Chapter 81: Did you two fight?

Inside Andrew’s office, Caroline had spent the past half hour typing a message on her phone, only to delete it moments later.

She had no idea how to begin or what to say to him. More importantly, she wasn’t sure whether he would accept her apology after the hurtful question she had asked him earlier.

When Miller had taken her on a tour of the company, she had barely paid attention to anything around her.

Her thoughts had remained fixed on Andrew and the way he had left after she questioned whether he would have helped her if she had not been his mate. The hurt in his voice had troubled her ever since, and she regretted making him doubt her understanding of his feelings.

The door opened, and she immediately sensed Andrew’s calming pheromones spreading through the room. She lifted her head and quickly rose to her feet.

"Andrew," Caroline whispered.

"I thought you would have gone home by now," he said.

"How could I go home?" she asked softly as she walked toward him. "How did your meeting go?"

"It went well," Andrew replied.

He kept his back to her, still holding the file he had signed with the other party earlier. His response was brief, and he made no effort to turn around or meet her eyes. Caroline stopped a short distance behind him, uncertain whether she should speak about what had happened earlier or wait for him to acknowledge her first.

"I’m sorry," Caroline apologized, clasping her hands tightly together. "I didn’t mean to hurt you. It was wrong of me to think that way."

"Miller will drop you home," Andrew told her, ignoring her apology.

Caroline fell silent, staring at him in disbelief. For a moment, she forgot to breathe. His refusal to acknowledge her apology made her realize that he wasn’t ready to forgive her.

A strange feeling gripped her heart, one she struggled to understand at first. It was fear, a deep and unsettling fear that he might start ignoring her from now on or, worse, abandon her altogether.

She had never expected to become so concerned about losing someone, especially when she had spent believing that she could never trust another Alpha. Yet the thought of Andrew distancing himself from her hurt more than she had anticipated.

’This is entirely my fault. Andrew was the one who stood by me without even knowing who I was or what I had been through. He protected me when I had no one else to turn to, and he never once made me feel that I was beneath him because I was an Omega. Yet I doubted his feelings for me simply because he is an Alpha Prince. I barely know him well enough to judge his personality, and I still questioned whether he would have helped me if we weren’t mates.’

She had allowed her fear and insecurities to cloud her judgment, hurting the very person who had given her a reason to believe that she might not have to face the world alone anymore.

Just then, Miller knocked on the door before entering the office.

Andrew could hear Caroline’s thoughts through the mate mark he had placed on her, but he gave no indication that he had heard anything. He kept his expression composed, refusing to let her know how her remorseful thoughts affected him.

"Miller, drop Caroline off at the estate," Andrew ordered without looking at her.

"Of course." Miller glanced at Caroline, sensing the tension between the couple. He had been around Andrew long enough to recognize when something was wrong, and the atmosphere in the office made it clear that the two had not settled their differences. "Caroline, come with me," he said gently, gesturing toward the door.

Caroline glanced at Andrew’s back for a few seconds, hoping he would turn around and say something to her. However, when he remained where he was, she lowered her gaze and followed Miller out of the office.

She barely noticed when she got into the car. Her mind was still occupied with Andrew’s cold attitude, and she kept replaying the moment he had dismissed her apology without even looking at her.

"Did you two fight?" Miller asked from the driver’s seat as he drove away from the company.

"No," Caroline replied, shaking her head.

"It certainly looks that way," Miller remarked. "Besides, it’s not unusual for newlyweds to have disagreements."

"I hurt him," Caroline admitted. "I doubted the kind of man he is. I compared him to other Alphas without even considering what he has done for me."

She fidgeted with her fingers, keeping her gaze lowered.

Her eyelashes grew damp, and before she realized what was happening, a tear slipped down her cheek.

"There’s nothing wrong with having doubts or comparing people, especially when you’ve been hurt before," Miller told her. "You have your own reasons for questioning things, and I can understand that. But you bear Andrew’s mark, which means you’ve already accepted him as your mate."

Caroline remained silent, listening to him.

"He can’t stay angry with you forever," Miller continued. "Prepare something nice for him for dinner. It might help ease the tension between you. More importantly, take the time to understand him. His relationship with his family and the way he treats people he considers unimportant have ruined his reputation. Most people judge him without bothering to understand him."

Miller paused briefly before adding, "The truth is, Andrew cares about the wolves at the bottom of the social hierarchy in his territory. He may not show his feelings openly, but he makes sure they are treated according to his rules. He doesn’t tolerate people abusing their power over those who have less of it. You might discover a very different side of him if you give yourself the chance to know him better."

"I understand and I’ve seen that already," Caroline stated. "Thank you, Miller." She wiped the tears from her eyes before looking out of the window.