Page 23 of The Alpha King’s Hidden Mute Mate

He crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into the nearby fireplace.

I watched the paper curl, blacken, and turn to ash in the flames. The small flame in my heart extinguished with it.

"Eat," he said, tone returning to cold indifference. "I have work to do."

He bent back over his documents as if I didn't exist.

I sat there, fingers gripping my skirt, nails digging into my palms. I wanted to stand up, grab his collar, scream at him with everything I had—but I couldn't do anything. I could only sit there like a puppet, watching him focus all his attention on those damn papers.

The silence stretched on.

I watched him. He watched his documents.

Only the rustle of turning pages and the crackle of wood in the fireplace.

Then I did one last thing.

I stood, picked up the soup tureen, ladled out a spoonful of hot soup, walked to his side, and carefully set it in his bowl.

He looked up at me.

No gratitude in that look. No surprise. Just cold, detached appraisal.

"You don't need to do this."

Just then, the door burst open.

A guard hurried in and bowed. "Your Majesty, the envoys from Silverthread Kingdom have arrived."

Zane set down his documents and stood. "Show them in."

Before I could retreat to my seat, three men in elaborate robes strode into the dining room. They saw me, their gazes lingering for a moment, then turned to him with warm smiles.

"Your Majesty! Congratulations on finding your fated mate at last!"

Zane smiled and nodded his thanks.

One envoy looked at me and asked politely, "And this is?"

"Oh," Zane looked at me, paused, then said with the casual tone of someone introducing a piece of furniture, "this is my maid."

Maid.

I stood frozen.

That word was a dull knife, slowly and cruelly carving open my chest.

"She has trouble speaking," he added with a touch of indifference. "Don't mind her."

The envoys smiled politely and paid me no more attention. They sat down and began discussing border trade agreements and alliance terms with him.

I stood there like a decoration.

Halfway through the conversation, the lead envoy glanced around. "Your Majesty, we heard you've found your fated mate. Might we have the honor of meeting the future Luna?"

Zane's expression froze for an instant. He set down his glass, fingers tapping the table twice.

"Of course." He turned to the guard at the door. "Bring Miss Taylor."