Chapter 19

Ari

Life moved forward for me after the big announcement. The days blurred together in the same routine, filled with mundane housework. I threw myself into my tasks, working so relentlessly that my body seemed to keep up, resilient despite the heavy load—anything to drown out the persistent thoughts about Kristoff gnawing inside me.

Just the image of him in my mind was enough to bring tears to my eyes. I tried desperately to forget the love we once shared and pushed forward, attempting to embrace a new chapter in my life without him. I kept convincing myself that Kristoff didn’t deserve my affection, that he was just like Maddie and Seraphina. While the severed mate bond was making our breakup bearable, my feelings for him were still as strong as ever, leaving me both confused and frustrated. I mean, I already rejected him formally, so why was it still hard for me to forget him?

Jackie, a constant presence since the announcement of Kristoff’s engagement to Maddie, kept checking on me