20

Chapter 20

Alice's POV

"What do you mean he rejects you as his mate? That was funny," Duke laughed at my statement.

He joined me for a lunch break, which I initially didn't want, but he insisted on not letting me go anywhere alone. He seemed like my bodyguard now, after becoming my trainer.

"But that was in the past," I said.

He inquired about my past and whether I had ever felt loved before. I decided to share my story about Adam, even though I didn't really want to talk about him. It was time to move on and find a new love. I was now open to experiencing new relationships, though I wasn't sure if I could find a good man among all the jerks I've encountered.

"To be honest, I didn't know your story, how the King found you. So, you jumped off the cliff because of one rejection? You are so stupid."

Once again, Duke's uncontrolled words hurt me. I put down my glass of water and looked at him with seriousness. He noticed and cleared his throat, trying to compose himself.

"You invalidated