Chapter II
(Pandere PO
The document is riep, the ink will fresh 1 feed nothing but annoyed as 1 skim through the clauses of this fake marriage
Three months of marriage. A transactional agreement.
No emotions, no commitment involved.
Just an exchangeh–her presence for my public image, my money for her cooperation.
How has it come to this?
Thinking back to Siena’s behavior a few days ago, it’s hard not to wonder if she’s changed.
Or is it hope?
A ridiculous thought, really,
Siena has always been the same–an insufferable, attention–seeking woman. The way she smiled so easily at the reporters, the way she didn’t so much as flinch when Lila made her accusations.
That was all something, she had never shown in front of me before.
It was different.
My wolf, Horace, stirs
[So what if Siena has changed? You think that you have not? And while we’re asking these questions, Raiden, have you considered your one–sided infatuation with Lila?]
I scoff, pushing the thought away. I snap back internally. “This has nothing to do with you!”
Horace is becoming restless. I feel his fury brewing deep inside, but I refuse to let his emotional outbursts dictate my actions.
“Horace, the things I do, I do for us and for the kingdom.”
He doesn’t reply, but I feel his dissent thrash wildly inside.
The phone rings, interrupting the silent tug–of–war.
“Alpha, I thought you should know, Siena’s team maybe added a few more financial terms to the contract.”
More?
- “Impossible. I have the contract here in my hand. The lawyer brought it over this morning.”
“I’m sending the revised version,” he hesitates. “You should take a look.”
The line goes dead.
“…What the hell!”
My fist slams against the mahogany desk, rattling the golden office trinkets that sustain my stationery.
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Chapter II
Any doubt I had before vanished.
It’s just as I suspected. Siena hasn’t changed at all–still greedy, still self–serving She’s still keen on playing her usual games, trying desperately to keep me entangled in her web.
A knock sounds at the door.
“Come in.”
Zion strides into my office, his effortless charisma and perfectly manicured hair a sign of his wealth and inherited status. A sly smile curves his lips as his sharp, intelligent eyes land on the contract in my hands.
Amusement flickers across Zion’s face;
“So, it’s true!” He lets out a low chuckle.
Without hesitation, he lowers himself into the leather chair across from me, unfastening the button of his tailored suit jacket with practiced confidence and ease.
Zion Ashford, the second son of the most powerful family in the Silverfang Pack, has always been free from the burdens of responsibility. Unlike his older brother, groomed to lead, Zion has spent his life indulging in leisure, enjoying the perks of pack wealth and status without the weight that duty brings.
His reputation precedes him–notorious flirt, a playboy who collects fleeting romances like trophies.
But underneath the facade, and why I call him brother, is an untouched innocence that few know–a heart that has never really known love.
The world sees a man who plays the game of romance, but in reality, every connection is shallow because he cannot connect
-trust.
But me–I’d trust him with my life.
We are the best friends.
“Zion…I’m serious.” I sigh.
Zion laughs, “Come on, Raiden, how long have we been friends and you didn’t tell me about this? It’s kind of a big deal.”
“Listen, buddy! No judgment! You know where I stand when it comes to Siena. But a fake marriage? With the possibility to…” His eyes scan further, squinting to read the fine print.
“… OH, Not surprised. Siena has always had a flair for the dramatic, hasn’t she?” Zion rolls his eyes.
“Before it becoming wildly public, We need to control it.” I clench my jaw. “Speaking of the Gala, you were notably absent.”
“Pfft! Yeah,” he leans back, gazing thoughtfully out the window. “I was on a date… time wasn’t on my side.”
Zion has always despised Siena, always thought her manipulative, never trusted her..
“But no matter how many women I’ve dated, I’ve never met someone like Siena… Devoted? Loyal? Foolish?” Zion says. least she loving you, I’m absolutely certain.”
“At
I flip through the latest information I gathered on Windhowl. Nothing seems out of the ordinary–except for the fact that Siena has suddenly become the acting Alpha.
She mentioned last time that her father was in trouble. But there’s no mention of it in the reports. Maybe the news was suppressed, or more likely, it simply wasn’t important–just another lie.
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…So, what is she really planning?
自
Zion adds, “Exactly because of that, her motive for proposing a fake marriage is strange to the plotting mother one of her wicked little games?”
Looks like we’re thinking the same thing.
Zion says. “Eliminate other possibilities. She could be going through some kind of hardships
“There’s nothing going on in Windhowl that hasn’t been happening for years. She’s just as useless and conniving Z 1 say
Horace growls inside of me.
Is that what you think of her? She’s our mate!]
“You’ve got that right!” Zion scoffs. “Hey, I’m not defending her, but she has been famously in love with you for years
“So what are you saying then?”
He isn’t wrong, but the point of contention irritates me further.
“After all this time… did you really never love her?”
Leaning back in my chair, his words simmer in my mind.
Did I love her? Do I still?
Lila’s face flashes across my vision. “If I ended up loving Lila, I’ll never love a woman as awful as Siena, and that’s a true victory! The sooner this business is concluded, the better. Good riddance!”
[Lies! All lies!]
Horace growls, howling, clawing at my thoughts.
I reply. [Shut up! You’re out of control and I won’t have it!]
Just then, a soft knock at the door makes me exhale deeply as I watch my beautiful Lila glide across the floor, carrying a tray of coffee.
“I thought you might need this.” She smiles so sweetly it breaks my heart.
Zion grins, taking up his cup. “Luna in the making, huh?” he teases.
I can’t help but smirk at the way her cheeks blush. “Thank you, Lila.”
She beams, asks for nothing, and exits as gracefully as she entered.
Zion watches her too, then turns back to me. “You know, despite your insistence on pushing her away, Siena has always loved you fiercely. She’s never even looked at another man.”
That was true, but I remain silent.
Zion stretches his arms behind his head. “Maybe, just maybe… Siena wants that divorce after all
“Impossible,” I scoff. “She can’t function without me.”
Suddenly, Zion’s phone vibrates. He glances at the screen.
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Chapter 11
His face pales.
There is a message.
“Hello, may I meet with you… to talk?”
The sender’s name makes my stomach tighten.
— From Siena.]
