*LAUREN* Another day has just begun. I wake up late in the morning, at around 7:00 o'clock. I left the bed and went to the bathroom, then fixed myself in front of the mirror to make myself presentable before going to see Alex. While choosing my outfit for the day, Alex's offer came to mind. He will pay me monthly to become his fake girlfriend for one year, hoping that I will fall in love with him before the year is over. Well, he is honest enough to tell me what his true intention is. I began pacing back and forth on the floor. Is it a good idea to accept Alex's enticing offer? I could earn money every month without much effort by pretending to be his girlfriend, and voila, I get paid! I really needed money, and although I enjoy free board and lodging here, the status could change any minute now that Natasha comes into the picture. Right now, I'm Alex's apple of the eye, but his family and the council are backing Natasha because she's a werewolf and they belong together. It's no
*ALEX*I keep glancing at my beautiful companion; she is the epitome of grace and beauty. Since my sister was with us the entire time, I was unable to lavish her with compliments, but now that Lyn has left, I can gaze at my lady love for as long as I want.Lauren looked at me and said, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look like a model or the first lady of the country?" She asked, giggling."You looked every inch a goddess of beauty to me!" I responded, leaning in for a kiss, which she quickly avoided.Lauren showed me her fist and warned me, "Try kissing me, and I'll punch your face and kick you out of the vehicle!"I erupted into a chuckle. "Calm down, sweetheart."After a few minutes of driving, we finally arrived at The Global Cuisine Restaurant, located on the 50th floor of the Galaxy Tower Hotel. The elevator ride was smooth and quick, and we reached the restaurant in no time.When we entered the restaurant, the waiter ushered us to the private room where Natasha was w
*LAUREN*The following day, I woke up with a slight headache as if I had a hangover, not that I drank wine all night long with Alex.'Call him Alpha Alex from now on!' A voice whispered in my ears.'No way! I'm not going to do that!' For me, he's only Alex, plain and simple. I'm not going to start calling him Alpha, never! Even hell freezes over!Since I'm not a werewolf, I won't conform to their tradition.Hmm, what happened last night?Ah, I remember it now! I woke up in the middle of the night after having a terrifying nightmare! Once more lost in the thick forest and surrounded by ravenous wolves, Natasha suddenly materialized and gave the wolves the go-ahead to attack me.I feel the wolves tear my body into pieces, and it hurts so bad! And I died in my dreams. And before darkness took over my consciousness, I saw Natasha grinning happily at me, and she said, "That's what you get for stealing my Alpha! Die! Die! Die!"Thankfully, I woke up and quickly drank a glass of water that I
*ALEX*I groaned inwardly. Although I'm beginning to feel the strain of the magnitude of my situation, I keep a calm facade. "Let's settle on the chair first," I said. Discussing important matters in front of the sparkling water of the pool is calming.My parents eased into the pool lounger and faced me. I can see the mixture of feelings on their faces, but the fact that they haven't raised their voice yet means they are not truly pissed yet.I looked at my father and wanted to hug him. "I'm sorry for this, Dad," I apologized.Dad took a long breath and then said, "Son, you rejected Natasha yesterday at a dinner meeting, and her father protested that we broke the agreement that was agreed upon a few years ago. You opened Pandora's box! This can cause chaos, son.""I know, Dad. Let me handle it. If you agree, just formally appoint me as your successor in the council meeting so that you can retire and live a peaceful life with Mom. I'll carry the responsibility and face the consequences
*LAUREN* When I learned from one of the servants that Alex's parents had arrived and they were having a serious conversation in the pool area, I finally realized that things were getting serious. While I don't know the full extent of Alex's problem regarding rejecting Natasha, I have a feeling that Alex's ascension to the throne won't be easy and smooth. "Sweetheart, why don't you move into my room from now on?" Alex asked me out of the blue when we were climbing the staircase going to the second floor. "Huh?" His suggestion surprised me, and I stared at him for a moment. Alex said, "I'm just asking. You can say no if you don't like my offer." He grinned mischievously. I rolled my eyes. "Nice try! But no thanks!" Alex shrugged and said, "OK. Just tell me if you are ready to move into my room," he said with a wink. A sigh escaped my lips, and I glared at him. "In your dreams!" "I do dream a lot about you," he said softly and continued, "and in my dreams you are always seeking my
*ALEX* My sister finally arrived and came straight to my room because I told her that I couldn't leave the room while Lauren was taking a bath. "What happened, bro?" Lyn asked me, lowering herself onto the chair facing me. "It's the massive army of rats that appeared out of nowhere under the bed," I said. "Yeah, but you told me that they also disappear as if they didn't exist at all. Is it like magic or the work of a witch or a shaman?" Lyn asked. "How would I know? This incident baffled me. It's the first time I've seen something like this. I'm just a wolf. I'm not a shaman or a witch, and things like this are beyond my understanding. Not a single dead rat was left behind, though," I explained. "I see. Since there is no evidence left, it's hard to pinpoint the true reason for the rodent infestation occurring in a very clean room," Lyn stated. "Could it be an inside job or originate from an outside force?" she muses. "But Mom told me that she personally handpicked these servants
*LAUREN* We arrive at the Star Z Mall after a short trip, and it's not overly crowded because it's not the weekend. We entered several clothing, bag, and shoe stores. To be honest, I'm not in the mood to buy anything because I don't have money of my own. I pretended to be excited about going shopping before we left the house, but the rat infestation in my room was still bothering me, and I can't get that incident out of my head. But I wear a bright smile on my face, pretending that I like the clothes that Lyn has chosen for me. I don't want to waste the siblings effort since they were just trying to cheer me up so that I can move on from the horrific incident quickly. We are on the fifth store now. "How about this skirt? You like it?" Lyn asked. I frowned at the sexy, high-slit skirt. "I think I will pass. The skirt is too sexy for my liking," I said, shaking my head. Lyn smiled. "Okay. So, we've bought enough clothes already. Where do we go next?" I glanced at Alex, who was si
*LAUREN* I don't know what happened to Alex this morning, but he was so sweet. His sweetness filled the atmosphere of the room, making me giddy. I was brushing my hair in front of the mirror, and I caught him staring at me. I looked over my shoulder and said, "What are you looking at?" Alex grinned. "I'm looking at your gorgeous hair cascading down your back. You look so beautiful in red," he said. A smile curled up on my lips. "You look handsome too!" I responded by praising his look. Alex chuckled. "I'll wait outside in the living room, then let's have breakfast together." "OK." I watched him exit the door. His scent still lingers in the room, wrapping me in a sweet, wonderful feeling of being loved and protected. I continued brushing my hair and styled it in a ponytail, then left the room to join Alex in the dining room. When I descend the staircase, I see him sitting on the couch, reading a message on his phone. His face looks serious. Did he receive bad news from his famil
*3rd POV*Two days later, Alex and Lauren returned to the city from their short vacation.Alex proceeded to his house while Lauren returned to Magnus' residence.Lauren opened the door, climbed the staircase, and went to her bedroom. The house was still quiet, an indication that the owner hasn't returned yet. His prolonged absence got her worried.What could have happened to him? She hopes he is alright.Lauren put her bag on the floor and saw the envelope on her pillow. Her brows knit together; what is this? She picked up the envelope and found a letter inside. It was written and signed by Magnus.~Dear, Lauren...When you read this letter, I'm already back in my kingdom because there are still a lot of things that need my attention. Peace has been restored in my kingdom. My brother and I are on good terms again. He finally let go of his woman for the sake of peace between the two kingdoms.In line with my current state of mind, I would like to let you go as well. You can go now and
*GRANNY URSULA*A while ago...When I looked out the window, I saw Alex in the car, then Lauren re-entered the house and investigate. I could have shown myself to the couple right at that very moment, saying hello to the two children that I raised like my own.The temptation to show myself to them again is very strong.I wanted to talk to them, have a conversation with them and hug them one last time but I can no longer do it. I can't look into Alex's eyes and pretend that I'm still the same old Granny Ursula that he used to know. I killed his grandparents and if he knows, he will hate me to the bone.I'm guilty of using the couple for revenge but I need to do what I have promised to my beloved queen when she lies dying in my arms in the garden.I can still recall vividly the pain of seeing her on the verge of death."Nanny, I'm dying. Please take care of my younger brothers on my behalf..." Queen Hesperia has a hard time breathing."Who did this to you?" I asked, my eyes filled with
*ALEX*I went home that morning and went straight to bed to sleep after eating a light breakfast.When I wake up in the afternoon, it's already 4:00 p.m. I texted Lauren that I'm going to her place to bring her to a place far from the city so she needs to bring some clothes with her.I haven't told her yet about what happened to my grandparents dead bodies.I need to go to a place that is quiet and relaxing to de-stress.Half an hour later, I'm already out of my house. I get into my car and drive to Lauren's place.After a few minutes of driving, I arrived at my destination and parked the car outside the gate of the vampire's residence.I texted Lauren that I'm already outside, waiting for her to come out of the house. I looked out the window on the second floor of the house and saw a silhouette. Who was that?When I looked closely, the silhouette had already disappear. Or maybe it wasn't there in the first place. Maybe my eyes just caught something that looks like the silhouette of a
*ALEX*When I arrived at the funeral parlor and went to the second floor of the building to join my sister and parents, I was shocked to find an empty room—no coffins or whatever—just flowers and candles on the floor. Instead, what I saw were my family members looking at each other with a shocked expression on their faces.I rushed to their sides. "What's wrong, guys?" I inquired."Son, the coffins were gone! It happened so fast! It's like a blink of an eye. I felt like I was frozen in time and I don't know what happened during those moments. But the moment we were unfrozen, we were surprised to see the two caskets gone!" Mom said it in a rattled tone.My brows snapped together. "What is going on?" I asked in disbelief. "Who would steal a coffin with dead bodies in it?" I said it in bewilderment."Brother, believe us when we say that someone has frozen us and stolen the coffins!" Lyn explained in an agitated tone."We got to find the coffins!" Dad exclaimed anxiously."Alright, calm d
~MAGNUS~"So, is this your good news to me?" I asked the silhouette standing near the window, my eyes blazing with anger. "I'm in the middle of a negotiation with the opposing kingdom to obtain peace and you just whisked me away just to show me this good news?"I feel like my heart is about to explode due to jealousy. "I tell you now that seeing Lauren with Alex is making my blood boil. I don't like it! And the fact that you tolerated them and did nothing to prevent them from seeing each other makes me feel like the person I trusted the most has betrayed me!"I looked at her, feeling upset. "You disappointed me! I left you behind to watch over Lauren on my behalf! Not to tolerate the couple's reunion! You didn't even try to do anything to separate them!"I no longer hide my displeasure. I felt annoyed that my precious woman was now getting back together with her ex."Your highness, this is not the good news that I'm talking about," Granny Ursula responded. "I'm sorry if you didn't lik
*ALEX*I haven't slept yet and the time was already past 2:00 in the morning. Lauren was sleeping soundly beside me on the bed. I've been wide awake the whole night, and I want to make sure that this night will go well without any mysterious occurrences on Lauren's part based on my mother's instruction.I even put a CCTV camera inside our bedroom as evidence that Lauren was with me the whole night, just in case something went wrong.I think the party has already ended by now.When my phone rang at 2:40 in the morning, my heart beat so fast.Damn!They will never call me at this hour unless something happens!I quickly grabbed my phone and read the message. It was from my mother and the contents of her message broke my heart into pieces.'Son, when I wrote this message, I'm still in the hospital. Your sister is fine, but both grandpa and grandma didn't make it. They died in the party venue; the guards found them dead after all the guests had gone home safely. The reason for their death
*ALEX* On the day of the masquerade ball, I was with my family the whole afternoon, chatting with everyone. The atmosphere in the house is fantastic, filled with lively chatter. We are in good spirits, riding the wave of excitement for tonight's event. It will be the first time that our family is complete and we will be attending the masquerade ball together. In the previous ball, it's always been me who is missing and my grandparents, so today is very special because it will be a family affair and everyone will be present on the festive occasion. Everyone is excited. I can see the shimmering excitement on their faces. By 5:00 in the afternoon, I made my exit and informed everyone that I'm going home and that I would see them at the party later. I left our family home, and part of me felt sad that I couldn't attend the party. I got into my car, drove into the heavy traffic and dropped by at the vampire's place. Lauren exited the gate and waved at me. I opened the door and she qu
*LAUREN* One week had passed already. I was waiting for Magnus' return every day, yet there was still no sign of him. What could happen to him? I hope he is alright and his kingdom didn't go to war. I'm worried about his safety. I was pacing back and forth in the living room. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Alex would come anytime soon. I agreed to sleep in his house every night as part of my commitment to our relationship. I already wrote a letter for Magnus and put it in his bed just in case he would arrive at an empty house. I explained in my letter that I'm going to sleep at my friend's house. I'll be back tomorrow morning and all he needs to do is text me and I'll reply right away. My phone rang and Alex sent me a message informing me that his car was already parked outside the gate. I grabbed my shoulder bag and exited the house. After locking the gate, I quickly get into the passenger seat of Alex's car. "Hi, sweetheart." Alex greeted me cheerily. "I hope I didn't make
*ALEX* The following day, me and Lauren woke up late. After having a glorious night, we welcome the morning with fresh perspective and refreshed energy. I kissed Lauren's cheeks. Her eyelids stirred on the verge of waking up. "Good morning, sweetheart!" I greeted her jovially. "Morning!" She replied in a sweet tone, caressing my jaw. I patted her arms lovingly. "I'm going to work today. If you want, you can accompany me in my office," I offered. "No, thanks. I should go home." She refused my offer politely, getting off the bed and going to the bathroom. A few moments later, she emerged from the bathroom, returned to bed, and said, "Can you drop me off at the house on your way to your office?" "Sure! That's what I have planned in my mind already. I will send you home after we have breakfast," I answered. "Thank you," she murmured. "We can also teleport, right?" "Yes, we can do that as well. But I prefer that we use the car so that we can talk along the way," I said, gazing at