “It’ll look nice.”
Irene beamed.
“I’m putting them in my car right now! Meet me before you leave!” she said before rushing out of the room, leaving me alone with Judy.
I turned back to her, my gaze instantly drawn to that damn outfit.
Frowning, I crossed my arms. “I thought we had an agreement about your clothes?” My tone came out harsher than I intended.
Judy’s face paled slightly, and she swallowed hard.
“I had… an accident with my clothes,” she admitted, shrugging as if it wasn’t a big deal.
I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of accident?”
I told myself I only cared because it happened on my property—because if my employees got hurt, I needed to know about it. That was all.
She bit her bottom lip.
“During sparring with Matt, I tore my shirt.”
She avoided my gaze.
Which meant there was more to the story.
And if I knew Matt, I’d bet my last dime he had something to do with it.
Still, she was covering for him, and I wasn’t going to press her—for now.
“Irene was kind enough to let me borrow her clothes,” Judy finished. “But I won’t stay long. I should get going.”
She moved toward the door, brushing past me.
The second her arm skimmed mine, a strange sensation shot through me—
My heart skipped a beat.
My brows furrowed. What the hell was that?
Judy hesitated.
Did she feel it too?
Slowly, she lifted her gaze, meeting mine.
For a moment, it was like time stopped.
The world faded.
And it was just the two of us.
“I’ll see you later,” she murmured, her voice barely above a breath.
I managed a nod, watching as she hurried out of the room.
The second she was gone, I clenched my jaw, forcing my body under control.
Shit.
My cock twitched in my pants, and I cursed under my breath.
My wolf stirred, restless, aching for her—
I shut him out, blocking him from my mind entirely.
Shaking my head, I left the room and made my way downstairs.
Judy was ahead of me, not bothering to look back.
She stopped near the doorway when she saw Irene walking in, her expression slightly troubled.
“Everything okay?” I asked as I reached the bottom step.
Irene sighed. “I guess so… The gems look amazing in the car. I took some pictures to send to Ethan and called him, but…” She frowned. “He said he’d be busy for the rest of the night. I won’t see him until tomorrow.”
Judy stiffened.
I caught it immediately, but I forced myself not to react.
Before I could say anything, Matt walked in from the living room.
The second he spotted Judy, his face lit up.
“Can we finish our lesson?” he asked, completely ignoring everyone else.
Judy smiled at him gently. “I’m actually heading home,” she said. “But I’ll be back tomorrow.”
His face fell.
And, for the first time in a long time, my heart tugged.
Judy was right.
Matt craved connection.
“But we didn’t finish,” he pouted.
She placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. “I promise, we’ll practice longer tomorrow.”
He looked like he wanted to argue—
But I stepped in.
“So… both of my kids are home tonight?” I glanced between Irene and Matt. “How about I have the maids cook us a special meal? We haven’t had a family dinner in a while.”
Irene’s expression brightened.
Matt perked up instantly.
“That’s a great idea,” Irene said, giving me a side hug.
“I’m in!” Matt said excitedly—then he grinned. “But only if Judy joins us!”
