Chapter 22

Serena pov

The familiar name made my heart stutter for a moment. But when I read the actual message, I let out a silent, self-mocking laugh. Adrian hadn't Added me at all. He'd simply Added everyone in Blackwood Business. The announcement was to celebrate Elena—Director of Department Three—joining the pack office and landing our first major project. To mark the occasion, he was inviting the entire pack office to a two-day retreat at Sapphire Springs Retreat after work on Friday. The chat exploded with cheers, everyone thanking Adrian and Elena. I know the world is harsh, and wolf naturally flock to power. That's just how it is. But seeing it laid out so plainly still left a bitter taste in my mouth. They'd all forgotten that SkyBlade—the project they were celebrating—was one I'd chased for over half a year before finally signing it. Now it was Elena's triumph. Adrian had forgotten too. Without hesitation, I left the pack office group chat. I just wanted some peace. "Serena, why aren't you asleep yet?" The faint glow of my phone must have disturbed Grace's already fragile sleep. Her voice drifted over in the dark. "I'm about to," I said quickly, tucking the phone away and settling quietly onto the companion bed. The companion bed was half the height of the hospital bed. I'd placed it right beside Grace's so I could be close enough to care for her. She only had to reach out to touch my head. Just like she used to, she stroked my hair gently. In the darkness I bit my lip hard to keep from crying, but tears still slipped silently from the corners of my eyes. I was grateful the room was dark. Grace's voice was soft, threaded with exhaustion. "Serena, could you ask Adrian to come to the hospital?" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "He's… really busy." "I know. But this is about your future—your eternal bond. I'd like to speak with him face to face." I pressed my hand over my mouth to stifle any sound. Thankfully, she didn't notice anything wrong and kept talking. "I'm afraid something might happen during surgery, and I won't have the chance to ask him to take good care of you." I reached up and closed my fingers around the cool hand resting on my head. So cold. I held it tightly, trying to warm it. My voice trembled. "He's been traveling nonstop lately. I haven't seen him in ages. You know the subsidiary just went public—he has so much on his plate. They haven't even held the celebration banquet yet." Grace could only sigh. "That's true. Then remind him—no matter how busy he is, he has to take care of himself. He's young; he can't ruin his health." "I will. Sleep now, Mom." "You too." The hospital companion bed was hard, and with everything weighing on my mind, I barely slept. The next morning I was up early, taking Grace to tests and appointments all day. Leonard told me the expert team would arrive Monday, though he didn't know exactly when. I made a mental note to wait at the hospital entrance that day. Over the weekend I hardly rested. Whenever I caught a breath, I checked my phone. My feed was flooded with posts from the retreat. Of course it was—Sapphire Springs Retreat. How could anyone resist showing off? The pack office had done team-building before, but I'd always chosen cost-effective venues to stay within budget. A luxury resort like Sapphire Springs was never on my list. This time Adrian had picked the most expensive hot-spring resort in all of Jendris Pack, sparing no expense, just to back Elena. Lavish spending for a beautiful she-wolf. It only made my past choices look stingy. I saw one colleague comment under another's post: "This is what a real retreat looks like." "The old ones were basically cattle-herding outings." The second agreed enthusiastically: "Elena is the best. Following her means good food, good drinks. She's gorgeous, sweet, from a distinguished family, studied abroad—perfect match for Adrian! Unlike some narrow-minded, cheap she-wolf who picked places I don't even want to mention. So small-minded!" The first quickly replied: "Are you drunk? Did you block a certain someone?" When I refreshed, the post was gone. So I was the "certain someone." Scrolling through, I saw Adrian and Elena from every angle. Elena feeding him fruit. Adrian feeding her grilled skewers. By the second half of the retreat, neither of them appeared anymore. In one video someone asked, "Where are Adrian and Elena? Haven't seen them." Everyone laughed. "We're all adults—do we really need to spell it out?" "I think I just saw them head back to the hotel together…" The group erupted in playful teasing, having the time of their lives. I set my phone down and focused on revising the proposal. I wanted it concise, clear, and compelling—anything to earn Grace a consultation. … Monday morning, I entrusted Grace to the caregiver and stationed myself at the hospital entrance. I couldn't miss even the slightest chance of running into the expert team. I waited from dawn until late afternoon, growing more anxious by the hour. Chloe messaged, asking if I could come back to the office—Adrian was furious. I didn't reply. Even if Blackwood Business collapsed, I wouldn't leave now. So I turned my phone off and kept waiting. Back at the pack office, Chloe, receiving no answer, nervously entered Adrian's office. Adrian was already in a foul mood. Seeing Chloe only darkened his expression. "Where's Serena?" Chloe trembled. "She hasn't come in. I messaged her—no reply." "You didn't think to call?" His tone was sharp. Chloe, terrified, immediately dialed. The shutdown tone filled her with dread, but she reported truthfully: "Serena's phone is off!" "She's grown bold." Storm clouds gathered over the wolf's sharp features. Before Adrian could erupt further, Elena walked in. "Adrian, I'm here to report on work." Noticing the tension, she asked, "What's wrong?" "Serena's absent without leave," Adrian said. Elena raised a brow. "Serena's become so undisciplined? That's not good for pack office management." Chloe, heart pounding, defended me. "Something important must have delayed her. You know how dedicated she's been all these years, Adrian. She wouldn't skip work without reason." Elena smiled pleasantly at Adrian. "If we make exceptions for everyone, why have rules? Serena is your secretary—her actions reflect on you. Protecting her will breed resentment." Adrian's voice turned cold. "Follow procedure. Deduct her quarterly bonus. If she doesn't show tomorrow, treat it as voluntary resignation." Chloe felt a chill settle in her bones.