The Mate He Forgot Chapter 24

The Mate He Forgot Chapter 24

After that day, Isla never saw Rhett again. 

Rumor had it that he left the Echelon Pack for good. No one 

knew where he’d gone. 

Regis and Viviana tried reaching out to her once. She didn’t say a word–just mailed back the severance document they’d sent her, the one that officially disowned her. 

Did it sting? Of course it did. But Isla had no intention of ever 

reopening that chapter. 

Some doors were meant to stay shut. 

A year passed. 

By then, Isla had opened a small design studio of her own. Just a modest place, but it was hers–built from the ground up with a few like–minded friends who shared her vision. 

The hours were longer. The pressure heavier. 

But for the first time, she was chasing her dream–and living 

1. it. 

That morning, the studio finally opened its doors. As tradition demanded, she planned to drag Riven out to 

celebrate. 

But when she knocked on his apartment door, there was no 

answer. 

She frowned and called him. Once. Twice. Then five times. 

Still nothing. 

A news alert suddenly popped up on her phone–fatal crash involving a black Pagani. Rear–ended at high speed. Driver 

pronounced dead at the scene. 

Her heart lurched. 

A black Pagani. Riven’s twenty–fifth birthday gift to himself. 

She didn’t wait to read the rest. Her fingers trembled as she 

hailed a ride to the crash site. 

She’d never been this terrified in her life. 

At every red light, she whispered frantic prayers. Please, 

please let it not be him. 

When she finally arrived, the scene was blocked off by 

werewolf officers. Police tape cordoned off the wreckage. The charred Pagani sat mangled like a carcass in the center. 

Isla tried to rush forward but was stopped. 

“I need to see him,” she said breathlessly. “The driver–he’s 

someone I know.” 

“What’s your relation to the victim?” the officer asked, lifting 

an eyebrow. 

She hesitated for only a split second. “He’s my mate.” 

The words came out firm. Convincing. 

The officer looked surprised. Then pulled out a tablet and 

showed her a photo for confirmation. 

It wasn’t Riven. 

It was an older man, at least sixty, identified as a known 

smuggler. The crash had been caused by a heart attack 

behind the wheel. 

Her knees gave out as relief crashed into her. 

She slumped onto the pavement, chest rising and falling as if 

she hadn’t taken a breath in hours. 

Riven arrived minutes later, completely confused by the 

officer’s call. 

He spotted Isla first–kneeling on the pavement, pale and trembling, like her whole world had just collapsed. 

His heart seized. 

He ran toward her. “Isla!” 

She looked up, her eyes red–rimmed and glassy. 

Before he could ask what had happened, he caught sight of 

the wreckage behind her. 

What was left of a black Pagani. His black- Pagani. 

And in that instant, everything made sense. 

His car had been stolen. She’d seen the crash on the news. 

And for a moment… she thought he was gone. 

He dropped beside her and pulled her into his arms, holding 

her close. 

“I’m here,” he murmured into her hair, voice shaking. “I’m 

okay. I’m right here.” 

Isla looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears. “Where the hell were you? I thought you were…” 

“I was setting something up for you,” he said with a sheepish grin. “Was gonna surprise you.” 

She blinked, still sniffling. “A surprise?” 

“Yeah. I was gonna confess today.” 

Her brows lifted. “Let me guess… in my office?” 

He froze. “How’d you know?” 

“I have cameras, genius.” 

Riven smacked a hand to his forehead. “Damn. Forgot about 

that.” 

She had known. But she hadn’t said anything–because even 

knowing, it still made her heart race. 

He reached into his pocket then, suddenly serious. “Well, 

since we’re skipping surprises…” 

He pulled out a ring. 

Isla’s breath caught. 

“I thought you were confessing,” she whispered. “What’s with 

the ring?” 

He smiled. “Confession, proposal… they’re both leading to 

the same place.” 

His tone was unwavering. Steady. Certain. 

She laughed through another tear. “You’re insane.” 

“But you like that about me.” 

She didn’t answer right away. Just looked at the ring, then at 

him. 

“I’ll think about it,” she said teasingly. 

He nodded. “Take your time.” 

But the way she smiled at him? 

He already knew her answer.