Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 218: Lets Wait

Not just Mom even I had prepared myself for a long, exhausting battle with Grant. He had kept her tied to him for twenty years. If he truly wanted to set her free, he could have done it long ago. With his power and status, he could have had any woman he wanted. If this was only about possession, it didn’t make sense.

But he really did give in.

It felt unreal, like I was watching a dream unfold.

"Really? Are you sure?" Mom asked, her eyes filled with tears as she searched his face. Tears kept falling down her cheeks.

Grant gently cupped her face and wiped them away with his thumb. "At least this time," he said softly, "when you leave, don’t cry because of me."

Mom bit her lip and nodded, still trembling. "You mean it? No conditions?"

This wasn’t like Grant. He was a businessman. Even if he couldn’t keep her, he would normally demand something in exchange.

He looked at her steadily. "I do have one condition."

My heart tightened. "What is it?" Mom asked carefully.

"If we can’t be husband and wife anymore, then at least be friends. Don’t disappear from my life completely. After all... there’s still the child we created together."

At that, Mom almost spoke the truth, and I quickly stepped in. "You’re ending the marriage, not your connection. I’m already the link between you two. Don’t talk about the baby." I looked at Mom. "Please agree to Dad’s request."

Grant looked full of guilt. I knew this was the moment. While his resolve was still soft, he needed to sign.

Mom understood my hint. She took a breath and nodded. "Alright. I agree. Let’s sign it now."

Grant hesitated. "I’ve read the divorce papers you drafted. You’re leaving with nothing even returning the shares to me. I won’t accept that."

Mom looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I’ll have a lawyer prepare new papers."

She glanced at me, silently asking if this was a delay tactic. I shook my head slightly. If Grant didn’t want the divorce, he would have refused outright. This wasn’t stalling. This was his way of trying to make things right.

He was still Grant still proud, still dominant but this time he was trying to do it properly.

"Fine," Mom said quietly. "Just handle it quickly."

Grant gave her a small, bitter smile. "Lena , I’ve always kept my word. Once I promise something, I don’t go back on it. You don’t need to guard yourself against me."

"I understand," she replied.

"In our country," he continued, "divorce doesn’t have a waiting period like Snowville. Once we file the papers, we can receive the certificate the same day. So before we finalize it, I have one last request."

Mom stiffened slightly. "What is it?"

He looked at her carefully, almost cautiously. "Can you stay my wife for just three more days? After that, we’ll go back and complete the divorce."

There was humility in his voice that I had never heard before. Mom didn’t refuse.

"Alright."

In three days, she would no longer belong to him.

Maybe she would choose Nicholas, who had waited quietly for her. Maybe she would move to another city and start fresh. Whatever she chose, Grant would lose her completely.

As I stood there, watching them, I didn’t know what to feel. If the real Riley were still alive, she might not have wanted this ending. Children always wish for their parents to stay together. Yet here I was, helping to separate them.

Riley... would you blame me?

I quietly stepped out of the room, giving them space. After twenty years of resentment, they must have had many words left unsaid.

Divorce was the best decision Grant could make.

Outside, snow had started falling again. The witch hazel in the yard was in full bloom, the flowers bright against the white snow. It looked almost unreal, beautiful and sad at the same time.

I glanced back one last time. Grant stood on the balcony, smoking. Snow settled on his shoulders. From a distance, he looked lonely.

But life doesn’t give second chances like that.

When you make a mistake, you face the consequences.

This was Grant’s karma.

And soon, it would be others’.

I walked out of the yard. A black business car was parked outside. As soon as I appeared, the door opened slowly. Inside, Lewis sat in his wheelchair, a laptop resting on his knees. He must have been waiting for some time. When he saw me, he closed the laptop and looked at me gently.

"Lewis."

I hurried toward him. After everything that happened, stepping toward him felt like stepping toward light after darkness. He was always the one who pulled me back when I felt like falling.

I got into the car, shivering slightly as the cold air followed me in. The warmth inside slowly wrapped around my body, melting the snow on my coat.

He studied my face. "Did Grant agree?"

I couldn’t hide anything from him. Lewis understood me too well.

"How did you know he would agree?" I asked.

"Because I saw love in his eyes," he replied calmly. "When you truly love someone, you can’t bear to keep hurting them."

I frowned. "But he hurt Mom so much before."

"Mr. Ashbourne lost his parents young and took over the business early," Lewis said. "He’s excellent at business, but he doesn’t understand love. When he hurt Lena , it wasn’t because he didn’t care. It was because he didn’t know how to love properly."

"Then why did he act like that?" I asked.

"He knew about Lena ’s past with Mr. Soto," Lewis explained. "He believed that no matter what he did, she would always love him. He was jealous. People who have everything handed to them often don’t know how to treasure it. They only know control and revenge. He thought bringing another woman into the picture would make Lena yield. Instead, he destroyed everything."

I stayed quiet, listening.

"If there was no love," Lewis continued, "he could have divorced her years ago. There were many suitable women for him. Why spend so much money every year supporting the Wilchers? Love and hate were tangled together. He didn’t even realize how deeply he loved her."

I remembered the way Grant lowered his head when he hugged Mom.

"Maybe today," Lewis said softly, "was the only time in his life he will bow his head."

I let out a slow breath. "This is his fate."

Lewis reached for my hand and held it firmly. "You’re my fate too, Elena. Let’s go home."

I smiled faintly. "Alright. Let’s go home."

When we arrived, Snowflake ran toward us immediately. The cat had grown so much in such a short time. She no longer looked like the thin stray we once found.

Love really changes things.

Tonight, Mom and Grant would probably not sleep at all.

As I stood there thinking about her, I suddenly felt arms wrap around me from behind. The fresh scent of soap and warmth surrounded me.

"Lewis, wait. I haven’t "

Before I could finish, he pulled me closer.

"We’ll clean up later, Elena," he murmured against my ear. "I can’t wait another second."