Chapter 438

**Chapter 438**
**+25 BONUS**

“Hey,” I said to her, placing my hands gently on her small shoulders. “Just breathe. They are gone… it’s okay…”

Judy took a deep breath.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Once she felt more at ease, she looked up at me through her long, dark lashes.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“Do you want to share why you didn’t tell me?” I asked.

“About your run-in with my mother,” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, even though I felt a wave of emotions.

She bit her lower lip and looked away. I gently took her chin and lifted her head so she would look at me.

She looked at me again.

“Tell me the truth,” I demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it wasn’t exactly a pleasant conversation,” she replied. “I didn’t want you to think so little of me.”

“I think very little of myself,” she admitted, looking into my eyes.

I frowned. “You think little of yourself? What happened?”

“I was out to dinner with my parents, and when I got up to go to the bathroom…”

“They cornered me,” I explained, feeling my cheeks turn red.

A strong feeling of protectiveness rushed through me, and I let out a low growl.

“What did they say to you?” I asked, my voice tight between clenched teeth.

“Pretty much, I feel like I’m not good enough for you. I think you’ll get tired of me soon,” I whisper. “You’re meant to marry Daisy, and I’m just a distraction. I won’t be a real problem for you.”

I let out another growl, feeling my anger boil inside me. I was seeing red.

How could they corner Judy while she was out with her family? And then feed her such terrible lies? There was no way I was ever going to let anyone hurt her like that. I was determined to protect her at all costs.

Daisy felt upset, even though Judy wasn’t present.

I was really angry and wanted to lash out at someone. But when I saw the tears in Judy’s eyes, my anger began to fade. All I could feel was a deep sense of guilt.

“Hey…” I said softly, gently brushing away her invisible tears from her cheeks. My fingers traced the nape of her neck as I continued, “Why would I think little of you?”

She remembered why she hadn’t shared this information with me earlier.

A tear slipped from her eye as she sniffled. I quickly wiped it away before it could even reach her cheek.

“I’m training to be an Elite Gamma,” she said softly. “I won the Gamma competition, but I still can’t stand up for myself when it comes to your mother and Daisy. It was really embarrassing, and I didn’t know what to do.”

“I want you to think I was weak,” she said.

I sighed and leaned my forehead against hers. I held the back of her neck gently, keeping her close as I took in not just her words, but also her scent.

“It isn’t your fault. My mother has a way of getting under your skin,” I told her. “Not fighting her was the best thing you could have done in that situation, so you’ve done well. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“Don’t let them get to you. They shouldn’t have trapped you like that, and they definitely shouldn’t have said those hurtful things. None of it is true, and I hope it didn’t hurt you too much.”

—

**Chapter 438**

+25 BONUS

She looked unsure as she stood there.

In that moment, I realized that my words had hurt her. Given our unusual relationship, it was easy to believe what my mother had said to her. I quickly wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to my chest, wanting to comfort her as much as I could.

As the music played around us, people kept dancing.

“The next time my mother talks to you while I’m not there, please let me know right away. Do you understand?” I asked.

I spoke in a rough tone as I thought about my mother, cornering her once again.

She stayed quiet for a moment longer, so I held her a little tighter.

“I need you to answer me,” I said softly, my face pressed close to hers.

“Do you understand?” I asked, running my fingers through her hair.

She nodded and tightly wrapped her arms around my waist, holding herself close to me.

“Yes,” she whispered after a moment. “I understand. The next time I’m cornered…”

“I’ll come to you first,” she said.

I sighed with relief.

“Good girl,” I whispered. “That’s my good girl.”