Goddess’s Design His Fated Mate

Chapter 25

Chapter 25 Willow With my eyes closed, I felt it once more-the sensation of a touch, of someone tenderly brushing away the fallen strands of hair from my face and delicately tucking them. behind my ear. The touch was so tender and soothing that it felt almost surreal, until it began to caress my cheek. “Mmhmm, I couldn’t help but murmur, drawn toward the unexpected comforting warmth, leaning in and brushing my cheek against it. At that moment my phone rang, jolting me awake from my slumber. My weary head rested on the desk where I had toiled through the night. Slowly, I opened my eyes and straightened up in the chair, glancing towards my closed bedroom door. Once again, my room was empty and I was alone. Was I dreaming again? But that touch, that warmth-it had felt too real for it to have been a dream that had been recurring for the past four days. While sleeping, I’d sense someone’s presence, even felt a gentle touch on my face. Yet, whenever I’d stir and open my eyes, the room would remain empty, the door closed as it had been before I succumbed to exhaustion at my desk. “Could it be..” Ceri’s voice echoed in my mind, suggesting we were both thinking along the same lines. However, I shook my head to clear my thoughts, until my gaze landed on the wall clock. “8:00 a.m?!” I gasped. “Da mn!” Grabbing my phone, I hurriedly dashed out of my room and downstairs. It was time for the children to go to kindergarten! How could my alarm have failed me today? As I entered the dining area in haste, I paused abruptly at the sight that greeted me-three pairs of eyes staring in my direction. My hair and clothes were a mess. Blinking in surprise, I found Wyatt and Lori seated with Reuben at the dining table, happily chatting and enjoying their time together. “Mommy, good morning,” Lori greeted me with a bright smile, “Why are you….” I looked at them in confusion. “Mommy, what’s wrong?” Wyatt blinked up at me, looking concerned. “We already brushed our

teeth and took our baths.” “It’s Sunday,” Reuben suddenly explained, seemingly aware of the reason behind my frantic morning rush. I blinked in response before sense was knocked back into me. 1/6 The Secret to Malding More Money with Less Effort Laser Cutting 13:07 Thu, 29 Feb B. Chapter 25 Wait! Yes, it was Sunday, and the children didn’t have kindergarten today. Reuben looked at me with a hint of amusement in his eyes. The corners of my lips. twitched in embarrassment. Ignoring him, I attempted to make a quick exit. “Mommy, let’s eat. We’ve been waiting for you,” Wyatt halted me. “Why were you waiting for me?” I turned to examine the plates in front of them. None of their food had been touched, especially Reuben’s, and the children had been. nibbling on fresh fruit until my arrival. “Daddy said he was going to wait for mommy, so we were waiting with daddy,” Lori explained in her innocent voice. Subconsciously, I locked eyes with Reuben. Why was he waiting for me? His entire day. was usually meticulously planned and he despised waiting especially for food. “Let’s eat,” he invited me to the table, setting a pre-prepared plate next to his. Did not that mean I would have to sit beside him? “I’ll eat later,” I replied. “Why?” he frowned, unaccustomed to receiving a refusal. “I just want to…” “Are you scared of me?” He raised an eyebrow, leaving me speechless for a moment. Wyatt and Lori glanced between us. The corner of my lips twitched bitterly at his deliberate provocation in front of the kids. “Why would I be?” I retorted in a controlled way. “Then come and have a seat,” his eyes were lit with the desire to argue with me. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

I couldn’t help but glare at him. I knew I did not want to be around him. I was more likely to ignore him. Why the hell was he so obsessed with me eating with him? Under Wyatt and Lori’s watchful eyes I couldn’t refuse otherwise they might think I was genuinely scared of Reuben. With a deliberate motion, I took a step forward, pulled the chair slightly away from him, and settled beside him./Staring at my food, I completely ignored him. Even without looking at him, I could sense the smug satisfaction on his face. “Yay! We are finally eating with both mommy and daddy,” Wyatt and Lori stated happily. “The two of them look so beautiful together.” The Secret to Making More Money with Less Effort Laver Cutting Chapter 23 10, 29 Feb My hand stopped on the fork as I listened to their innocent remarks. I glanced at Reuben from the corner of my eye only to find he had never looked away from me. He looked somehow happier listening to Wyatt and Lori, “Did you teach them to say all of this?” I stared at him with an emotionless gaze. “The truth can not be taught. They realized it on their own,” he remarked, his eyes sliding down from my eyes to my lips. I tore my eyes away from him and focused on my food. If I argued then he was going to say something that would only make me speechless. I just wanted to eat quickly, get up from this table, and escape this awkward situation. Once I began eating, he also picked up his fork and knife, and we all started our meal. Both children animatedly shared stories about their kindergarten experiences, friends, games, and other activities while. we ate. It warmed my heart to see Wyatt and Lori enjoying themselves and feeling comfortable at the shifters kindergarten. Surprisingly, this time, there hadn’t been any complaints from the kindergarten, which was a relief. Thankfully, everything seemed to be going smoothly, thank the goddess. Reuben was deeply engrossed in their stories, showing a level of interest that made it seem as if he had been the one raising Wyatt and Lori all along. Ceri and I shared a mirrored concern about Reuben’s strong influence over them. They had grown remarkably attached to him. In three months,

when we eventually left the Emerald Bright Pack to return to our previous lives, explaining things to Wyatt and Lori would be incredibly challenging. I tightened my hand slightly on my fork. I had to stop it before it was too late. “Mommy, I don’t want to drink my milk,” Lori whined like always. “Lori, you have to drink your milk. Otherwise I will only be taking Wyatt for ice cream today,” I told her a little sternly. Every Sunday I usually take them out to play, shop, and get ice cream. “Mommy, I want ice cream too!!” She looked at me with big shimmery eyes. “Alright, quickly finish your milk and once we are done with breakfast we will go shopping for ice cream okay?” I smiled. “Okay,” both the children happily started finishing their food. They were always eager to go out and that’s why they would dress up from the day on Sundays. That’s when my phone rang next to my plate on the table. Reuben’s gaze immediately flickered towards my phone. Lola’s name flashed on the screen-it was my assistant calling. 13:07 Thu, 29 Feb G. Chapter 25 Answering the call, Lola’s excited voice came through, “Willow, I have good news for you!” “What is it?” I responded casually, rising from my seat to walk over to the children’s side to pour them some water. “The grand runway event of the year that you had declined to participate in because you couldn’t return to Britain anytime soon, is now being organized in America!” Lola announced eagerly. I paused abruptly, taken aback, “Really?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The grand runway event occurred just once a year, it was an eagerly awaited event for all fashion designers, including the top-tier ones. Being invited was an honor reserved. for a select few and renowned designers. Despite receiving an invitation this year due to my growing reputation in the industry, I had to decline due to my current circumstances. However, it seemed that fate was unexpectedly on my side this time. “Yes, Walter personally came to the office to invite you to the event. He was truly disappointed at not being able to see you,” Lola’s words sent a chill down my spine. My eyes immediately darted to

Reuben. His hand froze on the fork at the mention of Walter. He didn’t raise his head or meet anyone’s gaze, yet I sensed the air around him turn frigid, as though a dark storm was brewing within him. “And you know what? When I explained to Walter that you wouldn’t be returning to Britain due to personal reasons, that crazy guy decided to move the event to America,” Lola continued, oblivious to the effect her words were having. Her laughter filled the air, unaware that every word she uttered was triggering a reaction in Reuben, darkening his aura like a devil from hell. I swiftly muted Lola, excused myself from the dining table, then left the packhouse all together to continue the conversation. My heart raced wildly, but I regained control as I spoke, “Alright, I will participate in the event. Send me the details through email, and I’ll start working on the designs.” “Great! Then I’ll organize the models and everything for you then send the details,” Lola exclaimed cheerfully. I shook my head at her enthusiasm, chuckling softly until Ella’s voice interrupted us. “Willow,” Ella called out to me, standing a small distance away from me. “You’ve really become a fashion designer,” she smiled warmly. Back in school, we had all shared our aspirations for the future. I aimed to become a fashion designer, while Reuben hadn’t had any specific dreams other than wanting to be with me. However, Ella’s dreams were affluent, much like her bloodline and status. She aspired to become a Luna and lead the The Secret to Making Mars Mons 13:07 Thu, 29 FebrB. Chapter 25 pack. Considering that she was now Reuben’s fiancée, we both had achieved our dreams. Of course, the path she was on had once been solely mine. I swiftly ended the call with Lola and turned to leave, as had become my routine but this time Ella blocked my path. “Willow, wait!” she pleaded. “I want to talk to you all the time but you have been ignoring me,” I stared at her in complete silence, refusing to say a word for the time being. Ceri had become relatively violent in my mind since our best. friend had dared to turn our soulmate into her fiance so I was specifically avoiding Ella. “Why… Why did you never tell me you were Reuben’s soulmate?” she quietly questioned.

“Does it really matter?” I countered. “Who my soulmate is, who I’m mated with? Why should that affect anyone or anything, right?” She bit her lip, visibly distressed, “But we were best friends…” “So you knew…” A cold smile formed on my lips. “Yet you conveniently forgot about it when you became my lover’s fiancee…”. Her complexion paled slightly, “Willow, I can explain everything,” she stammered, moving closer to me in a state of panic, “I was coerced into signing those papers for the sake of my pack by my uncle…” “Coerced?” I asked, unable to control the small giggle from escaping at the hint of amusement her words caused. “Yes, I…” “Was someone holding a silver knife to your throat, forcing you to sign?” I questioned. She fell silent for a moment, then shook her head, “Well, no…” I nodded, continuing, “So, were you in a life-or-death situation where signing was the only way to survive?” I raised an eyebrow. She hesitated, unable to respond. “No,” she finally managed to say. “Then I fail to see a reason for you to sign a marriage contract with Reuben,” I stated flatly, drawing closer and intently meeting her gaze. “I was forced by my uncle, Willow…” “An uncle you could have easily refused,” I interjected, catching her off guard. “Even if my life were in danger, I’d never sign a marriage contract with my best friend’s lover 13 08 hu, 29 Feb JO Chapter 25 日常76%日 unless…” I paused, peering deeply into her eyes. “Unless I were in love with my best friend’s lover and my best friend’s absence provided the golden opportunity.” Ella’s eyes shimmered upon hearing my words. She took an abrupt step back from me, her face drained of color, speechless. I held her gaze until she turned on her heel and walked away.

Clutching my fists at my side, I tasted the bitterness of betrayal once more. I had hoped. she’d deny my suspicions. I had hoped my suspicions were wrong, but they weren’t… At that moment, I finally realized-Ella loved Reuben. 色 0