Chapter 2

The next morning, I tied Arnold's tie as usual and dropped Lily off at kindergarten.

After taking care of all that, I drove straight to the Silver Moon Pack's Council of Elders.

"Sever the mate bond?" The Head Elder frowned, peering at me seriously. "Rowena, an Alpha's marriage is tied to the pack's stability. Unless you have hard evidence of his severe infidelity, you cannot forcefully break it unilaterally."

I glared at him coldly. "What if I insist?"

"Then you have to get Arnold himself to sign the rejection agreement." The Head Elder slid a document across the mahogany desk.

I snatched the agreement and drove straight to Arnold's corporate headquarters.

Just as I parked downstairs, a familiar black Maybach pulled up to the front entrance.

The door swung open, and Arnold stepped out first.

Then, he smoothly raised his hand to block the roof of the car.

A young girl slid out.

She had long, dark brown wavy hair.

Exactly the same as the ones resting on Arnold's suit jacket last night.

My gaze shifted to the top of Arnold's head.

77%.

In just three hours apart, his loyalty to me had plummeted another 11%.

"Rowena? What are you doing here?" Arnold glanced up and spotted me. A hint of panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly masked it with surprise.

He hurried to my side and naturally reached for my hand.

The girl trailed behind him, looking at me timidly.

"Let me introduce you. This is Daphne. Head Beta Rachel took sick leave, so she's the temporary assistant." Arnold gestured at the girl, his tone casual. "She's the one who messed up the alliance agreement last night and made me work so late."

"Luna." Daphne shrank her shoulders slightly, like a frightened deer, her voice soft and sweet.

I ignored her greeting, keeping my eyes locked on Arnold. "Let's go upstairs and talk."

The three of us stepped into the Alpha's private elevator.

The second the doors slid shut, Daphne pulled out a tablet and leaned close to Arnold.

"Alpha, I still don't quite understand the terms for the Hurricane Pack. Why do they want to draw the line on this territory?" Her question was as naive as a fresh intern's.

But Arnold didn't get mad. Instead, he angled his body and patiently pointed at the screen to break it down for her.

75%.

Watching the number above Arnold's head drop again, I twitched my lips.

Just then, the elevator suddenly let out a piercing metal screech, followed by a violent shudder.

A feeling of weightlessness hit instantly.

"Arnold!" I instinctively reached out to grab his arm.

But I grabbed thin air.

In the violent shaking, Arnold reflexively spun around and yanked Daphne tightly into his arms, shielding her frame.

I lost my balance and crashed hard onto the floor.

A piercing pain shot through my ankle, as if the bone had been snapped in two.

The dim red emergency lights flickered to life.

I sat on the cold floor of the elevator, breaking into a cold sweat from the agony.

And less than two feet away, Arnold was using his broad shoulders to shield Daphne.

I had become completely invisible.

"Don't be afraid. It's okay." Arnold patted her back gently, his face full of tender comfort.

Daphne, still trembling in shock, leaned against his chest, clutching his shirt tightly.

70%.

Loyalty dropped again.

The shaking finally ceased.

Arnold turned his head as if just remembering I existed. Seeing me crumpled on the floor, his face drained of color.

"Rowena!" He hurriedly released Daphne and crouched down to pull me up.

I coldly swatted his hand away.

"I'm sorry, Luna!" Daphne's eyes were red, her voice trembling. "I was too scared just now. I didn't mean to hug the Alpha..."

"It's not her fault." Arnold frowned, looking at me. "Rowena, you lost your footing. Daphne was just terrified. Don't take your temper out on her."

I stared at the man I had been mated to for five years and didn't utter a single word.

Soon, the elevator resumed operation and dinged on the top floor.

As soon as the doors parted, Arnold tried to scoop me into his arms. "I'll have the pack healer come look at your ankle right away."

"No need." I forced myself to stand, gripping the elevator door, fighting through the blinding pain. "I just came to get your signature."

I yanked the agreement from my bag, along with a pen, and shoved it toward him.

"What's this?" Arnold froze.

"The property transfer documents for the house we bought for Lily." I lied without blinking an eye.

Arnold shot a glance at Daphne, who was still wiping her tears, and looked a bit annoyed.

He didn't even bother to read the agreement. He just flipped to the last page and hastily scribbled his name.

"Done. I'm taking Daphne to the infirmary to check for scrapes. I'll come get you later." He shoved the papers back into my chest.

I stared down at his signature on the agreement and let out a mocking laugh.

"Go ahead. Don't worry about me." I shoved the agreement back into my bag, turned on my heel, and limped toward the employee elevator.