Chapter 3

Late at night, a maid knocked on my door and brought in a box.

"Miss, something else arrived from Norfolk Pack."

I took it and opened the lid. I froze.

Inside was a 60-carat pink diamond, the grand finale piece from the last auction. I had watched it being sold for 7.2 million to a mysterious buyer.

Back then, I wondered who could afford something like that.

I never expected the buyer to be Leon.

There was also a card inside the box. Only one sentence was written on it.

[In three days, I will come to take you with me.]

The handwriting was bold and forceful. It carried an unquestionable authority.

I held the card in my hand, and a strange feeling filled me.

It wasn't fear or disgust. It was something more like curiosity.

He was rumored to be a brutal, ugly, and crazy werewolf who bit others on a full moon night. I wonder what he'd be like.

The next day, I went to a jewelry store to pick out a return gift.

Leon had a black wolf. People said his eyes were dark emerald.

So I chose a pair of emerald cufflinks that had the exact same shade as his eyes.

I had just finished paying when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Well, well. Florence, who are you buying a gift for?"

Lily walked in with Edmund. Her arm was wrapped around his.

When she saw the cufflinks in my hand, her eyes lit up.

"Wow, those are beautiful! Edmund, look! Florence bought you a birthday present!"

Edmund was stunned for a moment. He looked at me.

Only then did I remember that today was his birthday.

Lily leaned closer to me and said, "Florence, you're so funny. You said you didn't want to be Edmund's mistress, but you secretly prepared a gift for him anyway. I could never learn such clever schemes!"

Edmund's expression softened a little. He walked over and picked up the cufflinks to examine them. Then he frowned. "Why are they green? I don't like this color. Go exchange them for silver ones."

I took the cufflinks back and put them in my purse. "These aren't for you."

His expression froze.

Lily laughed. "Oh come on, Florence. Don't be stubborn! Who else would you buy such an expensive gift for? Don't tell me it's for that lunatic."

I ignored her and walked out.

Edmund hurried after me and blocked my path. "Florence! Are you done throwing a tantrum? I already looked into the situation with Norfolk Pack. Do you really plan to marry him? Leon goes insane on full moon nights. Do you know what an out-of-control werewolf like that is capable of?"

I knew.

On full moon nights, werewolves could lose control. Our terrifying urges for destruction and possessiveness could take over.

In severe cases, some werewolves would even build nests, cry, become extremely insecure, and attack those around them.

Leon, according to rumors, was far worse than this.

But so what?

"That's my problem." I walked past him.

Suddenly, Lily grabbed my arm. She leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Florence, I'm Edmund's mate now. I'm Luna. And you? Your parents don't love you, and your fiance doesn't want you anymore. Look at you. You're pathetic and miserable."

I looked at her and suddenly smiled. "What are you afraid of? Are you concerned I'll become his mistress? Lily, I'm not you. I wouldn't steal someone else's mate."

Her expression turned hostile for a split second before returning to an innocent expression.

She released my arm and stepped back. Her eyes instantly welled with tears. "Florence, I didn't–"

Edmund immediately ran forward and stood protectively in front of her. "Florence! Don't push things too far!"

I had no interest in watching them act anymore, so I turned around and walked away.

Right then, a Ferrari lost control and sped directly toward us.

Edmund reacted instantly. He picked Lily up and dodged to the side of the road.

He slammed into me in the process. I fell hard onto the ground, and a sharp pain shot through my ankle.

The car was about to crash into me. I closed my eyes.

The next second, I fell into a warm embrace.

Someone lifted me into the air and moved at a shocking speed. He was even faster than Edmund.

I opened my eyes and met a pair of dark emerald eyes.

He set me down on a bench by the road.

Without saying a word, he turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

I sat there stunned. I subconsciously reached into my pocket. There was a tube of ointment for burns.

I looked down at my palm. When I fell, I had braced myself against the car's hood. The skin on my palm was torn and blistered.

Did he see it? When did he buy the medicine?

I held the ointment in my hand. That strange feeling filled my heart again.

Across the street, Edmund was comforting Lily, who looked frightened. He didn't even look at me once.

I retrieved the engagement ring he had given me years ago from my purse and threw it directly into the trash.