Chasing His Scentless Mate (Caroline) novel Chapter 336

Chapter 336: Chapter 336 Stubborn Hearts

Ava’s POV

I remembered those threatening letters that had been arriving one after another.

I buried my face in my hands, trying to quiet the storm in my head. Everyone around me seemed to be keeping secrets, playing some game where I didn’t know the rules.

A soft knock on my desk made me look up. Caroline stood there, her expression concerned.

"Hey, Ava" she said gently. "You look like you’re having the Monday from hell."

I attempted a smile. "That obvious, huh?"

She perched on the edge of my desk. "I heard Joseph was downstairs waiting for you this morning. Did you two talk?"

"Briefly," I said, rubbing my temples. "I told him I couldn’t deal with it right now."

"And how do you feel about that?" she asked, studying me carefully.

"Honestly? I don’t have the emotional bandwidth for relationship drama right now." I sighed.

Caroline nodded sympathetically. "Want to grab coffee and talk about it? Sometimes an outside perspective helps."

I hesitated, then nodded. We walked to the small break room where Caroline made us both lattes from the fancy machine.

"So," she said once we were seated. "What’s going on? And don’t say ’nothing’."

I laughed despite myself.

"Call it female intuition." She smiled. "Is it about Joseph? Or something else?"

"Both? Neither?" I stared into my coffee. "It’s complicated."

Caroline leaned forward. "I understand complicated better than most. When I first met Draven, the timing was a disaster."

"How did you get through it?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"We almost didn’t," she admitted. "But Draven taught me something important. He showed me that when someone truly cares about you, they’ll give you the space you need to work through your stuff."

I thought about Joseph cornering me in the stairwell. "And if they don’t?"

"Then maybe they’re not the right person," she said simply. "Or maybe they’re just scared of losing you."

I traced the rim of my mug with my finger. "I don’t think Joseph Garcia gets scared of losing anything. He’s an Alpha and a billionaire. The world practically bends to his will."

Caroline gave me a knowing look. "Even Alphas have vulnerabilities, Ava. Sometimes especially Alphas."

"Maybe," I conceded. "But right now, I just need to focus on figuring out what’s going on with my family."

"Anything I can help with?" she offered.

I smiled gratefully but shook my head. "It’s just some drama with my mom and grandmother. Nothing unusual for three generations of stubborn women."

The lie came easier this time, which scared me a little.

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