Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession-Chapter 45: Trap

The moment Tessy walked back into the room and shut the door firmly behind her, she paused, looking ahead into the empty space with unfocused eyes. She didn’t know which emotion to focus on.

There was anger, simmering hot beneath her skin, and then there was confusion, twisting her thoughts into knots. Anger because of the unsettling scene she had met at the stairs, and confusion because she didn’t understand what on earth’s name was going on with her.

She had already proceeded to put her room in order after Roman left. But just about a minute later, she heard faint noises, then muffled voices creeping through the walls.

They were so clear, so unnervingly close, that she thought they were right outside her door. When she opened her door cautiously to check, she saw no one, just the dimly lit hallway stretching silently. The voices, however, became even clearer, sharpening into distinct words, confusing her further. So she decided to figure out where it was coming from, only to arrive at the stairs and see Roman standing too close to the woman.

She ran her fingers roughly through her hair and shut her eyes tightly. Was she going crazy? How was she hearing things from far away as if they were happening right beside her, whispered directly into her ear?

Something was going wrong with her, deeply wrong, and the fact that she didn’t know who to trust with that information frustrated her the most, tightening her chest like a vise.

Letting out a slow, shaky breath, she finished up with the arrangement, then proceeded to the bathroom, her movements stiff. Her mother was still missing. That was one problem gnawing at her, refusing to let go.

Once she got ready, smoothing her clothes with quick, nervous hands, she stepped out of the room.

To her surprise, Roman was standing beside her door, leaning his broad body against the wall as if he had been waiting there for hours.

Tessy paused mid-step, seeing how he was all dressed up, his dark clothes hugging his frame perfectly. He looked nothing like the exhausted, bloodstained person from just a few minutes ago. He looked effortlessly hot, and Tessy couldn’t deny that, no matter how much she wanted to.

"That was fast." Roman uttered, a hint of surprise in his low tone as he pushed himself off the wall and scrutinized her with those piercing eyes. "I was told that women take their time to dress up. I wasn’t expecting you to be out so soon," He added, burying his hands lazily in his pockets.

"I also wasn’t expecting you to be done with your massage session so soon. I guess she wasn’t good enough." Tessy retorted sharply, the words lashing out before she could stop them, suddenly recalling the intimate scene she had met at the stairs.

She shot him a blistering glare as her emotions shot up to the roof, threatening to spill over.

Roman said nothing for a long while. He simply stared at her, his expression unreadable, while thinking of how to clear the air, already knowing exactly why she was that pissed.

"Listen, baby, what you saw earlier is not what you think it is. Sephira is... she was..." Roman tried to explain, his voice strained, but when the appropriate word didn’t come through, he paused, and took a deep, steadying breath. "We had a business deal sometime in the past. That was why she was here." He finally got the words out, seeing how her eyes, which were glued to his face with unsettling intensity, were seeking answers, demanding the truth.

"Does she work in a massage parlor, because she seemed to be quite enthusiastic about giving you a massage, and you looked very comfortable with it." Tessy refused to settle with that explanation, because her eyes weren’t deceiving her when she saw the woman’s hand all over his body as if she couldn’t get enough of him.

Roman said nothing for another tense stretch of silence. There was this fire in her eyes, blazing and fierce, which was a stark contrast to the quiet pain her voice was trying—and failing—to hide. If he could, he would explain his relationship with Sephira to her, lay it all bare, tell her every single detail, but at the moment, he couldn’t, and that knowledge weighed heavily on him.

"I am not your ex husband, Tessy. Be it in your mind or in the physical, never compare me to that bastard. I will not hurt you that way." Roman uttered, choosing another route, his voice dropping into something softer, almost pleading.

Tessy swallowed. That was the most reassuring word she had heard in a very long time.

When she was with Francis, she stopped asking or confronting him about other women he’s with after a year of marriage simply because he never answers. He always avoided the question or twisted it to make her feel guilty for asking.

"In what way do you want to hurt me then?" Tessy probed in a softer voice as his last words had hit her in ways she didn’t expect, slicing deeper than she wanted to admit.

"The only thing I’m concerned about is your happiness and safety. If I wanted to hurt you in any way, I’d have done it already. I’m not your enemy. Stop seeing me as one."

For the first time since she arrived at the house, Tessy felt some level of calmness, a fragile peace settling over her like a thin blanket. Her chaotic heart mellowed, and the sharp pain disappeared. But she willed her face not to show what she felt inside, keeping her expression carefully guarded.

Gazing at the man in front of her, she didn’t know what to think. Was he for real? Was this the universe’s way of saying ’you’ve suffered enough, you deserve a treat’?

"I need to go home." Tessy uttered, deciding to drop the Sephira issue for now, her voice quieter than before.

"You are home." Roman reminded her, his tone firm but not unkind.

"Right. I need to go to my father’s house. My mother is still missing."

"I figured. That’s why I’m here. Let’s go." Roman gestured for her to follow him with a slight tilt of his head, and she did, trailing behind him with a frown creasing her forehead.

"You don’t have to come with me."

"I have to, I want to, and I will." He responded without looking back, his strides confident and unwavering.

"Can someone else drive?" Tessy probed, not sure she was willing to embark on another rollercoaster ride with him.

"Who do you have in mind?" Roman probed.

"Maybe Daniel."

"Daniel huh?" Roman smirked, a knowing glint in his eyes, but said nothing again until they arrived at the ground floor, the silence between them thick but not entirely uncomfortable.

He turned toward the dining room with purposeful steps, and when he arrived there, he met Daniel brooding alone, seated on one of the chairs with his arms crossed tightly.

"Boss," Daniel uttered, standing up from his seat hastily. At that instant, Tessy also arrived at the dining room, prompting Daniel to bow slightly. "Good morning, madam." He added, his voice respectful but edged with something cautious.

Before she could respond, Roman spoke, his tone deceptively light. "My wife said she prefers you drive us this morning because I’m not an efficient driver. Would you do us the honors?"

Daniel’s lips parted in incredulity, his eyes widening just a fraction. He moved his gaze briefly to Tessy, searching for confirmation, before returning it to Roman to ascertain if they were toying with him. But Tessy nodded in agreement, her expression expectant, while Roman had that infuriatingly unreadable expression on his face, the one that gave nothing away.

At that point, Daniel knew it was a trap, laid out perfectly for him to stumble into. So he shook his head slowly, choosing his next words carefully.

"I don’t know how to drive, Madam, especially in the mornings like this." Daniel responded with all the seriousness in the world, his face the picture of solemn sincerity.

A satisfied smirk curved on Roman’s lips at Daniel’s answer, the corners of his mouth lifting just enough to be noticeable.

Tessy, however, couldn’t believe her ears. "You’re kidding right?" She asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

Daniel shook his head again, knowing he would get in deep trouble if he breaks the act. He had already seen the smirk on Roman’s face, the silent warning in his eyes.

"I’m not kidding, ma’am. Boss is the only efficient driver I know in this life. If boss is driving, you can be sure you are in good hands." Daniel chipped in smoothly, and Tessy gave up, exhaling in exasperation.

She turned around sharply and proceeded to walk out of the house, her steps quick and irritated, closely followed by Roman, who had a smug look on his face, his victory silently celebrated.