Alpha Mate Chose Half-Sister, I Changed Groom Novel

Chapter 24 Ethan practically fled in panic, his legs carrying him away before his mind could fully process what he'd just witnessed. Not daring to look back at my figure being held in someone else's embrace. He stumbled back to that villa that now seemed unbearably vast and cold. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by an icy hand, pressure building with each beat. Suffocating pain spreading through his limbs, making each step heavier than the last. He couldn't believe it. Couldn't process it.

The person he'd always favored, protected, defended against everyone including me Was actually such a vicious, two-faced woman. How had he been so blind? Standing outside the closed door of the villa, Ethan felt completely lost for the first time in his life. The night wind blew past, bringing bone-chilling cold that cut through his jacket. But he was oblivious to it, numb to physical sensation. With trembling hands, he pulled out his phone. The screen was too bright, making his eyes water. Or maybe those were tears. He couldn't tell anymore.

He sent a message to his assistant, his fingers fumbling over the keys.. "Investigate Selene Whitmore thoroughly. Find out exactly what kind of person she really is!" 1/5 +25 Bonus He added after a pause: "I want everything. Every detail. No matter how small." After hitting send, he seemed drained of all strength. Leaning back against the cold door, he slowly slid down to sit on the ground. He sat there motionless, like a frozen statue. His mind was in complete chaos, thoughts fragmenting and colliding. How had things become like this? When had everything gone so wrong?

In the beginning, things had been so good between us. Perfect, even. He was the one who'd picked up that fifteen-year-old girl with a shattered family. Found her hiding in corners crying, her world falling apart around her. Piece by piece, he'd helped put her back together. Who'd patiently wiped away my tears with his own hands. Awkwardly encouraged me when he didn't quite know the right words to say. Led me out of that dark quagmire step by careful step. He was also the one who'd watched me transform over the years.

From a timid, shy little girl who jumped at shadows- Into someone cheerful and confident, someone who laughed easily. Gradually taking on his colors and his mark, becoming part of his world. We'd been dating for six years officially. But in reality, from the moment he'd entered my life, it had been a full nine years. Nine years. 2/5 He'd been part of nearly my entire youth, present for every important moment. Watched me grow up, mature, become the woman I was today. And he'd long considered me the most indispensable part of his life. He'd never imagined a day when we'd be separated.

The thought had seemed impossible, absurd. Never imagined a future without me in it, by his side. Even after Selene appeared, disrupting everything- He'd never wavered from his intention to marry me. But why had he lost me? The question tore through him, demanding an answer he didn't have. Why had I so decisively, so completely stopped wanting him? When had I stopped loving him? His phone's sudden vibration violently pulled him out of his painful spiral. The buzzing abnormally loud in the quiet night. The assistant had sent the detailed investigation results.

Only then did Ethan belatedly realize his face was already covered in cold wetness. Tears streaming down without his permission, without his awareness. He roughly wiped them away with the back of his hand, the gesture angry and futile. And with trembling fingers, opened the file attached to the message. They completely crushed his last shred of hope and illusion. The report detailed everything. How Selene had carefully planned her approach to him from the very beginning. 3/5 +25 Bonus How she'd deliberately created misunderstandings time after time.

How she'd used despicable methods to sow discord, playing on his sympathies, his protective instincts. How she'd insulted and provoked me behind his back with vicious words. Even that so-called kidnapping and attempted assault- Had been entirely self-staged from start to finish. The rogue wolf's confession was attached, his statement clear. The audio recording that had damned me in Ethan's eyes had all been fabricated. Carefully constructed in advance through Selene's coordination and generous payment. She'd even provided a voice actress who could mimic my speech patterns.

Even at the end, when he'd told Selene to send people to release me from that warehouse- That final act of mercy he'd thought he'd shown- That had been fake too. She'd never sent anyone. Never intended to. She'd simply left me in that abandoned warehouse for an entire night. Alone. Terrified. In the dark. He didn't dare imagine how terrified I must have been. Locked in that place all night with no way out, thinking he'd abandoned me completely. The more he read, the paler his face became. His fingers gripping the phone so hard his knuckles turned white.

4/5 Chop 24 +25 Bonus The screen creaking under the pressure, threatening to crack. Finally, all his strength seemed to drain away completely. Completely caving in, his shoulders curling forward. His eyes were bloodshot, red- rimmed and burning. This time, he could no longer deceive himself. Could no longer hide behind comfortable lies and willful blindness. So it really had been him all along. His fault. His choices. His betrayal. His repeated selective blindness, seeing only what he wanted to see. His repeated one-sided belief in Selene's lies.

It was he who'd personally handed the blade to Selene. Given her the weapon and watched as she wielded it. Allowing her to stab me again and again, reopening old wounds. It was he who'd personally pushed away the girl whose heart and eyes had been full of only him. Who'd waited for him patiently for nine long years. Who'd sacrificed everything for his sake. The belated pain engulfed him completely like a tsunami. ប Support Share 5/5 +25 Bonus