Zelene Sallow: I told my mom about what happened, my voice shaking as I went over the story. Tears ran down my face as I buried my head in her lap, seeking comfort from her calming presence. She gently supported me, giving me a sense of comfort, and then told me to wash my face and freshen up. I followed her advice, knowing that I had a showdown with Axel coming up in just a few minutes. As I went downstairs, I heard Ray and his mom having a heated argument. Besides their voices, there were other unclear sounds coming from Lady Jewel's bedroom. I sat down next to my daughter, still teary-eyed from all the intense emotions. My daughter was my only source of comfort now. She was the reason I kept moving forward and didn't care about all the accusations on my character. Now, they wanted to reopen those wounds. But could anyone ever clear my name? "I feel like I can't handle this every single day," I confided in my mom, my voice carrying a mix of frustration and sadness. "It's as if t
Zelene Sallow:"What is this?" I exclaimed, my voice carrying a mix of shock and anger as I snatched Axel's phone from his hands, my fingers trembling with a combination of apprehension and irritation. "It's the truth, our truth. Take a good look," he retorted, his tone laced with frustration and a touch of exasperation. As I scrolled through the images, my heart sank. There were more pictures of us together than I could count – laughing over meals, hanging out in various places, but most of them seemed to be taken during the evening hours. "What on earth! You must have meticulously doctored these images to concoct a narrative where I was playing both you and your brother," I erupted, the phone slipping from my grip as I confronted him, my disbelief evident in every word. How could he even consider presenting me with something so outlandish, attempting to manipulate me into doubting the genuine memories of my loyalty to Ray? "I did not. How can you accuse me of lying when the evid
Zelene Sallow: "Mom, it's not her fault," Shane intervened, physically keeping his mother at a distance from me. His gaze roamed around the room and then fixed on Axel's phone on the floor. "Look, he must have dropped his phone." His mother stopped moving and stared at the phone, but then she started shaking her head. "Did you not see him when he was leaving? He looked depressed, and now his phone is left behind. How do you think we're going to check on him?" she continued to bombard Shane with questions, although I was certain he already had answers. "Mom, he's an alpha king. He can take care of himself. He must be out there, doing something to make himself feel better," Shane argued. "He's not even with Jessica. Where else could he go to feel better?" Lady Jewel yelled, causing Shane to raise his hands in surrender. "Calm down. Oscar and Ray went out to look for him. I'm sure they'll find him and bring him home. You just need to relax," Shane reassured her, avoiding direct eye
Zelene Sallow:"Shane asked once more, 'You want to do what?' after I had repeated for the third time that I wanted to go out and search for Axel. I had found the brothers in the study room, thankfully without their mother, Lady Jewel, in sight. She was always a handful to deal with, especially when her sons had disappointed her on my behalf.Ray's eyes were still red, his black shirt was wrinkled, and his hair was a mess, but he hadn't taken his eyes off me since I had barged into the room.'I want to find Axel,' I reiterated, placing my hands on my waist as a warning to Shane not to make me repeat myself.'Ah,' Shane nodded weakly, turning to exchange a quick glance with his brothers, who appeared indifferent to my decision.""Zelene! Finding an alpha King who doesn't want to be found isn't that simple," Oscar whispered, employing his soft tone in an attempt to dissuade me from my plan."But you're forgetting that I'm his mate," I retorted firmly, determined to press on with my inte
Zelene Sallow:"Wear this; you might catch a cold," Oscar said as we stepped out of the car, having parked a little farther away from Death Valley. He held out his black jacket, offering it to keep me warm. I noticed Shane rolling his eyes at his brother as I accepted his thoughtful gesture and draped his jacket over myself."You know," Oscar began to say but was interrupted as Ray and Shane approached us, their eyes fixed on their brother, eager to hear what he was about to say to me. "You look great in black."Oscar's quick shift in gaze, prompted by his brothers, was awkward. The two of them seemed annoyed with him."So, are you trying to suggest she doesn't look good in other colors?" Shane quipped, shrugging as he directed the question at Oscar. Oscar turned to his brother, then to me, vigorously shaking his head to deny the implication."You're just making things up because I got to compliment her first," Oscar retorted, his tone carrying a hint of frustration, while Ray continu
Zelene Sallow: "Why does he want to talk to me? What's left between us to discuss anyway?" I shrugged, determined not to let Axel manipulate me into giving in to his wishes. "I don't know. He just said he wants to talk to you. We don't have much time; please help us out," Shane insisted, attempting to hold my hand. When I freed myself from his grasp, he sighed deeply and stretched his neck before facing me once more. "You came all this way to find him, only to step back?" He was right. I had embarked on this journey with the brothers to help them bring Axel back home. However, I also realized that I wouldn't get any answers from him if he crossed the river today. With my conflicted thoughts in mind, I shot a frustrated glare at the two brothers before getting to my feet and running towards where Axel was sitting in a small boat in stagnant water. Ray paced around, clearly worried. "Here!" Shane exclaimed, waving his hand to signal Axel to look at me. I felt incredibly awkward bein
Zelene Sallow:Avoiding the eyes upon us, we continued to kiss passionately. It was strange how much I enjoyed being close to him. He didn't hesitate to slide his tongue into my mouth, wanting me to suck on it. My hands were gently placed on his chest as I obliged. The taste of his tongue was like cherries blending into creamy sweetness.The moment felt incredible, though it was short-lived. A firm pat on Axel's back from Ray abruptly ended our passionate moment. As Axel pulled away from the kiss, he looked like he had been reincarnated. His eyes sparkled with a newfound sense of hope. I was astonished by how genuinely happy he appeared."I think we should head home now. Mom's been calling me nonstop," Ray interjected, his eyes filled with disapproval and a touch of jealousy.I didn't plan on making out with Axel after his lies, but the anger inside me got the best of me. I wanted the brothers to see it and feel the burning pain of loneliness like I've experienced before."Okay," Axel
Zelene Sallow:We got home, and Ray was the one who woke up Axel rather forcefully. As I stepped out of the car, Oscar blocked my path."What's happening? Aren't you guys coming inside?" Ray, who had become quite curious about who I was hanging out with, complained. He was showing clear signs of jealousy and regret but his ego was still stopping him from accepting it."You go ahead and take Axel to meet Mom. She will be anticipating his arrival. I need to discuss some things with Zelene," Oscar said, using a tone I'd never heard him use with his brothers. Even though they were born on the same day, he had always been respectful towards them, as if they were older than him."Try not to keep her waiting too long. She's got to see Yuna soon," my body tensed when I heard Ray say her name with such affection for the first time. I closed my eyes and turned my head away, avoiding looking at Ray."Yeah, I'm well aware of my daughter's responsibilities," Oscar commented, and I noticed that Ray