Luana fought with all her might, her slender hands clawing at Cline's arms.
Her nails bit through his skin, drawing blood, yet he held on relentlessly.
"Cline!" Luana roared in fury, finally dropping her Dorothy act and staring him down as Luana.
Hearing his name from her lips, Cline's eyes reddened further. "You finally admit it..."
Luana sneered. "So what if I do?"
Cline froze, his bloodshot eyes slowly meeting hers.
Her face was an icy mask, devoid of emotion, filled only with contempt.
This cold Luana left him at a loss.
As he opened his mouth to speak, Luana turned her head, her calm eyes reflecting Cline's pale face.
"Did you really mean it when you said you loved me?"
"Yes..." Cline's heart leaped at the chance to connect, and he nodded eagerly, about to confess a decade-old truth.
But Luana cut him off, her voice ice-cold, "If you loved me, why wouldn't you wait until our contract ended before break
"This is Black Thorn Pack's territory. Any uninvited werewolf would be considered an intruder! You should leave!" Two werewolf guards, tall and robust, said to a woman standing at the pack's border. "I'm Gloria, from the Silver Spring Pack. I need to speak to Alpha Patrick. Please let me in." The blonde woman pleaded. She looked exceptionally delicate compared with the guards. "We don't know who you are. Leave, now!" said the guards as they had a quick look at each other. "It's about Gabrielle's death. I've got something important to tell Alpha Patrick. Please, I need to see him," Gloria begged. "Shut up! You don't get to say her name!" A sullen voice cut in from behind the guards. "Beta Damon!" The guards turned to the man and bowed their heads. Damon was the Beta of the Black Thorn Pack. "Damon, please hear me out. I have nothing to do with Gabrielle's death!" Gloria explained anxiously. With a scowl, Damon glanced at her resentfully. "Seize her. The woman
Patrick closed the door after he said so. He threw out the handkerchief he had just used before he closed the door. It fell in front of Gloria, soaking in the rain. Gloria picked it up and gripped it in her hand. The car started and drove into Alpha's villa at the Black Thorn Pack. Then, the iron gates of the villa shut in front of Gloria. Gloria's face drained of color as she stared at the shuttered gates. Gloria was in agony since her mate had just rejected her. The remaining Alpha aura still lingered, suffocating her. Patrick was her mate. However, she could feel the hatred from his aura and he would prefer Gloria to die instead of Gabrielle. Gloria's wolf screamed in her head, "We need Patrick. Go beg him, and let go of your pride. Damn you, Gloria, go beg for his forgiveness!" After a while, Gloria looked up again. She walked toward the square, determined. She stood in the middle of the square, ignoring the cold rain. She pressed her lips together stubbo
Patrick shook the wine glass in his hand. At Damon's words, he withdrew his gaze from Gloria. He gave another command, "Inform the Alpha of the Silver Spring Pack that he must choose between Gloria and his pack. If he wants his pack intact, then Gloria must leave." "Yes." "Then, tell the werewolf university to cancel Gloria's degree. So, she can't get a decent job in human society. She'll be employed with a high school diploma." "Yes." "And," Patrick said coldly, "Send her to the werewolf prison." Damon was shocked at his words. He raised his head and said, "Alpha Patrick?" "She killed our people, so I'll send her to the werewolf prison for three years. Beta Damon, do you not agree with me?" Patrick decided to send Gloria to prison for three years. Though the evidence at this point was not enough to prove Gloria guilty, Patrick believed that she was the one who killed Gabrielle. "No, Alpha Patrick, you did the right thing. Thank you." Damon's eyes suddenly turned
Patrick walked away after he finished his words. He was taking revenge on Gloria. Gloria looked pale, and she could not utter a word. Soon, the werewolf guard took her away and locked her up in the prison underground. Prison life was not easy. On the first night, Gloria was pulled up while she was asleep. "What do you want?" Gloria looked warily at the werewolves who surrounded her with malicious smiles. Gloria said in horror, "Don't get any closer, or I'll call the guards." The werewolves were not scared at all. They looked at each other and laughed. Their leader pointed at Gloria's face and said, "What did you say? Call the guards? Did I hear you right? You want to call the guards?" As she spoke, she slapped Gloria's face and roared, "Go ahead and call the guards!" Gloria lost her balance, and her ears buzzed. She pressed her hand against the wall and managed to get up. Then, she made a sudden move. She slapped the leader. For a moment, there was silence in t
Three years later, a skinny woman tottered on the street with a ragged plastic bag in her hand. She kept a few dollars and her identification card in that bag. She was pale and bruised. She also has a three-centimeter scar on her face. Three years, and everything had changed. Gloria's lips curled slightly. Yeah, after three years, things changed. It was not just about the world outside the werewolf prison. She had changed too. Where could she go? She didn't belong to any pack and lost her identity in human society. As a rogue, she was too weak to survive among other rogues. Then, a job advertisement from a shop nearby caught her eye. She stood before the job advertisement. She looked at it for a while, and her eyes finally fixed on the words "Cleaners wanted" and "Accommodation and lunch provided". Gloria gritted her teeth and walked into the club named Fittro. As soon as she entered, she shivered. The cold air from the central air conditioner made her tremble. "N
The oppression from the man's Alpha aura was strong, which made Gloria feel a little uneasy. The man noticed Gloria's gaze toward him, and he kissed the woman in his arms even more passionately. His golden eyes seemed brighter than stars, and his playful gaze rested on Gloria. Gloria quickly lowered her head. She stepped forward and turned to leave the elevator. "Stop!" Gloria heard the voice coming from behind. She did not want to cause trouble, especially not to bother the powerful Alpha and his human companion. She couldn't guess what the werewolf was here for. Gloria thought for a second and slightly bowed to the man. She said in a respectful tone, "Please forgive me, sir. I'm just a cleaner here and was on my way to clean the private room. I didn't mean to disturb you, and I hope you will forgive me." Gloria's voice was rough and hoarse, yet the man was not surprised. He looked at Gloria curiously and asked, "A cleaner? So young?" Gloria nodded and did not spe
Gloria arrived in the private room. She felt the air was strange in the room as she entered. In the dim light, a few guests sat on the sofa with several call girls. Only Lillian stood in the middle of the room. When Lillian saw Gloria, she immediately shouted, "Gloria, help me!" The guests sitting on the sofa suddenly focused on Gloria, who became nervous in an instant. Some of the guests were werewolves. Gloria was startled, and her body tensed up for a moment. "I'm here to clean." As she spoke, her unpleasant voice was exposed. With that hoarse voice, the guests lost interest in her and turned back to Lillian. Gloria had been working at Fittro Club for a few months, and she knew how to keep her job. So, she learned not to poke into other people's business. Therefore, she ignored Lillian's pleading look toward her. Gloria was just a cleaner and could barely support herself. How could she help others? Moreover, Lillian was only a human and she had parents to
Gloria raised her head. She looked at the powerful man sitting on the sofa... What did he just say? He was her mate. Years ago, she didn't accept his rejection. Therefore, she was still his mate. How could he ask her to kiss another man? Gloria stared at Patrick and her eyes were filled with desperation. Patrick enjoyed the look in Gloria's eyes and believed that she would reject his request. Any woman would choose to drink rather than kiss a strange man. "Can you ask me to do something else?" Gloria begged. Patrick sneered, "You don't get to negotiate with me." Gloria crawled on the ground. She reached out her hand to touch the ugly scar on the left side of her waist. That was the only time she shifted at the werewolf prison because she couldn't bear the torment anymore. Then, other werewolves also shifted and bit her on her waist. Later, they treated her wound with wolf poison. After Gloria turned back to her human form, she became very weak and her wounds wouldn
Luana fought with all her might, her slender hands clawing at Cline's arms.Her nails bit through his skin, drawing blood, yet he held on relentlessly."Cline!" Luana roared in fury, finally dropping her Dorothy act and staring him down as Luana.Hearing his name from her lips, Cline's eyes reddened further. "You finally admit it..."Luana sneered. "So what if I do?"Cline froze, his bloodshot eyes slowly meeting hers.Her face was an icy mask, devoid of emotion, filled only with contempt.This cold Luana left him at a loss.As he opened his mouth to speak, Luana turned her head, her calm eyes reflecting Cline's pale face."Did you really mean it when you said you loved me?""Yes..." Cline's heart leaped at the chance to connect, and he nodded eagerly, about to confess a decade-old truth.But Luana cut him off, her voice ice-cold, "If you loved me, why wouldn't you wait until our contract ended before break
"Does it hurt?" Luana silently asked herself.Once, she had known pain—excruciating, soul-crushing agony that had left her curled on a cold floor, voiceless and desperate.It had been a pain that stripped away all hope in this man before her, eroding her very will to live. It had been so severe that even in her final moments, when she'd longed for a glimpse of him, he'd refused even a phone call.That pain was no mere physical wound. It was a despair that seeped into her very being.It was after enduring such torment that she had finally seen Cline for what he truly was—a man utterly ruthless toward her.Yet now, here he was, holding her and asking if she hurt. The irony was bitter, almost laughable.With a cold, expressionless face, she said, "The five minutes are up. Let me go."But Cline, who had finally held the person he'd obsessed over, had no intention of releasing her so easily.He held her tight and said, "
Cline held tight to her arm, as if he'd never let go unless Luana gave him a chance to speak.Luana, brows furrowed, sighed and relented, "Five minutes, right here."Cline's cold gaze shifted to Dorian, who shot him a glare before turning to Luana."Five minutes, then home," Dorian warned.Luana nodded meekly, "Okay."Only after Dorian strode into the villa did Luana turn to Cline, her voice cool and impatient."Well?"In Dorian's presence, Luana had been the picture of obedience, just as she used to be with him.Now, though, Cline saw a change in her—calm, distant, and edged with impatience.This new version of Luana only deepened the ache in his chest.He longed to reach out, to brush his fingers against her face, but as his hand rose, she flinched violently, stepping back as if struck.Luana stared at Cline's right hand, her pupils suddenly clouded with fear, as if the ghosts of past trauma had res
Luana nodded in agreement and turned toward the stairs.But after just two steps, she froze, her fingers brushing the banister.Slowly, she turned back, her voice hesitant. "Clarissa, I came back as Dorothy... What about Gehrmann?"Clarissa had guessed that Luana had returned as her sister Dorothy the moment she heard Dorian call her by that name.Clarissa's smile was warm, reassuring. "I won't say a word to him or Cline. Your secret's safe."Relief flickered in Luana's eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, the word soft as a feather.As Luana walked away, Clarissa watched her retreating figure, worry knotting her brow."Is this luck or a curse?" she thought, "Leaving Cline only to be trapped by Dorian."At the car, Luana opened the passenger door and slid in."Home at ten seems early," she ventured, her tone tentative.Dorian glanced over, his indifference palpable. "Make it eight, then."Luana's lips twitched
Clarissa watched Luana's fingers tighten around the phone until her knuckles whitened. "When I first saw those messages flooding in, I tried luring him out myself—posed as you, planned to bring the cops. But instead of catching a creep, I got..."She trailed off, the memory of the man in the café still prickling her nerves.A man as cold and heartless as Cline—why would he cling to memories of Luana like this?"Anyway," she shrugged, "he never showed. Guess some ghosts stay buried."Luana's voice was a whisper. "These things... they should've been my fight. Not yours."Clarissa cut her off, "If it were me in this mess, you'd do the same. So quit with the thanks already."Luana nodded meekly, her lashes drooping as she glanced back at the phone screen.The mystery gnawed at her—Mr. Night's messages reeked of obsession, yet he hid in plain sight. Why?She couldn't fathom it, and frankly, didn't care
"I had no choice but to pull a dumb move—I seduced Gehrmann and took Naomi's spot as his bedwarmer," Clarissa said flatly, her voice echoing off the brick walls."I thought I could use him to get back at Cline. Turns out I was dumber than a bag of hammers—Gehrmann wouldn't lift a finger against Cline for any woman." She kicked at a pebble, watching it skitter into the shadows. "By the time I figured that out, he wouldn't let me walk away."Clarissa shifted her weight, catching Luana's profile in the dim light."But don't you worry, Luana. I ain't falling for Gehrmann's charm. This world's got exactly one good man left—Albion. And he's six feet under."So, I won't be that girl anymore—the one who pours her heart out for every little kindness, even when it's not worth it."Mentioning Albion again made Luana's eyes dim as if the light behind them had been switched off.She lowered her lashes, hiding the sorrow pooling th
Third Person's POVLuana tightly embraced Clarissa, hoping to alleviate her pain.Clarissa, however, patted her back with a smile and said, "It's alright. After finding out the truth, I was devastated for a while, but then I pulled myself together. I installed surveillance cameras and recorded every moment of their infidelity, which I sent to my lawyer."I won the lawsuit, but I couldn't get the house back. I could only recover the mortgage payments, the money I spent on him, and compensation for emotional distress..."However, what I didn't expect was that someone would expose Albert's bigamy online, ruining his reputation. His company fired him, and no other major firms would hire him. As far as I know, his current salary isn't even enough to cover the mortgage. Plus, his mother has cancer, which is why he keeps begging at my door."Clarissa's voice turned cold as she continued, "He thinks I'm still the naive woman I once was, that if he kneels a
Clarissa took a deep breath, opened the bedside table, and took out a marriage certificate, handing it to Luana."You two weren't entirely meant to miss each other. At least he kept his promise from when you were young and married you."Seeing the marriage certificate, Luana's eyes welled up.She reached out and slowly unfolded it...Name: LuanaName: AlbionBeside them was a composite photo of the two, dressed in white shirts, with a red background, their faces beaming with happiness.When Luana was eighteen, she had asked Albion, "When are you going to marry me?"Albion, engrossed in a book at the time, looked up and playfully tapped her nose with his pen, saying, "When I'm capable of giving you happiness."Luana pouted, dissatisfied, "But when will that be?"Albion held up his book and replied, "After I've mastered all this knowledge and become someone worthy, then I'll marry you."Luana rested her chin
Last time, it was her negligence that failed to keep Albion by her side. This time, she was determined to do everything in her power to protect Luana.Clarissa raised her hand and gently patted Luana's shoulder, hoping to offer some warmth.Time ticked by, and they remained in the same position until a man in a gray suit approached.Clarissa looked up at him, noticing his gaze fixed on Luana, and her tension grew.Before she could inquire about his identity, the man stepped forward and gently pushed Luana's head with his slender fingers."It's ten o'clock. It's time to go home..."Luana, recognizing Dorian's voice, didn't lift her head, her lifeless eyes fixed on the floor.Dorian frowned at her silence, then bent down slightly and spoke patiently, "Dorothy, come home with me."Luana raised her weary head and said, "I don't want to go home today..."She wanted to stay and support Clarissa, to quietly live for herself for