Chapter 189 Invitation
TESSA
I had been restless all morning. Ever since Ben and Ingrid came here, a strange unease clung to <b>me </b>whispering fears I couldn’t quite name. My chest always felt heavy with the thought of someoneing in take Ca away.
It was irrational, maybe, but motherhood is full of irrational terrors. You can tell yourself your child is safe, but the moment you turn away and they’re not where you left them, the world copses.
That happened today.
I turned from the stove after finishing lunch, wiping my hands on a towel, only to find the chair beside me
empty.
“Ca?”
No reply.
My heart leapt into my throat. I searched the kitchen and the living room, and even peeked into the smallundry room, as if she might’ve slipped in there without me noticing. Nothing. The silence grew louder. pounding in my ears.
“Ca!” My voice cracked. I bolted toward the hallway and checked her room. Her toys were scattered, bur there was no little girl in sight. Panic settled in my veins. What if-?
I didn’t let the thought finish. I pushed through the door and ran outside.
“Whoa.”
The word stopped me dead.
There was Owen, crouched down in the grass and beside him was Ca. She clutched a small wildflower, holding it up like she’d found treasure. Owen’s hands kept her bnced as she leaned forward.
Relief hit me so hard my knees nearly buckled.
“It’s just me,” he said with a soft grin, eyes lifting toward me.
I exhaled a shaky breath, pressing a hand against my chest. “God, Owen…”
Before I could think twice, I crossed the yard and pulled him into a hug. He froze for half a second, caught off guard, then patted my back before hugging me properly.
He chuckled against my shoulder. “You usually don’t do this. Did you miss me or something?”
I pulled away, clicking my tongue, masking the sudden rush of emotion with a small smile. “Don’t tter yourself.”
As I looked at him, however, the relief tangled with something else. Nostalgia, was it? It had been months
since he’dste here.
Chapter 189 Invitation
When Owen was still in Elite, he promised he’d visit me every month. And he did. Even <b>when </b>training was brutal, even when exams piled up, he found time. He missed mybor, though an exam had kept <b>him </b>away, and even now he carried that guilt. I told him a hundred times that it wasn’t his fault, but Owen wasn’t the kind of man to forgive himself easily.
After graduation, life pulled him farther away. Hended a position with United Factions <b>as </b>a biotech analyst. His days were consumed with tracking medicines, evaluating forms, ensuring that the systems keeping people alive were efficient and fair. Oddly enough, it ran parallel to my own path, so we joked about being “busy buddies,” drowning in work.
So seeing him here now felt strange andforting in ways.
“You got free time?” I asked softly.
He nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Fortunately, I’ve got today–and two days next week.”
Before I could answer, a small voice pierced the air.
“Uncle Owen!”
Caunched herself into his arms, and he caught her easily, spinning her around once before setting her on his hip.
“Hey, munchkin,” he said, tapping her nose. “You’ve grown. What are you eating these days? Bricks?”
She giggled, tugging at his cor. “Miss woo.”
I stood back and watched them. In that instant, something inside me ached.
As sweet as the image was, I knew of its implications. The image of Ca ying with a father figure felt foreign.
She had plenty of male figures in her life, but a father was different. Ca had never had that. No matter how much love she was showered with, I knew, deep down, that she felt that missing piece. Children have a way of knowing, even if they can’t put it into words.
I always felt bad about that.
I pressed my lips together, swallowing the guilt that tried to surface.
I shook my head, pushing the thoughts aside before they swallowed me whole. Ca deserved joy, not my mncholy.
“Come on,” I said gently, leading the way back inside.
We entered the house together, Ca still clinging to Owen’s hand. The three <i>of </i>us settled at the table, and soon the smell of the lunch I’d prepared filled the room. Bowls clinked, chairs scraped against the floor, and we ate like a normal family.
The moment we finished, Ca had her afternoon nap, always needing one after a full meal. That was her trait even in her daycare, and I smiled while Owen tucked her in. She was sprawled out on <i>her </i>little bed, cheeks still flushed fromughing too hard during lunch, hershes long against her skin as she
surrendered to sleep.
Chapter 189 Invitation
Owen lingered by her bedside longer than I expected, brushing the nket higher <b>over </b><b>her </b><b>small </b>frame When he finally turned back, there was a change in his expression.
I stiffened immediately, recognizing the signs.
“What?” I asked right away, narrowing my eyes.
He raised a brow. “What do you mean? I didn’t even say anything”
I leaned back on the doorway, folding my arms over my chest. “Don’t y with me, Owen. I’ve known you long enough to understand your expressions. You have something to say.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
He hesitated, biting his lip. He went out of the bedroom and led me to the couch, where his bag was. His hand went inside and pulled out an envelope.
It appeared to be an… invitation of some sort.
I reached for it carefully, my hands a little shaky as I pulled it from his grasp. My breath caught when <b>I </b>read the word on the front–Grand Wedding.
A gasp escaped before I could stop it. My heart started racing even though I hadn’t even opened it yet. I peeled the p back slowly.
And then I saw the names engraved in elegant gold letters.
Arden Stone and Cade Cahan.
My heart skipped a beat.
The wedding was finally happening.
I blinked fast, already feeling tears welling up in my eyes.
Arden. The woman who had been through so much, the one I had worried over and trusted in ways I could never exin. She was getting married to Cade, of all people. A man who had fought for her, who had stood by her when the world tried to tear her apart. I looked up at Owen, my lips pressed together to hold back the flood of emotions that threatened to break loose.
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, ncing aside before speaking. “I know it’s tough,” he started gently, “but I feel it’s time.”
“The factions wouldn’t shun you,” he continued quickly, reading the hesitation all over my face. “It’s an invitation for all the close friends. And you’re technically not a rogue. You’re from a visiting pack. It’s different.”
I swallowed hard, unable to look away from the paper in my hands. My throat tightened again as I whispered, “I–I don’t…”
But Owen cut me off softly, stepping closer. “Arden really wants you there.” His voice carried a sincerity that went straight through me.
“I think she has a hunch <i>that </i>I know about your whereabouts, so she gave me two invitations <b>specifically </b>
<b>3/4 </b>
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Chapter 189 Invitation
You know Arden. She’s always inquisitive.” He siniled faintly, then let it fade. “But she respected the boundary. I think she wanted you to have the choice.”
Owen’s gaze softened, his voice almost a plea. “I hope you can give her a chance.”
“Think about it, Tessa.”