Chapter 404: Jealous

REBECCA’S POV

I nearly choked on my popcorn. "Jealous? Of what?"

She chuckled. "You know exactly what I’m talking about."

"Oh, please! Why would I be jealous of Rola? Kaden is her man, not mine."

"He’s also your husband."

"Temporarily!" I snapped. "For ninety days, remember? And besides, it’s not a real marriage."

"Then why are you so interested in what he’s doing with her?"

"I’m not interested!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

My wolf laughed again, and I immediately regretted answering her. She had an annoying habit of questioning me whenever I was trying to convince myself of something, and today was clearly no exception.

"Whatever you say, Rebecca."

I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, I don’t know why I bother talking to you."

"Because I’m the only one who knows what you’re really thinking."

"Then stop listening!"

She laughed even harder before finally falling silent. I threw a pillow across the bed in frustration, wondering why she couldn’t simply leave me alone. This was ridiculous. I was a grown woman, for goodness’ sake! I had a boyfriend who loved me, a family business to manage, and an entire future to look forward to. I had absolutely no reason to sit around worrying about where Kaden was spending his day.

Determined to prove that I wasn’t bothered, I got out of bed and decided to occupy myself with something productive. I spent the next few hours reading, watching television, and speaking with Stephanie on the phone. I even went downstairs for lunch, although the dining room felt strangely quiet without Kaden sitting across from me and making his usual annoying comments. Not that I missed him, of course. I simply wasn’t accustomed to eating alone anymore.

By evening, I had managed to convince myself that I had completely forgotten about Kaden and Rola. Unfortunately, that confidence lasted only until dinner. I sat at the enormous dining table, staring at the empty chair where Kaden usually sat. The maids had prepared several delicious dishes, but for some reason, I barely had an appetite.

"Your Ladyship, is something wrong with the food?" one of the maids asked politely.

I immediately shook my head. "No, of course not. Everything is delicious."

"Would you like us to prepare something else?"

"No, thank you. I’m just not particularly hungry."

She bowed and stepped away. I forced myself to eat a little more before returning to my bedroom, wondering why I was suddenly finding it so difficult to enjoy a meal without Kaden sitting across from me. It wasn’t as though we had always eaten together. In fact, there had been a time when I would have celebrated the opportunity to have dinner without him. Yet here I was, feeling strangely disappointed because his chair was empty.

By the time I finished showering and changing into my nightdress, it was already nine o’clock. I glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was 9:03 p.m. Kaden still hadn’t returned. Well, he had said he would be late. Nine o’clock wasn’t particularly late for someone who regularly attended royal meetings until midnight. Besides, I wasn’t waiting for him.

I climbed onto my bed and picked up a novel, hoping the story would distract me. Unfortunately, it didn’t. After reading the same paragraph three times without understanding a single word, I dropped the book onto my lap and checked the time again. It was 9:27 p.m., and there was still no sign of Kaden.

I sighed and leaned back against the pillows. Perhaps he and Rola had gone somewhere romantic for dinner. The thought immediately irritated me. Why should I care where they had dinner? They could eat together every single day for all I cared!

"Then stop checking the time," my wolf remarked.

I glared at the ceiling. "Can you please mind your own business?"

"This is my business. We share the same body, remember?"

"Unfortunately."

She chuckled, clearly enjoying my frustration. I grabbed my phone and began scrolling through social media, determined to ignore her. Surely, there had to be something interesting enough to distract me from the ridiculous thoughts running through my head.

By ten o’clock, however, Kaden still hadn’t returned. I sat up and stared at the clock, which now read 10:06 p.m. What the hell was taking him so long? Hadn’t he said he would return tonight? Maybe he’d decided to spend the night with Rola instead. I immediately frowned at the thought. Well, that would certainly explain why he hadn’t come back. Perhaps they were staying at a hotel.

Before I could stop myself, I imagined them sitting together, laughing over dinner before eventually retiring to the same bedroom. My stomach tightened unpleasantly, and I immediately shook my head. Fuck! Why was I imagining things I didn’t even want to know about?

"Because you’re jealous," my wolf answered cheerfully.

"I am not jealous!"

"Then why are you getting angry?"

"I’m not angry!"

"Rebecca, you’ve been glaring at that clock for the past hour."

"Because I want to know the time!"

She burst out laughing, and I groaned before burying my face in a pillow. "Moon Goddess, give me strength."

For a brief moment, I considered calling Melvin to ask whether Rola had returned to his kingdom, but I immediately dismissed the idea. What excuse would I give him? *Hello, Melvin. I was just wondering whether your wife, Rola, has returned because I’m trying to figure out whether my temporary husband is spending the night with her.*

Absolutely not! Melvin would probably wonder whether I’d lost my mind. Besides, I didn’t want him suspecting that I was interested in Kaden’s whereabouts. I placed my phone on the bedside table and turned off the lights, deciding that I had wasted enough time thinking about something that had absolutely nothing to do with me. If Kaden wanted to spend the entire night with Rola, that was his business. I didn’t care. Not one bit.

Unfortunately, sleep refused to come. By eleven o’clock, I was still awake, and I had changed positions so many times that my bedsheets were completely tangled around my legs. Every time I closed my eyes, my mind returned to the same irritating question. What was Kaden doing with Rola? Were they still together? Had they gone to bed? Were they—

"Oh, for goodness’ sake!" I exclaimed, sitting up.

"What’s wrong now?" my wolf asked innocently.

"Nothing!"

"Then why are you shouting?"

"Because I can’t sleep!"

"Perhaps you should call Kaden."

I stared into the darkness. "Why would I call him?"

"To ask when he’s coming home."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you’ve spent the entire evening wondering."

I shook my head firmly. "No. Absolutely not. I’m not going to call that arrogant bastard and give him the satisfaction of knowing I’m waiting for him."

My wolf chuckled. "So you admit you’re waiting for him?"

I froze, immediately realizing what I had said. Fuck! How the hell had I allowed those words to come out of my mouth?

"I didn’t say that!"

"You just did."

"Go to sleep!"

She laughed before finally leaving me alone. I lay back down and pulled the blanket over myself, determined to stop thinking about Kaden. Unfortunately, by eleven thirty, I had already checked the time another four times, and my irritation was growing worse with every passing minute.

Not because I missed him, of course. I was simply irritated that he had said he would return tonight and hadn’t bothered to send a message explaining why he was taking so long. Yes, that was the problem. It was basic courtesy. Even if we were only temporarily married, surely he could have informed me if his plans had changed.

Then again, why should he? He wasn’t answerable to me, and I certainly wasn’t answerable to him. I sighed and rubbed my forehead, wondering why I was making such a big deal out of something that shouldn’t have mattered to me in the first place. This was becoming exhausting.

By the time the clock struck midnight, I had completely given up on sleeping. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone and wondering whether Kaden had decided not to return at all.

"Well, I suppose he’s spending the night with her," I muttered bitterly.

"What did you expect?" my wolf asked. "They’re lovers, Rebecca. What do you think they’ve been doing all evening?"

I clenched my jaw. "Can you please stop?"

"I’m only telling you the truth."

"Nobody asked you!"

She chuckled softly, and I decided that ignoring her was probably the only way to preserve what remained of my sanity. I got out of bed and walked toward the window, pulling the curtain aside to look at the palace driveway. It was completely empty, and the sight only made me more irritated.

I folded my arms across my chest, feeling a ridiculous mixture of anger and disappointment. What was wrong with me? Kaden and I had agreed that whatever had happened between us was a mistake. We had promised to remain friends, nothing more. I had even reminded him that I loved Melvin and that he loved Rola. So why was I suddenly behaving like a jealous wife?

I hated it. I hated that I cared about where he was, and I hated that I couldn’t stop imagining him with another woman. Most of all, I hated that the woman in question was someone he had every right to be with. Rola was his woman, for goodness’ sake! If anyone had a reason to be upset about this ridiculous marriage, it was her, not me.

I was still standing near the window when I suddenly heard the distant sound of an approaching vehicle. My head snapped up, and a moment later, headlights swept across the driveway as a familiar black SUV passed through the palace gates.

Kaden. He was finally back.

I immediately glanced at the clock and saw that it was 12:07 a.m. Unbelievable! For several seconds, I stood there staring at the vehicle as it came to a stop near the entrance. Then irritation surged through me, and I clenched my fists at my sides. So His Majesty had finally remembered that he had a palace to return to!

I turned away from the window and marched toward my bedroom door, suddenly determined to confront him. I didn’t know what excuse he had for returning so late, but after spending the entire evening wondering where he was, I wasn’t particularly interested in hearing one.

"Rebecca?" my wolf called.

"What?"

"Where are you going?"

"Downstairs!"

"To do what?"

"To give that arrogant bastard a piece of my mind!"

My wolf burst out laughing. "Oh, this should be interesting."

I ignored her and pulled open the door. I didn’t know what excuse Kaden had for returning so late, and frankly, I didn’t care. All I knew was that I had spent the entire evening worrying about a man who was probably enjoying himself with another woman, and now that he was finally home, I intended to make sure he knew exactly how annoyed I was.

I stormed down the hallway toward the staircase, barely noticing the startled guards who bowed as I passed. One thing was certain. Kaden had better have a very good explanation for why he’d kept me waiting all night.

Wait. Kept me waiting?

I nearly stopped walking as the meaning of my own thoughts finally sank in. Oh, Moon Goddess. After spending the entire evening denying it, I was beginning to realize something I desperately didn’t want to admit.

I really was jealous.