Chapter 41

Hades’s Pov

Anita’s words—her insistence that she only viewed me as her superior—had stung in a way I hadn’t anticipated. I tried to shake it off, but the weight of her rejection still lingered. It wasn’t the refusal to dance that bothered me, but the clear boundary she’d drawn between us.

I had asked her to dance as a polite gesture, nothing more, or at least that’s what I told myself. But her words, “I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression,” echoed in my mind. What impression had she thought she would give? Why did it matter so much?

Before I could process any further, Beta Damian approached with his usual grin plastered across his face as he made his way toward Anita. I clenched my jaw, watching as he stopped beside her, his body language relaxed, entirely too comfortable around her.

"Anita!" Damian greeted with a playful tone. "Why are you standing on the sidelines looking all serious? You should be enjoying the night!"