Chapter 6 Dinner of Disillusion
Nevea
I was late, and I didn’t care. Part of me hoped for the dinner to get canceled. But deep down, I knew Kai wouldn’t let that happen. He was determined to make this dinner work as if it would serve as a bandage to cover whatever was wrong between us. And we would become close like nothing happened.
I stared at the mirror and adjusted the simple black bodycon dress I had chosen for this dinner. I selected it because it emphasized my hourglass body, but my face still looked haggard despite applying makeup and arranging my hair. I had been burying myself in work to pretend I was okay. But maybe tonight, I could stop pretending.
The drive to Oriental Restaurant was short, and my heart pounded with each passing street. I wasn’t sure what to expect with
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this dinner, but I knew it would hurt. Lately, everything with Kai had been painful.
I took a deep breath before I went to the restaurant’s entrance. I needed to pull myself together. I didn’t want anyone to be satisfied seeing how much affected I was. I opened the door and immediately located the private room that Kai reserved. It was the biggest and most comfortable one. My stomach twisted when I reached the
private room door and heard the familiar
voices.
I was about to open the door when I heard Ivar speak.
“Claire, you are better for Kai. Everyone can see that.‘
I froze, and my hand remained on the handle, but the door was left ajar. Ivar wasn‘ t drunk and not bothered that I
could walk in anytime. He was calm and almost certain that he was saying the obvious truth. Anger flared in my chest,
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but sadness quickly swallowed it. There it was, the truth I had been trying to ignore, coming from Kai’s best friend and beta.
I thought about running, but something urged me to keep listening.
“Honestly, it doesn’t make sense for Kai to be with Nevea. The pack doesn‘ t respect her the way they do with you. Claire, you were the one who’s always been there for him. And Kai is always laughing and stressed–free with you,” Ivar continued, his voice steady.
I clenched my fists, and my nails dug into my palm, but I couldn’t feel the pain. Ivar wasn’t only talking about Claire, but also my place in the pack. He made me feel that I would never be enough, nor do I belong to the pack.
“I know,” Claire said softly, and I could almost hear the smile in her voice. “But I don t want to come between them.”
“Come on, Claire,” Ivar said with a laugh.
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“You‘ re not coming between them. This s just the way it’s supposed to be. Kai still has feelings for you. He always has.”
My chest tightened, and I struggled to breathe. Kai still had feelings for Claire? I had always suspected it, but getting a confirmation hit me deeply. I should have run before hearing something worse, but I couldn’t. I remained rooted in my spot, and I felt like breaking down.
Claire sighed; her voice filled with feigned
concern.
“I just don’t want to hurt Nevea. She‘ s nice, but… she’s not the right fit for him. I don‘ t think she can handle being with someone like Kai, not long–term.”
“Exactly! She’s not strong enough. Kai needs someone who can stand by his side. and not be emotional, someone like you. Because it’s not just about love, Claire. It’s about what’s best for the pack. And everyone knows that‘ s you.”
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I swallowed hard because my throat went dry. Ivar’s words kept repeating in my head. Not strong enough. Not right for him. They had dissected my relationship with Kai, laid it bare, and exposed every insecurity I had tried to bury.
I leaned closer to the door, my pulse racing, waiting for Claire to respond.
“Kai does mean a lot to me. And maybe you‘ re right. Maybe we‘ re better suited for each other,” Claire said with her usual
soft and sweet voice.
Their conversation was like a blow to me, and I struggled to keep my tears from falling. How long had Kai felt this way? How long had he kept it from me while I kept thinking I was never good enough?
“Of course, I’m right! I’ve known Kai longer than anyone. He’s always been protective of you, Claire. He’s always cared about you more than anyone else. Nevea’s just… a distraction. She’s not his future,” Ivar said with a smirk.
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My heart shattered at those words. A distraction. Was that all I had been to Kai? All this time, while I had been fighting for our relationship, had Kai just been waiting for an excuse to leave?
“I don’t know. It’s complicated,” Claire responded coyly.
“It doesn‘ t have to be. Kai just needs to stop pretending and admit the truth. You and him, that‘ s what‘ s right. The pack sees it, I see it, and deep down, he knows it
too.
I couldn’t listen anymore. I backed away from the door, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. I turned and was about to run away from this place when I bumped into someone.
Kai.
His brow furrowed in confusion, and asked, “Nevea? What are you doing out here?”
I almost couldn’t speak. The words caught
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in my throat as I looked into Kai’s eyes, searching for some sign of the man I thought I knew. But all I could think of was what Ivar had said.
I shook my head and stepped back.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me you still have feelings for her?”
Kai‘ s eyes widened, but he didn’t respond. He stared at me, and his mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. I didn’t wait for him to answer. I didn’t need to. His silence said enough. And without another word, I turned and ran away with a shattered heart.
