Chapter 11

Hades' Pov

My fingers tightened around the flowers I had brought as I stepped out of the elevator. I had barely noticed the two figures walking out, leaning close, whispering to one another. Their closeness piqued my curiosity.

The faint sound of their voices brushed past me, but I didn’t turn to look. Instead, I kept my focus ahead. Something about the way one of them moved caught my attention, but I pushed it aside. I was here for one reason: to find my mate.

But as the elevator doors began to close behind me, I had an odd sense of unease.

The voice of one of those women stirred something in me, something deep, like a distant memory that didn’t quite come into focus.

I frowned, turning slightly, wondering why it felt so familiar.

"Anita?" I called out without thinking, but I had no reason to. The name just slipped out, like a reflex. There was no answer. The doors sealed shut, and they were gone, leaving me alone in the hallway.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the strange feeling. That wasn’t why I was here though. I had come for a different purpose. My mate. She was here somewhere, and I needed to find her.

I checked the address once more, confirming that this was the right place. Yes, it matched perfectly. I heaved a sigh of relief and moved further into the hallway.

I held the paper on which Damian had written the address firmly, then I brought it up to my face again, squinting my eyes to check the flat number.

It was 042.

As I trailed along, I started looking at each flat number, and finally, I saw it. Her flat number.

A wide grin appeared on my face immediately. This was it. I approached the door with a sense of pride, my heart racing with anticipation.

But now that I had reached her door, I hesitated. What do I say to her when she opens it? My mind buzzed with questions, uncertainty creeping in. For a moment, I felt nervous, something I wasn’t used to. But I reassured myself.

This is for the best.

I knocked firmly on the door, the sound of my fist hitting the wood reverberating in the quiet hallway.

Moments later, the door swung open, and my eyes widened. Instead of my mate standing in front of me, a young man appeared in the doorway with a cold expression plastered on his face.

He wasn’t a kid though, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. His posture was defensive, like he was used to standing his ground.

He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing, clearly trying to figure out who I was and what I was doing here.

“Can I help you?” he asked, his tone cautious but sharp.

I blinked, momentarily thrown off. I hadn’t expected this. I glanced over his shoulder, looking into the apartment behind him and back at the apartment number on the door. Maybe I had made a mistake.

But no, it was the same. The number on the door was the same as the one on the paper.

I shrugged it off immediately, trying to push away the confusion. “Is this flat 042?” I asked with an unsure look, and he nodded.

“Well, I’m here to see someone,” I said, throwing off my hesitation and replacing it with a bold expression. My voice was calm but firm. “Anita.”

The young man raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

“Anita?” he repeated, almost like he didn’t know who I was talking about.

"Yes. She lives here," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the growing frustration in my chest as his suspicious expression didn’t sit well with me.

“Where is she? I want to see her,” I added, trying to peer inside the apartment, but the man shifted, using his body to block my view.

I stopped, irritation simmering beneath the surface as I looked at him, waiting for a response.

He cleared his throat, but before he could say anything, I shifted again, trying to look past him. He followed me with his body, matching my movements and still blocking the door.

“What are you looking at?” he snapped, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Watch your mouth, kid," I warned, looking at him with a snarl, my tone growing darker. "By the way, what is a guy like you doing with a married woman?" My voice carried an edge of bitterness.

He didn’t respond. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at me and there was a long silence stretching between us.

“Why do you ask?” he finally said, his tone challenging, disdain creeping into his expression.

“I want to know where she is,” I replied, my patience dwindling. I paused before continuing, "She is my—" I stopped myself. There was no need to reveal everything to this arrogant guy.

He raised a questioning eyebrow, clearly wanting me to finish what I had started saying.

“What?” I snapped, growing increasingly frustrated by his attitude. He scoffed in response, and I could feel my temper rising.

My fists tightened immediately. If I weren’t here for another reason, I would’ve already put him in his place.

“You were saying something before you paused," he said, his voice mocking now. "Can you finish your statement? Why are you looking for Anita?”

The audacity. The sheer nerve of this man.

“I’m the one who should be asking you," I growled, my voice cold and angry. "What is a grown man like you doing living with a married woman?”

He furrowed his brows in confusion. “I don’t understand what you mean by that statement. It seems like you know Anita from somewhere, and you're refusing to tell me the truth."

"I don't have time for your nonsense. Lead the way. Now," I demanded, my voice leaving no room for negotiation.

But he just stood there, staring at me blankly, like I hadn’t said anything at all.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” I barked, trying to make my way into the apartment, but he stood firm, blocking the door with his body.

We started to struggle, my frustration bubbling over as I tried to push past him. In the midst of it, my eyes darted to a picture on the wall. It was him and a woman, standing close, arms wrapped around each other.

My heart sank.

The woman… was Anita.

I froze. The fight left me in an instant, and I stepped back, the realization hitting me hard. Anita, my mate, was living with another man. The truth stared me in the face, and there was nothing I could do about it.

The man shoved me outside, and before I could react, he slammed the door in my face.

I clenched my fists angrily, my chest tight with rage and betrayal. I had come here to find her, to connect with her, but instead, I found this.

Anita… had failed me.

Shit!

Angrily, I threw flowers on the ground as I turned and walked away.