Chapter 12

Ella's POV

Two months ago, in the middle of his busiest day, Carson texted me out of the blue, asking for a steak burrito bowl. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was already doubled over with cramps, biking through the blistering heat just to pick up the freshest ingredients. By the time I got home, I was pale, shaky, and rushing to finish his lunch before noon.

When I finally arrived at his office, sweaty and on the verge of collapse, I saw him walking out with Anna. Her face lit up when she saw me, or rather, the bag of food I was holding. She practically lunged at me, snatching it from my hands.

"Mmm! Ella, your burrito bowl is amazing! Sweetheart here loves it almost as much as your beef brisket!"

Sweetheart. That's what she called her little office dog.

I stood there, stunned, as Anna fed my carefully prepared lunch to her dog, the steak burrito bowl I had biked across town to make. And Carson? He barely looked my way.

"Anna and I are heading out for lunch," he said casually, as if I were invisible. "When the dog's done eating, can you clean up the mess?"

That moment has never left me. Just thinking about it now made my blood boil, the rage simmering quietly as I locked eyes with him again.

"Listen, Carson, I'm not going back with you. My home is with my parents, and I sure as hell am not marrying you. The truth is, I don't love you anymore."

He looked stunned for a second, then let out a bitter laugh. "You don't love me anymore? Come on, Ella. We've barely been apart a week, and you're already over me? That's bull!"

I rolled my eyes, refusing to back down. "No, what's bull is you thinking I'm still waiting around while you're off giving everything to Anna. Just admit it, you're with her now. You're playing both sides, keeping me on a string, and I'm done with it. I'm sick of your games, Alpha Carson!"

For a split second, the confidence in his eyes faltered, and I caught a flicker of something vulnerable beneath the surface. After all those years of me forgiving him, of me looking the other way, he never expected this. His face shifted from red to pale, like he was deflating with every word I threw at him.

Finally, after a tense silence, he spoke, his voice shaky. "Ella, I… I didn't cheat on you. I know it looks bad, but there's something you don't know about Anna." He swallowed hard, looking away before his gaze returned to me, softer now, almost pleading. "I had a sister. She… she passed away. Anna, Annalisa, reminds me of her. When she's around, it feels like a piece of my sister is still here, you know? That's why I've tried so hard to make her happy…"

He hesitated, pulling out an old, creased photo from his wallet. "This is Penny," he murmured, holding the picture like it was something precious. "She was my world once. Maybe it sounds like an excuse, but it's the truth."

As Carson tried to explain himself, his tone serious and full of regret, I barely paid attention. I glanced down at my phone to check the time, keeping my voice calm and steady. "Look, whatever Anna means to you doesn't matter to me anymore. With or without her, I'm ending this. I'm rejecting you."

That was it. End of discussion.

I stood up, ready to leave, but as I took a step, he grabbed my wrist. "Ella, honey, we've been together for seven years… Don't you remember that night we got together? You leaned in close and told me how much you liked me, that every day we held hands, you liked me a little more."

I met his panicked gaze, his fingers clinging to me like I was the last thread holding him together.