Chapter 4

Alpha Wade's gaze fell upon her, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and longing.

“Have you ever despised me, Nelly?” he questioned, his voice tinged with the weight of regret. “If it hadn't been for the betrothal to the Morris family, you would not have...”

“I married him willingly!” Nelly cut him off, her voice firm and resolute. “It was my choice to divorce him as well. Grandpa, you have never forced me into anything.” She reassured him, her words dripping with conviction.

Alpha Wade's guilt remained, clinging to him like a shadow. It was a burden he couldn't quite shake off.

“Nelly..”

“It's alright, Grandpa. The past is behind us now. You don't have to bear the burden of guilt for me. Besides, no matter whom we marry, we can never truly know if we will remain together forever. Isn't it a blessing that God has given me three beautiful children?” Nelly asked, her voice tinged with a hint of self-consolation. She knew she was comforting herself as well, but she needed to move forward.

Alpha Wade nodded, acknowledging her words. “You're right. Regardless of everything, those children belong to the Jackson family as well. I will make sure to raise all of you, no matter what it takes.”

Nelly walked over to him, taking hold of his arm, her head resting gently against his shoulder. “Grandpa, you don't have to do that. I've earned some money while I was abroad, so it should be enough to sustain us. You should move out of your old house and stay with us.”

Alpha Wade turned his head to glance at her, uncertainty etched across his face.

“The money is completely legal! It's legitimate!” Nelly quickly reassured him, desperation lacing her words. Only then did Alpha Wade let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t blame me, Nelly. I can never bear to experience what I've gone through in the past again.”

“Don't worry. I will always listen to you. I am living well, working hard, and keeping you company,” Nelly promised.

He chuckled softly, a gleam of fondness in his eyes. “I've never seen you play coy with me before. It seems you've learned a thing or two.”

“Donna said that women who know how to do that have the best lives,” Nelly replied with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

*****

On Monday morning, Alpha Wade had just awoken and was preparing breakfast when he noticed that the three children were already dressed and ready to go.

Donna dashed into Nelly's room, pulling out her clothes. “Nelly, wear this battle suit! Most of the people in the Programming Department are guys. Since they like cute and sexy styles, they won't give you a hard time. Good luck today!”

Nelly tossed a pillow playfully at Donna, who expertly dodged it. “We'll catch up later tonight! I'm heading out now!” Nelly covered her face with the blanket and settled back into her sleep.

As Donna walked out, she called to Alpha Wade, “Gramps, Nelly will only wake up when her alarm goes off. We can leave right after we finish breakfast.”

Alpha Wade's heart warmed as he looked upon the three well-behaved children. After breakfast, he accompanied the kids to school. On the way, he couldn't help but inquire, “Donna, if your names are given in alphabetical order, why does yours start with D instead of C? You're the third child, aren't you?”

Ben burst into laughter. “Mommy doesn't like the letter C! She gave that name to a dog we had in the Crescent pack, so if you keep talking, I’ll get mad, Ben!”

Donna warned him with a playful scowl. “Alright, I’ll be quiet.” Ben acquiesced, knowing that teasing Donna any further would lead to trouble.

Alpha Wade laughed alongside them, understanding the reasoning behind Donna's aversion to the letter C

“Gramps, does Mommy's dislike for the number three have anything to do with Daddy?” Tony suddenly asked, surprising Alpha Wade as he gazed at Tony's reflection in the rearview mirror. Though seemingly quiet, Tony possessed a keen mind and observant nature, much like Alpha Kilian.

Donna and Ben fell silent, their eyes fixed upon Alpha Wade, waiting for his response. Though Alpha Wade had no desire to lie to the children, he didn't know how to answer their question. “I don't really know. If you want the answer, you'll have to ask your mom.”

“Gramps, you probably already know who our Daddy is, don't you?” Ben pressed further.

Alpha Wade remained silent, his heart heavy with the weight of unspoken truth. “This means he's acknowledging it!” Donna chimed in triumphantly.

Speechless, Alpha Wade could only offer a sigh of resignation. The children's curiosity seemed to have no bounds.

“Well, let's not make things difficult for Gramps. He must have his reasons for not telling us. Besides, we have Mommy, and that's enough,” Tony declared, his authoritative tone silencing Donna and Ben. With the interrogation finally over, Alpha Wade felt a surge of relief wash over him. Although the three children appeared harmless, they were far from it.

Meanwhile, Nelly continued to sleep soundly, undisturbed by the events unfolding around her. Once the alarm rang, she finally roused from her slumber.

After freshening up, she reluctantly donned the "battle suit" prepared by Donna. However, the moment she caught sight of herself in the mirror, her smile faded.

The pink dress, almost resembling uniform, accentuated her alluring figure. Wearing such an attire would invite embarrassment.

However, Nelly knew better than to defy Donna's will. If she didn't wear it, Donna would no doubt make a scene. Therefore, she pulled out a black blazer and draped it over the dress. Problem solved.

After packing her things, Nelly headed off to work. News of her beauty had already spread throughout the company, and many who hadn't seen her were eager for a glimpse. Consequently, when she entered the office, she could feel countless eyes upon her. Some gazes were friendly, while others brimmed with hostility.

“Do you see her? She's pretty, isn't she? I heard she didn't even wear makeup when she came the other day.” whispered one person in awe.

“Tsk! Look at what she's wearing to work. It's clear she has no intention of actually working. You all claim she's a goddess, but I think she's highly overrated, scoffed another disdainfully.

“Yeah! She probably claimed she didn’t wear makeup just to appear 'natural.' Men may not notice, but she can't hide it from us. She's most likely a conniving woman pretending to be innocent.”

“Really?” a colleague asked inquisitively.

Although the Programming Department was predominantly male, there were other departments as well. Donna was certainly making enemies for Nelly!

Without dwelling on the matter, Nelly headed straight to her work station. Having arrived earlier, she had already become acquainted with the staff. After completing the necessary onboarding procedures, her manager, Nelson, led her to her desk. “From today onward, this will be your workspace, Nelly!”

Nelly's desk was located apart from the others, as if she were working in isolation. Unbeknownst to her, this arrangement had been a unanimous decision by the Programming Department. They feared that being too close to her would hinder their focus. Thus, she found herself isolated.

“Thank you.” Nelly responded politely.

“You're most welcome! Just work hard, alright? You've joined at the perfect time. We have a major client coming in today. Securing this deal would make you our company's lucky star!” Nelson exclaimed, a genuine excitement emanating from him.

Nelly smiled, not allowing herself to read too much into his words.

Just then, Nelson's phone began to ring. Excitement glittered in his eyes as he spotted the caller's number. “Nelly, get acquainted with Chris and the others. You can join us for the meeting and learn as we go. Alright, the client has arrived. I need to go and greet them.” With that, he hurried off, leaving Nelly standing there, slightly bewildered.

Before she could take a seat, Chris approached her. “Hello, I'm Chris Dunne.”

“Hello!” Nelly extended her hand politely. But instead of shaking her hand, Chris

Issued a warning. “Today’s project is of utmost importance to me. You can observe and learn, but I hope you won’t impede or sabotage the progress.”

Without waiting for a response, he abruptly turned and walked away. Nelly was left standing there, brushed aside and dismissed.

The true journey was about to begin.