Chapter 2

The VIP elevator on the ground floor of the mall leads directly to the top-floor conference room.

Following Alaric were two expressionless men dressed in black, along with a suited male assistant carrying a briefcase.

Throughout the journey, Alaric remained silent, exuding such an intense chill that it seemed to freeze everything in his path.

"Ding!"

As the elevator doors opened, the conference room was brightly lit.

Alaric furrowed his brows tightly and strode into the room.

A young woman with sleek short hair immediately rose to greet him, holding two glasses of red wine.

"Alaric, welcome back." Rosalind had changed into a striking red strapless gown.

Her exquisite face was adorned with an expectant smile, her gaze fixed intently on Alaric, following his every move.

However, Alaric didn't glance at her from the moment he entered. He headed straight to the head of the conference table, his icy gaze stopping on an expensive bottle of red wine, before lifting his eyes to look at the person he despised.

"So, does the mall bear the Doctor name now?"

"Alaric, don't be so serious the moment you're back. I took my father's collection to welcome you... What's that strange smell on you?" Rosalind couldn't ignore the scent of milk tea, but for someone who valued luxury and high-end tastes, she found the aroma vulgar and lowbrow.

It was no different from the cheap perfumes worn by tacky women outside.

"This is the Zenith Global shareholder meeting. Unrelated parties are not to participate." Alaric said as he tossed the treasured bottle into the trash can by the table, his tone full of cold dismissal.

Rosalind's face turned various shades of red and green, yet she managed to maintain a dazzling smile.

"Can you accompany me to look at wedding dresses next week?" Rosalind moved closer, sitting on the armrest of Alaric's leather chair, leaning sideways against him, her fingers grazing his chest, her ruby lips drawing near.

"I will not marry you." Alaric's voice was clear, a hint of impatience in his otherwise calm tone.

Rosalind's smile grew even more radiant, though her eyes held a chill as she whispered, "Alaric, considering the current state of the mall, only the Doctor family can help you..."

Alaric sneered, dark eyes laced with sarcasm: "Neither you nor the entire Doctor family have ever mattered to me."

Rosalind took a small sip from her glass. She knew Alaric's temperament well; he was not one to concede easily.

"By the way, Mrs. Grace had another heart attack last week. I've arranged for my brother to come back and prepare a treatment plan for her... I'm sure she'd like to see us..." Rosalind set her glass on the table, gazing at the man in the chair.

"My decisions won't change for anyone." Alaric stood up.

Pressing his hands against the table, Alaric slowly removed his gloves, staring at his bare wrist, a flicker of something unidentifiable in his eyes.

"Alaric, don't forget, news of our engagement is all over the media, affecting the image and reputation of both the Doctor and Alpha families. Do you know how much effort and money it took me to create such news?" Rosalind's words only increased Alaric's irritation, the thought of those tenacious media reporters irking him further.

"I warn you, stop with the cheap tricks, take your entourage, and get out!"

Forcing a smile, Rosalind replied, "Alaric, I won't let go. I am going to be your Luna! I'll be bringing gifts to the Alpha family banquet tomorrow."

With that, she confidently strutted out of the conference room in her meticulously chosen stilettos.

"Alpha Alaric..." The suited man's face was pale as he cautiously walked into the conference room.

Alaric's gaze lingered on his wrist, his mind replaying previous events, particularly the woman who had carelessly splashed milk tea on his shoe!

It must have been her!

But how had she managed to take his watch without him noticing at all?

Impossible... For the first time, Alaric began to doubt his own reflexes...

The suited man, seeing Alaric's deeply furrowed brows, thought he was contemplating how to deal with him and hurriedly turned to chase after Rosalind in the elevator.

Alaric summoned one of the black-clad figures at the conference room door, issuing an instruction: "Find the clumsy woman from downstairs just now!"

"Yes, Alpha Alaric." Beta Kaia nodded. She was one of Alaric's long-trained subordinates, originally a woman but with a physique and appearance much like a man's and a low voice to match.

In reality, losing a watch worth millions wasn't a significant issue for someone like Alaric.

But then he noticed his wallet was also missing from his coat pocket.

He wanted to see just how daring this woman was to steal from him!

Shareholders appeared to be calmly discussing company growth strategies, but covert glances kept darting towards Alaric.

His gaze was fixed on the display screen, yet seemed to register none of the text, his expression cold and detached, as if coated in frost, the chill surrounding him almost tangible.

His brow bore a slight hint of melancholy as if grappling with a complex problem or suppressing certain emotions.

"That's it for today; we'll continue tomorrow morning." With that, the man stood and exited the conference room, leaving the shareholders in disarray.

They exchanged glances, expressions filled with confusion and a sense of relief.

…………

The fragrance of freshly baked goods enveloped the cake shop.

Adina walked past rows of display cases, her gaze flicking over each cake as she thoughtfully rubbed her chin.

Finally, she stopped at a brightly lit glass counter, pointing to a six-inch pink birthday cake at the top.

The shop's warm light highlighted Adina's sun-kissed skin, and her dark, wavy hair draped over her shoulders, shimmering softly.

"How much is this?" Adina asked with a gentle smile.

Her smile always lit up her eyes, stars reflected in her pupils, and her long lashes softly fluttered.

"Two... two hundred and twenty, it's a special Christmas edition," the male shop assistant stammered, clearly flustered by the sight of a pretty girl.

"Please wrap it for me and tie a pink ribbon in a bow."

"Sure thing," the assistant replied, turning to wrap the package.

Only then did Adina reach into her pocket for a black leather wallet, pleasantly thick to the touch...

But when she opened it, she was dumbfounded - not a single cash bill in sight!

Just a slew of various cards she'd never seen before.

Lifting her gaze, she saw the assistant returning with the beautifully packaged cake, the pink bow tied perfectly.

Quickly she rummaged through all her pockets, finding just over two hundred in cash, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

The scene was awkward.

Adina frowned, her eyes squeezed shut, refusing to believe what she was seeing.

"Um... can I switch to something else?" Adina asked, somewhat apologetically to the assistant, "I'll take the strawberry pieces."

"Sorry, no exchanges."

The male assistant, wanting to help her, realized he barely made two hundred a day himself.

"I'll sell it to you at the employee discount," he offered, unable to resist Adina's disappointed demeanor.

Graciously, the assistant tossed in a few handmade lollipops for her as she left, and Adina shot him a flirty wink, watching him blush and look away.

Adina chuckled lightly.

Leaving the cake shop, she quickened her pace back home, down the dimly lit street.

A silvery wolf gracefully maneuvered through the alley, its fur gleaming like it had been kissed by moonlight, radiant and glossy.

Cozily lit windows cast warmth outside, tracks littering the thin snow suggested more than children had passed through.

Before reaching the door, the aroma of a meal wafted to her.

"I'm home!" Adina announced to the yard.

Reaching the front of the house, Adina shifted to her human form and strolled inside.

"It's Adina!" Talita's excited cheer resounded, causing Adina to smile unconsciously as she pushed the door open.

Around a small round table sat three children and a woman in her early twenties.

Seeing them, Adina waved the cake in the air, grinning, "Look what I brought back!"

"Adina, finally! The kids insisted on waiting for you to eat; they're starving me to death!" The woman, with shoulder-length chestnut hair, made a comment that seemed at odds with her sultry look.

Her face was filled with exasperation towards the three kids, who always seemed to clash with Maeve.

"Maeve? What brings you here?" Adina asked as she placed the cake on the table, taking a seat next to the youngest child, who, unlike the others, paid her no mind, engrossed in fiddling with an old teddy bear.

"Just stopping by for a meal; who knew your little house wolf cooks such delicious food?" Maeve eagerly picked up her chopsticks, the twelve-year-old boy beside her rolling his eyes.

Although Maeve was Adina's longtime friend, the kids didn't seem too keen on her presence.

Generally because she always came without contributing anything.

"Is there any news on the job front?" Adina asked, her eyes eager on Maeve.

Maeve nodded proudly, "Yep! I called in a lot of favors to get this opportunity! We start tonight! It's the best money-making place in the whole pack!"

"I'm telling you, with bodies and faces like ours, we'd be instant hits!" Maeve flaunted, her gaze naturally drifting to Adina's chest, dripping with playful mockery.

Adina chuckled at her friend's antics, taking a bite of food before asking, "Where to?"

"Pony Bar! The most luxurious spot in the pack, and I heard it's crawling with rich gentlemen. I hope one of them takes a liking to me."

Just as Maeve finished, the door suddenly echoed with urgent knocking. Before anyone could respond, it swung open, revealing a plump middle-aged woman poking her head inside, her unfriendly stare locking onto Adina.