Lurgard.

My emotions were running completely wild inside me and honestly, I hated it. I should have been able to tolerate seeing Theresa talk to another person.

After all, he was merely her colleague, and nothing more. At least that was what I kept trying to tell myself.

But the more I watched them sitting together laughing so freely, the harder it became to remain calm.

Because my mind kept wandering toward things I didn’t want to imagine. Things that made my chest tighten painfully.

What if one day I walked in and saw another man touching her?

Holding her?

Kissing her the same way Lawrence had done earlier in the elevator?

The mere thought alone made something dark stir violently inside me.

I immediately shoved both hands deep into my trouser pockets, trying hard to stop myself from clenching my fists openly.

I couldn’t afford to look too obvious, not when Theresa already hated me enough. The last thing I wanted was to give her even more reasons to despise me.

Still...that didn’t mean I had forgotten what Lawrence did.

Far from it.

I still intended to settle scores with him later.

Theresa was my mate.

Mine.

Even if she didn’t know it yet, even if I still hadn’t acknowledged the bond aloud. She had no platform to reject me yet because she didn’t know the truth.

And honestly, that was exactly why I had remained silent because the moment my brothers found out, everything would spiral completely out of control.

Especially Lawrence.

No.

It was better this way for now.

At least until I figured out what to do with the feelings slowly consuming me alive. I inhaled sharply before walking toward them.

Step after step.

Yet when I finally stood directly behind Theresa...she didn’t even notice me. That alone hurt far more than it should have.

How could my mate fail to perceive my scent?

Wasn’t she supposed to feel drawn toward me the same way I was drawn toward her?

Every single second around her felt unbearable. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

My wolf reacted to every breath she took, every movement and every scent, yet Theresa sat there laughing with another man completely unaware of my presence.

And somehow, that irritated me even more and my gaze slowly shifted toward Him—The one sitting by her side.

The idiot looked entirely too comfortable beside her, relaxed, calm and completely nonchalant.

Did he seriously not realize who I was?

Or worse...

Did he simply not care?

I clicked my tongue inwardly in annoyance because the truth was painfully simple.

If I wanted to, I could get him fired instantly.

One word from me and security would escort him straight out of the company.

Yet there he was...smiling at Theresa like he had every right to occupy her attention.

My jaw tightened dangerously.

I hated this feeling,and everything about it frustrated me.

And the most annoying part?

Theresa looked happier around him than she ever looked around me.

That realization settled heavily in my chest as my eyes remained fixed on her laughing face.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to remain calm despite the storm raging inside my head.

"Calm down, Lu..." I muttered inwardly to my wolf as my eyes remained fixed on the idiot sitting beside Theresa. "Let’s not be petty."

But Lu growled dangerously in response.

Because from where we stood, nothing about the situation looked harmless. The way he leaned closer whenever Theresa spoke.

The way she smiled around him so easily, the way they both looked entirely too comfortable together.

It irritated me more than I wanted to admit.

Still, I forced myself to remain composed.

Barely.

After allowing them to exchange a few more words and making Theresa fully aware of my presence, I finally spoke.

"Follow me."

My voice came out colder than intended.

Without waiting for a response, I turned around and walked away immediately.

Moments later, I heard Theresa’s footsteps trailing behind me.

At first, she remained quiet but after a while, I realized we were no longer heading toward my office.

Instead of taking the elevator, I headed straight for the staircase.

"Lurgard," Theresa suddenly called from behind me, irritation obvious in her voice already. "Why can’t we just use the elevator?"

I didn’t answer immediately.

"I will need to prepare the document immediately," she added impatiently.

The annoyance in her tone only made my jaw tighten further.

Why exactly was she complaining?

Wasn’t she carrying that bastard’s child?

Exercise was good for her condition.

Or was she simply upset because I interrupted her little moment with Him?

The thought irritated me instantly.

"Don’t question me, Theresa," I replied sharply without turning back to look at her. "You only need to follow my command."

The words came out harsher than I intended but by then, I was already too irritated to take them back.

Silence followed afterward.

Heavy silence.

Theresa stopped talking completely and simply continued walking behind me without sparing me another glance.

And somehow, I could tell she was angry now.

Good.

At least I wasn’t the only one frustrated.

Still...

The further we climbed the stairs, the harder it became to ignore the thoughts circling endlessly inside my mind.

Because lately, nothing about Theresa’s disappearance six years ago made sense anymore. People don’t just lose their memories for years without reason, something about it all felt terribly wrong.

I clenched my fists slightly inside my pockets. The more I thought about it, the more one person kept appearing in my mind.

Alex.

That bastard definitely had something to do with it.

I could feel it.

There were too many holes in the story.

Too many unanswered questions.

And the most suspicious part?

Theresa had ended up beside him immediately after disappearing as if someone deliberately placed her there.

My chest tightened painfully.

What exactly happened six years ago?

And why did it feel like Theresa herself had been trying to run from something even before she lost her memories?

I slowed my steps slightly as those thoughts consumed me again.

But before I could fully process them, Theresa’s annoyed voice echoed behind me once more.

"Are we climbing the entire building or what?"

Despite everything weighing on my mind, I nearly scoffed at the irritation dripping from her tone.