Goodbye My Alpha (Taya and Griffon)

chapter3

Griffon walked past me to the exit doors. A car was waiting outside, and I watched as he gently helped Tara into the back seat. Once the car door was closed, he turned around and walked back to me. My heart gave a flutter as I watched my handsome Alpha stride back to me.

Could it be that was just all for show? My pulse sped up with hope.

Until he pulled an envelope from the inner pocket of his suit jacket and said, "I'm canceling our contract. You're fired."

The blood drained from my face as I stared at his outstretched hand, and I was lightheaded as my heart stopped.

Fired.

Not "we're breaking up."

Fired.

It took everything in me to choke back my sobs and keep the tears welling in my eyes from falling.

"So this is what five years is worth? 'Firing' me in a hospital lobby?" I couldn't hold back the venom in my voice when I said the word "firing."

Griffon clenched his jaw, causing the muscle to ripple. "The decision is not yours to make."

I took the card and plastered on a fake smile, attempting to feign indifference. "Don't be so serious. I was just joking." Then I added, "I'm glad this is over. Now I'll get a chance to rest. How perfect!"

His wolf flashed in his eyes with that gorgeous amber. He pinned me with his gaze as he slid his hands into his pants pockets in a calculated move that I knew was meant to look casual. The Alpha was never casual. Even in bed.

It took everything in me to make sure there was no sadness in my eyes, to make sure the only emotions he might see were excitement or relief.

The absolute last things I felt.

Griffon narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Why are you at the hospital?"

"It's just a routine checkup. You know that I've always had a heart condition." I gave a nonchalant shrug.

Griffon's eyes filled with something I couldn't read. After staring at me for a while, he pulled his hand out of his pocket to look at his watch. He didn't say anything, just turned to leave. "Griffon Knight."

I called his name for the first time.

He turned around and said gruffly, "What's wrong?"

I trembled and almost let out a sigh of relief. He'd said "what's wrong" instead of a simple "what" ...

Surely that meant he cared at least a little bit, right?

I shook the hope out of my head. It didn't matter anyway. Even if he somehow felt anything for me, he'd ended things with me. And in such a humiliating way.

Anything I was about to say vanished. "It...it's nothing, Alpha Knight. I just wanted to take the day off tomorrow."

Griffon frowned and furrowed his brows. Of course, he knew I wasn't being completely honest with me. His wolf could smell the change in my pheromones.

But he just nodded and said, "That's fine. I'll see you in the office the day after tomorrow."

I nodded back, gripping the envelope and my test results tightly.

Eighteen hundred days between me and Griffon. And as I stood there in pain-for us, for my diagnosis, for everything his parting words to me were, "And Taya...apologize to Tara for hurting her."

***

When I left the hospital, Griffon's assistant was waiting outside for me.

Andre took a deed and check from his briefcase.

"Ms. Palmer, this is Alpha Knight's compensation for you. In addition to the real estate and car, he has also placed five million dollars in your account."

How generous, I thought sarcastically.

Too bad he never knew what I truly wanted.

"I don't want it." I set my mouth in a grim line and shook my head.

Andre was stunned and confused. "Do you think it's not enough?"

My heart shattered beyond what I'd thought possible.

Even Andre thought I had done this for the money.

It was too much. So much money, plus an apartment and a luxury car. Was he afraid I would ask him again for more money in the future?

I grabbed my purse, took out a debit card, and handed it to Andre. "This is all the money Griffon paid me over the years. I never spent a single penny, and I don't want it. The pin number is his birthday." Andre was dumbfounded, a puzzled look furrowing his eyebrows.

I didn't care whether he believed me or not.

Besides, all the money in the world couldn't buy me either of the things I wanted most-Griffon's love, and longer than three months to live.

***

Winter was cold in Arcadia.

I tightened my beige coat, gritted my teeth, and walked back to my apartment in my high heels.

People stared at me with pity, since I looked so gaunt and fragile and utterly alone.

I opened the door and stared at my home. It was huge, taking up an entire floor.

Despite the warmth and the luxurious decor, the apartment couldn't dispel the chill flooding me.

I sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the surroundings for a moment.

Then I began to pack.

Griffon had purchased this apartment for me so that I would be close to his penthouse, able to rush over at a moment's notice.

I had loved that he wanted me near, wishing and praying to the goddess above that somehow it meant more than what it really did.

Since he didn't want me anymore, I didn't want anything that came from him.

I hadn't brought many things with me, and it didn't take me long to pack up everything and leave.

After getting into the car, I sent a text message to Andre.

[The key code to the Hudson Apartment is 0826.]

***

Andre returned to the Knight Pack headquarters, handed the documents to Griffon, and told him what Taya said.

With an indifferent look on his face, Griffon glanced at the items on his desk. His stoic gaze fixed on the debit card.

"You checked the balance?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"There is additional money in there?"

"Yes, Alpha." Andre nodded.

The exact amount Griffon had paid Taya for her virginity.

He frowned, and Andre heard his Alpha's wolf rumbling. After a moment of staring at the card, he stretched out his hand, picked up the piece of plastic, and snapped it in half, his claws starting to extend.

He pushed the pile of documents toward Andre, his fingers curled until his knuckles were white, crumpling the papers. "Get rid of it then."

Andre opened his mouth to defend Taya, but the Alpha had already turned away and was looking at his phone, a snarl on his face.

He knew better than to speak when his Alpha was like this, so he picked up the pile of documents and left the office.

Once Andre left and closed the door, the crash of shattering glass sounded from behind it.