Evelyn’s POV
I thought I was dead already.
But when I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in the hospital bed. A nurse was checking my blood pressure by the bedside.
“Oh my god, you’re awake!” she said cheerfully, “Finally! It’s been a week!”
…A week?
“W—Where…am I?”
She told me an address, which was hundreds of miles far from the packhouse. Leah must have driven a long way before dumping me.
“A couple of hikers found you in the woods and sent you to the hospital. You’d be dead already in they were a couple of hours late.” the nurse’s face turned serious, “What’s your name? And what happened to you?”
I groaned trying to sit up, “Did…did anyone come to look for me?”
“No. Nobody came.”
Tears poured out of my eyes.
I was gone missing for a week. Yet my own husband didn’t even bother to look for me.
“I…I need to go.” I gasped and struggled to get out of bed, “I need to find Tristan…”
The nurse followed me crying, “Hey you’re not fully recovered yet! Come back!”
She said that my ribs were fractured. My left leg was broken. And I was suffering from a concussion, which could develop into a serious disease if wasn’t taken seriously.
But I still insisted on checking out from the hospital.
I had no money and no phone at the moment. So how to go back to the packhouse was a big issue.
My only option was to hitch a ride.
I traveled the freeway for a whole morning, staggering. My ribs and left leg hurt like hell. My wolf was healing me as quickly as possible. But it still wasn’t enough.
Before I dropped down by the streetside again, a kind family stopped the car and gave me a ride.
We started talking in the car. The family told me that something big was happening at the packhouse.
“…Alpha Tristan is getting married again soon!” the wife said excitedly, “The new Luna is Ironclaw Pack’s daughter! And the adopted kid, Roman, isn’t adopted at all! He’s Alpha Tristan and Leah’s son! The boy has real Alpha blood!”
“Finally, we can have a highborn Luna. Someone who truly deserves our Alpha,” the father commented.
I gazed out the window numbly. The agony was making it hard for me to breathe.
“…And where’s the old Luna?” I asked lowly.
The wife shrugged, “Who cares? Not even Alpha Tristan cares. He didn’t mention her once in public once Leah was back.”
I wanted to cry again but also didn’t want to do it in front of strangers. So I turned around and covered my eyes.
3 hours later, the car stopped at the Central Square in front of the packhouse. A lot of people were gathered here.
I thanked the family and got out of the car. Going into the crowd, I heard people say that CEO Jason was coming from Storm Fang Pack today to sign a business contract with us. And all those people were here to welcome him.
“Miss Leah is in charge of the Carnival City project!” someone said in the crowd, “Well done, Leah! Finally, a Luna who knows what’s she doing!”
I clenched my fists in anger.
Carnival City was my project. Leah stole the fruit of my work. Yet nobody here knew that.
In the center, Tristan, Leah, and Roman were posing happily for the cameras.
“We are all excited about CEO Jason’s arrival, about the Carnival City. This is an important moment for the entire Blazewood Pack,” Tristan said with a charming smile.
“But why isn’t Luna Evelyn here today?” a reporter asked.
A deep furrow appeared between Tristan’s brows.
Before Tristan could answer, Leah jumped the gun and said, “Evelyn doesn’t want to come. Maybe she’s sick. Or maybe…she just doesn’t want to be in the same room with me.”
People let out low hisses.
Someone cried, “She’s obviously jealous of you! You made this project work. You gave birth to our Alpha’s only heir. Only you matter here! Evelyn can go fuck herself!”
“Guys…please. Have some sympathy.” Leah said softly, “I never want to fight with her. As long as I have Tristan, it’s enough.”
They held hands and smiled looking at each other.
I couldn’t control the growing pain in my chest watching them like this.
…Did Tristan even bother to look for me while I went missing?
Maybe he really didn’t care. Maybe I would humiliate myself by coming back to confront him.
Just then, a honk came from the near distance.
The crowd stirred. Tristan announced loudly, “CEO Jason is here. Let’s all go welcome him!”
A line of cars appeared at the end of the road, speeding toward us. At the front was a black Maybach.
It pulled up in front of the crowd.
The car door opened up. Jason got out of the front seat.
Tristan rushed forward and stretched out his hand to welcome this mighty CEO.
But Jason ignored that hand. He hurriedly walked to the backseat and the back door in a humble manner.
Another man got out of the car.
He stood tall, around 6'3", with a broad, athletic build that screamed strength and control. His chiseled jawline, sharp cheekbones, and strong chin all gave him a commanding presence.
And those piercing green eyes were intense, with a sharp, almost predatory gaze.
A deathly silence fell.
Everyone in the crowd froze in shock, including me.
“Asher Hawthorne.”
The handsome man offered his hand to the dumb-founded Tristan, saying in a deep, sexy voice.
“Nice to meet you.”
A round of surprised gasps broke out from the crowd.
Alpha Asher…What was he doing here?!
He was the Alpha of Storm Fang Pack, a huge business tycoon. There were hundreds of thousands of companies under his reign.
The Carnival City Project was huge to us, but nothing to him.
Why would he show up here today?
“Alpha Asher heard about our project and was really interested in it,” Jason explained to Tristan. “So if you agree, the Hawthorne Enterprise will become your new partner.”
Tristan inhaled sharply, and so did every elder behind his back.
“Of course!” Tristan gasped out in joy. “Come in please. Let’s discuss this in detail.”
“Wait.” Asher interrupted in a chilling voice, “Why isn’t Evelyn here? She’s in charge of the project.”
There was a buzz of comments around me.
“Luna Evelyn? I thought Leah is in charge!” a man gasped.
“So did Leah lie about that?” a woman asked.
Leah’s face turned pale slightly. Then she forced out a smile.
“Luna Evelyn found working on this project too exhausting. So she stepped back and handed everything to me. Trust me, Alpha Tristan. I can do a better job,” she explained.
I clenched my fists in anger.
Another lie. I didn’t hand it to her. She stole it after hitting me with a truck.
Yet Alpha Asher completely ignored her, as though she didn’t exist in his eyes.
“I don’t do business with amateurs. Certainly not with your mistress.” He said freezingly to Tristan. “Bring Luna Evelyn back by tonight! Or the cooperation is off.”
With that, he strode past Tristan and Leah and headed toward the packhouse. Jason and the burly soldiers from Storm Fang Pack followed their Alpha.