Ex-Mate Wants Me Back (Seraphina and Mortimer) novel Chapter 226

Chapter 226

Third Person’s POV

Although the movement was subtle, Mortimer caught it. A flicker of pain crossed his eyes.

Dash recognized him instantly. The dog propped its front paws on the edge of the stroller, its tongue hanging out as its tail wagged enthusiastically.

Mortimer forced a faint smile and reached out to stroke its head.

But Seraphina reacted almost on instinct, shoving his hand away.

“What are you trying to do?” she asked, her eyes instantly turning cold. The way she stiffened-as wary as a cat with its guard up -felt like a thousand knives piercing Mortimer’s heart, leaving it bleeding endlessly.

He slowly lifted his gaze to hers and let out a bitter laugh. “You think I’d hurt Dash?”

Even though he already knew the answer, he still couldn’t stop himself from asking.

Seraphina said nothing, but the look on her face told him everything.

“Have I really lost all your trust?” Mortimer asked hoarsely. His lips trembled, and his eyes slowly reddened.

Ever since Vivian told her Mortimer had helped Lillian get the video of Dash being abused taken down, Seraphina couldn’t even bring herself to be pleasant around him as a contractual mate anymore,

Every time she saw him, she would think of how he had protected an abuser.

Her hope that they could part on good terms faded a little more each time.

She had even decided that if Mortimer tried to bail Lillian out, she wouldn’t hesitate to turn against him for good.

Mortimer saw the undisguised disgust and hatred in her eyes, and his eyes grew even redder.

“Go home. Stop standing in my way,” Seraphina said coldly, stepping around him toward the door.

Behind her, Mortimer spoke again, his voice low and hoarse. “Where did you go tonight? Why are you just getting back?”

Hand on the doorknob, Seraphina paused and looked back into his anxious, expectant eyes. “That’s my private business. I don’t need to explain it to you.”

The words left Mortimer speechless.

“Private business?” he murmured.

“That’s right.” Seraphina’s voice grew even colder, her face blank. “Alpha Mortimer, the contract you gave me makes it clear: neither party is to interfere in the other’s private life. So I’d appreciate it if you respected that.”

Mortimer opened his mouth, but his throat was so dry that no sound came out.

In that moment, all he wanted was to go back three years and give his past self-the version who had come up with that contrast -a few hard slaps.

As Seraphina reached for the door again, Mortimer suddenly grabbed her wrist.

She frowned and looked down at his hand. “Alpha Mortimer. Let go.”

But Mortimer acted as if he hadn’t heard, looking at her with reddened eyes, his voice trembling. “I texted you. I called you. Even if you had plans, couldn’t you have at least let me know? Do you know I waited for you all night?”

By the end, his voice carried an unmistakable note of hurt.

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Chapter 228-

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But Seraphina’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest Instead, she looked at him in confusion. “Why were you waiting for me?”

The confusion in her eyes didn’t seem feigned, which made it even harder for Mortimer to accept.

“So… you forgot?” he asked.

Seraphina frowned slightly, more confused. “Forgot what?”

Mortimer felt as if another knife had been driven into his chest.

Inside him, his wolf howled in agony, desperately trying to push waves of longing and pleading through the fragile threads of their fading mating bond.

But no matter how his wolf fought to connect, all it found on Seraphina’s side was cold, lifeless silence.

He finally understood-she hadn’t stood him up to punish him.

She had simply… forgotten.

She had truly put everything about him out of her mind.

Mortimer’s lips trembled harder as he stared at Seraphina. “It’s my birthday today,” he said, his voice shaking. “You promised you’d come.”

His birthday? Only then did Seraphina remember. “Oh, sorry, I forgot.”,

She said she was sorry, but there wasn’t the slightest hint of remorse in her eyes.

Her expression practically said, “I forgot. What about it?”

Mortimer lowered his eyes, remembering that he’d even texted her earlier today to remind her.

She hadn’t answered his calls. Had she not even checked his messages?

Driven by an overwhelming instinct to mend their bond, he kept trying, even though her every word and look felt like a blow to his chest. “I texted you.”

“Huh?” To humor him, Seraphina took out her phone and opened their chat.

Sure enough, before those missed calls in the afternoon, Mortimer had texted to ask what time she’d be coming to the Alpha Villa.

But she had muted his chat long ago, so she hadn’t noticed that message—or any of the voice messages that followed.

She had no idea how humbly Mortimer had pleaded with her in those voice messages. And she no longer cared enough to find

out.

After a glance, she closed the chat.

“Sorry. I didn’t see it.”

The apology was perfunctory, devoid of any sincerity.

Mortimer seemed even more hurt, his eyes growing even redder.

Although Seraphina closed the chat almost instantly, he had already caught the stinging mute icon next to his profile picture.

Chapter 229

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