It was daytime now . Xander grabbed me and dragged me to Skye's room , throwing me down at her feet . " Skye , don't be upset . I'll make her pay - right now . " The bat cracked down on my leg. I screamed . How had I forgotten ? The first time I called Skye a homewrecker , he summoned rogues to teach me a lesson . Made me write " I'm a bitch " ten thousand times in the pack hall before he let me off the hook . And just last night , I'd seen him with my own eyes , sitting at her bedside , gently rubbing her legs and whispering to her like she was some fragile little thing . But if I ever brought it up , he'd deny it without blinking - and punish me even harder for daring to say it out loud . Pain laced through my body , bones snapping one by one . couldn't take it anymore . " I'm sorry , " I gasped . " I didn't mean to leave her in the rain - I didn't even know she was pregnant . Please , Xander , stop ... " I looked up at him , tears blurring my vision . Then he kicked me in the stomach . His face twisted with disgust . " Still lying ? You gave birth not long ago . Don't tell me you can't recognize the signs of pregnancy . " Pain exploded through me . And this time , I didn't try to fight it . The man who used to trust me with everything didn't believe a single word I said now . Even if I tore open my chest and showed him the truth , he'd still turn away . My vision faded . Just before I passed out from the pain , I heard him speak . " You need to learn your / lesson . Think things over right here . The healer will come ... in three hours . " He left me lying in the hallway of the werewolf hospital , bloodied and broken . People passed by , staring , whispering . " She deserves it . Tried to steal the Alpha from his Luna ? Trash . " " I heard he's buying Skye a private island for the baby . That's how much he loves her . " 1215 3.33 Chapter 3 I lay there , numb , as the whispers and kicks kept coming . They didn't know the truth . I was the real Luna of this pack . Xander's wife . His mate . That private island ? The one he now promised to Skye ? That was our place . The one where we held our mating ceremony . He once told me he'd take our child there someday - to show them where our love began . བོ་ འཧཾ་ Now , I couldn't feel anything below the waist . And for the first time , I didn't feel heartbreak - I felt nothing at all . Three hours passed . No sign of the healer . So I dragged myself out of the hallway on my elbows , one useless leg trailing behind me . I found him in Skye's room , peeling an apple beside her bed . " Xander ... " Skye pouted dramatically and batted the apple away . " Maybe don't slice the apple . Isn't that supposed to mean something ? " " Are you trying to curse us or something ? " Xander chuckled and kissed her forehead . " My bad . You're right . " Funny , really . That wasn't what he used to say to me . " Natalie , " he once told me , laughing , " slicing an apple means we'll break up ? That's just a dumb couple's myth . " Then he stuffed two separate apple slices into my mouth " See ? We're still together . " Well ... looks like that joke wasn't so dumb after all . Auto - added to the Library I blinked back to the present and looked at him , calm and quiet . " Let's break the mate bond , Xander . " The knife paused mid - slice . For a second , real fear flickered across his face . He didn't meet my eyes . " Natalie , you're still being stubborn , I see . " " I already called for the healer . And look at you - filthy and bruised . Are you trying to make everyone sick ? " Skye shook her head like I was the problem here . " She's not out of it , Xander . She knows exactly what she's doing . She wants revenge . She wants me gone . ' She turned to him with wide , fake - innocent eyes . } } " Just think if your human side ever finds out what happened , he'll lose it . He might even kill me . Then she'd have you all to herself . " Xander sighed like he was tired of the drama but still bought every word . " Enough . I don't have time for this . " He waved a hand toward me . " I'll have a nurse take you back . " Of course he thought I'd stay . He was so sure of my love for him - so sure I'd never leave . But he had no idea how much I'd already let go . That night , Xander came to my hospital room . Sat by my bed like nothing had happened . Like he still had the right . Chapter 3 4 He reached out , barely grazing the bandages wrapped around my legs . " I called in the best bone specialist from the north . You're in good hands , Natalie . They said there's a fifty - fifty chance you'll recover . Don't be scared . " Then he looked up at me , eyes glassy in the moonlight . " I know my condition has put you through hell . But it's me right now - not the wolf . I've got control . " " I'll make it right . I'll have someone break Skye's legs if that's what you want - just don't leave me . " " If I lose you , I'll fall apart . " He looked so broken . So desperate . A man I'd loved for ten years , sitting there , swearing he couldn't live without me . I reached out and touched his face gently . " Is that true ? " He nodded , swallowing hard . ' Of course it is . Baby , please . Trust me . But I couldn't . Not anymore . I couldn't tell what was real and what was just another lie . Not that it mattered . Because soon ... I'd be gone . When I woke up , I was on the operating table . Skye stood beside it , leaning smugly into Xander's side . " I knew you'd try to get Xander's human side to punish me . But lucky me his wolf already hid me away last night . " Xander brushed her nose with a grin , then turned to me with pure disgust in his eyes . " Natalie , you never learn . Someone , get in here . Amputate her leg . " Just like that , he crushed the last piece of hope I had left . " No - don't ! " But my scream meant nothing . Next time I opened my eyes , the procedure was over . A pack doctor stood at my bedside , adjusting the strap of a prosthetic . " The Alpha says it's a little painful , but it won't interfere with your duties to Miss Skye . He hopes you adjust quickly . " Then came the text . From Skye . [ Five minutes . Come here . Or your sickly little girl won't be . ] The pain from the prosthetic nearly made me pass out . But I didn't care . Iran straight for the nursery . Chapter 3 In "CEO, The Maid is Your Stunning Wife" by CrushReel, a gripping tale unfolds as an adopted daughter faces a life-altering decision. To save her grandmother, she enters a marriage of convenience with a wealthy but paralyzed elderly man. However, a twist of fate, coupled with her severe myopia, leads her to mistakenly identify the wrong groom on the wedding day. This modern romance novel delves into themes of sacrifice, family bonds, and unexpected love connections. As the protagonist navigates the complexities of her unconventional situation, readers are drawn into a web of secrets and revelations. The unique blend of billionaire intrigue and sweet romance sets this story apart in the genre landscape. "CEO, The Maid is Your Stunning Wife" offers a refreshing take on contract lovers and secret identities, crafting a narrative that captivates with each turn of the page. Dive into this ongoing series at CrushReel for an engaging read that promises to keep you hooked till the very end.