The Substitute Bride Is Reborn and Loves Her Husband No more - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Fire beneath

The flashing lights were blinding.

Reporters swarmed around her, microphones shoved forward, cameras snapping wildly as voices overlapped in a chaotic mess.

She has had enough of all this.

“Miss Rose! Can you confirm—”

“Is it true that—”

“The investment deal—”

Rose didn’t stop. Her heels clicked against the pavement, sharp and unbothered, her expression unreadable as she made her way to the sleek black car waiting for her. With one firm motion, she yanked the door open, slid inside, and slammed it shut, drowning out the outside noise.

Finally, Silence.

Well, almost.

A man sat beside her, lounging against the leather seat like he owned the world. Mr. Kelvin.

His suit was crisp, expensive, every inch of him exuding arrogance. His face was as composed as ever, his fingers adjusting his silver cufflinks as if the world outside didn’t exist. And then, lazily, like he had all the time in the world, he turned his head toward her, his dark gaze locking onto hers.

“Where exactly are you planning to get the money from?”

No hesitation.

“From you and my father.”

A pause. Then, a slow chuckle.

It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t kind. It was pure amusement—like she had just told the most ridiculous joke in the world.

Mr. Kelvin leaned back, one arm draped casually over the seat. “Oh? And what makes you think I’m about to throw money at some trashy idea?”

Rose met his gaze, unbothered. “Because it’s not trashy.”

His brow lifted slightly, interest flickering in his otherwise bored expression. “Enlighten me, then.”

She exhaled through her nose, keeping her voice even. “It’s a gamble. A high-stakes one. Thousands of people will enter, all paying a participation fee. That money alone will cover the twenty billion. And that’s not even considering sponsorships, betting revenue, and the sheer popularity of it. It’s a risk, yes, but one that guarantees returns.”

Kelvin studied her, his fingers tapping lightly against his knee. “You sound very confident for someone who’s asking for an insane amount of money.”

“Because I know money,” Rose shot back. “And I know people. If there’s one thing they love, it’s the thrill of a gamble.”

Another chuckle. “I don’t make decisions based on enthusiasm, Miss Rose.”

“Good,” she said smoothly. “Then make it based on profit.”

For the first time, his expression flickered.

He was considering it.

The silence stretched, his gaze pinning her in place as he thought. Rose didn’t look away. She had learned a long time ago that people like him—powerful, arrogant, impossible to read—were always testing. Always looking for cracks.

And she refused to have any.

After what felt like forever, Mr. Kelvin let out a slow breath, tapping his fingers once more before finally saying, “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

Victory curled in Rose’s chest.

She didn’t smile. Didn’t let it show.

Instead, she simply nodded, leaning back in her seat. “You won’t regret it.”

Kelvin smirked. “Oh, I probably will.”

Rose rolled her eyes, turning to look out the window. Smug bastard.

…

The Pack Spring wasn’t just a place. It was an underground world. A secret sanctuary carved into the heart of the land, hidden beneath the towering mountains where only the strongest of their kind dared to enter.

The water here was cold—dense with heat and energy, swirling with the raw, untamed essence of the wolves who came to cleanse themselves, to heal, to quiet the storms raging inside them.

But for Rolan, the fire in his blood refused to settle.

He stood at the edge of the steaming spring, his body tense, muscles coiled beneath his bare skin. The heat should have been soothing, but instead, it scorched. It wasn’t the spring that burned him—it was her.

Rose.

His breath came in sharp, controlled inhales, but control meant nothing when his body was already betraying him. The memory of her scent lingered, imprinted on his skin, in his thoughts, everywhere.

He ran a hand through his damp hair, his jaw clenching.

She was avoiding him.

That fact alone was enough to drive him insane.

The moment replayed in his mind—her body beneath him, the warmth of her skin against his, the way her breath hitched when his lips ghosted over hers. Their bodies had been tangled on that damn couch, hearts pounding, need rising, the thin line between past and present blurring into something dangerously intoxicating.

He could still feel her, her softness beneath his hands, the way she trembled when he deepened the kiss, the sharp gasp that left her lips when his fingers traced lower—

And then she pulled away from him, after everything that had happened.

No words. No explanations. Just space. Distance.

Now, three days had passed, and she hadn’t come near him.

Rolan let out a growl, his claws digging into his palms before he forced himself to relax. He wouldn’t force her, no matter how much his wolf howled for him to claim.

“Alpha,” a voice interrupted his thoughts.

Rolan turned his head, his expression dark.

A man stood a few feet away—Arshrix. A Beta, lean and sharp-eyed, his presence always quiet but never insignificant. The winged tattoo stretching across his neck and shoulder shifted as he moved, his eyes flickering with something unreadable.

“It’s done,” Arshrix said simply.

Rolan exhaled slowly, the heat in his abdomen easing just slightly.

“The Council?”

“Off her back for now. They won’t move unless something forces their hand. But we’re still hunting the bastard who tipped them off.”

Rolan’s expression hardened.

He would find them.

And when he did, they wouldn’t live to make another move against Rose.

“Do you still want me to keep surveillance on her?”Arshrix hesitated for a moment, watching his Alpha carefully.

“No.” His voice was firm. “I’ll handle it myself.”Rolan said, his jaw clenched _tight looking at the damp dark Waters.

The Beta nodded once, understanding the weight behind those words.

Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Rolan alone once more.

Silence settled around him.

The only sound was the bubbling of the spring, the distant echoes of the underground cavern, and his own ragged breathing.

His body still burned.

His need for Rose wasn’t just physical—it was primal, deeper than lust, more dangerous than love. It was an ache that wouldn’t fade, a hunger that had only grown sharper with time.

And yet, she kept running.

His fists clenched.

He wouldn’t chase her. Not like before.

But he wouldn’t let her keep avoiding him either.

With a final exhale, he made his decision.

Three days.

That was long enough.

He was going to see her. And this time, he wouldn’t let her slip away.

“Bunny I’m coming for you”