Chapter 8

Stella shifted uncomfortably, her gaze drifting away as her lips moved, wanting to speak but finding the words stuck in her throat, too difficult to say. If she admitted it, Eric would surely mock her... After a brief pause, Stella softly said, "I just came to... thank you for saving me yesterday." Eric’s face remained cold, his tone blunt. "No need to thank me. I'd save anyone, even a stray dog on the street." Stella’s eyelashes fluttered, her face paling as her fingers, hanging at her sides, tightened involuntarily. Eric turned his gaze indifferently to the window, acting as if Stella didn’t even exist. Ruby, who had been quietly observing, exchanged a subtle glance between the two before smiling and offering the bowl of hot soup to Eric. "Eric, have some soup." Eric, seemingly uninterested, accepted the bowl out of politeness. Ruby sat down at the edge of Eric's bed, casually tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, revealing a clear handprint on her otherwise pale face. Eric glanced at it briefly, his expression unchanged, before lowering his head to sip the soup. Stella, left in an awkward silence, bit her lip. She turned to leave, but then Eric spoke, his attention unexpectedly shifting to Ruby. "What happened to your face? Who did this to you?" Stella froze in her tracks, while Ruby’s heart skipped a beat. She had been waiting for Eric to ask her this question, for once he did, she could move forward with her plan. With a hint of innocence, Ruby glanced at Stella, her eyes quickly darting away as she spoke. "It’s nothing... just an accident." Eric, ever sharp, noticed the subtle look Ruby had given Stella. He paused for a moment before turning his gaze to Stella’s stiff back, his voice growing cold. "Did you do this?" He was questioning her. Stella’s chest tightened with bitterness. Slowly, she turned to face him, her expression calm as she openly admitted, "Yes, I did." "Apologize." Eric’s voice was firm, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. Stella clenched her fists, a cold smile curving her lips. "Eric, what if I don’t apologize?" Her own husband, defending the mistress right in front of her... how ironic. Eric’s eyes hardened, locking onto hers. "Then let her slap you back." Her heart clenched painfully. Stella bit down on her teeth, forcing herself to maintain a calm facade, suppressing the turmoil inside. "Eric, don’t you think the one who should be slapped is you and her? I haven’t severed the bond with you yet, but you're already openly cheating. You two may not care about rumors, but I do!" The words "sever the bond" hit both Eric and Ruby like a sharp jab. "Stella, are you really going to sever the bond with me?" Eric’s eyes bore into hers, his voice full of intensity. Stella pressed her lips together, holding her ground for a moment before she spat out a single word, "Yes." Before she could say anything else, Ruby quickly jumped in, eager to cover up her own vulnerability. "Eric, Stella is just angry. She didn’t really mean she wants to sever the bond. And it wasn’t because I told her not to that she hit me!" Eric’s face darkened slightly as he focused on Stella’s eyes. "Why did you hit her?" Stella’s gaze slowly swept over both Eric and Ruby’s faces. Perhaps it was the accumulated anger and disappointment, but for once, she felt an unprecedented calmness. If he believed her, she would explain. But if he didn’t, no matter how well she explained, he would never believe her. "Eric, why do you think I hit her?" she asked, her voice quiet but with a trace of amusement, her lips almost curling into a smile as she maintained her composure. Yet Eric couldn’t stand the calmness in her demeanor, especially when it came to his own actions. It only fueled his anger even more.This calmness only served to remind Eric that the woman had no feelings, no care, no affection—only then could she remain so composed. Eric’s face tightened, his gaze sharp and cold, his eyes boring into Stella like daggers. Each look felt like a blow, cutting deep into her, leaving invisible wounds. "I don’t care what your reasons are. Now, either you apologize to her, or you get out!" Stella didn’t hesitate for a second. She turned and walked away. With a loud slam, she misjudged the force and slammed the door to the room shut. Standing in the doorway, Stella’s face finally betrayed a flicker of pain, her lashes fluttering as she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the tears. Inside, Eric stared at the door she had just slammed, his anger boiling over. He grabbed the bowl of soup in his hand and threw it to the floor with a crash. The glass bowl shattered into pieces, the soup splattering everywhere. Ruby froze for a moment, surprised by Eric’s outburst. She had known him for over a decade, but this was the first time she’d seen him react like this. Then, thinking of the woman who had caused Eric to become so furious, Ruby’s heart twisted with jealousy and resentment. "Eric..." She suppressed her jealousy and spoke softly. "Don’t be angry." Eric couldn’t hold back his rage. His dark eyes flashed with fury as he glared at Ruby. He didn’t even try to soften his words, his voice cold and biting: "You leave too." Ruby faltered, her tone softening as she called out his name. "Eric..." Eric’s gaze remained frigid and unforgiving. He pointed to the door and said simply, his voice like ice, "Leave." Ruby’s mask of softness cracked for a moment, a flash of maliciousness passing over her face before it quickly returned to its usual innocent, gentle expression. "Eric, she doesn’t deserve this from you," Ruby said quietly, sighing as if offering comfort. "Do you know why she hit me before?" Eric’s lips tightened, his silence answering her question. Ruby didn’t press further. Instead, she pulled out her phone and played a recording. "Stella, I’m asking you, please don’t sever the mark with Eric. You’ve only been mates for two years. Maybe you’re just not getting along yet..." The voice on the recording was unmistakably Stella’s, a voice Eric knew all too well. "I don’t care about severing the mark. What does it have to do with you?" "I love Eric. I don’t want to see him hurt because of you..." Ruby’s voice was soft and sincere. "Oh, really? Well, I’ll let you have him. He sleeps around every day, his body and soul so dirty it makes me sick. If it weren’t for the fact that he's the heir to Eric’s Tribe, I wouldn’t even let him touch me. A man like that? You can have him. I wouldn’t want him, not even if he were handed to me!" "Stella, how could you say that about Eric? If he’s out there seeing others, it’s because you haven’t done enough. You should—" Smack! A sharp slap echoed through the recording, cutting Ruby off mid-sentence. "Even if it’s because I haven’t done enough between us, what does that have to do with you? I told you, if you want Eric, you can have him. It’s not like I haven’t been thinking about severing the mark for a while now!" After the recording ended, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet, the air thick with tension.