Ace POV
Stupid. Stupid.
I was a fucking idiot to think I could make her choose me over that destructive mate of hers.
My fists clenched as I sat on the edge of my bed, my head hanging low, my breath uneven. I had thought I was in control, that I was playing the game—but somehow, I was losing.
I turned my head slightly, my eyes landing on the old picture frame I had flipped down earlier. Laura.
Reaching out, my fingers brushed over the frame before I hesitated, then picked it up. The moment my eyes met hers—those lifeless, hollow eyes frozen in time—I felt the bitterness crash over me like a fucking tidal wave.
This isn't fair.
My mate—my real mate—had been used, ruined, broken beyond repair. And where was I? I had been too late. Too weak. I had found her when she was already lost to me, already discarded like some old, useless thing after Kane had gotten bored of her.
And now here I was, treating his mate like she was some fucking treasure. Like she deserved kindness.
