บท 17: Apple Pie And Tense Air

"No."

Xavier's eyes widened slightly at Dietrich's blunt answer, his expression slipping from polite interest to mild confusion. "Oh… I see. I just assumed—"

"Dietrich is my stepbrother," Elise cut in sharply, her eyes still locked on Xavier. "Not that it's any of your business."

Xavier nodded, clearly out of his depth. "Right, right… Sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"Perhaps you should stop talking if you don't mean to pry," Dietrich said, his voice as cold as ice. "Or you might end up saying something you'll regret."

The room fell silent again, the tension thicker than ever.

Elise could feel her heart pounding in her chest with frustration , and a strange kind of relief coursing through her veins. She wasn't alone in this—not with Dietrich here, not with him by her side.

Elise had her mate by her side.

Niena returned with the pie, oblivious to the charged atmosphere, and placed it in the center of the table. "Here we are! Fresh apple pie. Let's all enjoy this together, shall we? I put a lot of effort into making it."

The smell of warm apples and cinnamon wafted up, momentarily distracting Elise. She watched as her mother sliced the pie and served everyone a piece, chattering away about the recipe and how she'd gotten the apples from a nearby farm.

Niena was trying so… so hard to make this dinner normal, to gloss over the tension, but it wasn't working. "You all, enjoy. I'll freshen up. I'm not a fan of sweets."

Xavier cleared his throat. "This looks delicious, Mrs. Niena. Thank you for having me over."

"Think nothing of it," Niena replied with a bright smile. "Any friend of Elise's is a friend of mine."

Elise tensed at the word "friend," but she kept her mouth shut, focusing on her slice of pie. She could feel Dietrich's eyes on her, steady and watchful, and it gave her just enough strength to hold her falling heart together.

As they ate, the conversation was forced and awkward.

Xavier tried to make small talk, asking about Dietrich's work, and Dietrich responded with curt, clipped answers that barely hid his disdain about having a potential threat to his position in Elise's heart, sitting in front of him.

Elise stayed silent, her gaze fixed on her plate, her appetite gone.

Then, as if sensing the atmosphere was suffocating, Xavier put his fork down and took a deep breath.

"Elise," Xavier started softly, his eyes searching hers, "I know I've already said this, but I am actually really very sorry. I was such an idiot for giving up on you."

Dietrich's eyes narrowed. "You're not starting this again, are you, Mr. Xavier? I thought we agreed to leave the past behind. You are here as my mother's savior."

Xavier glanced at Dietrich, then back to Elise, his desperation palpable. "Please, just give me a chance to explain. I… I loved you, Elise. I still do."

Elise felt something snap inside her, a tension she hadn't realized she was holding onto. "Loved?" she repeated, her voice eerily calm. "You think what you did was love? You chose her, Xavier. You chose the person who made my life a living hell, and you expect me to believe you still care?"

Xavier looked stricken. "I made a mistake! I was trying to—"

"Trying to do what?" Dietrich cut in, his voice low and dangerous. "Trying to play with her feelings? Trying to make her your second choice now that you've realized your first wasn't all that great?"

"I'm not—"

"Enough!" Elise's voice rang out in the tense room.

Elise stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. "I'm done with this conversation. You don't get to have me back just because you have regrets. I'm not your second choice, Xavier. And I'm not going to sit here and listen to you pretend like whatever you did was okay. Because, it was not. I hate you. I hated that night you left me in the rain."

"Elise, please…" Xavier's voice was barely a whisper now, his face pale.

But Elise had already turned away, moving toward the stairs.

Elise needed air, needed space… She needed to be away from this suffocating dinner and from the past that Xavier refused to let go off.

Dietrich stood up as well, his expression darkening. "I think it's best if you leave, Mr. Xavier."

"But—" Xavier started, his voice breaking.

"Now," Dietrich repeated, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Xavier hesitated for a moment, looking between Elise's retreating form and Dietrich's cold, unyielding stare. Then, with a defeated sigh, he nodded. "I understand, Mr. Dietrich. I'm sorry for causing trouble. I'll go."

He pushed his chair back and stood up, his movements slow and heavy. He glanced one last time at Elise, who was halfway up the stairs, her back to him.

"Elise," he called softly. She didn't turn around. "I'm sorry," he murmured again, his voice sounding somewhat honest.

As he left the house, the tension began to dissipate, but Elise could still feel the weight of the encounter pressing down on her. She reached the top of the stairs and paused, gripping the railing tightly.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned slightly to see Dietrich following her. His expression softened as he reached her, and he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "You okay, Sunflower?" he asked quietly.

Elise nodded, though she wasn't entirely sure if it was true after everything. "I just… I need a minute. I know, you are my mate. But… I really loved him."

Dietrich nodded. "I get it. Take all the time you need."

She moved to her room and shut the door behind her, leaning against it as she tried to steady her breathing. Her mind was racing, replaying every moment of the dinner, every word Xavier had said, every look Dietrich had given.

It was all too much.

And then she heard it—a soft knock on her window.

Her head snapped up, eyes wide as she turned to look. The window was slightly ajar, and a figure was standing on the small ledge outside. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized him.

It was… Xavier.

"What the hell?" she muttered, moving cautiously toward the window. She opened it fully, glaring at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you left! Did you climb up using the pipe!? Are you crazy!?"

Xavier looked desperate, his eyes wide with fear and determination. "I did, but I… I had to see you again. Please, Elise, just hear me out. I couldn't say everything downstairs, not in front of… him."

"Are you insane?" Elise hissed, glancing back at her door to make sure it was still closed. "If Dietrich sees you here, he'll—"

"I don't care," Xavier interrupted, his voice shaking. "I need to tell you the truth, Elise. About what really happened… and about him."

Elise froze, her eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, 'about him'? What are you talking about?"

Xavier's expression grew more serious, more frantic. "There's something you don't know. About Dietrich. I'm not saying this to hurt you, but you need to know. You deserve to know what he—"

Before he could finish, the door to Elise's room burst open, and Dietrich stood there, his face a mask of cold fury.

"Step away from the window, Elise," Dietrich said, his voice dangerously low. "Now."

Elise's heart pounded as she looked between Dietrich and Xavier. "What's going on?" she demanded, her voice barely above a whisper. "What is it that you are not telling me, Dietrich? Is it your… ex? Do you love her?"

Xavier's face paled, and he took a step back on the ledge, his eyes darting from Elise to Dietrich. "You have to trust me, Elise. He's not who you think he is. He's—"

"Enough," Dietrich snapped, his voice like a whip. "Get away from her, Xavier. Now."

Xavier hesitated, his gaze locked on Elise's, pleading with her to understand. "Elise, please—"

Suddenly, Dietrich lunged forward, grabbing Xavier by the collar and yanking him inside, slamming him against the wall with a force that rattled the room.

"You've said enough," Dietrich growled, his eyes glowing with a dangerous intensity. "Now you're going to leave, and if I ever see you near her again—"

"Dietrich, stop!" Elise shouted, stepping forward, her heart pounding in her chest. "What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

Dietrich didn't answer, his focus solely on Xavier, whose face was contorted with pain.

"Elise," Xavier gasped out, his voice strained as he tried to free himself from Dietrich's grip. "You have to listen to me. Please—"

But before he could say anything more, a deafening crash echoed from downstairs, followed by a chilling, guttural growl.

Dietrich's head snapped toward the door, his eyes narrowing. "Stay here," he ordered Elise, his voice tight with tension. "Both of you. Don't move. I'll check on mom."

He released Xavier and moved swiftly toward the door, his body tense.

Elise's heart pounded in her chest, fear swirling like lava inside her. "Dietrich, what is it? What's happening?"

But Dietrich didn't answer.

Instead, he disappeared down the stairs, leaving Elise and Xavier alone in the dimly lit room. The air was thick with a creeping sense of dread.

Elise turned to Xavier, her eyes open wide as she was heaving. "What did you mean? About Dietrich… Tell me only the truth."

"He stalked you, Elise."