Ever since Olivia began riding with them, the front passenger seat had quietly changed owners.
It was no longer Adriana’s.
She stood beside the car door, fingers still resting on the handle, when Nathanie’s voice cut through the still morning air.
“Are you getting in or not?” he said impatiently. “If you’re not coming, then take a cab. Don’t waste time.”
The words were blunt, stripped of any warmth.
Adriana slowly released the handle.
She stepped back from the car.
“You two go ahead,” she said evenly. “I just remembered I left something inside.”
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked toward the manor, her movements steady despite the tightness in her chest.
Only when the engine of the Audi A8 roared to life and faded into the distance did she stop.
The parking courtyard was empty now. Dust hung faintly in the air.
Two tears slipped down her face before she could stop them.
This was the first time since joining the territory infirmary that she would be late.
---
When she finally arrived at work, several colleagues looked up in surprise.
“Adriana, how’s your ankle? Why are you here already?”
“Did Alpha Reed make you come back so soon? He could’ve let you rest.”
Their concern was sincere.
She forced a small smile. “It’s much better. I didn’t want to fall behind.”
She answered them gently, but her thoughts were far away.
Nathanie had already driven off with Olivia. Whatever she did next had nothing to do with him.
In that moment, an overwhelming clarity washed over her.
She didn’t just want distance.
She wanted out.
Without hesitation, she turned and headed straight for the director’s office.
When she placed the signed consent letter on the desk and presented her application for the overseas relief mission, the director scanned it briefly.
With Nathanie’s signature there, there was nothing more to discuss.
He signed the approval immediately.
“Dr. Whitmore,” he said sincerely, “congratulations in advance. I hope you return safely.”
Adriana nodded.
For the first time in a long while, something inside her felt lighter.
---
After leaving the hospital, she went straight to purchase a plane ticket.
Then she returned home to pack.
Three years with Nathanie had left surprisingly little behind.
Most of what filled the manor belonged to him—or to memories she no longer wished to carry.
Her suitcase was small. It barely filled halfway. A few simple garments. Essentials.
Nothing more.
As she set the suitcase by the door, she heard voices outside.
The door opened.
Nathanie walked in, Olivia at his side. Olivia’s arms were full of shopping bags—clearly new purchases.
Adriana didn’t need to ask who had paid.
“Adriana?” Olivia said brightly. “I didn’t expect you to be home so early. I would’ve brought you something too.”
Nathanie cleared his throat awkwardly.
“The season’s changing,” he said. “We’ll go out tomorrow and buy you some clothes.”
Tomorrow.
Adriana almost smiled at the irony.
“I won’t need them,” she replied calmly. “As long as you’re both satisfied, that’s enough.”
Her indifference seemed to irritate him.
He frowned slightly, a faint scoff escaping his lips.
Fine, his expression seemed to say.
If she wanted to play cold, he could ignore her too.
He decided then that he wouldn’t speak to her unless she came to him first.
He didn’t realize that silence was exactly what she needed.
---
The next day, Adriana did not show up at the infirmary.
By afternoon, Dr. Donovan approached Nathanie.
“Alpha Reed, have you heard from Adriana?” he asked. “She hasn’t reported in today.”
Nathanie had been in the middle of a call with Olivia. The interruption clearly annoyed him.
He waved dismissively.
“She’s capable of handling herself,” he said coolly. “If she wants space, that’s her decision. She doesn’t appreciate me interfering.”
Whenever he spoke of her lately, there was a sharpness to his tone.
He clenched his jaw slightly, irritation simmering beneath the surface.
Last night, she hadn’t spoken to him at all.
Not one word.
“Still,” Dr. Donovan ventured carefully, “shouldn’t you at least try contacting her? Just to make sure she’s alright?”
