Chapter 4

AMY'S POV

For a moment, he didn't move. His green eyes searched mine, perhaps looking for hesitation or regret. When he found none, a slow, satisfied smile spread across his lips.

"Good girl," he murmured, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers grazed my skin, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. My body shuddered at his touch and i flinched back.

His touch did something to me, something i shouldn't be feeling. But I couldn't deny the fact that i wanted more.

Amy, what the hell is wrong with you? You shouldn't want his touch. I scolded myself.

'He seems so much better than Derek,' Lexie responded in my head. 'His scent and domineering aura is making it hard to resist him. I want him, Amy.'

I quickly shut her out. Since when did she become so horny?

"Then let's not waste any time. We're getting married today," Richard said, pulling me out of my thoughts..

My eyes widened. "Today? That's too soon. I can't just…"

"You agreed to my conditions," he cut me off, his voice firm but not unkind. "I don't see the point in wasting time. If you're in, you're all in."

I shook my head, stepping back from his touch. "I need time to process all of this. My mother is in the hospital. She needs to get her bypass surgery done soon. I can't be getting married now."

Without answering, he walked back to his desk and picked up his phone. I watched as he scrolled through his contacts and pressed call, putting the phone on speaker.

"Dr. Matthews," he said, his voice shifting into something authoritative and commanding. "I need you at the City Hospital immediately. There's a patient there, Emily Hart. She needs an emergency bypass surgery, and I want you to perform it personally."

My breath caught in my throat. Dr. Matthews was the most renowned cardiothoracic surgeon in New York. I'd read about him in magazines. He operated on billionaires and celebrities. And Alpha Richard had him on speed dial?

“Tonight?” Dr. Matthews asked.

“Yes, tonight.” Alpha Richard continued, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The patient is the mother of my Luna. She should be treated as VIP. The surgery must be a success with no complications. I'm holding you personally responsible for her life. Do you understand?"

“Yes, Alpha. I'm on my way there now,” he answered. “Also, congratulations on finding your Luna.”

“Thank you.” He hung up and placed the phone back on his desk before turning to me with a satisfied smirk. "Your mother will be in the best hands possible. You don't need to worry about anything."

I blinked, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. In less than two minutes, Alpha Richard had arranged for the best surgeon in the city to operate on my mother. Something I couldn't have done in a lifetime.

"How... how did you do that?" I whispered.

He walked toward me, closing the distance between us. "I told you, Amy. I have more money and power than Derek could ever dream of. When I say I'll take care of something, I mean it."

Before I could respond, he took my hand in his. His palm was warm and calloused, a stark contrast to Derek's soft, pampered hands.

That smile touch sent butterflies to my stomach and Lexie purred in my head. She was enjoying this way too much.

'Amy, get it together. He's just your ex-mate uncle and this is just for a year. You can't fall for him.' I reminded myself.

"Now," he said, "you wanted to see your mother, didn't you? Let's go."

“You're going with me?” I raised my eyebrows at him.

“She's going to be my mother in-law, of course I'm going with you.”

I opened my mouth to argue but I decided against it and just followed behind him.

He held my hand as we walked through his office, past his secretary, and toward the elevator. I barely registered the secretary's surprised look as we passed.

"I can walk on my own," I muttered, trying to pull my hand away.

Richard's grip tightened. "You're about to be my wife. We should get used to touching each other, don't you think?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but the elevator doors slid open, and he gently pulled me inside. The moment the doors closed behind us, I felt trapped. Not because of the small space, but because of the man beside me.

He stood too close, his presence overwhelming. I could smell his cologne, something woodsy and expensive, and I could feel the heat radiating off his body.

This wasn’t helping my situation. Lexie was going wild over his scent and scratching to come to the surface.

I bet she would jump his bones if I let her take over, so I kept pushing her back.

"You're nervous," he observed, his voice low.

"I'm not nervous," I lied.

“You know my wolf can sense your nervousness, right?” He turned to me with raised eyebrows. “There's no point lying to me.”

Shit! I forgot he's a powerful Alpha with a heightened sense compared to common wolves like me.

‘I can't believe we are doing this,’ Lexie said in my head.

‘This is the only choice we have, we have no other option than to accept it,’ I defended myself. ‘Besides, it's just one year before we go our separate ways.’

‘You're right. It's just one year. What's the worst that could happen?’

The elevator stopped on the first floor, and the doors slid open. Alpha Richard stepped out first, still holding my hand, and I had no choice but to follow.

The lobby was filled with employees, all of them going about their evening business. But the moment we emerged from the elevator, everything seemed to stop.

Heads turned. Conversations died mid-sentence. Every single eye in the lobby was fixed on Richard and me, holding hands as we walked through the glass doors.

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. I was still wearing the black dress from my father's funeral. My makeup was probably smudged from crying. I was a mess, and everyone was staring at me like I was some kind of spectacle.

"Just ignore them," Richard murmured, as if reading my thoughts.

We walked out of the building to a sleek black car waiting at the curb. A driver hurried to open the door for us, and Richard gestured for me to get in first.

I slid into the leather seat, and Richard climbed in beside me, his thigh brushing against mine. The driver closed the door, and moments later, we were pulling away from the curb.

The drive to the hospital was silent. I stared out the window, watching the streetlights blur past, and tried to make sense of everything that had happened in the last few hours.

This morning, I was mourning my father. This afternoon, I caught Derek cheating. And now, I was sitting in a car with Richard Wellington, about to become his wife and get revenge on the man who broke my heart.

It felt like a dream. A strange, surreal, terrifying dream.

"Do you regret it already?" Richard asked, breaking the silence.

I turned to look at him. "What?"

"Your decision," he said, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "I can see the doubt in your eyes. I need you to be sure, Amy. Once we do this, there's no going back."

I thought about my mother, lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. I thought about Derek, his smug face, his pathetic excuses. I thought about all the years I had wasted, all the dreams I had given up, all the pain I had endured.

"I don't regret it," I said, my voice steady. "I'm just trying to process everything. It's been a long day."

Richard nodded slowly before looking away.

We arrived at the hospital, and Richard's driver parked in front of the emergency entrance. Before I could open the door, Richard was already out and walking around to open it for me.

"Where did you learn manners?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

He smirked. "I'm a gentleman when I want to be. Don't get used to it."

We walked into the hospital together, still holding hands. The moment we stepped through the doors, I saw Dr. Matthews speaking with the hospital director near the reception desk.

The doctor, a tall man in his early fifties with graying hair and kind eyes, noticed Richard immediately. He broke away from the director and walked toward us.

"Alpha Wellington," Dr. Matthews said, extending his hand. "Good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

Richard shook his hand firmly. "Dr. Matthews. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"Of course," the doctor said, then turned his attention to me. "And you must be Mrs. Wellington."

I blinked, caught off guard by the title. "I'm—I mean, I'm—"

"Mrs. Wellington," Richard confirmed, his voice smooth. "My soon-to-be Luna."

Dr. Matthews smiled warmly. "Then let me assure you, Mrs. Wellington, that your mother is in the best possible hands. I've reviewed her chart, and I'm confident the surgery will be a success. She's a strong woman."

Tears pricked at my eyes. "Thank you, Dr. Matthews. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I'll do everything I can," he promised. "Now, if you'd like to see her before I begin, I can arrange that."

I nodded quickly. "Yes, please. I need to see her."

Dr. Matthews nodded and gestured for me to follow. I started to walk, but Richard's grip on my hand tightened, pulling me back.

"Wait," he said softly.

I turned to him, confused. "What?"

Before I could react, he reached for my left hand and gently slid Derek's engagement ring off my finger. The metal felt cold as it left my skin, and I felt a strange sense of relief, like I was finally shedding the weight that had been dragging me down.

“I don't think you will be needing that anymore.” He pocketed Derek's ring. “I'll get you a more expensive one tomorrow. It is going to be bold enough so everyone can tell that you are engaged from miles away.”