ログインOne year later. Paris Fashion Week."Ava! The front-row editors are cheering for you!"My assistant pushed open the backstage dressing room door in pure excitement. She slammed a fresh newspaper onto the desk. The front-page headline screamed:Independent Brand Ava Studio Takes Off: The Brightest New Star in European Fashion!I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in a sharp black custom suit. The helplessness and exhaustion from years ago were completely gone from my eyes. Only calm confidence remained.I was no longer that weak designer living in Hale Group's shadow. I didn't need anyone's protection anymore.I owned my own destiny now."Got it. Get the next season's sketches ready. We fly to Milan tomorrow," I said calmly, an effortless smile on my face.My assistant nodded repeatedly. Then she paused and dropped her voice:"By the way, Ava... news came from across the Atlantic. That crazy internal war within Hale Group is finally over."I raised an eyebrow. "Nothing to do
"Are you insane?! He can't take your strength!"I yelled in rage. I turned and caught Luca quickly. He was stumbling back, clutching his bloody nose."Luca, are you okay?"Seeing his pale face, I pulled out a few tissues and handed them over. Then I shoved a thick stack of cash into his hands. "I'm so sorry. Some private business came up. Please go home for now."Luca threw a terrified look at the blood splatter on the floor and the scary man at the door. He nodded wildly, grabbed his coat, and scrambled out of the apartment.Only Zenas and I were left in the room.A thick cedar scent filled the air, so heavy it almost crushed my lungs.I frowned hard. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop wearing such heavy perfume."Zenas smirked."That's my alpha scent. Still claiming you're over me? Our souls belong together."He took off his dark, blood-stained trench coat and tossed it onto the carpet.He looked around the tiny, four-hundred-square-foot apartment. The old radiator was buzzi
Ethan's breathing barely cut off before a loud explosion echoed from the penthouse lounge.A massive sheet of reinforced glass shattered into dust.I sat in the revolving restaurant and watched the shockwave ripple through the night sky.Zenas stood at the center in a black suit. His face was as dark as a thunderstorm.Bodyguards and high-society guests trembled around him. Some even fell to their knees in terror.Natalia screamed, turning pale as she stumbled backward.Someone inside my restaurant turned on a live stream:"What's wrong with the heir to Hale Group? Why is he staring at one spot like that? He even paused the engagement!""Wait, isn't he looking directly at our building?"On screen, Zenas's icy gaze cut straight across the sky, pointing right at my restaurant.I froze. A sudden wave of disgust rushed over me.Back when we were together, I once asked him a silly question: As a human, what if I couldn't smell his alpha scent for the rest of my life?He held my hand tight a
Noon the next day.Sunlight broke through the clouds and poured into the room filled with cardboard boxes.Once I decided to leave, I spent all my time packing.First, I threw out all the printed photos, love letters, and cheap wolf pack trinkets Zenas had given me.I used to treat these useless things like treasures just to fit into his life. Now, they were just taking up space.Suddenly, my ringing phone shattered the quiet chaos.Maya's excited voice came through the speaker:"Ava! Thank you so much! Not only did I get my job back, but the store manager just promoted me to assistant manager! My husband's medical bills are taken care of!"Hearing her choked-up voice brought a faint warmth to my heart.At least Zenas kept his word in the end.I hung up and looked at the calendar. August 3rd was circled in bright ink.That was the exact day my final contract as brand head designer expired.I dialed my assistant's number immediately. My voice was firm and cold."Cancel all future deals.
Zenas clenched his fist tightly. Blood seeped through his fingers and dripped onto the dark carpet.He closed his eyes and ordered his bodyguards, his face completely expressionless:"Get Vanessa and Miss Natalia out of here. I have private business to settle.""Clear this place out in three minutes."Soon, it was just the two of us left in the empty room.I saw the rage in his eyes shatter, leaving behind nothing but shock and panic."Ava," Zenas said, his voice terrifyingly raspy. "What the hell are you talking about?"I didn't flinch.I stared straight into his dark, dangerous eyes and held out the cold diamond ring.Three years ago, my mother passed away.I stayed at the cemetery in the pouring rain. My tears mixed with the storm.Zenas was extremely busy back then, so I prepared myself to face everything alone.But that night, covered in fresh blood from a brutal wolf pack war, Zenas rushed to me.He wrapped his freezing trench coat around my soaked body and slipped this ring onto
Before I could react, tires screeched outside. A familiar black SUV pulled up to the curb.My heart sank. It was him."Zenas!"Vanessa gasped with joy when she saw him step out. She rushed to the door and burst into tears, acting completely helpless. "Thank God you're here! This bitch and her friend set me up and scammed me out of eight and a half million dollars! You have to fix this for me!"Zenas stepped into the cafe. An overwhelming, suffocating pressure filled the entire room.He didn't even look at Vanessa. He walked straight to Natalia, leaned down, and kissed her cheek naturally. His voice was dripping with tenderness. "Who upset my Natalia?"Natalia held his arm affectionately and threw a cold, mocking glare at me.I sat in my booth, taking a slow sip of my coffee without bothering to look up."Ava," Zenas said, his eyes finally falling on me. His smirk was cruel, like a cat playing with a mouse. "Got bold enough to scam people out here now?""What, here to ruin me too, ex-bo







