The Mate He Hates

Amanda’s POV

A knock landed on my door, and when I opened it, a maid stood there. “Greetings, miss. Alpha Edward asked me to deliver this to you and also requests that you meet him on the rooftop.” The maid bowed and handed me a box.

Confused, I took the box from her and closed the door. Returning to my room, I placed the box on the bed and, with growing curiosity, opened it. To my surprise, I found a red fitted dress, shoes, a purse, and jewelry inside. Stunned, I stared at the items before noticing a note. Picking it up, I began to read.

The note was elegantly written in Edward’s unmistakable handwriting:

“Amanda,

Please wear this and join me on the rooftop. I have something important to discuss with you.

Yours, Alpha Edward”

I scoffed and folded the paper. Obviously, this was one of his attempts to make me forgive him, but I won’t fall for it. Dropping the note, I left the items and went back to my laptop. I had to finish a design and send it to a client.

A few minutes passed, but I couldn’t concentrate on my work. Constantly, I would stare at the box, wondering what was on the rooftop. “I don’t care,” I murmured to myself and tried to focus on work, but it was useless. My mind kept drifting to the items on the bed, and no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I just couldn’t.

Sighing heavily, I gave up and stood to my feet. I quickly changed into the red dress, slipping on the shoes and fastening the jewelry. The dress fit perfectly, accentuating my figure in a way that made me feel both confident and a bit nervous. I grabbed the purse and took a deep breath before heading out of my room.

As I made my way to the rooftop, my mind raced with possibilities. Was this a romantic gesture? A formal event? Or something else entirely? I reached the door to the rooftop and hesitated for a moment, then opened it and stepped outside.

The rooftop was transformed into a stunning scene. Twinkling lights hung overhead, casting a soft glow over a beautifully set table for two. Alpha Edward stood by the edge, looking out over the city. When he heard me approach, he turned and smiled, his eyes lighting up as he took in the sight of me in the red dress.

“Amanda, you look stunning,” he said, walking over to me.

“Thank you,” I murmured, while stealing a quick glance at him. He was formally dressed in a well-tailored black suit, unlike his usual jeans and shirt. No matter how much I hated to admit it, Alpha Edward was looking handsome and breathtaking.

“Please have a seat.” He pulled out a chair for me, which I took, and watched him move to the other side of the table, taking the seat across from me.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

My eyes settled on the dishes on the table, which looked mouthwatering, and to top it off, they were all my favorites. I wondered how he knew so little about me yet managed to pick them.

“I made them myself, with the help of the cooks,” he announced, and I raised a brow at him. “Don’t worry, they taste good.” He smiled widely at me, but I frowned and looked away.

“Let’s eat.” He stood up and served me each portion of the meal before placing the plate in front of me. “Thank you,” I murmured, unsure of how to feel about this gesture. This was supposed to be a gesture to excite me, to make my heart flutter, but I wasn’t as excited as I should have been.

“Come on, taste it,” he urged, and reluctantly, I picked up the fork and took a bite. The food was indeed delicious, much to my surprise. I couldn’t help but glance up at Edward, who was watching me with hopeful eyes. Quickly, I looked down at my plate, trying to hide the small smile that crept onto my face.

“Okay,” I murmured, noticing his eyes light up. “Thank you, I’m glad you like it,” he said, and we continued eating in silence but constantly stealing glances at each other.

After the meal, he served dessert, and as we ate, he decided to speak. “I want to get to know you, Amanda.”

I raised a brow at him.

“Yes, I want to know everything there is to know about you-your likes, your dislikes, what life was like for you growing up. Can you please tell me?” he pleaded, and inwardly, I scoffed and glared at him. It was a joke to think that this dinner would make any difference to how I felt.

“You want to know everything about me?” I asked, folding my arms, and he nodded.

“Well…” I paused, scoffing, anger rising within me. “I was living a decent life until I saved a certain young man in the woods,” I muttered, noticing Alpha Edward’s eyes twitch with guilt. “After saving that young man, my life became a living hell. I was accused of killing my supposed stepsister, and this man forcefully married and tortured me. He made me his sex slave and showed me nothing but pain and misery…”

I paused, noticing Alpha Edward’s eyes filled with guilt, but that didn’t stop me. “I begged and pleaded, telling him that I was innocent, but he never listened to me. And you know the painful part of all this? This man was my damn mate!” I yelled bitterly, tears clouding my eyes. “He was supposed to love me, cherish and protect me, but what did he do?” I scoffed bitterly. “He inflicted permanent pain in my heart that cannot be repaired! He didn’t just torture me emotionally but physically and mentally!” I muttered bitterly, sucking in a deep breath to calm my nerves before standing up. “If you think this silly romantic dinner gesture will erase all the pain you inflicted on me!” I scoffed in anger. “Then you must be joking!” I yelled, turning to leave, but he quickly got up and grabbed my wrist.

“Amanda,” he whispered, his voice heavy with regret, “I know I’ve hurt you, and I don’t expect you to forgive me easily. But I want to make things right. Tonight is just the start.”

“Forget it, Alpha Edward! Nothing you do can make up for what you did! Do you even remember what you put me through?” I yelled, tears streaming down my face.

He winced at my words, his grip on my wrist tightening for a moment before he let go. His eyes were filled with regret, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. His remorse did nothing to erase the scars he had left on my heart.

“I remember everything,” he said quietly. “And I live with that guilt every day.”

“Well, good. You should,” I snapped, stepping back and glaring at him. “But that doesn’t mean I have to forgive you. It doesn’t mean I have to play along with this charade.” I gestured angrily to the beautifully set table, the twinkling lights, the meticulously prepared food. “This doesn’t change anything.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “You can’t just throw a nice dinner at me and expect everything to be okay. You ruined my life, Edward. You don’t get to wash that away with a fancy dress and a nice meal.”

With that, I turned on my heel and walked away, my heart clenching in my chest. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn’t look back.