Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Chapter 163 The Call She Didn’t Answer

Isabella

I bounced on my bed with pure excitement after hanging up with Dad. We were going home! And we were going to surprise Aunt Aurora! I couldn’t wait to see her face when we showed up unexpectedly.

But then,as I hugged my plushie tight against my chest,I realized something. Going home meant seeing Mom again.

My excitement dimmed a little. It had been days since Mom’s regular calls,and at first,it had felt like freedom. No more lectures about studying harder,eating properly,or going to bed on time. No more detailed questions about my day that made me feel like I was being interrogated.

I’d deliberately missed her calls at first,leaving early or turning off my phone after school. Then I’d stopped,worried she’d be angry.

But she hadn’t called again.

I frowned,a strange feeling settling in my stomach. Mom had never gone this long without calling before. Even when she was mad at me for getting that B in math,or when I accidentally broke her favorite vase,she’d still called. She’d lectured me,sure,but she’d called.

Because Mom always said I was the most important person in her world.

Before I could think twice about it,I reached for my phone and dialed her number. But just as it started ringing,another thought hit me: when we went home,I probably wouldn’t see Aunt Aurora as much anymore.

Mom didn’t like Aunt Aurora. She never said it directly,but I could tell by the tight way she smiled whenever Aunt Aurora visited. And Mom always found excuses for me to be busy when Aunt Aurora invited me places.

Angry all over again,I hung up before Mom could answer.

The phone rang almost immediately after. Mom’s picture appeared on the screen—her smiling face making my stomach twist with confusing feelings.

I turned away,refusing to answer. Let her worry for once.

When the landline rang minutes later,I knew exactly who it was. Sure enough,Auntie Sara knocked on my bathroom door soon after.

"Young Miss? Your mother called. She was worried because you hung up."

I rolled my eyes,toothbrush still in my mouth. "I pressed it by accident," I lied,foam dribbling down my chin.

Auntie Sara nodded,clearly relieved,and hurried downstairs to call Mom back.

I snorted after she left. Good. Mom deserved to worry a little. She was probably only calling because she felt guilty about ignoring me.

But as I rinsed my mouth,staring at my reflection,my wolf whimpered softly inside me. She missed Mom. She missed her scent and her warmth and the way Mom would sing to us when I couldn’t sleep.

"Stop it," I whispered fiercely to my reflection. "We don’t need her. We have Dad and Aunt Aurora now."

But even as I said it,I couldn’t quite meet my own eyes in the mirror.

Freya

The phone’s sharp ring jolted me from sleep,my heart leaping at the sight of Isabella’s name on the screen.

As the machine gurgled to life,I found myself staring at Isabella’s picture on the refrigerator. Her bright smile,so much like her father’s,stared back at me. In the photo,she was holding up a science fair ribbon,her eyes shining with pride.

I remembered that day clearly. Silvano had been away,handling some dispute at the northern border. Isabella had been devastated by his absence,but I’d stayed up all night helping her perfect her project. When she won first place,her happiness had been worth every exhausted moment.

Now,I wondered if she remembered that day the same way. If she remembered me staying up with her,or if she only remembered that her father wasn’t there.

The coffee machine beeped,pulling me from my thoughts. As I poured the steaming liquid into my mug,I reminded myself why I had made this choice. Why I had signed those divorce papers. Why I had given up custody.

Because sometimes,loving someone meant letting them go.

Isabella had made her preference clear. She wanted her father,she wanted Aurora,and she barely tolerated me. Every conversation had become a battle. Every attempt to connect was met with resistance.

And Silvano... well,he had made his choice long before I made mine.

I took a sip of coffee,welcoming the bitter heat. The tech expo was in three days. I had prepared as much as I could,studying late into the night,reviewing industry developments I’d missed. My old colleagues might reject me. They might laugh me out of the building.

But at least I was trying. At least I was fighting for something,instead of clinging to the shattered pieces of what once was.

The rising sun painted the small kitchen in golden light. A new day. Another step forward.

No matter what happened at the expo,no matter how Isabella truly felt about me,I would keep moving forward. For myself. For the woman and wolf I was still becoming.