Chapter 124: Reality

Ophelia tried to speak, but no words came out. She struggled to find her voice, but the shock and panic gripping her made it nearly impossible. She felt a strange, consuming sensation that she hadn't anticipated—an overwhelming combination of disbelief and hurt. Nikolai. She desperately tried to call his name, but it seemed to elude her. Despite her best efforts, the name stuck in her throat, almost as if the words themselves were too painful to utter. He spoke instead, his voice cutting through the silence. “Mate.” The word hung in the air, heavy and unsettling. If he had called another person his mate, then what was she? Why was he gazing at... Skyla Flores? Ophelia’s eyes locked onto Nikolai’s, and she saw his intense, unreadable expression. She tried to decipher the emotions behind his gaze but found herself unable to. Skyla, on the other hand, was focused entirely on him. Ophelia noticed a faint blush spreading across Skyla’s cheeks as she moved closer to him. WHAT?! The sc