Alpha Conrad: Claiming The Wrong Bride의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 20

The morning had Nadia standing over a pile of tangled, stained fabrics, her back aching as she sorted the whites from the colored. Every movement felt tiring, require an extra energy she did not have, her mind still fuzzy from the grueling marathon of applications she had finished less than forty-eight hours ago.She was just reaching for a dress with stubborn stain when she heard the familiar jingle of keys.Nadia straightened up, her brow furrowing. Her mother, Estelle, was standing by the front door, wearing her sensible walking shoes and a determined expression that Nadia hadn't seen in a while."Mom?" Nadia asked, dropping a damp shirt back into the pile. "Where are you going?""To work, honey," Estelle replied, checking the contents of her purse. "I should be back by six, but don't wait up for dinner if I’m late."Frustration flared in Nadia’s chest like a sudden spark. She wiped her soapy hands on her jeans and stepped toward the door. "Wait. I thought we agreed. I thought we s

Nadia was profoundly grateful that Valentine had pre-booked the cab that came to pick her from home. It was the only reason she was standing on the sidewalk of the central business district fifteen minutes later, rather than panting on a street corner halfway across town. Her wolf’s speed was impressive, but it couldn't compete with speed of a good ride.As she stepped out of the car, the sheer scale of the building hit her. The building was a towering block of shiny black glass that seemed to swallow the sky.A small feeling of relief hit her when she saw Valentine. He was already there, pacing near the revolving doors, waiting for her. He caught her eye and immediately waved the security detail—four massive delta’s with earpieces and tactical suits—to let her through without the standard interrogation."You're here," Valentine said, grabbing her elbow and steering her toward a bank of high-speed elevators. "We have exactly five minutes before the pitch. Gosh..girl I was scared you w

Nadia stood alone for a moment, her chest heaving as the adrenaline began to recede, leaving a hollow, shaky feeling in its wake.She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, her fingers trembling so much she almost dropped it.She desperately wanted to call her Mom and scream that she has just landed a high paying Job.This was too good to be true.Too good to be kept to herself.But as the screen flared to life, a push notification from a major pack news outlet sat at the top of her feed.[BREAKING] THE ROYAL ALLIANCE: ALPHA CONRAD BRADLEY ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT TO DANIELLE EDWARD OF THE EDWARD PACK; WINTER WEDDING CONFIRMED.Nadia felt the blood drain from her face. There was a photo attached—a close shot of Danielle looking radiant, her hand resting on Conrad’s arms."Why?" Nadia whispered to the empty hallway, her voice rife with a sudden nausea. "If he was already going to marry her... why did they force me into that room to sleep with him? What are they hiding?"But then

Nelson’s grip on her hands tightened, his eyes flickering with a secret he wasn't ready to name.The question hung in the air between them. Nadia didn’t pull her hands away this time; she held his gaze, waiting for the mask to slip."Why, Nelson?" she repeated, her voice steady. "Three years we have been together. You say you want a future, you say you want a legacy, yet you want me to carry a child that has no legal standing?"Nelson’s eyes shifted, his pupils dilating as his mind raced back to the hall of the stonewall council three months prior.Nelson had stood at the center of the room, his head bowed just enough to show respect, but his heart hammering against his ribs."Your performance as a Beta has been exemplary, Nelson," Elder Silas had said, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. "But a leader without a strong bloodline is a house built on sand. The Stonewall Pack needs stability. You are next in line to lead the vanguard, yet you have no successor. No pup to carry the

Valentine stepped into Alpha Conrad’s office, a stack of reports balanced in his arm. He froze mid-stride.Was that a smile on Alpha Conrad’s face?Alpha Conrad was leaning back in his chair, a soft, genuine smile was etched onto the Alpha’s face as he sat lost in thought."Are you... are you actually smiling?" Valentine asked, his voice hushed with disbelief.Conrad snapped out of his reverie, the smile vanishing instantly. He cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. "I always smile, Valentine. Don't be dramatic.""No, you don’t!" Valentine squealed, then quickly caught himself, smoothing his shirt. "I mean... maybe you think you do, but you don’t. This is my first time in three years seeing you smile. Is it the engagement? Is your fiancée making you this happy?"The mention of Danielle caused Conrad’s expression to deepen into a frown. "That isn’t why I was smiling."He didn't elaborate.He had watched Nadia enter her briefing with the junior analysts, and was attracted to her charism