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Chapter: Questions Without Answers
Ivy woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing. A glance at the screen showed several missed calls from an unknown number. At first, she was going to ignore it, but curiosity got the better of her. She dialed the number.
"Hello? Who's this?" she asked, cautious.
"It's me—Aslam. The girl who made Crystal angry that day," came the cheerful voice on the other end.
"Oh! It's you," Ivy said, a little surprised. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, thanks. I just wanted to ask if maybe… we could go out sometime?"
"Okay," Ivy replied after a short pause. She felt a twinge of guilt—she'd completely forgotten about the first friend she made at college. She decided she would make it up to her.
After ending the call, Ivy went to the kitchen, made breakfast for herself and Xander, and sat down to eat. As they ate, the question came again—gentle, innocent, but still heavy.
"Momma, when is Daddy coming back?" Xander asked, his wide eyes blinking up at her.
At the mention of him, Ivy's chest tightened, and tears welled in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to move on, just the thought of Jayden made her heart ache.
"He's coming back soon," she said softly.
"But Momma… I miss him," Xander pouted, his little face scrunching into something heartbreakingly adorable.
She swallowed hard. She had to be strong—for both of them.
Looking at him more closely, it struck her again just how much he looked like Jayden. Even if Jayden wasn't his biological father, the resemblance was undeniable. The expressions, the mannerisms, the little quirks—they were all too familiar. The only big differences were Xander's heart-shaped face, inherited from her, and his soft blonde hair.
After breakfast, Ivy took Xander to school. As he climbed down from the car, he turned back and said, "Momma, I miss you!"
That simple sentence made her heart twist. She realized just how much she'd been neglecting him lately—caught up in her own pain.
"I promise, Xander. After school today, I'll take us out for some fun," she said with a smile.Thanks! Here's a cleaned-up and improved version of your chapter. I've kept your story, structure, and tone while fixing grammar, punctuation, and flow to make it read more smoothly. Let me know if you'd like it in script form or want to continue the next chapter right after!
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Chapter: Questions Without Answers
Ivy woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing. A glance at the screen showed several missed calls from an unknown number. At first, she was going to ignore it, but curiosity got the better of her. She dialed the number.
"Hello? Who's this?" she asked, cautious.
"It's me—Aslam. The girl who made Crystal angry that day," came the cheerful voice on the other end.
"Oh! It's you," Ivy said, a little surprised. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, thanks. I just wanted to ask if maybe… we could go out sometime?"
"Okay," Ivy replied after a short pause. She felt a twinge of guilt—she'd completely forgotten about the first friend she made at college. She decided she would make it up to her.
After ending the call, Ivy went to the kitchen, made breakfast for herself and Xander, and sat down to eat. As they ate, the question came again—gentle, innocent, but still heavy.
"Momma, when is Daddy coming back?" Xander asked, his wide eyes blinking up at her.
At the mention of him, Ivy's chest tightened, and tears welled in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to move on, just the thought of Jayden made her heart ache.
"He's coming back soon," she said softly.
"But Momma… I miss him," Xander pouted, his little face scrunching into something heartbreakingly adorable.
She swallowed hard. She had to be strong—for both of them.
Looking at him more closely, it struck her again just how much he looked like Jayden. Even if Jayden wasn't his biological father, the resemblance was undeniable. The expressions, the mannerisms, the little quirks—they were all too familiar. The only big differences were Xander's heart-shaped face, inherited from her, and his soft blonde hair.
After breakfast, Ivy took Xander to school. As he climbed down from the car, he turned back and said, "Momma, I miss you!"
That simple sentence made her heart twist. She realized just how much she'd been neglecting him lately—caught up in her own pain.
"I promise, Xander. After school today, I'll take us out for some fun," she said with a smile.
"Thank you, Momma! Bye!" he shouted as he ran into school, beaming with happiness.
---
When she got to college, she looked around—secretly searching for him. No sign of Jayden.
After scanning the area for a while, she spotted James near the school entrance.
"Looking for someone?" he asked casually.
"No," she answered too quickly.
James raised an eyebrow but kept quiet. He could tell she was in a bad mood, and silently made it his mission to lift her spirits.
During class, Ivy remained deep in thought. James told his usual funny stories, but her laughter was hollow. She smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. She kept glancing around the classroom, but Jayden wasn't there.
"Hey, Ivy! Come over!" Aslam called out cheerfully. "And bring your friend!"
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Meanwhile, at the pack house...
Jayden stood in the middle of his room, breathing heavily. Blood dripped from his knuckles. The shattered remains of furniture lay around him.
He couldn't get her out of his head.
Ivy—smiling, laughing. With someone else.
That laughter was supposed to be his.
But he couldn't go back. Every time he looked at her, he saw Marta. He felt like forgiving Ivy would be a betrayal to his sister's memory.
Still... the bond. It was already sealed.
He had completed the mating process.
And now, the ache of their separation was driving him mad.
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Later That Day
After school, Ivy, Aslam, James, and Xander all went to the carnival together. For the first time in a while, Ivy let herself have fun. Xander laughed as he played games and rode kiddie rides, and Ivy smiled for real.
By the time they got home, Xander was already fast asleep in her arms.
After freshening up, Ivy crawled into bed. She was exhausted, but a strange thought crept into her mind as she drifted off.
At least I have James...
But she knew—deep down—that he wasn't just some funny, flirty guy. There was something darker hiding under that charm. Something she couldn't ignore for long.
Still, for tonight, she let sleep take her.
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