The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 104

< Betrayal-2

Betrayal-2

“To adjust,” he finished.

“To all of this.”

The moonlight illuminated her face clearly now.

And for a moment she simply stared at him.

Shock filled her expression.

As if the concept of waiting had never been suggested to her before.

Caleb held her gaze calmly.

Then-

For the briefest instant-

He thought he saw something flash in her eyes.

Something sharp.

Something darker.

Anger.

But the moment yanished so quickly he almost doubted it had been there at all.

Her expression softened again immediately.

Her voice returned to a quiet, almost fragile tone.

“I… understand.”

Caleb watched her carefully.

She lowered her gaze again, wiping the last of her tears away with delicate fingers.

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“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but I thought that it was ok as long as we are fated mates,” she said softly.

The apology sounded sincere.

Yet something inside Caleb remained uneasy.

“Let’s just… take things slowly, get to know each other, even if we are fated,” he said.

Sonia nodded.

“Yes… of course.”

But as they stood there in the silver glow of the moonlight-

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Caleb couldn’t shake the strange feeling that something about this entire situation was becoming more complicated by the minute.

The penthouse was too quiet during the day.

By the time evening settled fully over the city, the silence had become something alive-stretching Into every corner, wrapping itself around Iva like an invisible weight she couldn’t escape.

She sat curled on the large couch, a soft blanket draped over her legs, the television flickering quietly in front of her.

Some show was playing.

Voices.

Laughter.

Scenes shifting.

But she wasn’t really watching.

Her eyes were heavy, her body still sore and sluggish from the aftermath of everything her body had endured-first the violent heat, then the overwhelming intensity of being with Caleb for hours that had blurred into something unreal.

At least physically, the rest had helped.

The bath.

The quiet.

The stillness.

Her muscles no longer screamed in protest with every movement.

Her breathing had steadied.

Her strength had slowly returned.

But emotionally…

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It was worse.

Much worse.

Because as the hours passed…

Something else began to settle inside her.

Disappointment.

It crept in slowly at first.

A quiet thought.

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Then another.

Until it grew into something impossible to ignore.

Not a single message

Not a call.

Not even a short text.

Nothing.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the blanket.

She tried to reason with herself.

He’s busy.

Of course he was.

He was the Crown Prince.

He had responsibilities.

Meetings.

Duties.

An entire kingdom depending on him.

She swallowed.

“Probably he was busy the entire day..” she murmured softly to herself.

But even as she said it…

The words didn’t feel convincing.

“Too busy…” she added quietly.

“…for anything?”

Inside her mind, Avalon growled softly.

Unhappy.

Restless.

“No mate ignores his bonded partner like this.”

Iva pressed her lips together.

“Stop,” she whispered weakly.

“Don’t make it worse.”

す

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< Betrayal 2

But Avalon didn’t respond.

And the silence that followed felt heavier than before.

Iva shifted slightly on the couch, her eyes beginning to close as exhaustion pulled at her again.

Her body was still recovering.

Her mind overwhelmed.

Sleep hovered just at the edge of her consciousness.

And for a moment-

She almost drifted into it.

Until-

Pain.

Sharp.

Violent.

Sudden.

It tore through her chest so abruptly that her breath caught completely.

Her entire body jerked.

A strangled gasp escaped her lips as her hand flew instantly to her heart.

It felt like something had stabbed straight through her

A searing, crushing pain that stole the air from her lungs.

“Ah-!”

Her vision blurred for a split second.

Her heartbeat spiked wildly.

Then-

Just as suddenly-

It was gone.

Completely.

Like it had never been there.

But the echo of it lingered.

A phantom ache.

す

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< Betrayal 2