Alpha Ellis didn't pry into Alicia's personal affairs and instead asked the butler to arrange for a driver to take her back to downtown. Alicia knew she could always count on Alpha Ellis to look out for her like family. In fact, she considered him to be part of her inner circle.
Alicia suspected that Alpha Ellis was taking care of her on behalf of his brother Tobias. She was grateful for his kindness, but deep down, she couldn't shake off her reservations about the Wilton family, particularly Tobias.
When Alicia had first joined the pack, she had asked Tobias about her husband, only to be met with vague responses. On the other hand, Alpha Ellis had always been approachable and easy to talk to.
FLASHBACK
One year ago.
"How are you settling into the new apartment?" Alpha Ellis asked as he handed Alicia a steaming cup of coffee.
"It's great, thank you," Alicia replied, taking a sip.
She should have asked Alpha Ellis about Tobias earlier, but with her busy schedule and the chaos of moving, she hadn't had the chance. It wasn't until Alpha Ellis reached out to her recently that she found the courage to visit him at the Golden Moon Group HQ.
"Alpha Ellis, I came here today to ask about your ... hmm ... about my husband, Tobias." Alicia said hesitantly, still trying to adjust to the term "husband".
Alpha Ellis seemed to anticipate Alicia's question and nodded. "I understand why you're asking, but I'm afraid I can't tell you much about him right now. I know you're uncomfortable with this marriage, but please trust me when I say that you won't be trapped forever."
"Okay," Alicia said, and didn't pursue the question, although her heart was heavy with unanswered questions. She wasn't good at riddles.
Honestly, Alicia hadn't expected to get any information about her mysterious husband from the beginning. She wondered if Tobias Wilton was a taboo subject for the Wilton Family, something they couldn't talk about with anyone.
"Can I know why the Wilton Family would spend a large sum of money to get me to marry Tobias?" Alicia asked, as she was leaving Alpha Ellis' office. This question had been on her mind for a week.
Alicia knew she was just an average shifter, and her father's pack was nothing special. If she couldn't find out anything about her husband, she at least wanted to know why she had been chosen.
"A large sum of money? I don't think so," Alpha Ellis said, raising his handsome eyebrows. After all, ten million dollars was hardly a huge sum for the Wilton Family.
In the end, Alicia didn't get the answer she was looking for.
FLASHBACK END
Alicia got home at 1 p.m.. She had taken a day off with her boss to attend the pack meeting. Now that she was back in the city early, she decided to go back to work and finish her assignment.
At first, Alicia thought the Wilton Family wouldn't allow her to work for another company founded by a different pack. But to her surprise, Alpha Ellis didn't order her to quit her design job.
Shinfancy Creative Studio, where Alicia worked, was part of the Shinfancy Pack. Her boss, Rhett Joseph Boucher, was the Alpha of the Shinfancy Pack and her former mentor.
She started as an intern at the studio, and Mr. Boucher personally mentored her. He patiently taught her how to use new design tools, advised her on her intern evaluations, and praised her talent.
Although Alicia was the only employee in the studio who wasn't part of the Shinfancy Pack, most of her colleagues were friendly. She loved her job.
Of course, no one in the company knew that she was married. It wasn't that she deliberately kept it a secret, but when she got married, the Wilton Family had no intention of making it public.
"Hey, Allie, I thought you took the day off. What happened? Did your date end early?" Cassie, a co-worker, asked jokingly.
"A date? No, of course not. I had a headache over the weekend, but I'm feeling better now, so I came back to work," Alicia said, telling the lie she had made up on the way to the office.
"It's a good thing you didn't go on a date with someone else. Our Alpha Rhett would be heartbroken if you had quietly spent the night with someone else!" Nadia, a gossip-loving colleague, said with relief and patted her chest.
"I was thinking the same thing, Nadia," Cassie nodded.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Alicia quickly glanced over at her boss's office, which was only 25 feet away. It would be so embarrassing if he overheard their conversation.
"Relax," Cassie said, patting Alicia on the shoulder. "The boss took Andy to a client meeting, but they'll be back soon."
Back at their workbench, Cassie couldn't resist asking again. "Seriously, you don't have a date or anyone special in your life like a mate?"
"No, I don't. And I'd appreciate it if we could drop the subject." Alicia sighed.
Nadia chimed in, nudging Alicia's arm. "Come on, tell us! We won't spill the beans. Friends with benefits count, you know."
"No kidding! I don't have a date or a friend with benefits. And I don't need one either." Alicia rolled her eyes and walked back to her desk, her mind wandering to her husband whom she hadn't seen in a year of marriage.
Her colleagues returned to their work, and Alicia opened the folder on her desk. But Nadia's words had triggered a memory of the hotel incident last night. Alicia shook her head and took a few deep breaths.
"Alicia," She mentally scolded herself, "Focus. You're married, and you have to be faithful to your husband."
But just as she was getting into a groove, Nadia, sitting next to her, burst out with an announcement. "Ladies, Emma at the front desk says there's a super handsome Alpha here, even taller and more handsome than our boss. He's here to visit our company!"
Alicia couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity. Alpha-level clients usually sought out high-level designers, but she was only a junior designer. She decided to focus on her work anyway.
"I'll go greet him," Nadia announced, already on her way to the meeting area.
"Plus me!" Cassie was ready to join her.
"Nadia, don't be silly," Lilith, the Design Director, reprimanded. "Focus on your work." With that, she straightened her polka-dot shirt and headed to the meeting area.
But Nadia ignored Lilith and still went to the meeting area, after all, she was the highest-ranking designer besides Lilith.
Alicia finally had a few moments of peace and quiet. But then she heard Nadia's excited screams from the meeting area.
"Oh my god, ladies, it's Damian Howard! Alpha of the Moon Halo Pack!"
"My moon god! Are you sure, Nadia, you've met him?" Cassie stood up immediately and grabbed Nadia's hand.
"Of course I have! My mother interviewed the Alpha two days ago, and I was there too. I'm pretty sure he's Damian Howard," Nadia said with conviction.
The name Damian Howard was like a double bolt of lightning that shattered Alicia's fragile concentration. She immediately raised her head and tried to find the King of Rogues they were talking about.
"Wait! I forgot the most important part! Alicia!" Nadia shouted.
"What's wrong?" Alicia stood up, and suddenly she had an unfortunate premonition.
"Mr. Howard wants to see you."
"Why?" Alicia asked.
"Remember the designer evaluation a month ago? Mr. Howard saw your design work and said he really liked it. So he came here today to ask you to design his villa's courtyard. Go meet him in the first conference room," Nadia said in a rush."Allie, this is a great opportunity. You should take it," one of her colleagues said."Absolutely. And once you seal the deal, Alpha Rhett can take you out to dinner," another colleague added, sounding envious.Alicia tried to hide her surprise. She knew Mr. Howard wouldn't have come to her directly, considering her boss Mr. Rhett was even better than her. and an Alpha of the King of Rogues level should be in charge of the boss himself in Shinfancy.However, she was shocked that Mr. Howard had found her workplace so quickly. Perhaps Alpha Ellis had something to do with it.When Alicia entered the conference room, she caught a whiff of lavender emanating from Damian's skin.Damian was already seated and flipping through the studio's design magazine. H
"Of course not," Rhett said and scanned Alicia and Mr. Howard, his eyes flickering back and forth between them. Finally, he fixed his gaze on Alicia, drinking in the deep olive green of her eyes. "Allie, since Mr. Howard trusts you, this time the project will be yours," he said in a soft yet firm voice."Thank you, Mr. Rhett. I won't let you down," Alicia replied, her heart pounding with excitement."Excellent," Damian interjected, though he thought Alicia should have thanked him first. Still, seeing the radiant smile on her face made the few hours he'd wasted here worthwhile.Lilith, however, was less enthusiastic. "Congratulations, Alicia," she said, her words squeezed out through gritted teeth.Rhett placed a reassuring hand on Alicia's shoulder. "You have a talent for design, Allie. My colleagues and I, even members of my pack, will support and assist you in any way we can. Make the most of your talents," he said, his gray-blue eyes full of admiration.Damian noticed Rhett's hand
From: DamianSubject: Your ProgressHi Beautiful.Just in case you miss me while you're designing my courtyard for me, I thought it necessary to send this email to check on your progress.How is the design coming? I have no doubt it's going to be amazing, given your talent.I do have a few requests though. I'm a fan of simple, elegant designs. Think of lots of greenery and water features. And if you could add a spot for stargazing, that would be fantastic.I can't wait to invite you to a wine tasting in the new courtyard you designed for me.By the way, do you ever miss that one night we spent together? Because I sure do...Regards,Damian HowardWithout noticing the corners of her lips turning up, Alicia quickly read through Damian's email.She had to admit his email was perfectly timed, although the flirtatious tone made her heart beat faster. If she hadn't been married, she might have been thrilled to accept Mr. Howard's offer of a drink with him in the first courtyard she'd ever d
"I'm Tobias Wilton," said the voice on the phone.Alicia's hand trembled as she lifted the phone to her ear. Was this a dream, or some kind of fraud? "I'm sorry, who did you say you are?" she asked, her voice quivering."It's Tobias, your husband. Ellis gave me your number," the voice replied calmly.Alicia's heart skipped a beat. Her husband? Could this really be him? "Are you... are you really him?" she stammered."I understand your suspicion, Alicia. We've never met before, and it makes sense that you would suspect me of being a fake or a fraud. [COUGHING]" Tobias replied, his voice tinged with a cough. "I just heard Ellis mention you, so [COUGHING] I suddenly wanted to talk to you and wonder about you."Alicia couldn't believe it. Her husband was calling her out of the blue. "Are you okay? Are you sick?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice as she heard Tobias coughing."I'm fine, don't worry. It's an old problem," Tobias replied. "So, how are things with you? How's life in
Ellis raised an eyebrow, "Honestly, I was shocked when you told me Alicia was your mate. From what I've observed this year, she seems like a kind and simple girl, but I don't have the luxury of keeping an eye on her 24/7," he said, taking a sip of his black tea and continued, "I'm not sure if she's behaving as she usually does. So, perhaps there's no need for you to contact her in two identities.""But neither of us truly knows her," Damian retorted, brandishing his smartphone at Ellis. "That's why I tested her in the other identity. You see? She wasn't the least bit suspicious and even responded to my message. She's quite an interesting she-wolf."Ellis sighed. "As long as your mate doesn't interfere with our revenge plans, I don't mind staying your business partner," he said, setting down his teacup and preparing to leave."Speaking of mates, Ellis, keep an eye on yours. I don't want another accident to befall Alicia," Damian warned and his expression darkened.Ellis hung his head a
"Hey guys," Rhett began, addressing the group of designers in the conference room."As you all know, Alpha Damian Howard appointed Allie as his landscape designer, but Lily expressed some concerns about this decision, given Alpha Damian's identity and background. So I gave her the chance to be part of the project if she had any good suggestions." He turned his gaze to Lilith and Alicia, who were sitting across from him.Lilith was beaming with confidence, while Alicia appeared to be lost in thought, preoccupied with something else entirely."Thus far, I've received drafts of Lily and Allie's designs. However, I've found a serious problem," Rhett announced, turning on the projector. On the screen appeared two general outlines of designs that looked eerily similar. Rhett flipped through slides, showcasing the garden, pool, and sculpture designs. They were almost identical.Alicia stared at the screen in disbelief. How could Lilith's design be almost identical to hers? She felt like her
Rhett's face quickly turned ashen upon hearing Damian mention the contract, and his heart skipped a beat. He had completely forgotten about the most crucial document. Alpha Damian had appointed Alicia as the sole designer for the entire project, rendering it irrelevant whether she had plagiarized or not.What mattered most was that Shinfancy Studio had violated the contract, and the breach could have serious consequences for their reputation, especially with the King of Rogues as the client."I'm sorry, Mr. Howard. It was my mistake. While I did allow my Beta to provide some excellent ideas for your courtyard design, I did not authorize her to complete the entire design. I will ensure that she will definitely not be involved in this project again," Rhett quickly apologized, turning off the projector."Is that all? Are you always this lenient with employees who violate the contract?" Damian asked, his black eyebrows furrowed."Mr. Howard, please let me speak on behalf of my boss. Alpha
"Are you insane?" Alicia blurted out as soon as she got into Damian's car, her heart pounding with anxiety.She had a sinking feeling that her name would soon be plastered all over the gossip pages. She had already imagined the headlines: "BREAKING NEWS! Socialite Alicia Wilton Revealed to be King of Rogues' Mate!" or "BIG NEWS! The King of Rogues' Mate is the Wife of Tobias Wilton, the Eldest Son of the Wilton Family!" She couldn't believe that her life had turned into a nightmare in just a few hours.It was only a matter of time before the news reached the Wilton family. If she was lucky, she might be asked to divorce Tobias and be banished from the Golden Moon Pack. If she was unlucky, she might be secretly executed as punishment for her disloyalty to the Wilton Family. Alicia didn't think the former was very likely, given that meeting her best friend Mae was the luckiest thing that had happened to her since childhood.Damian, however, seemed unfazed by the attention his announceme