Mated by Contract to the Alpha
<b>Chapter </b><b>51 </b>
Reba’s POV
I forced myself to meet his gaze, though it took every ounce of courage I possessed. His blue eyes were darker than usual, intense with an emotion that made my chest tighten. My mind raced to find the right words, ones that would make him understand without making him angrier.
“I didn’t want to see him,” I began, my voice small and uneven. “But he threatened to hurt Jason… My brother owes
him gambling money.”
Dominic’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking at his temple. “You’ve disobeyed me. Twice. Why didn’t you contact me immediately?<b>” </b>
The usation stung, even though I knew it was justified. I’d made a promise, and I’d broken it. Heat rose to my cheeks, partly from shame, partly from a flicker of defiance.
“I didn’t want to use you again,” I admitted, wrapping my arms around myself in a protective gesture. “This is my family’s problem. I should handle it myself.”
Dominic’s face hardened, the muscle in his jaw visibly ticking. His blue eyes darkened with an emotion that looked surprisingly like hurt beneath the anger. I braced myself, my shoulders tensing as I expected him to unleash his Alpha rage for my disobedience.
Instead, his phone rang<b>, </b>cutting through the tension. Dominic pulled it from his pocket, his expression shifting as he nced at the screen. His features became even more severe, lips pressing into a thin line.
“I need to handle this,” he said, his voice low and controlled. He gave me onest unreadable look, eyes lingering on my face for a moment before he turned away to answer the call, walking back toward the hospital entrance.
I watched him leave<b>, </b>my shoulders slumping. I’d messed up again. The weight of my actions–my lies, my stubborn independence–pressed down on me. I struggled to take a full breath. I should have told him about Jason’s debt immediately. <b>I </b>should have called him the moment William contacted me.
My thoughts turned to William, and hatred swept through me so intense that my stomach clenched and bile rose in my throat. Five years wasted with that man. Five years where I hadn’t seen what was right in front of me.
I’m such an idiot,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around my middle as my nails dug into my sides. My eyes stung with unshed tears. “How could I have been with that monster for so long?”
William had never respected me. The signs were always there–how he dismissed my design portfolio, how he checked my phone, how he always made decisions without asking me. He’d treated me like a possession, something to disy and control. Now he was threatening my family, trying to force me <b>back </b>into his bed through emotional
ckmail.
My phone rang, interrupting my bitter thoughts. I fumbled to answer it, hands still shaking.
12:06 Mon, Sep <b>22 </b>
(63)
“Ba!” my mother cried, her voice high with panic. “The doctor says your father is going into surgery now! Where
are you?”
“I’ming, Mom,” I replied, already moving toward the elevators, my heart rate elerating. “I’ll be right there.”
I hurried through the hospital corridors, my breathing in short gasps. By the time I reached the surgical waiting area, sweat had beaded along my hairline. My mother sat alone in the corner, her face pale and drawn<b>, </b>fingers nervously twisting a tissue. When she saw me, she reached out, grabbing my hand with surprising strength.
“Thank God you’re here,” she said, her voice trembling, eyes red–rimmed. “I’m so scared, Ba.”
I squeezed her hand and sat beside her, letting my shoulder press against hers forfort. “<b>It’s </b>going to be okay, Mom. Dad’s getting the best care possible now.”
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