Chapter 3

CORALINA'S POV 

The door swings open before I can reach for the handle. 

A silver-haired butler greets me at the doors, welcoming me with a bow. 

“Alpha Clyde was away on pack business when he received your message. He is inspecting the border regions these days, and sent me to welcome you first. Allow me to extend my apologies on his behalf.”

“No need to apologize, it's fine.”

I say, keeping my voice formal, while feeling a rush of relief on the inside. 

So… he isn’t here?!

Thank the Moon Goddess! I finally feel the tight knot in my chest loosening. 

I’m not ready to face him yet. 

"This way, Miss Coralina."

The butler leads me through the manor, staying half a step ahead of me until we reach the end of a long hallway. 

He pushes open a set of heavy double doors, revealing a massive room. 

I step in, barely holding my jaw from dropping. 

Fresh white lilies and baby's breath are the first things I notice, placed in vases around the room, filling the room with their smell without overwhelming it. To my left is a walk-in wardrobe, packed with silk dresses, cashmere scarfs and tailored suits. 

On the vanity, velvet boxes are flipped open, revealing watches and jewelry that glint under the chandelier.

The butler reaches into his coat and hands me a thick, cream-colored envelope. 

“Alpha Clyde sent this for you…”

I open the Alpha’s seal to find a matte black card and a stack of signed checks. The butler turns away, giving me a moment of privacy as I count the zeros on the first check, and almost stop breathing.

This…this is a goddamn fortune! 

My mind flashes back to Maximus, who used to check my bank statements every Monday, questioning why I spent an extra fifty dollars on pack supplies. 

This treatment is ten times more extravagant than anything I experienced as a Luna.

I step out of my thoughts to hear the butler still talking. 

"The Alpha has already contacted a professional royal wedding team. They will reach out to you shortly to begin the arrangements. My master believes in excellence. He was quite... unimpressed... to hear of the meager resources Alpha Maximus allocated for your previous planning. Some men have very small visions, alas."

The subtle jab at Maximus is obvious, but I don't defend him. 

I just look at the jewelry, pretending to be distracted. 

I spent six months planning a wedding for Maximus, worrying over the perfect lace, flowers, down to the smallest detail. 

And yet, Brielle snatched everything… even the dress I designed myself. Now, in just a few months, I’m supposed to have another wedding?

I would laugh at the absurdity of my fate, but my throat is too dry.

Once the butler greets me for the night leaves, I wander deeper into the room and stop. On the nightstand is a heavy watch, and a pair of leather boots sits in the corner. I open a drawer in the vanity and find a row of ties.

I realise with a start, this isn't a guest room. 

It's… his.

Clyde gave me his own bedroom.

I sink onto the bed, the silk sheets feeling cool against my skin. I lay my head back, and a scent hits me; cedar, cold rain, and something spicy. It’s him. 

It’s the exact scent from the night we met in the shadows of the garden. My heart kicks against my ribs, hard. I force my eyes shut, trying to drown out the heat creeping up my neck, and finally drift into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

A soft knock wakes me the next morning.

"Good morning, Miss Coralina," the butler says as he enters. "The Alpha has rushed all the custom orders from the designers. They’ve been flown in this morning. Would you like to try on the wedding dresses?"

I sit up, pulling the duvet to my chest. "No, I have a contract to sign today."

The butler pauses. "The Alpha’s orders were to ensure you had everything you needed for the ceremony—"

"I have a meeting at the hotel," I interrupt. "I’ve been lead negotiator on the Western Holdings merger for four months. I’m finishing it."

I worked on this through my entire pregnancy. Even though I have no intention of being Maximus’s Luna anymore, I’m not leaving my bonus behind. 

I earned that money. I’m not giving him, or her, another cent of my hard work.

They have taken enough.

As I push open the door to the private conference room, I expect to see the Western Holdings lawyers. Instead, I see Maximus and Brielle.

Brielle is sitting in the chair that should be mine. She’s holding a gold fountain pen, hovering over the final page of the merger contract. She looks up, her eyes bright with a nasty, triumphant glow.

"Oh, Coralina. Why are you so late?" 

She asks, her voice dripping with fake concern.

I look at the paper. Her signature is already there, bold and messy.

"Maximus thinks the group needs a more capable leader right now," Brielle says, leaning back. "Since you’ve been so... distracted... I’m taking over your position as General Manager. I just signed the contract."

I feel the blood rush to my face. I look at Maximus, who is standing by the window.

"I followed this project for months, Maximus," I say, my voice trembling with rage. "I didn't even rest when I was sick. I did the late-night calls. I did the audits, and you’re just giving it to her? Why does she get to steal my credit?"

I can't tolerate it anymore, the unfairness is just too much. 

Maximus turns around, and somehow, he looks even angrier than I am. He doesn't answer my question. Instead, he strides over, grabs my arm, and drags me into the hallway, slamming the door shut behind us.

"You want to talk about credit?" 

He hisses, almost squeezing my bicep. 

"How about you explain why you sold our wedding ring to a pawn shop like a piece of trash?"

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ring. He grabs my hand, forcing my fingers straight as he glares at me.

"I had to send my driver to buy this back. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is for me?"

"I needed the money for the hospital, Maximus! You blocked my cards–”

"This is a warning, Coralina," he says, ignoring me. He shoves the ring back onto my finger, the metal cold and biting. "Don't make trouble anymore. You will always be my Luna and the manager. I’m just letting Brie help out for as long as she can. Don't be jealous. She’s a patient, she doesn't have many days left."

He looks down at me, his eyes hard. "Go back inside, apologize to the clients, and stop acting like a child. Do you understand?"