To protect reputation

Carl’s footsteps had long faded, but his words hadn’t.

I stood before the window, watching the cold morning light settle over the grounds. The world looked calm. Rational. I preferred it that way.

I wasn’t a man led by feelings. I never had been. Not for Scarlet. Not even for Evelyn.

My love for Evelyn had always been about myself—what I wanted, what I remembered. I knew I was hanging onto the past, clinging to something that no longer existed. It kept me sane. Maybe it was cowardice to admit I still had feelings for her, but I wasn’t foolish enough to sacrifice my reputation for a woman who never truly wanted me to begin with.

This marriage with Scarlet—it wasn’t built on love. It was a transaction, clean and signed in ink. Scarlet was here to serve a role, and I paid her handsomely for it. Nothing more. No illusions.

And yet…

There was a difference between someone who helps to heal, and someone who wounds.

Carl had stepped far out of line. But the man hadn’t spoken a word beyond duty in twenty years. For him to say this—to bow and invite punishment—it meant he believed it was worth the risk.

That alone made me pause.

Scarlet wasn’t someone I wasted thoughts on often. She followed rules, kept her head down, and played her part. When I asked her to sacrifice her comforts, she did. Not because of love, but because I paid for that sacrifice. I told her to lose weight, to give up her favorite foods, to stop smiling the way she used to. Yes, a cruel request, a dick move, I admit—but she did all of it anyway. To fit the mold. To become Evelyn’s shadow. I gave her the script, and she followed it to the letter.

And in all that time, she never complained. Never asked for more. Just worked like someone desperate to pay off a debt—not just to me, but to the life her father destroyed. She played her role with precision and discipline. She endured the shame, the transformation, the silence. Because she wanted out of the ruin her family had fallen into.

So yes—her phone had those messages. But Carl was right. Why would she sabotage something she spent so long building for herself? She wasn’t foolish. She wasn’t emotional. She was careful. Deliberate. If she were to rebel, she wouldn’t do it clumsily.

That alone made the timing suspicious.

And the source—Evelyn. She returned just last night, and this morning, she conveniently showed me those messages. Oddly enough, she never mentioned that she had shared her account with Mauve. And knowing Mauve’s personality, she would have stayed away from Evelyn, just like she did yesterday.

So how would Evelyn have typed those vile words using Mauve’s locked phone?

The more I thought about it, the more it didn't make sense.

But what if this wasn’t just about a scandal or disrespect. It was a test. One designed to gauge my loyalty. My reaction. If I punished Scarlet now—made her kneel, bow, or suffer publicly—it would send a dangerous message. Not just to Evelyn. Not just to Scarlet. But to every Pack Leader watching me.

It would tell them I protect outsiders more than my own. That I distrust my household. That I let the past cloud my present. And that I am emotionally vulnerable in the face of personal entanglements.

Making Scarlet kneel before a woman with whom I once had history? That would raise questions about my loyalty to my Luna. And loyalty, in our world, is everything. Even if it's a contract between us, I needed to protect what was MINE.

No. That was unacceptable.

I am Alessandro. I do not allow my name to be dirtied by whispers of favoritism. I do not permit emotional whims to dictate my actions.

Scarlet may be a contract wife, but she represents this household. Publicly, she is mine. And I will not have anyone—even Evelyn—undermine that fact. If Scarlet was guilty, I would handle it. Privately. With precision.

But until then, I would not act out of impulse.

My decisions were not born of affection. They were to protect my empire I built.

Carl’s words had reminded me of something crucial—how I respond reflects more on me than on her. Mauve might be like a rainbow—appeared for a certain moment before disappearing from my life.

But Scarlet... she had done her part. Whether it was real or not, she earned a sliver of consideration.

Right now, I needed to talk to Mauve. I would have to reconsider the situation with her punishment. Maybe she'd lie again to explain, or she would try to justify, either way, I wouldn't make it all about me or my obsession with Evelyn.

I straightened my cuffs, clicking the final piece into place.

"Reputation is power," I muttered to myself.

And I would not let mine be tarnished over a matter as small as jealousy.

After getting ready, I walked downstairs. I considered handling it with Mauve privately before the party. My brother's succession ceremony was tonight. The last thing I needed was to give my family another reason to laugh at me behind closed doors.

But when I walked into the living room, I noticed a woman standing alone in front of the television. Silent. Motionless.

Her arms were folded in front of her, gaze focused on the paused screen. Some nature documentary had been playing, frozen on an image of a lioness watching over her cubs.

She was wearing baggy clothes. Half of her face was covered with her sleek black hair. I couldn't recognize her from behind.

" Who is she?"