Chapter 55: HAVING SEX IS NORMAL

​Olivia’s POV

​I slowly pulled away and turned around, only to find him fast asleep.

​Even in his sleep, he looked exhausted. Deep lines of tiredness were still etched into his face, but without his usual cold glare, he looked almost peaceful. I lay on my side, staring at his handsome face, not knowing what to think or feel. Was he really not as drunk as he claimed? Would he wake up tomorrow and regret everything that had happened between us? Or would things actually change between us after tonight?

​I didn’t have the answers to any of those questions, so I simply lay there, watching his chest rise and fall until my own exhaustion finally caught up with me and pulled me into sleep.

​When I woke up, it took me a few seconds for everything to come rushing back. I turned my head on the pillow, but the space beside me was cold and empty. I sat up, clutching the sheets to my chest as my eyes searched the quiet room. Maybe he was in the bathroom or sitting on the armchair near the window.

​But he wasn’t there. He had left. Just like that.

​For some reason, a strange heaviness settled in my chest. I had fallen asleep beside him thinking that maybe, just maybe, something between us had changed. Waking up alone made me question that immediately. I swallowed hard, staring at the messy bedsheets. What on earth was I expecting? A romantic breakfast in bed? A sweet kiss on the forehead?

​Yeah, right. Apparently, one night with Lucian had already destroyed my ability to think properly. This was Alpha Lucian I was talking about. The man probably didn’t even know romantic breakfasts in bed existed.

​I swung my legs off the bed, feeling a dull discomfort between my thighs that served as a cruel reminder of the night before. I got up, took a long shower to wash away the lingering scent of whiskey, and got dressed in a simple gown before heading downstairs for breakfast, my heart beating with nervous anticipation.

​When I reached the dining room, the long table was empty. I took a seat, staring at the fresh food spread out in front of me, but I didn’t have much of an appetite. I picked at my plate, feeling completely lost and out of place in this massive mansion.

​Then I heard heavy footsteps approaching.

​I turned around just in time to see Lucian walking into the dining room. He looked completely put together today, wearing a crisp dark shirt and tailored pants, his dark hair neatly styled. The vulnerable man from last night was entirely gone. The cold Alpha was back, and apparently, so were all the walls he had dropped last night.

​He didn’t say a word to me. He didn’t even look at me. He simply pulled out a chair across from mine and sat down. I stopped eating, waiting for him to break the silence, to address what happened or at least acknowledge my presence. But he just picked up his fork and began eating as if I were completely invisible.

​The silence between us grew so heavy that I couldn’t take it anymore. "Aren’t you going to say something about last night?" I asked, my voice cutting through the quiet room.

​Lucian didn’t pause his fork. He didn’t even lift his eyes from his plate. He just kept eating.

​"Alpha Lucian..." I pushed, my chest tightening.

​He finally stopped, setting his fork down slowly before lifting his head. His dark eyes locked onto mine with an icy, indifferent expression. "Annabel," he said, his voice flat and devoid of any emotion. "We are husband and wife. Having sex is normal."

​For a few seconds, I couldn’t say anything. I simply stared at him, waiting for something else to follow. Maybe an explanation. Maybe some sign that last night had meant more to him than what he had just reduced it to.

​Nothing came.

​Lucian simply looked back at me with that same unreadable expression, as though we were discussing something as ordinary as the weather.

​My heart sank right into my stomach.

​That was it? Having sex is normal.

​I almost wanted to laugh at myself. Only a few hours ago, this same man had been looking into my eyes and telling me that he had wanted me for a long time. He had held me like he couldn’t get close enough, kissed me like he had spent weeks trying not to, and for one stupid moment, I had allowed myself to believe that maybe those words meant something.

​It hurt, far more than I wanted to admit, but I forced myself to keep a straight face. The last thing I wanted was for Lucian to know that I had actually expected something from him after last night. I gave him a small, tight nod and lowered my eyes to my plate.

​Why was I even disappointed? Deep down, I had known this was coming. I had known he would build his cold walls right back up the moment the sun came up.

​Lucian picked up a glass of water and took a slow sip before speaking again. "I will be away for at least a week," he said, his tone entirely businesslike. "If you need anything while I am gone, tell Leo. He will handle it. Also, you will be placed on a weekly allowance. Give your account details to Leo."

​A sharp wave of humiliation washed over me. A weekly allowance? He made it sound like he was indirectly paying me for what happened last night. I felt cheap, dirty, and used.

​I knew that probably wasn’t what he meant. I was supposed to be his wife, after all, and giving me money shouldn’t have been strange. But why today? Why the morning after we had slept together for the first time? The timing made my stomach twist. Last night, I had given him something I hadn’t given another man in four years. This morning, he was calmly discussing it like it meant nothing.

​Maybe I was reading too much into it, but I couldn’t stop the humiliation spreading through me. I didn’t say another word, nor did I ask where he was going for a whole week. I simply stood up from the table, turned on my heel, and walked away before he could see the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.