Chapter 28

Alison's Point of View

I felt a flicker of hope ignite within me, but I needed more. I needed him to confess the depths of his love for me. "Addison, I need you to say it. I need to hear you say how much you love me."

He sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Alison, I can't... I can't put it into words. My love for you is beyond measure. It consumes me and drives me. I can't imagine my life without you."

Tears welled up in my eyes, a mixture of relief and joy flooding through me. "Oh, Addison," I whispered, reaching out to touch his hand. "I love you too, more than words can express."

Just as I thought everything was falling into place, a soft sob broke the silence. I turned my head to see Agatha standing in the doorway, her eyes filled with tears. My heart leaped with joy.

"Agatha," I said, my voice filled with fake regret. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

She shook her head, and her voice choked with emotion. "No, Alison, it's not your fault. I knew deep down that Addison's heart belonged to you. I just... I couldn't bear to hear it."

I stood up, walking towards her. "Agatha, please understand. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted any of this." Another fake sympathy to win Addison over.

She looked at me, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and acceptance. "I know, Alison. And I can't blame you for following your heart. Just promise me that you'll take care of him and that you'll love him as fiercely as I would have."

Tears streamed down my face as I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. "I promise, Agatha. I'll love him with all that I am."

Addison's Point of View

The next morning, I could feel the weight of guilt pressing down on me as I drove hastily to the hotel where Agatha was staying. The events of the previous night had left me restless, and I knew I had to set things right. I couldn't bear the thought of Agatha believing the lies she had witnessed.

As I entered the hotel lobby, my heart raced with anticipation. I had rehearsed the words I would say to Agatha a thousand times in my mind, hoping that she would understand and forgive me. I made my way to the reception desk and asked for Agatha's room number. My voice betrayed my nervousness.

With the room number in hand, I hurriedly made my way to the elevator, my mind racing with thoughts of how Agatha would react to my explanation. Would she believe me? Would she see through the facade I had put up? I couldn't bear the thought of losing her, not after what I feel for her now.

As the elevator doors opened on Agatha's floor, I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. I walked down the corridor, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Finally, I reached her room and hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

The door swung open, revealing Amelia standing there, her eyes fixed on me. There was something in her gaze—a flicker of a contoured look of guilt and something only she knew about—that made me uneasy. It was as if she knew there was more to our connection than I had let on. But I had come here to talk to Agatha, to explain everything, and I couldn't let Amelia's suspicions distract me.

"Addison," Amelia said, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and concern. "I'll leave you two alone to talk."

Amelia's departure gave me a momentary relief. I stepped into the room, my eyes searching for Agatha. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her expression a mix of confusion and hurt. I could see the remnants of tears on her cheeks, and it pained me to know that I had caused her such distress.

"Agatha," I said, my voice filled with regret. "I need to explain everything. What you saw last night... it wasn't real."

Agatha looked up at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief and hope. "What do you mean, Addison? How can you say it wasn't real? I saw it with my own eyes."

I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to convey the truth. "Agatha, I had to tell Alison that I loved her to get her off my back. She was becoming obsessed, and I didn't know how else to make her stop. I never meant for you to see that."

Agatha's eyes widened, and she looked at me, searching for any sign of deception. "So, it was all a lie? You don't love her?"

"No, Agatha," I replied, my voice filled with sincerity. "I could never love anyone but you. You are the one who has captured my heart, and I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally."

Agatha's expression softened, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes. "But why didn't you tell me the truth before? Why did you let me believe that you had feelings for someone else?"

I moved closer to her, taking her hands in mine. "I was a fool, Agatha. I thought that by pretending to love Alison, I could protect you from the dangers of my world. I didn't want you to get caught up in the chaos that comes with the position and power of an Alpha. But I see now that I was wrong. I should have trusted you with the truth from the beginning."

Agatha's eyes filled with tears once again, but this time they were tears of relief. "Addison, I love you too. I don't care about the dangers or the chaos. I just want to be with you."

A wave of relief washed over me as I pulled Agatha into my arms.

As we sat there, wrapped in each other's embrace, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope.