I’m woken up by a raging thirst.

My head’s pounding, and the glands at the back of my neck are hot and swollen.

I instinctively reach to touch them, wincing at the sharp sting.

I prop myself up, scanning for the culprit behind this mess.

The next second, the empty room fills with the sharp click of dress shoes hitting the wooden floor.

One step after another, it’s like each one hammers into my heart, making my already racing pulse tremble with fear.

The sound closes in, slow and deliberate, like it’s toying with trapped prey.

Lin Yuji reaches the bedside, shedding last night’s darkness for a gentle smile as he brings a glass of water to my lips. “Thirsty, huh? Let me help you.”

“No thanks… I—I can do it myself…” I croak out, instinctively brushing off his offer.

His eyes darken, and he dodges my hand. “I said I’ll feed you.”

This time, he doesn’t wait for me to take it—he forces the rim past my lips and pours the water in.

I can’t swallow fast enough, and it spills down my chin, soaking a big patch of my shirt.

“What a shame, all that waste,” he says.

Those words echo a moment from last night, and my face flushes hot in an instant.

The cup’s pulled away before I can catch my breath, and then he grabs my hair, yanking my head back.

My lower lip gets a harsh bite—almost to the point of bleeding—before he lets go.

I groan from the pain, shoving him off in irritation.

Lin Yuji pauses, straightens up, and slips back into his usual composed demeanor, muttering an apology.

“Last night was my mistake.”

“Alphas really shouldn’t force something that goes against nature.”

My parched throat feels a bit better with the water, and I rasp out, “What?”

“I agree to the divorce you proposed.”

Lin Yuji looms over me, delivering the verdict with calm authority.

After last night, he’s confirmed the natural repulsion between Alphas and is ready to walk away with ease.

My heart feels like a wasteland, and I can’t stop trembling, but my voice comes out firm: “Fine, just remember to sign.”

He’s not leaving because he likes Fang Zhiyu.

The unbridgeable gap between us is that we’re both Alphas.

I can’t hold him back, and I don’t want to.

Let’s end it here…

My mind’s made up, but I still can’t bring myself to look up at his retreating back.