24

Livia POV

The moment we got back into our luxury suite, I kicked my high heels into the nearest corner, not caring where they landed.

I marched straight to the mini-bar, poured myself a generous glass of scotch, and swallowed a large gulp. The liquid burned down my throat, but it did nothing to soothe the storm inside me. “I don’t care anymore,” I declared to the empty living room, my voice trembling with raw frustration. “I am not going to let any man treat me like garbage!”

I snatched my phone off the counter and opened HiWolf Messenger to text Livyana.

Livy, I am reaching my breaking point, I typed frantically, my thumbs flying over the screen. I swear, one of these days I am going to completely snap and blow our cover!

I hit send, but there was no instant reply. In fact, there was no read receipt at all.

I scrolled up, a dark knot of anxiety twisting in my gut as I noted the long, unanswered streak of messages I had sent her over the past forty-eight hours:

Liv, I think the Queen Mother might be extremely overbearing, but she has a good side... maybe?

I had a huge squabble with Maris today. That woman hates my guts. Well, I hate her just as much.

The Queen Mother literally gave me an assignment to SEDUCE your husband! How on earth am I supposed to slip through this?!

The pressure of being royalty is insane. I am scared, Livy. Have you left town already? Are you okay?

UPDATE: We were just rushed onto a private jet for a sudden trip to Geneva!

Turns out this isn’t a business trip at all—it’s a full-blown HONEYMOON setup by the Queen Mother!

I hate Alpha Tarian. I absolutely cannot stand him.

Not a single response. Every message sat there, unread and ignored. Where on earth was she? Why wasn’t she checking her phone?

I tossed my phone onto the sofa and glanced up at the wall clock. It was 2:00 AM.

Despite the late hour and the exhaustion wearing down my bones, my stomach grumbled, we had been having vegetables since we arrived thanks to Tarian’s fitness diet. I was starving. The tension at the dinner table had completely ruined my appetite earlier, and now my body was demanding fuel.

“I wonder what the great Alpha King would say if he caught me raiding the kitchen at two in the morning,” I muttered to myself. I paused, letting out a sharp scoff. “Fuck it. I don’t fucking care! He abandoned me at the couples’ hangout and disappeared to God-knows-where anyway. That’s his business.”

I padded out of the suite in my bare feet and navigated the quiet, dimly lit corridor down to the villa’s kitchenette. Opening the small stainless-steel refrigerator, I found a stack of neatly packaged fresh meals that Amelia had prepared and stored for us earlier.

A fond smile touched my lips. I made a mental note to take Amelia sightseeing around Geneva in the morning. I would much rather spend my day exploring the city with her than dealing with Tarian’s unbearable, grumpy ass.

I pulled out a container of beef sauce and popped it open. Taking a small spoon, I tasted a bite—and instantly winced. It was practically tasteless! Zero salt, zero depth, and absolutely no kick. I knew Amelia was a fantastic cook, so why was this beef sauce so utterly bland?

“Not on my watch,” I grumbled.

I grabbed a small saucepan from the rack, lit the gas stove, and dumped the beef sauce inside to reheat. I rummaged through the pantry until I found the spice cabinet. I shook in a generous amount of salt, a dash of garlic, and a heavy, unapologetic scoop of crushed hot scotch bonnet pepper flakes. I stirred the pot vigorously, letting the rich aromas fill the kitchen.

I dipped my spoon back into the bubbling sauce and tasted it.

“Mmm...” A loud, unconscious moan of pure satisfaction escaped my lips. “Yummm! Now that is how food is supposed to taste!”

I scooped a large, steaming portion onto a plate alongside some rice, pulled out a fork, and began devouring the meal right there at the kitchen island.

“What on earth do you think you are doing?”

A thunderous voice shattered the quiet room.

I jumped out of my skin, choking violently on a piece of spicy beef. I clutched my chest, coughing hysterically as I whipped around to face the doorway.

Tarian stood there, looking completely shocked and disgusted. He was still in his white dress shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “Who on earth eats like a starved beast at two o’clock in the morning?!”

Mortified and flushing bright red, I shoved my plate aside, wiped my mouth with a napkin, and glared at him. “None of your damn business!”

I didn’t wait around for him to lecture me. Thoroughly embarrassed, I abandoned the rest of my food, pushed past his giant frame, and stormed back down the hallway to my private bedroom suite.

“Unbelievable jerk,” I grumbled, slamming my bedroom door shut and locking it.

After I was done eating, I grabbed a clean white towel from the rack, stripped out of my dress, and wrapped the towel tightly around my body, preparing to take a hot shower and finally sleep.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Livyana! Open this door right now!” Tarian’s voice roared from the hallway, sounding strange, strained, and completely out of breath. “Open up! I am burning!”

My eyebrows pulled together in utter irritation. I stomped across the room, snatched the handle, and yanked the door open. “What is your problem?! Why are you banging on my door like a barbarian while I’m trying to—”

The words died in my throat.

Tarian was leaning on the doorframe, his skin flushed a deep, alarming shade of crimson. Sweat was pouring down his forehead, soaking his collar, and his dark eyes were wide, watery, and wildly bloodshot. Veins bulged along his neck as he panted aggressively, fanning his open mouth with a trembling hand.

“What... cough... what did you put in that food?!” he gasped out, his deep voice cracking painfully.

I stared at him in utter confusion. “Wait... you ate the food too?! After calling me a glutton?!”

“Answer me!” he wheezed, clutching his throat as if he were swallowing glass. “What did you put in it?! My mouth... my throat... it’s on fire!”

I blinked, realization slowly dawning on me. “I... I just added a little bit of pepper and salt because it was completely tasteless! It’s just normal spice!”

“Normal... cough... spice?!” Tarian’s eyes rolled back slightly. He let out a strangled gasp, his knees suddenly giving out beneath his massive weight.

THUD!

And that was the Alpha King on the floor, he had collapsed right in front of my door.

I gasped, taking a step back. “Hey! Stop being so dramatic! Get up!”

He didn’t move.

“Tarian!” I barked, stepping forward and using my bare foot to nudge his shoulder. “Get up right now! This isn’t funny!”

He remained completely immobile, his body unnaturally still.

Panic seized my chest. I dropped to my knees, wrapping my towel tightly around myself with one hand while using the other to shake his massive shoulder violently. His body felt like a burning furnace, and his breathing was shallow.

“Oh, Moon Goddess! Tarian! Wake up!” I screamed, slapping his flushed cheek lightly. Nothing. He was completely unconscious.

“HELP!” I shrieked at the top of my lungs, sprinting out into the quiet corridor in my towel. “SOMEONE HELP! ALPHA TARIAN IS DYING!”