Cliff's POV
The next day, as the first hint of dawn began to lighten the sky, the faint morning light filtered through the windows and spilled into the living room.
I leaned against the sofa, having not slept a wink all night, feeling waves of exhaustion wash over me.
After last night's chaos, my nerves were still taut. My mind was a jumbled mess of conflicting thoughts.
At that moment, I saw Vanya coming downstairs, carrying some toiletries, apparently planning to head back to her apartment early in the morning.
The moment I saw her, my nerves tightened like a bowstring about to snap, and I tensed up instantly.
I quickly stood up and took a few steps forward to block her path. My tone softened involuntarily, tinged with caution, "Where are you going?"
"Back to my apartment," Vanya replied coldly, her eyes distant and resolute, as if I were a complete stranger.
Her voice was soft, but it struck my heart like a heavy hammer.
Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed her wrist, wanting to say something to make her stay.
The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I hesitated, feeling a tug-of-war inside my mind.
After a moment, I said, "Don't leave today. Last night's incident was quite a big deal. If Veronica finds out, she'll definitely want to know what happened."
I knew it sounded a bit forced, but at that moment, I couldn't think of a better reason to keep her here.
She forcefully shook off my hand, the movement carrying her anger and discontent.
I knew she must have misunderstood, thinking I was still only worried about Melinda.
But after last night's events, my mind was in turmoil.
My feelings for her, my sense of responsibility towards Melinda, and all those complicated situations had left me unable to sort things out clearly.
"It's none of my business. You can tell the truth," she said firmly, her resolve unwavering, as if she had already made up her mind to leave.
Her eyes held a stubbornness that left me at a loss.
In my haste, I reached out and pressed down on her luggage, urgently saying, "You didn't want Veronica to know you were attending Wolfe, right?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I knew it sounded a bit coercive, but I really didn't want her to leave just yet.
"Fine, then we'll mutually reject each other," she said. Hearing this, I felt as if I had been struck by a spell, freezing in place.
Her words were like a sharp blade, piercing straight into my heart, causing me intense pain.
I stood there, dazed, watching as she walked past me with her luggage, not looking back.
At that moment, I felt an emptiness in my hand, as if I had lost something precious. It felt like a part of my heart was missing. The hollow sensation made it hard for me to catch my breath.
I rubbed my temples, feeling utterly exhausted and frustrated. I couldn't understand how I had lost control of my emotions like that last night.
As an Alpha, I had always been able to manage my temper well, but the thought of her refusing to accompany me to the gala and then showing up with Theodore and the others had felt like a heavy stone in my chest, suffocating me.
This time, I had indeed gone too far. I hurt her and damaged the fragile trust we had managed to build.
"Ding-ding—" The sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of my reverie.
I picked it up and saw it was Elliot calling. I wearily answered, "What is it?"
"Alpha Cliff, Miss Coleman wants to be discharged from the hospital," Elliot's voice came through the line.
"I know. Take me there," I said wearily.
"Yes, Alpha Cliff," Elliot replied.
In no time, Elliot arrived at my house.
I got in. We sped off towards the hospital.
Once there, I handled her discharge procedures.
"Alpha Cliff, could you take me back to school later?" Melinda looked at me expectantly, her eyes like a fawn hoping for its master's attention.
I nodded without a word. She had fainted last night, and it was my responsibility to take care of her. Besides, she was still injured.
Seeing my nod, Melinda's face lit up with joy, as if she had received the most precious gift.
Vanya's POV
Grace received my message last night and had the driver come to pick me up early this morning.
She got out of the car, and the driver put my luggage in the trunk.
Grace looked puzzled and asked, "Why are you wearing a scarf in this weather?"
"My neck feels a bit cold," I gave a dry laugh, trying to cover up.
But Grace was perceptive and sensed something was off. She pulled down the scarf and saw the bruises on my neck.
"Who did this? Was it Cliff?" Grace's anger flared up instantly.
I knew Grace's short temper and quickly tried to calm her down, "It doesn't hurt anymore."
"Was it really that jerk?!" Grace was so angry she raised her fist, ready to storm into the Todd family to confront Cliff. I quickly held her back.
"Don't go. I'm really fine."
"I can't just let him get away with this!"
I hugged Grace tightly, not letting go. "Cliff just promised me he wouldn't target your group. If we make a scene now, things will really get out of hand!"
"I'm not afraid of him. Let him try to mess with me!"
I urgently pulled Grace into the car and had the driver lock the doors. No way was I letting her go and cause trouble.