Sorry I'm Mated To The Commander novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Hearing Layla’s cold tone made Nolan feel a little uneasy. She used to call Karter Dad.

But Nolan didn’t blame Layla. “Dad knows you did great during training. Even though you’ve left the Sullivan family, if you ever need anything, we’ll always be here for you.

“If you come home, we can share our experiences with you.”

Layla instantly got the message. Because she’d taken first place in training, Karter was now reaching out, clearly sent by the higher-ups to try and win her over.

‘So, is Karter backing Krish, or is he with the Atlas?’ Layla wondered.

‘No, none of that really matters,’ she told herself.

What really mattered was that Layla needed to retrieve the gift her master had given her, which was currently with Xanthe.

Just when Nolan thought he’d have to keep persuading her, Layla suddenly said, “Alright, I’ll come home with you tonight.”

Nolan was visibly relieved. He finally relaxed, having really been afraid Layla would turn him down.

While they were flying back to Sullivan Manor, Nolan said, “Layla, you know how my mom is. She’s easily swayed. Who knows what Xanthe’s been telling her? So if she says something offhand, just don’t take it personally.”

Layla was busy checking her optical computer; her master had finally replied.

Without even looking up, Layla said, “I’m only here because Duke Karter asked me, not her.”

Seeing Layla act so cold toward his mother, Nolan felt a pang of sadness.

Layla could sense Nolan’s inner conflict, but she kept quiet. Harper and Xanthe were his family, and Layla was just the outsider here, so there was nothing she could say.

Ever since the day she had to walk away from the Sullivan family, Layla knew she never really belonged.

Sometimes, Layla caught herself being almost cold, but when a guy was on his own like this, staying detached was the only shield she had.

The air inside the aero-vehicle was way too quiet. Nolan couldn’t take the awkwardness between him and Layla, so he decided to break the silence.

He suddenly remembered something he’d heard at the military base earlier. “Oh, Layla, you’d better not leave Alpha Prime anytime soon. Word is, those rebels who’ve been quiet for ages are starting to make trouble again.”

The rebels were actually a starfleet that broke away from Alpha Prime more than twenty years ago.

After they left, they kept getting stronger. Eventually, they started raiding other planets and even wiped out everyone on one planet.

But then, for some reason, they just disappeared off the map.

Some folks guessed they probably ran into a black hole and got sucked in, never to be seen again.

But lately, rumor had it they’d resurfaced and even launched an attack on one of Alpha Prime’s colony worlds.

Layla didn’t really dwell on it. She hardly ever left Alpha Prime anyway.

19:44 Fri, Jan 9

Chapter 44

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The only time she did was during winter break, when she’d visit the orphanage on Wastelands-9 Orphan Core to see Celia and the other kids, and celebrate the holidays together.

After that, the aero-vehicle pulled up in front of Sullivan Manor.

Layla glanced at the place she’d called home for years, kept her cool, and walked right in.

Nolan explained, “Layla, my dad’s tied up with work and won’t be back for a while. You can go to your room and get some

rest.”

“Where’s Xanthe?” Layla asked.

“She went out with Mom to have a social event,” Nolan replied.

What Nolan didn’t mention was that the person who invited his mother and Xanthe out for coffee was none other than Caleb’s mother, Mireya.

Nolan didn’t want to worry or upset Layla, so he kept that part to himself.

If Nolan had known that Caleb got his ass handed to him by Layla’s squad during training, he wouldn’t have worried about hiding it at all.

So, with no one home at Sullivan Manor, Layla frowned a little. It felt like she was punching cotton. Everything she’d planned just ended up feeling pointless.

When Layla walked into her old room and saw it piled high with all that wedding stuff, she just stood there, not saying a word.

Nolan’s eyes went wide. “Layla, I swear I didn’t know that they stacked all the wedding things for Xanthe in your room.”

Layla stayed calm, but honestly, she just felt even more done with it all.

Just like Leilani had said, she never really expected much from Harper and the others, so maybe that’s why she didn’t even feel disappointed anymore.

She turned around and walked straight toward Xanthe’s room, her expression calm and determined.

Nolan froze for a moment. “Layla, what are you up to?”

“Don’t worry. I’m only taking back what’s mine. I won’t touch anything that belongs to your family,” Layla said coolly.

Nolan was left standing there, completely stunned.

*****

Half an hour later, Xanthe was trailing behind Harper, looking seriously pissed.

Just a little while ago, she and Harper had been having coffee with Mireya, and Mireya had suddenly brought up postponing the wedding.

Mireya had said, “The semester’s already halfway over, and we can’t let this affect Caleb’s studies. Plus, Xanthe’s busy preparing for Imperial Academy, so we shouldn’t distract her either.”

So, the wedding was getting pushed back for more than half a year, until after Xanthe finished her exams and Caleb wrapped up his finals, right when they were both on break.

‘Half a year? Who are they kidding? This is way more than just a simple delay, Xanthe thought, fuming. “They’re just worried I won’t get into Imperial Academy, aren’t they?’

19:44 Fri, Jan 9

Chapter 44

Back then, the James family looked down on Layla just because she was adopted, not their real daughter.

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And now, they were looking down on Xanthe, too, saying she didn’t have any real talent, and my shift level was too low, as if she could never measure up to Caleb.

Xanthe’s eyes turned red. ‘How could they treat me like this?’ she thought. ‘I was the one who stayed by Caleb’s side through his rut, wasn’t I?’

Harper, still not seeing the bigger picture, tried to comfort her daughter. “They’re not wrong. If they want to postpone, just let it be. Besides, you should really focus on preparing for your Imperial Academy exams, right?”

“Yeah,” Xanthe murmured, knowing full well that getting into Imperial Academy was almost impossible for her.

She hadn’t studied properly as a kid, and to make things worse, her shift tier was low, and her psychic force was weak.

‘How am I ever supposed to get into Imperial Academy?’ Xanthe thought, feeling utterly hopeless.

And deep down, Xanthe was terrified. What if Caleb started having second thoughts and ended up getting back together with Layla?

After all, now that both of them were at Imperial Academy, Layla was right there on campus with Caleb, and it’d be so easy for her to get close to him.

Harper and Xanthe had barely stepped through the door when Karter walked in right after them.

Karter shrugged off his coat and passed it to a servant, glancing around as he asked, “Where’s Layla?”

Xanthe was already in a bad mood, but the moment she heard Layla’s name, she practically jumped out of her skin, her voice going shrill. “Layla’s here?”

“That’s right. I’m here,” Layla said, her tone icy.

Layla descended the stairs at a measured pace, holding a palm-sized metal box in her hand.

The box was stamped with her master’s signature emblem, a flame-shaped mark.

As soon as Xanthe caught sight of the box, she immediately shrieked, “Layla, how dare you steal my things?”

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