The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 173

“It’s just so suspicious, isn’t it? First Alpha Jason says Vanessa’s name during his mating ceremony, now only to have a baby with his Luma?”

“Do you remember,” said another voice “A few weeks ago, there was all this news about Varressa being a homewrecker?”

“I think I do. That all went away pretty quickly, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was in and out of the headlines – almost like it was covered up.”

“You don’t think…?”

“I do I absolutely think the Alpha or his family got the story pulled. He said Vanessa’s name. Vanessa is accused of being a homewrecker. What if it was Alpha Jason’s family she was trying to break apart?”

The other voice laughed. “Well, if she hoped to stop his marriage, she did a poof job of it. And now they are having a baby?”

“No one said she was a good homewrecker,” laughed the second voice.

Embarrassment and irritation sliced through me in equal strikes. Had my reputation truly fallen so far that I was being openly disrespected like this in my own office?

I stepped around the corner, unable to listen to their cruel laughter anymore.

“Shouldn’t you two be getting back to work?” I snapped.

Both young women paled when they saw me, their backs straightening to attention.

“Yes, ma’am,” one said hastily and then hurried from the break room.

“Right. Yes,” the other said, more stilted, but rushed to follow her friend.

With a sigh, I moved to the coffee pot. My stomach wasn’t really feeling well anymore. Drinking coffee on top of it was probably

a bad idea. But I came into the break room for that purpose, and I wasn’t going to let those girls ruin my plans.

My reputation was in danger, sure, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a good morning jolt. In fact, I’d probably need it to think about how to salvage my reputation this time.

When I turned the corner toward my office, I jumped so high, I nearly dropped my coffee.

Jason was there, talking to Claire at the desk outside of my office. He was hold a box with what seemed like files inside.

My cheeks burned with heat. After what I had just heard – with people suspecting I had attempted to sedlice Jason – what was he doing here?

I moved closer, each step forceful, ready to give Jason a piece of my mind. What was he thinking, coming here, after everything that had happened? I was happy that he had been helping Ava, but that I kept seeing him outside of the hospital only made everything even more difficult.

“Vanessa, there you are,” he said, smiling.

“Jason, you shouldn’t “}

“I found your notebook at the library. I hope you don’t mind, but I went to talk to the police myself. They were more than happy to give me the case files. I have them here.” He lifted the box.

My thoughts came skittering to a halt.

“I hope that’s okay,” he said, when I didn’t say anything right away.

“Yes…” I said, because it was just what I had been hoping for. But to have had to rely on Jason didn’t sit right with me. At the

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thought, I glanced around and realized that some of my coworkers, including the two from the break room, were watching us. Please join me in my office.”

Jason followed, carrying the box.

“Where do you want this?”

I gestured to my desk and he lowered it here.

I only had one question. It had been bothering me since the library, and he hadn’t yet given me a good enough answer to satisfy me. “Why are you helping me?”

“A lot of reasons,” he said with a shrug.

“That’s not good enough, Jason. I need to know.”

He hummed. “I guess it’s an apology of sorts. I haven’t really been making things easy on you. I want to change that.”

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