Once again, the call was hung up. A deep sense of powerlessness washed over Julian, and the light in his eyes faded. Just from his expression, Mr. and Mrs. Blake knew something was wrong, and their voices became more urgent.“What did Shelly say?”
Even now, Julian still hadn’t told his parents that he and Shelly were fated mates chosen by the Moon Goddess. But he had rejected her. He had personally cut the link between himself and his fated mate. So he couldn’t bring himself to say her final, hurtful words. He could only be vague.“She doesn’t want her parents to know about this, so she doesn’t want to meet, and she wants us to go back.”
Hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Blake’s hearts sank. When they first found out, they had thought about talking things over. They hoped that if the two of them could move past their old problems and get back together, their relationship with the Rosses would be even stronger, which would be for the best. But before that, the most important thing was to respect the wishes of their children. Looking at Shelly’s attitude, that possibility seemed tiny.
Both of them sighed at the same time and frowned.“Since Shelly isn’t willing, then let it be. But you still wronged her, and you must give her a proper apology. You can’t ruin the decades of friendship between our families because of you.”
Julian couldn’t say a word, his heart heavy. The family of three booked tickets directly to Barcelona. After the plane landed, Mr. Blake called Mr. Ross to explain the situation. That evening, the two families met at a restaurant by the coast.
After a month apart, Shelly had lost some weight, but her complexion was good, and she seemed full of energy. For half an hour, besides an initial greeting, she sat in the corner without saying a word. The parents of both families talked a lot. When they heard about the canceled engagement, Mr. and Mrs. Ross were surprised and asked why. Mr. and Mrs. Blake and Julian didn’t know how to answer and could only give a vague explanation.“Something unexpected came up. Grace didn’t want to get married, so the engagement was called off.”
Seeing how uncomfortable they were, Mrs. Ross didn’t ask further and changed the subject. “If it’s over, it’s over. You can’t force matters of the heart. Wait a few more years, and maybe you’ll meet your fated mate someday!”
“That’s right. Since you’re not busy with wedding stuff, why don’t you stay with us in Spain for a while? Think of it as a break.”
Hearing this, Shelly, who had been silent, finally spoke.“Dad, Mom, didn’t you promise Mrs. Blake you’d visit her in a couple of days?”
With those words, her meaning was clear. Mr. and Mrs. Blake’s faces showed a hint of embarrassment. Julian’s eyes showed a trace of helplessness, and he waved his hands repeatedly.“It’s fine. You can go ahead with your plans. I’ll take care of my parents. We can get together again when you get back.”
This clearly meant he planned to stay in Spain. Shelly felt a surge of annoyance, and her wolf, Phoebe, roared, cursing him.“How shameless!” She looked at Julian with intense impatience. “Is this really necessary?”
The entire private room went completely silent. Mr. and Mrs. Ross didn’t know why their daughter was so hostile, and while apologizing, they started scolding her.“I’m so sorry. Shelly doesn’t know how to talk. She’s just worried that we’re not around, and you won’t have a good time. Please don’t misunderstand”
“Yes, yes, Shelly, quickly apologize to the Blakes. Since they’ve come all this way, we’ll go with them and have a good time. As for your Mrs. Blake, it’s not too late to go next month.”
If it were just for a vacation, Shelly wouldn’t have any objections. But she knew they weren’t here just to play. To her, all of this was a private matter between her and Julian and shouldn’t involve their families. She didn’t want her parents to know about these painful things, which is why she tried so hard to stop them. The Blakes were an Alpha family, after all. If things really got out of hand, the Rosses wouldn’t be able to stand up to them.
But she could only watch as they came to their door, insisting on getting involved. The hurt and anger of the past few months surged in her heart. She completely lost control of her wolf’s nature and didn’t want to pretend anymore. She spoke bluntly.“Dad, Mom, I’m not the one who should apologize, and it shouldn’t be me.”
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