Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce!-Chapter 142

Kael’s POV

She was adorable.

That was the only word for it.

Aria stood in my arms, her body stiff as a board, her face getting redder by the second. She was trying so hard to look professional. To look unaffected.

She was failing spectacularly.

"Relax," I murmured near her ear. "You’re too tense. People will think you don’t want to be here."

"I DON’T want to be here."

"Liar."

Her eyes snapped up to mine. Angry. Defiant.

God, she was beautiful when she was mad.

I guided her through another turn. Felt the slight tremor in her hand. Watched the flush spread from her cheeks down to her neck.

Every reaction. Every tiny response. I catalogued them all.

This was what Damon had taught me.

*"You can’t force someone to love you back,"* he’d said that night at The Pit. *"You need to actually be tender. Patient. Like a normal person."*

Tender. Patient.

Two words that had never applied to me before.

But for her? I was willing to learn.

*"If you really want to win her back,"* Damon had continued, *"you need to make her feel something. Attraction. Butterflies. That giddy, can’t-think-straight feeling. And here’s the trick—even if you’re dying inside, you have to act like it’s nothing. Nonchalant. Cool. Let HER be the one who can’t stop thinking about you."*

It went against every instinct I had.

Every fiber of my being wanted to grab her. Claim her. Make sure everyone in this room knew she was MINE.

But that hadn’t worked before.

That had driven her away.

So I was trying something new.

"You look beautiful tonight." I kept my voice low. Casual. Like I was commenting on the weather. "That dress. That makeup. Suits you."

Her breath caught.

I saw it. That tiny hitch. That split second where her composure cracked.

Victory.

Small. But real.

"Cold?" I asked innocently.

"No."

I smiled. "Your cheeks are red."

"It’s warm in here."

"Is it?"

She glared at me. Those silver-gray eyes practically shooting daggers.

But she didn’t pull away.

Didn’t try to escape.

And her face kept getting redder.

Like an apple.

A beautiful, furious, absolutely adorable apple.

I had to fight to keep my expression neutral. To maintain that calm, unaffected facade Damon had insisted on.

Inside? I was burning.

Every point where our bodies touched felt like fire. Her hand in mine. Her waist under my palm. The warmth radiating from her skin.

Three years.

Three years without this.

And now she was here. In my arms. Dancing with me like we’d never been apart.

Except we had been apart.

And it was my fault.

*Focus,* I told myself. *Follow the plan.*

"I just wanted to dance with someone familiar," I said, keeping my tone light. "Is that so strange? An Alpha should be allowed to enjoy his own party."

"There are plenty of women here you’re familiar with."

"None I want to dance with."

Her eyes widened. Just for a second. Then she looked away.

But I saw it.

That flicker of... something.

Hope? Confusion? Want?

I didn’t know. But it was there.

*Good,* I thought. *Let her wonder. Let her think about what I meant.*

The music swelled around us. I spun her out. Watched her dress flare around her legs. Then pulled her back.

Closer than before.

She gasped. Her hand landed on my chest. Right over my heart.

Could she feel it racing?

Probably.

I didn’t care.

Let her know. Let her feel how much she affected me. As long as I kept my face calm, my voice steady, she’d never be sure.

That was the game.

Make her feel everything while showing nothing.

Drive her crazy the way she’d been driving me crazy for three years.

"Your heart is beating fast," she whispered.

Damn.

"Is it?" I raised an eyebrow. "Must be all this dancing. Very aerobic."

She stared at me.

I stared back.

Neither of us blinked.

"You’re impossible," she muttered.

"I prefer ’determined.’"

"Same thing."

I laughed. Couldn’t help it.

The sound escaped before I could stop it. Low and warm and completely genuine.

Her eyes went wide. Her whole body softened for just a moment.

Then she caught herself. Stiffened again.

But I’d seen it.

That glimpse of the woman she used to be with me. Before everything went wrong. Before I ruined it all.

She was still in there.

I just had to find her.

The music was slowing. Building toward its final notes.

Part of me wanted to hold her tighter. To keep her here forever. To never let the song end.

But that wasn’t the plan.

*"Act nonchalant,"* Damon’s voice echoed in my head. *"Let HER be the one who can’t stop thinking about YOU."*

The last note faded.

We stopped dancing.

I released her slowly. Deliberately. Let my fingers trail across her waist as I pulled away.

She shivered.

I pretended not to notice.

We faced each other. Bowed. The formal end to a formal dance.

When she straightened, her face was on fire.

I mean, genuinely on fire.

Red from her hairline to her collarbone. Her eyes were bright. Slightly dazed. Like she’d just woken up from a dream and couldn’t figure out what was real.

Perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

I wanted to lean in. To whisper something devastating. To watch her combust completely.

But that wasn’t the plan.

*Patience,* I reminded myself. *Let her simmer.*

"Thank you for the dance, Ms. Moon." I made my voice professional. Distant. Like she was any other assistant and this was any other dance.

She blinked. Confusion flickered across her face.

Good. Keep her guessing.

I turned away.

Scanned the crowd. Found my target easily.

A blonde woman standing just behind where Aria had been. Tall. Pretty. The kind of woman who belonged at events like this.

The kind of woman I had zero interest in.

But that wasn’t the point.

The point was to walk away from Aria.

To show her that she wasn’t the only option.

To make her FEEL something when she watched me with someone else.

*"Jealousy,"* Damon had explained. *"It’s a powerful thing. If she thinks you’re interested in other women, she’ll realize what she might lose. And THEN she’ll start paying attention."*

It felt wrong.

Every step away from Aria felt like walking through mud. Heavy. Difficult. Against every instinct I had.

But I did it anyway.

I stopped in front of the blonde. Smiled politely.

"May I have this dance?"

Her face lit up like I’d just offered her the moon.

"I would be honored, Alpha Blood Crown."

She took my hand.

I led her to the dance floor.

But my attention was behind me.

On Aria.

I could feel her gaze burning into my back. Could practically hear her thoughts racing.

*Good,* I thought. *Watch me. Wonder why. Feel something.*

The music started again. Something slow and romantic.

I put my hand on the blonde’s waist. Started moving.

She was talking. Saying something about how beautiful the ceremony was. How honored she felt. How she’d always admired me from afar.

I made appropriate noises. Nodded in the right places.

But I wasn’t listening.

I was thinking about Aria.

About the way she’d felt in my arms. About the heat of her skin. About the fire in her eyes when she’d told me I was impossible.

About how much I wanted to drop this stranger and go back to her.

*Patience,* I told myself again. *Trust the process.*

The song seemed to last forever.

Finally—FINALLY—it ended.

I thanked the blonde. Something polite and forgettable. She beamed at me like I’d just proposed marriage.

I didn’t care.

I turned.

Looked for Aria.

She’d been in the corner. Right? Near the back wall. I’d seen her retreat there after our dance. Watched her press her back against the wall and close her eyes.

Probably trying to compose herself.

Probably failing.

The image had made me smile. That gorgeous, stubborn woman. Hiding in the shadows. Pretending she wasn’t affected.

When she was clearly, obviously, absolutely affected.

I’d wanted to go to her immediately. To keep pushing. To see how much more I could make her blush.

But Damon’s voice had echoed in my head.

*"Give her space. Let her come to you. The more you chase, the more she’ll run."*

So I’d danced with someone else.

Let her watch.

Let her stew.

And now I was ready to see the results.

I scanned the corner where she’d been standing.

Empty.