He Scorned My Love Now He Watches My Rise Chapter 02
That night, Bianca dragged me into a group chat.
The group name was *How Long Can She Hold Out*.
There were more than twenty people in it, all high-ranking werewolf friends of Colton’s.
The moment I was added, messages flooded the screen.
[I bet she apologizes before midnight.]
[Midnight’s too generous. Someone with her background? She’s not going to risk losing her meal ticket and a shot at pack status.]
[I bet she shows up at the Moretti building tomorrow and begs him to take her back.]
[Loser buys drinks for a month.]
Bianca sent a voice message.
“You’re all giving her too much credit.”
“She’s definitely sitting at home right now, waiting for Colt to come back to her.”
“Packing, canceling the ceremony, returning gifts—it’s the oldest trick in the book.”
“If she really wanted to leave, she wouldn’t make so much noise. She’s just making a scene so Colt will come running to soothe her ego.”
Someone asked how she was so sure.
Bianca laughed.
“How many times do I have to say it? I’ve seen her type before.”
“A woman with no money and no name snagging the Alpha heir is like winning the lottery.”
“And when someone wins the lottery, do they just tear up the ticket and walk away? No. That would be stupid.”
The chat filled with laughing emojis.
Colton was in the group, too.
He never said a word. He never stopped them.
I left the group.
Less than ten seconds later, Bianca added me back.
[Leaving so soon?]
[Aren’t you ending things? Stick around. Let’s all see how long you can keep up the act.]
[Why not place a bet? Guess what time you’ll go back and beg Colt to complete the claim.]
I left again.
Half an hour later, an unfamiliar number called.
“Hello, am I speaking with Colton Moretti’s registered partner candidate?”
“Mr. Moretti was attacked by rogues and injured by a silver blade. He’s being treated at the pack clinic right now.”
They had pulled the same stunt three years ago.
That day, I had been in the middle of a professional certification exam.
The second I heard the words “silver blade,” knowing it would block his healing, I left my exam without even handing in the paper and ran straight to the clinic.
When I shoved open the hospital room door, I found a table full of food and wine.
They’d all laughed, saying I was only panicking because I was afraid of losing my Alpha-heir sugar daddy.
The second time, my mother was in the hospital with a high fever.
They tricked me again, saying Colton had been seriously injured on patrol.
I left my sick mother with a neighbor and took a five-hour bus back to Gray Harbor.
It was just another one of their tests.
They watched me cry and told me my performance was very convincing.
This time, I stayed calm.
“If you need a family member or pack official to sign anything, you should contact his parents or the Beta.”
“We’re over.”
There was silence on the other end, then a burst of laughter.
Bianca took the phone.
“Getting smarter, are we? You know it’s a test this time.”
“But don’t think this little act of indifference is going to make Colt panic.”
I hung up on her.
Early the next morning, I dragged my suitcases to Gray Harbor International Airport.
Before I went through security, a coworker called.
“Colt’s assistant just called me. He asked if you really quit for the overseas post.”
I slowed to a stop.
“What did you say?”
“I hadn’t even answered when some woman next to him said you were just trying to force him to claim you early.”
“Then Colt hung up.”
I didn’t need to ask who it was.
At 8:40, the boarding announcement began.
I glanced back toward the entrance.
Colton wasn’t there.
My phone buzzed.
Bianca had sent me a video.
Colton sat in the Nightfall members’ club with a drink in front of him.
That whole group was still waiting for me to cave.
Bianca’s voice came from off-camera.
“Relax. She’s not leaving.”
“She’s definitely hiding somewhere near the airport, waiting for you to come running after her.”
“The second you go, she’ll be able to hold this over your head forever.”
Colton lifted his head.
“What if she really leaves?”
Bianca didn’t hesitate.
“If she’s really willing to leave, I will apologize to her in front of the entire Nightfall pack.”
The video ended there.
I turned off my phone and walked to the gate.
She could keep her apology.