Chapter 15
If only Alpha Waldo had paid more attention, perhaps he would have noticed the gradual dimming of the light in Valerie’s eyes.
If, on that day, he had chosen to stay at the bridal shop instead of walking away–waiting for her, helping her into the beautiful wedding dress, lifting her veil, kissing her tenderly, and telling her how stunning she looked–would things have turned out differently?
She would have blushed, shy as ever, and begged him to stop teasing her. Then, they could have taken pictures together, shared them on social media, and basked in the warm compliments from friends. Could the outcome
- have been different?
1/8
Chapter 15
- 5 Points
But in this world, regret doesn’t rewrite the past.
Valerie would never return, and she would never forgive him.
Alpha Waldo gripped the new wedding dress tightly in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably in a house that no longer held her presence.
Somewhere deep in the mountains, I was at a Training Ground, far away from everything.
Before I removed my SIM card, I noticed a flurry of missed calls from Alpha Waldo and his friends. Among the messages was a photo from the proposal scene–flowers arranged with my
initials and his name.
2/8
せっ
Chapter 15
+5 Points
Ah, so this was the “surprise” he had promised. But by that point, I had no need for it. I didn’t. respond to anyone. Instead, I blocked the
number and permanently discarded the useless phone.
Time at the Training Ground passed quickly, and before I knew it, ten years had come and gone in the blink of an eye.
The special forces team we formed has completed various national–level confidential
tasks.
In the eleventh year, our Special Forces team successfully completed all of our missions. Due to my outstanding performance during the assignments, I was directly recruited by Alpha King of The Shadowcrown Pack to serve as his
3/8
Chapter 15
5 Ports
Beta. Meanwhile, my other teammates took on important roles in various departments within
the Packhouse.
After comeback to The Shadowcrown Pack, we
were interviewed by reporters.
As we were leaving the venue, a teammate tapped me on the shoulder. “Beta, someone has been watching you for a while.”
I looked up and saw him.
Alpha Waldo.
He was no longer the energetic young man I
once knew, with a sharp, confident presence. Now, he was a middle–aged man, so worn and weathered that he was nearly unrecognizable.
4/8
Chapter 15
+ 5 Points
Our eyes met from a distance, and for a moment, the past flooded back. But it felt distant, as though it belonged to another lifetime entirely.
He hurried toward me, but security intervened and stopped him.
“Valerie, it’s me, Alpha Waldo,” he called out, his voice thick with desperation.
“Valerie, please, just give me a few minutes.”
After a thorough security check, we were finally seated across from one another in a conference
room.
Seeing him again, I felt nothing. No rush of emotion. No spark.
5/8
Chapter 15
+ 5 Points
In fact, my teammate had briefed me about him when I first joined the special forces team. She told me that after I left, he spiraled into alcoholism and began to deteriorate. The SnowMoon Pack teetered on the brink of bankruptcy multiple times, but it was thoughts of me that had kept him going–fueled his work, his fear of never being able to reach me.
After the restriction period on my house ended, he spent a small fortune buying it back. I never understood why.
Without his help, Alanna’s family had fallen into, financial ruin.
Eventually, Alanna turned to money and
became the mistress of a married man. When
6/8
Chapter 15
+ 5 Points
his wife discovered the affair, she publicly assaulted her. Alanna tried to flee but was hit by a car in the process. Now, she would likely spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
As I listened to these stories, I felt no stir of emotion. After all, personal dramas paled in comparison to the larger, national matters I was dealing with.
Noticing the indifference in my expression, Alpha Waldo’s voice faltered and cracked.
“I’m sorry, Valerie.”
The words spilled out, but I barely reacted. A faint curve of my lips was all I could muster, a gesture that meant nothing. It was too late. His apology held no weight for me anymore.
Chapter 15
+ 5 Points
“Do you still hate me?”
I didn’t even need to think about it. For me, Alpha Waldo had become nothing more than a figure from my past, a shadow that no longer warranted a single drop of emotion.
All those years–those years of love, of pain- had faded with time. More than ten years had passed, and I had long since released the grip of the past.
But it seemed that for Alpha Waldo, forgetting wasn’t an option.
Tears slid down his face, regret and sorrow twisting his features, but I felt nothing for him. Not anymore.
8/8
