Esmond's POV
"It was my fault for cheating. How long are you going to punish me?"
Moonlight moss clung to the windowsill of this human apartment, barely surviving. As I stepped across the cheap synthetic carpet, the scent of pine needles leaked from me uncontrollably.
The temporary mark on Camellia's neck was fading, but her lychee-rose scent still made my wolf restless, its claws scraping along my spine.
She shifted slightly, curled up on the secondhand couch.
My wolf caught the faint smell of blood seeping through the cracks in our bond. My nails dug into my palms, a mix of violent possessiveness and regret burning in my chest—this body, which once shared warmth with me, was now being influenced by another Alpha's scent.
Camellia's hand tightened at her side. "I told you, I don't know. Maybe when I stop loving you..."
Her words were cut off by my wolf's howl. The scent of pine needles swept through the small living room like a storm
Third Person's POVInside Blanche's office, she set down her phone and looked at Konstantin, who sat across from her.Her expression was weary. "Mr. Carroll, Ms. Sanders wants to involve the police."If it weren't for Konstantin personally overseeing this from headquarters, Blanche might have tried to persuade Camellia to reconsider. After all, this could ruin Elvira's career.But then again, if Elvira's guilt couldn't be proven, Camellia would bear the full responsibility. And she had nearly suffered chemical burns.This incident could completely alter the course of Camellia's life.Konstantin twisted the gold cufflink on his sleeve. "The legal department has informed me. Mr. Dalton believes this exposes a gap in NovaStar's environmental health and safety management. He wants you to review the OSHA compliance procedures.""I understand."After Konstantin left, Blanche picked up the biometric comparison report on her desk.
Camellia's POVAfter finishing my statement at the FBI office, I was stopped by Claire as soon as I stepped out."Did you have something to do with Elvira's arrest?"I found it laughable. Raising an eyebrow, I said, "You're the one who sent Elvira after me, and now that it's backfired, you have the nerve to question me? Your arrogance knows no bounds."Claire didn't deny it, just sneered. "Camellia, you got lucky this time. But don't think you'll always be this lucky."With that, she turned and walked away.I was about to hail a cab when a black Cayenne pulled up in front of me.Esmond stepped out of the driver's seat, looking relieved to see me unharmed."Camellia, a friend told me you were questioned by federal agents. I rushed over from Capitol Hill. Glad you're okay."For a moment, his concern touched me. But then my eyes caught the unmistakable lipstick stain on the collar of his white shirt.My gaze fixed on
Third Person's POV"Your wife's accident has nothing to do with me, and I've never wronged Elvira. Yet she tried to ruin my face and my career. I have no reason to forgive her."With that, Camellia tried to leave, but the man blocked her path again."Ms. Sanders, I'm desperate. What will it take for you to let Elvira go? I'm begging you."He dropped to his knees in front of her.Camellia's eyes flashed with disgust. She hated this kind of emotional manipulation, trying to guilt her into letting Elvira off the hook.Just because his family was struggling, did that mean Elvira could harm others without consequences?"I won't issue a letter of forgiveness. Whatever the court decides, that's it. It's not my problem."Camellia stepped around him and walked away, quickly disappearing from his sight.Across the street, Claire watched, a cold smile spreading across her face as she reviewed the video she'd just recorded on her ph
Camellia's POVMy hand trembled slightly as I held the cup, spilling a few drops of water.Esmond knew my dad was staying at that werewolf hospital. Yet he had the audacity to show up there with Hazel in tow.Was he trying to make sure everyone knew he was cheating?After a moment of silence, I nodded. "Yeah.""I knew it." Noelle's face was filled with anger. "What are you going to do about it?""I'm planning to divorce him, but he won't agree to split the assets. So I'm gathering evidence of his infidelity."I knew that evidence of cheating alone might not be enough. I needed something more—something that could really hold Esmond accountable.Noelle frowned. "He's part of the Ironclaw Pack and the Dalton family. He's not going to give you half his wealth willingly. And with your dad still in the hospital, we can't exactly help you fight him."I shook my head. "I'll be fine. I gambled on him not betraying our bond,
Esmond's POVI didn't expect Camellia to still hold a grudge even after I'd humbled myself like this.My wolf growled in protest.I sneered in my mind, responding, "This is exactly why I'm willing to be with Hazel. A rogue like her would never dare defy me.""Our mate is a noble Alpha, not some dirty, lowly—"I cut off my wolf's voice before it could finish.It made me feel like we were two separate entities, not one. That feeling irritated me.Back at the villa, I got a call from Jason."Esmond, check Twitter's trending topics."Frowning slightly, I opened Twitter.The top trending topic was a video of Elvira's father kneeling before Camellia.The angle of the video was deliberately chosen to show Connor's helpless expression. The comments were filled with hate for Camellia."How can someone be so disgusting? I heard her colleague's father is just a hardworking truck driver. How could she forc
Claire's POVThe online hate toward Camellia was growing by the minute. I couldn't be more thrilled.At first, I was worried Esmond might step in to help Camellia out of this mess. But seeing how he'd done nothing so far, it seemed he didn't care at all.Given the current situation, NovaStar would likely buckle under the pressure and fire Camellia tomorrow.The thought of never having to see her again filled me with immense satisfaction.I used a backup account to join in on the hate, adding a few more insults to the pile. Just as I was about to shut down my phone and go to bed, a message popped up on iMessage.Reading it, my heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over me.I quickly opened Twitter, only to find that Camellia's audio recording had shot to the top of the trending list.I clicked on it, and it was a recording of Connor's conversation with Camellia after he approached her.I gritted my teeth in frustra
Claire's POVHis scrutinizing gaze bore into me as I forced calm into my voice. "Just got here. Brought you some hand-ground coffee."I walked toward the desk, fighting to hide my fear.Fabian watched me coldly, silent.Only when I set the coffee down did the tension ease slightly."Dad… about my situation… is it handled?""I'm working on it. Should be resolved in a couple days."Relief flickered in my eyes. "Thank you!""Don't celebrate yet. If there's a next time, you're on your own.""Understood. I'll head to bed. You should rest too."As I turned to leave, Fabian's voice turned icy. "Claire, you'd better not have heard anything you shouldn't. Or our father-daughter bond won't save you."I bit my lip, feigning confusion."Dad, what shouldn't I have heard? I don't understand."Rotting pine pheromones flooded the room. Fabian's pupils slithered into predatory slits—a wolf
Esmond's POVNot long after Jason left, Aljean showed up.Seeing him, I was a little surprised.After being kicked out of the Dalton Group's list of potential heirs, Alpha Drogo had given him a subsidiary of the Dalton Group to run.I thought with Aljean's playful nature, the company would go under quickly, but unexpectedly, he managed it quite well.Though it still couldn't compare to the Dalton Group, making a profit of a few hundred million a year was no problem.Moreover, Aljean was always womanizing and rarely came home, so the father-son relationship between us was rather strained. Apart from holidays, we hardly met privately."Father, why are you here?" I asked."I heard you're planning to fire Fabian?"Aljean's canines grated with a metallic sound at the word "fire," a prelude to shifting.The silver-gray wolf fur suddenly bursting from my knuckles resting on the armrest, the pine resin pheromones of a new
Lionel's POVI was reviewing lab surveillance footage when my suit pocket vibrated with an incoming satellite call.I answered, and Konstantin's urgent breathing filled my ear. "Alpha Lionel, Miss Sanders has gone missing!"My knuckles crushed a pen, splintering wood into sharp shards. "What's the situation?"Leroy whined anxiously in my mind."Her place is a mess. Her phone's on the sofa, but she's gone."Fabric rustled as Konstantin investigated. "There are drag marks on the hallway carpet, and in the kitchen...""Check it out." Cedar scent froze on my tongue as I loosened my tie and headed to the garage.A sudden pain seared my neck—my true mate was in danger.Unfortunately, without her marked, I couldn't pinpoint her location.Leroy's claws scraped my nerves."Let me take over," it growled."Shut up. Not the time to shift," I snapped back.Oddly, a flicker of anxiety stirred within m
Camellia's POVFrom Connor's conversation with that man, I figured out he kidnapped me for money.In a flash, everything became clear.Claire wanted me dead but didn't want to get involved, so she arranged for Connor to kidnap me. If I died, Connor would take the blame.She might even plan to kill him too. After all, dead men tell no tales.Seeing I didn't respond, Claire sneered, "If you don't call, you'll die right now."I knew calling Esmond was my only chance to survive.If I could hold on until he came, I might live."Alright, I'll call.""You give the number, I'll dial. But think carefully about what you say."She put Esmond's call on speakerphone.But it wasn't Esmond who answered. It was Hazel."Who's this?"Recognizing Hazel's voice, my heart sank."It's Camellia. I need to speak to Esmond."Hazel giggled. "Esmond's taking a shower. You can tell me what you want, and I'l
Third Person's POVAt the Pioneer Tech Group's CEO office, Konstantin rushed in with a document."Alpha Lionel, our cooperator returned this file, claiming issues with the experimental data. I can't pinpoint the exact problems."Lionel scanned the document and said, "Call Camellia."Konstantin nodded and dialed Camellia's number."Buzz, buzz, buzz..."The phone vibrated in the dark living room, eventually stopping.After several failed attempts, Konstantin suggested, "Shall I bring the document to Miss Sanders?""Okay."Camellia's POVI woke to the suffocating darkness of what felt like a trunk, my pulse roaring in my ears. Panic and fear gripped me.Kidnapping was unheard of in my world.They might kill me at any time.I forced steady breaths despite the panic, registering the vehicle's movement.Where are they taking me?I dwelled on the possibilities. I lived in an old residen
Camellia's POVAs I sneered, a burning pain surged in the back of my neck.Lyra growled threateningly in the depths of my consciousness, her fangs scraping against my spine.Each word I uttered carried the low - frequency tremor characteristic of werewolves, "If you dare go to my dad again, I'll expose your infidelity."The broken mate bond exploded in my chest like thorny bushes. The remnants of verbena's cloying sweetness in Esmond's cuffs stung my olfactory nerves."Are you not afraid of worsening his condition?" he said with a shrug, fueling my anger as my fists clenched."How could you become so shameless?" I exclaimed."Shameless?"Esmond's pupils swirled with the Ironclaw Pack's bloody totem. The fingertips gripping my jaw exuded a murky blend of pine and verbena."Cam, I merely wanted you back and to keep your distance from Lionel. You're the one provoking me," he said.I stumbled backward against the wall
Camellia's POVAt noon, I headed to the cafeteria and was stunned by its luxury.The food at each window looked exquisitely prepared, making my mouth water.I queued at a Thai food stall, ordered pineapple fried rice and tom yum soup, and sat in a corner.The first spoonful of soup tasted as good as what I'd had at a five-star restaurant before.I'd once thought it was an exaggeration that Pioneer Tech's cafeteria rivaled five-star venues, but now I saw it was true.Back in the lab, I started the afternoon's experiment.As the reaction began, I sat nearby, timing and recording.Suddenly, a message from Esmond came in."I'm downstairs at Pioneer Tech. Come down now, or I'll come up myself."I frowned, surprised he'd found out I was here so quickly.I called him.After two rings, he answered but stayed silent."I'm here on company business. You coming here won't change anything.""You cou
Camellia's POVI was about to continue my experiment in the lab when I received a message from Blanche, asking me to go to her office.I entered the office. Blanche smiled as she asked me to sit down."Camellia, how was your business trip to New York with Mr. Dalton?"I pursed my lips and replied, "It was okay. What do you need me for, Blanche?""Here's the thing. Headquarters highly values the project you're developing, and since it's funded by Pioneer Tech, they want to send you to work at their company for a while. This way, Mr. Dalton won't have to keep running back and forth to follow up on the experiment's progress."I was surprised and my eyebrows furrowed."How long will I be there? And does Pioneer Tech have a lab?"Blanche smiled and said, "I'm not exactly sure how long you'll be there. Probably until the project has made some progress. As for the lab, don't worry. Pioneer Tech bought a building next to their group he
Camellia's POVI finished breakfast, put on my shoes, and was about to leave for work.As I turned the lock, the smell of rotten pine and verbena remnants flooded my nostrils.Lyra bristled at the base of my spine. My pheromones crystallized from shock.Esmond's pupils flickered with the Ironclaw Pack's signature amber slits, signaling impending loss of control.I frowned and asked, "What do you want..."My words died in my throat as his palm erupted with pine needle pheromones, piercing my skin like rotten thorns.Lyra arched her back, emitting a silent howl only I could hear—the broken mate bond was retaliating through the contact point, searing the contract scar on my tailbone.Esmond grabbed my hand, yanked me against the wall, and pinned me there."I told you to stay away from Lionel. You seem to have ignored me completely."One hand held me down while the other slowly moved down my face, his eyes glint
Camellia's POV"Thank goodness you're up. That photo was taken by a well-known photographer. He casually posted it on his personal Instagram after coming back, and unexpectedly, it went viral. People are praising you and Lionel as a good-looking pair, a perfect match," Eugenia said.I was left speechless.Even though the photo only captured our profiles, anyone who knew us could easily recognize us. No wonder Esmond was so angry earlier."It's just a matter of shooting angle. I'll contact Lionel. Talk to you later."If this incident gets blown out of proportion, it won't benefit me in any way.After hanging up, I thought for a moment and contacted Konstantin instead of Lionel directly.Upon learning that I was inquiring about the photo, Konstantin hurriedly said, "Miss Sanders, our team is already in contact with the photographer to resolve this. Please don't worry.""Alright, please let me know once it's settled," I replied.
Camellia's POVAfter Eugenia left, I was about to get my car when I heard someone calling me from behind.I turned around and saw Konstantin and Lionel walking toward me.Lionel seemed to have had some alcohol, his face a bit flushed. The top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, revealing his well-defined collarbone, and his suit jacket was casually draped over his arm. His inborn aristocratic aura made people involuntarily focus on him.The back of my neck suddenly felt scorching hot, and Lyra was restlessly arching in my ribs. The cedar cold scent had already pierced through the neon lights before the sound wave reached me.At the sight of him, I was reminded of the odd words Esmond said to me the other day.'Does Lionel have some ulterior motive toward me?''Since Esmond and I haven't rejected each other yet, he shouldn't be able to tell that I'm his true mate.''Anyway, he has never shown any signs of it.''Ev