Chapter 3
The time came to ten o'clock at night.
Only two hours remained until the midnight full moon ceremony.
Outside the window, a crimson full moon hung high in the night sky, shrouding the entire Crescent Manor in a layer of murderous blood-red light. On the plaza outside the main banquet hall, the massive ancient moonlight array was being activated by several high-ranking elders working together, with sapphire-blue magical patterns crawling across the stone slabs like living creatures.
I sat in the most remote, cramped guest room in the north tower, folding two shirts washed to white and placing them in a worn canvas travel bag.
Actually, I didn't need to take anything with me. The system's exit mechanism had already arranged everything—custom-tailored suits were waiting for me in the Manhattan penthouse. I was just performing some kind of "tidying up the desk before clocking out" ritual.
"Bang."
The door was pushed open without warning, not even bothering with the courtesy of knocking.
I turned around to see Serena standing in the doorway. She had already changed into an intricate silver formal dress symbolizing her status as heir of the Crescent Clan, her long hair elegantly pinned up. But completely at odds with this magnificent attire were her slightly hurried breathing and slightly disheveled strands of hair.
She strode in quickly, locked the door behind her, then heavily slammed a plane ticket and a set of car keys onto the rickety wooden table in front of me.
"Los Angeles flight, departing in thirty minutes. The car is parked outside the abandoned old freight passage behind the mountain." Serena didn't look into my eyes, speaking extremely fast with a tone of high-and-mighty command and charity: "Before the ceremony officially begins, while Caleb is busy socializing in the front hall, leave immediately now. Never return to this continent."
I stopped what I was doing and looked at the plane ticket on the table without speaking.
"Did you think your provocation of Caleb in the hall today was something cool?" Seeing me motionless, Serena's brows furrowed deeply, her tone full of frustrated anxiety: "He's a pure-blood Alpha! In the moonlight array, his killing intent will be amplified tenfold. Neither I nor the elders can protect an ordinary human in that ancient barrier!"
She took a deep breath, lifting her chin slightly, trying to reclaim her cold noble mask: "Take your things and get lost. Stop clinging to your ridiculous pride. This is my final mercy to you."
If it were any other live-in son-in-law, seeing his usually ice-cold wife risk betraying the family to help him escape in the dead of night would probably move him to tears, maybe even swear to return as a king.
But unfortunately, I was a wage worker who only recognized contracts. More unfortunately, I saw through the cowardly essence beneath her arrogant mask.
I didn't touch the "escape kit" on the table, instead zipping up my travel bag and lifting it in my hand.
"Miss Serena." I finally looked up, my gaze calmly observing her.
It was a look devoid of emotional fluctuation, even carrying the condescending gaze of a superior viewing a stranger. "If you're here as company HR to conduct an exit interview, then I must point out that your presentation is highly unprofessional."
Serena was stunned. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
"You keep saying this is for my own good, your 'mercy,' but you're actually just covering up your cowardice, aren't you?" I stood before her, my tone like a blade cutting through solid ice, leaving no face to save. "You dare neither stand up against your mother's marriage arrangements nor directly refuse Caleb's aggressive annexation. You can only pin your hopes on a powerless human, expecting me to be a 'qualified shield.'"
"Now that things have spiraled beyond your control, you're afraid that me being torn apart in the array will dirty your hands and conscience, so you run here in the dead of night, wanting to throw me away like a hot potato."
"You..." Serena's pupils contracted violently, her face instantly draining of color.
"Self-moved sentimentality cannot change the fact that you are a vested interest holder who dares not take responsibility." I rendered my verdict flatly. "During these three years of employment, my performance record as an emotional dumping ground and political buffer has been perfect. As for overstepping concern and moral blackmail—sorry, that's not included in my service package."
"I know exactly what tomorrow night's array is." I looked at her stunning face gradually freezing with shock and humiliation. "So, I won't flee. I'll stay. Because this is my 'wrap-up work.'"
Serena bit her lower lip so hard she drew blood. Her pride in her nobility, her self-righteous charity, even that little bit of awkward warmth in her heart—all were crushed to powder in this moment by me, this cold humanoid machine.
She finally realized that this clay figure she had ignored and trampled underfoot for three years had never looked up to her for even a second.
"Good... very good!"
Serena's voice was trembling. The immense shame and wounded pride completely broke her defenses. She grabbed the plane ticket from the table, tore it to shreds, and threw the pieces violently on the floor.
"Since you want to die, then go die! Arthur, you'll pay the most painful price of your life for your arrogance!"
"Bang!"
The door was slammed shut so hard that even the excellently soundproofed solid wood frame trembled violently. The room returned to dead silence, leaving only a pile of snowflake-like paper scraps on the floor.
I shrugged as a crimson light suddenly flashed before my retina.
The usually sapphire-blue countdown panel had turned into some kind of extreme warning red:
【Ding—Time remaining until mission completion and departure from this plane: 120 minutes.】
【High-risk scenario "Moonlight Array" detected and loaded, defense system on maximum standby.】
The red numbers pulsed like a heartbeat, heralding the approaching storm. All the werewolves thought that array was my execution platform, but none knew it was the most magnificent resignation performance the system had arranged for me.
"Woo—rumble—"
Outside the window, a deep, long ancient horn sound cut through the night sky—the signal for the official opening of the blood moon ceremony, symbolizing that high-ranking werewolf nobility from across the continent had taken their seats in that bloody arena.
Immediately after, heavy, hurried iron boot sounds came from the corridor outside.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The door was brutally pounded as fully armed heavy-armored werewolf guards roared coarsely and venomously outside: "Human! The matriarch orders that the ceremony has begun. Whether you're trembling under the bed or pissing your pants, get out here immediately and go to the plaza! Don't keep Master Caleb waiting!"
That was the escort squad the matriarch personally sent to "invite" me to my death.
I straightened the collar of my worn-white shirt, picked up the shabby canvas travel bag with one hand. Then, without hesitation, I turned the door handle with a "click" and proactively opened that door leading to the dragon's den.
"Lead the way." I looked at the several stunned werewolf guards outside, pulling up a professional smile so familiar that even Death would recognize it. "No need for such a grand escort. I can walk myself."
