Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce! novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Aria’s POV

The image burned behind my eyes.

Kael. Rebecca. Their lips pressed together. Her hands fisted in his shirt. His body against hers.

I kept walking. One foot in front of the other. Don’t stop. Don’t think. Don’t feel.

But I felt everything.

The jealousy. The betrayal. The sick, twisted irony of it all.

He’d told me to stay away from him. He’d paid me like a whore. He’d made it perfectly clear I was nothing.

And yet some stupid part of me had still hoped—

No. Stop it.

I was done hoping. Done dreaming. Done being the pathetic Omega who believed in fairy tales.

Marcus’s hand tightened on my waist. His thumb traced circles against my hip. The touch felt distant. Like it was happening to someone else.

"You okay?" His voice was warm against my ear. "You seem distracted."

Distracted. That was one word for it.

"I’m fine," I lied.

The music pounded around us. Bodies swayed. Lights flashed blue and purple and gold.

And all I could see was Kael kissing Rebecca.

Of course he was with her. Of course he’d gone back to her. She was everything I wasn’t. Beautiful. Powerful. Worthy.

I was just Shadow Moon trash.

Entertainment.

A game.

Marcus leaned closer. His lips brushed my ear.

"You know what might help?" His voice dropped lower. More intimate. "Some fresh air. Just the two of us."

Fresh air.

That sounded nice. Away from this place. Away from the memories. Away from Kael and his perfect girlfriend and everything that reminded me of what I’d never have.

"Okay," I heard myself say.

The word came out hollow. Automatic.

Marcus smiled. "Perfect."

His hand slid from my waist to the small of my back. Lower than before. More possessive.

I should have noticed. Should have paid attention.

But my mind was somewhere else entirely.

We pushed through the crowd. Bodies parted around us. The exit grew closer with each step.

And then—just for a second—I looked back.

I couldn’t help it. Some magnetic force pulled my eyes toward the VIP section.

Toward him.

Kael was still there. Still with Rebecca. Still kissing her like I’d never existed.

Something sharp twisted in my chest.

Look away. Look away. Look away.

I forced myself to turn. To keep walking. To follow Marcus toward the door.

The cool night air hit my face like a slap. I sucked in a breath. Let it fill my lungs.

Better. This was better.

Away from the noise. Away from the lights. Away from the torture of watching the man I couldn’t stop thinking about with someone else.

"This way." Marcus’s voice was eager now. Almost hungry. His hand pressed more firmly against my back.

We walked toward the parking lot. The music from the bar faded to a distant thump. The night wrapped around us like a blanket.

I stared at my feet. Watched them move across the pavement. One step. Then another.

What was I even doing out here?

I’d come to this bar to forget. To move on. To prove I didn’t need Kael Blood Crown.

Instead, I’d watched him kiss Rebecca. Watched him choose her. Watched him confirm everything I already knew.

I was nothing to him.

Had never been anything. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The thought made my chest ache.

"Hey."

Marcus stopped walking. We were beside a sleek black car now. Expensive. His, probably.

"You’re really quiet," he said. His brown eyes studied my face. "What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. Just... thinking."

"About what?"

About how stupid I am. About how I keep falling for men who don’t want me. About how I’ll probably die alone because I’m too broken to do anything right.

"Nothing important," I said.

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