Temporary Luna, Permanent Heartbreak - Chapter 82: Chapter 82

The alpha lifted his head, and his face came into view.
"Sterling?"
I couldn't help but let a hint of surprise show on my fair face.
Out of nowhere, he'd shown up at my home, and it really took me by surprise. It was so strange. We'd been mated for four years, yet he'd never once stepped foot inside my home. And now, after our bond dissolution, here he was?
Sterling just stood there with his lips pressed tightly together as he watched me walking towards him.
I took a deep breath and calmly looked him over. That naturally refined face of his was still as cold and expressionless as ever.
"What's the matter?" I asked, deciding to be the one to break the silence.
Sterling's gaze shifted behind me. Seeing him look that way, I turned my head to check too. When I saw the guesthouse sign behind me, I started to explain, "Actually, I live-"
Before I could say "at my father's place," Sterling cut in, "No matter what your reason for being here is, Celeste is my rock. I won't let anyone bully her!"
I froze on the spot.
My fair face went cold in an instant.
I stared at Sterling in disbelief, shocked that he'd go to such lengths to defend Celeste.
I just couldn't understand how the truth I'd shown him had somehow become an excuse for him to think I was "bullying" her.
His so-called rock seemed a bit...shallow. Even though I knew he cared a lot about Celeste, a mix of anger, grievances, disappointment, and sadness filled my chest!
How could he side with Celeste like this and be so harsh towards me? We'd once faced tough times together, relying on each other as partners. I'd even...
I reached up and touched my left eye, which had such poor visibility, and a pang of sorrow hit me.
Then Sterling's voice came again, "In the future, I hope you'll stay away from places where Celeste and I are. Otherwise, I won't hold back and will take drastic measures!"
His heartless words were like silver daggers, stabbing right into my heart. Even though I didn't have any expectations of him after our bond dissolution, it still hurt like crazy.
After saying that, Sterling turned around and walked away. As he passed by Lyra, he paused for a moment. When he saw Lyra looking at him with those big eyes, he stretched out a finger towards her.
Lyra quickly shrank back and dodged his finger. When she looked at him again, her eyes were full of intense resentment. She might not understand all the grown-up stuff, but she could sense the coldness in Sterling's tone when he talked to me and the disgust in his eyes. She wasn't going to have anything to do with someone who treated her mommy badly!
Sterling pulled his hand back and kept walking.
What was he thinking? Why did he suddenly feel a bit of pity for the pup who was considered illegitimate in his eyes? He took another step.
"Sterling!" I called out firmly from behind.
But Sterling didn't stop. I watched his determined figure and felt like running up to him and demanding to know what was going on in his heart. Why would he protect Celeste, who'd hurt him, yet not give a second thought to the she-wolf who'd done so much for him?
I let out a cold laugh and ran my tongue along my teeth before saying,
"Alpha Sterling Ashford, you'd better not regret this!"
Sterling didn't bother to respond and just walked out of my sight completely.
I stood there, rooted to the spot, feeling a bitter and sad mix of emotions welling up inside me. My stomach felt all knotted up, and it was really uncomfortable. I guess this was the price I had to pay for being so foolish all those years ago.
It was like I was getting what I deserved.
Suddenly, my legs felt warm as a pair of small hands wrapped tightly around them.
"Mommy, don't be sad," Lyra ran over and comforted me with so much concern in her voice.
She pressed her face against my leg and said in a voice that was a bit jumbled from being so eager to comfort me, "If dad doesn't like you, it's okay. You still have me. I'll grow up fast and protect you so that no one can bully you again!"
Those little hands, so small yet holding me so tightly, and that soft, tender voice were even warmer than the evening sun, slowly warming my cold heart.
I bent down and gently cupped Lyra's little face, giving her a quick kiss on her nose. Then, we pressed our foreheads together, showing how close we were.
Despite the four years of coldness in our mating, at least I had Lyra, my little bundle of warmth. Let the past stay in the past.
I wasn't going to waste any more time mourning or missing it. All the efforts I'd made for Sterling and the silly mistakes I'd committed could be seen as the price I paid for having Lyra in my life.
In the evening, after I'd put Lyra to sleep, I was leaning against the bedside, looking over the pack business data.
Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Freya calling.
I quickly answered, "Have you received the agricultural products? Are they damaged? If you like them, I'll send you more next time."
"Send what? Get out here right now!"
Freya's voice was so loud and clearly filled with anger. I frowned, feeling puzzled, and asked, "Get out where?"
"Outside your home!" Freya's voice was so forceful that it felt like it could burst my eardrums.
"You have five minutes. If you don't come out, I'll kick the door!"
"Which home's doorstep?" I immediately sat up and pulled back the window curtain.
It was pitch black outside, and there was no one in sight.
Of course, Freya couldn't have come all the way here in the middle of the night.
"I'm in your yard. Hurry!" Freya's voice was still just as forceful and angry.
"Zara, we're at the entrance of your house. Have you gone to sleep already? There's no frigging lights in the house!"
After a moment, a gentler male voice spoke up. It was Lucas.
I finally realized that they indeed had gone there.
Why on earth had Freya and Lucas come over in the middle of the night?
"If you're asleep, I'll take Freya to a hotel. Let's talk tomorrow..."
Before he could finish speaking, Freya's loud voice interrupted again, "Talk tomorrow? Zara, you come out right now!"
Freya hardly ever spoke to me like that, and it really caught me off guard.
I quickly got up, threw on some clothes while explaining a few things in a rush, and then hurried over. When I got outside, I couldn't help but be a bit taken aback by the sight of Lucas's 1.7-meter-high SUV Bentley. It was really something to behold, looking so imposing.
The car's headlights were on, brightly lighting up the area around it. Freya was standing in the light, looking really pale and upset. When she saw me approaching, Lucas gently patted Freya's shoulder and said, "Let's talk this out, okay?"
After that, he nodded at me and stepped to the side. "What's wrong?" I rushed over, my chest heaving a bit from running. I looked at Freya.
Freya slapped a piece of paper onto me and said, "Zara, you explain this to me. What's going on?"
I took the paper that she'd slapped at me and held it up to the light of the car's headlights to see it clearly. When I saw what was written on it, my face changed in an instant.
My hand froze in mid-air, and I could feel how tense I was.
A few of my fingers unconsciously pinched the edge of the paper, and I found myself avoiding looking at Freya's face.
"Where did you get this?"
"Don't ask me where I got it. Just tell me if what's written on it is true!"