Chapter 4

Richard's POV

“The only regret I have is not leaving you long ago.” Ceres left after saying this. I fell into disarray, unable to sleep a wink. I gulped down yet another glass of alcohol. The warmth slid down my throat, but the numbness I was waiting for eluded me. No matter how much I drank, I just couldn't shake that memory off—the memory of Ceres's cold face as she stood by the door with her luggage and told me she regretted not leaving me long ago. The nerve of her to say that!

“It was all your fault, Richard! She left because of you,” my wolf snarled in my head.

“She will come back,” I retorted and gulped down another glassful of alcohol.

“What if she doesn't? Huh? What if she’s serious about divorcing you? Us?”

Anger seared through my entire body. I heard a crack and looked down at my hand to see that it had crushed the glass cup. Blood dripped from my hand onto the plush gray rug on the floor, but I felt no pain. I just stared blankly at it, wondering if what my wolf had said was true.

No! It can't be! She loves me too much! She wouldn't do something like that!

I scoffed. She does know how to bluff though.

I rose from the chair, went to the bathroom, and put my bleeding hand under the running water, removing the piece of glass stuck in my palm that was preventing my wound from healing.

Once completely healed, I went back to the room and glanced around. It felt totally different now that Ceres was gone.

She will come back. I just need to give her time to clear her head and realize she cannot live without me.

My eyes darted to the window by the bedside draped with white long curtains. The soft rays of light sifting through them made me realize it was already dawn.

An hour later, I was being driven to the office by my driver.

Martins, my beta and personal assistant, was sitting in the front passenger seat. I noticed he had been stealing glances at me through the rearview mirror.

“Is there something you would like to get off your chest?” I asked coldly.

He shook his head slightly, an emotion I couldn’t read flickering in his eyes. “No, Alpha.”

I dragged my eyes away from him and looked out the window, staring blankly at the pedestrians on the sidewalk.

We soon arrived at my company. When the car was parked, I got out and made my way toward the large glass doors at the entrance of my corporation.

They slid open automatically, revealing a well-lit reception area. The walls were adorned with minimalist artwork, and the company's logo was prominently displayed in bold, polished letters on a feature wall behind the reception desk.

My ears picked up on the commotion inside even before I walked in.

“Alpha Richard has arrived! Alpha Richard has arrived!”

My staff were scampering to their positions. As soon as I stepped inside, everyone froze in place.

With Martins by my side, I made my way toward the elevator.

“Good morning, Alpha,” they greeted, but I was in no mood to acknowledge their greetings—not this morning. I was exhausted from the sleepless night I’d had.

I got into the elevator and went straight to my office.

I was going through some documents when the intercom on the desk rang. I answered it. It was my secretary.

“Yes? What is it?” I asked in an impatient tone.

“Alpha, Ms. Anita Benson is here to see you.”

I rubbed my forehead, making up my mind on what to say. I was in no mood to see anybody, at least not right now.

“Tell him it is about Lucky,” I heard Anita say to my secretary.

“Send her in,” I instructed. If it was about my son, I could always make an exception.

Anita strutted into my office, wearing a red gown that accentuated her slender body. Her blonde hair cascaded around her face. She was nothing short of perfection. A smile graced her lips as she approached, her blue eyes fixed on me.

“Good morning, Richard,” she greeted.

I nodded slightly in response.

Just as she was about to round the desk and approach me, I gestured toward the seat across from my desk and said, “Please sit.”

Her lips curved into a slight frown that quickly disappeared.

“You mentioned having something to say about Lucky,” I said.

She leaned forward in her seat. “Yes, Richard, Lucky barely slept last night. He was running a fever and was calling for you.”

“He’s sick?”

She nodded frantically. “I don’t know what the problem could be.”

“Where is he now? Why isn’t he with you?” I asked eagerly.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I left him with his nanny.”

I immediately called Martins and asked him to send the pack doctor to my hotel, where I had lodged Lucky and Anita.

“I’m sure it’s nothing really serious. He’ll be fine,” I assured Anita.

Just then, my cell phone rang. I checked to see who it was. Upon seeing that it was one of the reporters representing my company, I answered.

“Alpha Richard, Luna Ceres just called and promised to give me proof of your infidelity. I’m so confused. I don’t know what’s going on,” he said in a scared tone.

“She did what?” I growled, rising from my swivel chair.

“She promised to give me proof of your infidelity for free, Alpha. I don’t know if I’m the only one she’s called. You need to reach out to her before she does any further damage.”

“Alright, thank you.”

I ended the call and scrolled through my screen in anger, searching for Ceres’s number.

This stupid game she’s playing needs to stop right now! She’s becoming quite petty in my eyes, going to such lengths to get my attention.

As soon as I found her number, I dialed it. She answered after a few seconds, and I demanded to know what the hell she thought she was doing.

“Alpha Richard, I’ve been waiting for you at the court for several hours. Since you didn’t show up, I had to resort to drastic measures,” she said. There it was again, that cold, indifferent tone she’d been using with me since yesterday.

Anger swirled within me, and I growled, “What the hell do you think you are doing, Ceres?”

You’d better come to work at the Corporation right away, or I’ll fire all these incompetent members of staff in your department!”