After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Elle’s POV

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The room felt suffocating as I finally found the strength to pull myself up from the bed.

My legs wobbled beneath me, every muscle aching as I stumbled toward the bathroom. The sheets behind me were a tangled mess, a stark reminder of what had just happened between Brad and me.

I turned the shower on, letting steam fill the bathroom before stepping under the warm spray. The water

cascaded over my body, washing away the physical evidence of our sex, but doing nothing for the confusion swirling inside me. I winced as the water hit the tender spots on my skin where his grip had been too tight,

where his mouth had been too rough.

Looking down, I could see faint marks blooming across my skin. My fingers traced over them, my mind replaying every moment, every sensation. The way he’d held me down. The way I’d eventually surrendered.

“Fuck,” I whispered, leaning my forehead against the cool tile as the water continued to pour over me.

The warmth of the shower couldn’t penetrate the chill that settled in my chest when I remembered how he’d simply left afterward. No words. No acknowledgment. Just the sound of the door closing behind him.

I quickly finished washing, my movements mechanical.

Wrapping myself in a plush bathrobe, I stepped back into the bedroom. The bed had been made with fresh linens, every trace of what happened erased. Someone had come in while I was showering and removed all evidence. The thought made my cheeks burn with humiliation.

I dressed quickly, my mind racing. Where had Brad gone? How could he just walked away like that?

“That asshole,” I muttered, anger bubbling up inside me “What kind of person fucks someone like that and

then just walks away?”

My hands trembled slightly as I buttoned my blouse. I needed answers, and I wasn’t going to get them standing here feeling sorry for myself. Brad owed me an explanation, at the very least,

I made my way through the quiet hallway, my footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. The house seemed unusually silent, as if everyone was deliberately staying out of sight. Maybe they’d heard what happened. The thought made me cringe inwardly, but I forced myself to keep moving.

I knew where Brad’s study was at the end of the east wing, where he spent most of his time when he

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Chapter 56

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wasn’t working at the office. As I approached, I noticed the door wasn’t fully closed. A sliver of light spilled

out into the hallway, along with the low murmur of voices.

I slowed my pace, my hand raised to knock, when a woman’s voice, light and intimate, reached my ears.

“Brad, you finally remembered me? Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?”

I froze, my knuckles inches from the wood. The voice was soft, flirtatious, filled with a familiarity that

made my stomach twist into knots.

“Hmm.” Brad’s response was short, noncommittal, but he didn’t sound angry or uncomfortable. He didn’t tell her to stop using his first name, to maintain proper distance. He didn’t correct her tone or push back

against her obvious intimacy.

I stood there, completely still, unable to move or breathe. It was as if someone had suddenly dumped a

bucket of ice water over me, shocking my system into paralysis. The realization hit me like a physical blow

– Brad had someone else. Someone who could speak to him with that kind of intimacy. Someone he

allowed to use that tone with him.

Someone who wasn’t me.

My hand slowly dropped back to my side, my fingertips suddenly numb. I couldn’t bring myself to knock, to interrupt whatever was happening behind that door. What would I even say? “Hey, sorry to bother you, but you just fucked me and left, and now you’re chatting with nother woman like nothing happened?”

My chest felt hollow, like someone had reached inside and scooped out everything vital. The air around me

seemed to grow colder with each second.

Brad Rayne, what the hell is this? I thought, a bitter tast filling my mouth. You just climbed off my body and

now you’re with someone else?

I stood there, paralyzed, as the horrible truth sank in. What exactly did you make me? What am I to you?

The answer came to me in a sickening wave of clarity. I was nothing special. I was just a vessel for his

child, a convenient body when he wanted release. Nothing more.

I almost laughed at my own stupidity. How ridiculous, thinking I might be someone special to him…

The realization was like acid, burning through whatever fragile emotions had been building inside me. I’m

not special at all.

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Chapter 56

My fingers curled into a tight fist at my side, nails digging into my palm hard enough to hurt. I didn’t

knock. I couldn’t. The humiliation was too complete, too overwhelming.

What’s wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way? I questioned myself, confused by the intensity of my

reaction. Why does this hurt so much?

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I reminded myself harshly that what Brad and I had was nothing but a mistake, an arrangement. A deal. So

why did my eyes feel hot and my throat tight? Why did my chest ache as if something essential had been

ripped away?

It must be because he just… we just… I couldn’t even complete the thought. That’s why I feel so hurt. It’s just

physical. Hormones. Nothing more.

But no matter how I tried to rationalize it, I couldn’t explain away the dull, persistent pain spreading

through my chest. Couldn’t explain why my nose felt stuffed and my eyes were growing damp.

He doesn’t belong to you, I reminded myself savagely. He has other women. Of course he does. It’s perfectly

normal.

I forced myself to breathe, to think rationally. Don’t get ideas above your station. He’s only nice to you because you’re carrying his heir. That’s all.

The truth hit me with crushing finality: Elle West, open your eyes and see clearly. This man has never

belonged to you.

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After One Night with the Alpha