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Chapter 8

"Oh!" I hastily donned the robe and wrapped it around myself. "Go ahead and get dressed; I don't want us to be late," I said, trying to expedite the process. His formal tone followed, which brought me some comfort. I couldn't comprehend why, but every time he caught me in such a state, it always led to us ending up in bed. I hadn't expected him to be here since he had told me earlier that he would be going directly to the meeting venue from his office.

I moved swiftly. I didn't want to keep him waiting. In the hallway on my way to the garage, we ran into Janine, who was all smiles. I found her demeanor particularly annoying because she seemed to become flirtatious whenever she was in front of my husband.

"Shall we?" She asked first, which clearly confused Giovan. "You're coming with us?"

"Yes. Your father just informed me that I'm required to accompany Crema everywhere she goes, especially to meeting events. As her assistant, you know."

Giovan shrugged and walked ahead. He didn't pay much attention to Janine, which reassured me. To this day, I couldn't shake off my curiosity about what transpired between them on the day I found them in Giovan's home office, seemingly flirting.

Their closeness was too intimate for me to dismiss the possibility that something might have occurred between them. Oh, I wonder. If something really did happen, Janine wouldn't have let it slide. She would have bragged about it to me. I really don't know. Although I tried not to dwell on it, the memory still stung my heart.

Upon our arrival at the venue, it was evident we were late. The receptionist stated that the meeting was awaiting our presence to commence. "This is why I urged you to get ready as quickly as possible," Giovan grumbled, his irritation palpable. I was aware his comment was directed at me. However, I didn't perceive myself as the sole reason for our tardiness. It was his forgetfulness, having to return home for a forgotten item, that had delayed us. His demeanor often perplexed me. When we were alone, he could exhibit a degree of kindness, yet in public, he relished in my embarrassment.

Janine interjected, "I did offer to assist her in preparing, but she declined." "Enough, I'm not speaking with you," I retorted, attempting to silence her. The subsequent words from Giovan offered me some solace. I secretly hoped to see him reprimand Janine too, for if he didn't, it would seem as if he genuinely liked her. They might have been a couple, had it not been for the arranged marriage between Giovan and me.

As we entered the meeting hall, all attention shifted to us. Taking our assigned seats, I felt a rush of embarrassment, wishing I could conceal my face. Nevertheless, I mustered the courage to maintain composure, silently vowing to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.

"Now that everyone is present, we can begin the meeting," declared Highest Alpha King Dior, his gaze fixed on us. His disappointment was apparent, though it was unclear whether it was aimed at me, Giovan, or both.

The meeting revolved around the introduction of new regulations within the organization and the induction of new royal family members, including myself. King Dior also announced his intention to pass his title to Giovan during the forthcoming red blood moon.

After all issues were addressed, a late-night party was announced. This meant we were obliged to remain at the venue for further social interaction.


King Dior was orchestrating a nefarious plot, a secret he kept from Crema. He ordered a servant to put something in Crema’s drink to sedate her and make way for Janine. King Dior had confirmed that Janine was the offspring of his wife's murderer, and he intended to use her to locate her father, who had been in hiding since the enigmatic demise of Queen Sheilamer.

Had Dior been aware of this earlier, he might have instructed Giovan to marry Janine instead.

"Thank you," Crema expressed, smiling at the servant before sipping her wine. She wasn't typically one for drinking or socializing, but she recognized its necessity. She surveyed her surroundings, attentively observing everyone who came into her view. She comprehended the significance of being well-versed in all matters of royalty, for knowledge equated to power.

Janine's conduct drew her attention. Her cousin was engaging in revelries with a group of men in the hall, interacting with them in a provocative manner. In Crema's perspective, as long as Janine refrained from causing embarrassment to their family, she would tolerate her behavior.

Janine was 3 years old, exactly 3 years after her father Harbon went missing. Harbon hadn't been seen since Queen Sheilamer was discovered dead in her room three years prior. It was initially suspected that Queen Sheilamer had been murdered by Harbon, but further investigations revealed that her death was caused by a poison concocted by vampires. Consequently, Harbon was absolved of the accusation of being Sheilamer's killer.

While the entire pack was grieving the queen's death, they were ambushed by vampires. The pack's defenses were compromised, as they were preoccupied with Queen Sheilamer's death. Harold, King Dior's brother and the pack's security head, was killed. The vampires claimed his life, leaving the pack vulnerable and unprepared.

Retaliation against the vampires was postponed for years due to a missing piece of the puzzle that the pack couldn't solve. After three years, a child was delivered to the doorstep of Marcedes' home, claiming to be Harbon's daughter. Marcedes, Crema's mother, adopted Janine out of compassion.

What everyone doesn't know is that Janine is the root cause of everything. She was the reason Queen Sheilamer died. If Dior proceeds with his plan, there's a significant risk that he would again sacrifice invaluable lives from his pack.

Unbeknownst to King Dior, his scheme to exploit Janine could lead to the downfall of his entire pack!

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