How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 61: Just Need to Know...

AIDEN’S POV

I towelled myself dry, pacing the room like a caged animal, unsure of what the hell to do.

Her screams were still stuck in my ears—her desperate pleas.

Jasmine’s voice was small and scared, and it was something I never wanted to hear her like that again. Especially not because of me.

I’d tried to follow her, but my legs were shaking, my vision cracked in half, and in a moment of chaos, I slipped and went headfirst into the pool. That shock of cold had snapped me back. Fast.

The instant my body hit the water, it was like Ace had been slapped in the face by a thousand volts. He recoiled, retreating so deep inside me I couldn’t even feel him anymore. Probably ashamed. Probably bruised. Or sulking like a child who broke their favourite toy.

But this wasn’t a broken toy.

This was Jasmine.

My mate... our mate, and we’d nearly ruined everything.

I tossed the towel onto the nearest chair, my chest heaving. Then I grabbed my phone and tried her number.

One ring.

Two.

Voicemail.

I tried again, but got the same result.

Of course, she wouldn’t pick up. Not after what happened. Not after I... gods.

I ran a hand down my face, fingers curling at my jaw.

I exited the room barefoot, heading down the hall toward hers, phone still pressed to my ear in a desperate loop. The tone rang out again in a sharp, empty, mocking way.

Then I heard it.

Her ringtone. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Coming from inside her room.

Dumb. Stupid. Of course, she didn’t grab her phone while trying to escape me like I was some nightmare crawling out of the dark.

The guilt landed hard in my gut, twisting sharp and cold. I stood there frozen for a second, then pushed the door open and stepped inside.

It smelled like her. Of course it did.

That was half the problem.

I slid down the wall, my back hitting the cool surface as I let the weight in my chest settle in for a long stay. My fingers trembled slightly around the phone, still showing her name, still stuck in that impossible space between hope and despair.

I should’ve told her everything. About the curse. About what Ace had started becoming.

But how do you explain something you barely understand yourself?

How do you say, "Hey, I love you, but I might also lose control and accidentally bite you because some ancient curse was working its magic, wrecking me from inside"?

You don’t.

You just sit there like a fool. Waiting. Bleeding without a wound.

My eyes darted to the far wall, to the dresser. Images of her driving off in the GLE flashed through my mind. Thank the gods for modern tech.

I stood and left her room, walking briskly toward my study.

Once I got there, I turned on my PC and logged in quickly. I then went straight to the Mercedes’s GPS tracking system.

My hands worked quickly, almost without me thinking about it. The tracker came to life, and the coordinates appeared on the screen.

I held my breath as the last location of the car popped up... the address... that’s Sophia’s place.

Of course.

She wouldn’t go to her uncle’s. Not tonight. She wouldn’t go to her home either. She went where she felt the most human. The most normal.

I leaned against the desk, my eyes fixed on the blinking dot on the map. My mind spun with everything I wanted to say, every apology I needed to give.

But if I showed up now, I’d only make it worse.

She needed space. Time. Air to breathe. A night without feeling cornered.

So I opened the file directory Kaiden had helped me organise not too long ago. We’d compiled it to keep track of contacts in case of emergencies.

Sophia’s number sat there, buried under three aliases.

I clicked dial.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then—"Hello?"

"Sophia," I said in a low voice. "It’s Aiden."

There was a beat of silence. Then, cautiously, "Is she safe?"

No response, though I could hear a bit of whispering from the other end.

"I know she’s at your place. I tracked the SUV there. I just needed to be sure."

"I won’t let anyone near her," she said sharply. "Not even you. Not until she says so."

I closed my eyes, pressing a hand against the back of my neck. "I’m not trying to fight you. Or argue. I just... I needed to hear her name. Make sure she’s okay."

Sophia didn’t reply immediately. Then, softer this time, "She’s asleep. Couch. Still curled up like the world might fall apart."

"I didn’t mean to scare her," I said quietly. "It wasn’t... it wasn’t supposed to happen."

"I believe you."

My brows lifted. "You do?"

"I’ve seen how you are with her," she said. "You look at her like she’s the last goddamn miracle in the universe. But Aiden... you crossed a line tonight. Even if you didn’t mean to."

"I know."

She sighed. "What happened?"

"I lost control. My..." I paused, unsure of how to explain the supernatural part to her.

"I know about your world... She was able to explain to me a bit."

"Ohh... this has never happened before. The bond, the seal, everything... It’s just pushed too far tonight."

"Is she in danger?" she asked flatly.

"No," I said instantly. "Never. But I’m afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of losing her trust. Of becoming the thing she has to run from instead of running to."

Another silence passed.

"She’s asleep now," Sophia repeated. "Give her the night. Don’t push. Let her rest."

"I wasn’t going to come there," I murmured. "Not yet. I just... needed to know."

"I’ll tell her you called," she said. "And maybe, tomorrow, you two can talk. But only if she’s ready."

"I understand."

Sophia paused. "And Aiden?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time, don’t wait till she’s breaking to tell her the truth."

Then the line went dead.

I lowered the phone slowly and exhaled.

I wouldn’t sleep tonight.

But I would wait.

And hope, gods help me, that the next time I saw her... she still looked at me like I was worth saving.