Patrick and Emma arrived at Rory’s bakery right on time. Upon entering, Rory whistled in surprise, “Isn’t this the alpha of our Silver Moon Pack?”
Emma, puzzled, asked, “Do you two know each other?”
Handing her an apron, Rory replied, “I think no one from the Silver Moon Pack should be unaware of their own alpha.”
Emma, resigned, said, “I meant, do you know each other personally? It seems you didn’t tell me about this yesterday.”
“I also didn’t know the alpha still remembered me, so I didn’t dare easily claim we know each other.”
Rory’s tone was a bit ambiguous, but Emma couldn’t be bothered. It was irrelevant to her; she just wanted to do her job well.
“Any work tasks for today, boss?”
“Start by making two cups of coffee. No special requests, just as you usually do.”
“Okay.”
Emma efficiently tied on the apron, skillfully wiped the utensils she would use to brew coffee, and then got busy. Patrick gestured for Rory to step outside for a chat.
From his apron pocket, Rory took out a cigarette. “Would you like one?”
Patrick declined; he didn’t like the smell of tobacco, but he wouldn’t forbid people around him from smoking. “No, thanks.”
Rory chuckled, putting the cigarette back and lighting one for himself. “Forgot. You’re the straight-A student, don’t smoke, and don’t hang out with us troublemakers.”
He always spoke to Patrick in this peculiar manner, making Patrick uncomfortable. They had attended the same high school, but Rory belonged to another clique. Proud and arrogant boys always had an inexplicable desire to conquer, eager to trample the world under their feet, and Rory’s group fit that description.
The boys there were tall and sturdy, clearly from a football team. They caused trouble everywhere, bullied younger students, took their pocket money, and forced them to perform sexual acts in deserted alleys. This quickly caught the attention of the school principal, and the matter escalated.
Patrick had put in a lot of effort, as a younger friend of his knew one of the victims. Harry once saw a boy with a battered face coming out of an alley after school, and he knew what had happened. Given Harry’s and Patrick’s standing, the principal quickly took the matter seriously, and everyone in that group was severely punished, all expelled without exception.
Although Rory hadn’t directly participated in any of these incidents, due to collective responsibility, he was also expelled. Patrick had tried to make amends with him later, but Rory said he didn’t need it; he never liked school anyway. Later, he inherited the bakery.
“I know I didn’t investigate the matter properly, and it was my fault that you got involved. I really want to do something to make up for my mistake.”
Rory took a drag from his cigarette, white wisps curling slowly in front of him. He knew Patrick genuinely wanted to make amends, but he didn’t need that kind of reconciliation. His issues with Patrick didn’t stem from that.
“I don’t accept your apology, it’s unrelated to this. I just simply dislike you.”
Patrick didn’t understand what he meant; his brows furrowed. “Why?”
“Because you forgot.”
It was like a riddle. Patrick’s confusion deepened. “Can you explain?”
Rory didn’t intend to explain. Patrick had forgotten how he and Harry had rejected him from joining their circle, and how they had coldly and cruelly turned him away when he eagerly wanted to befriend them. He was completely isolated, everyone knew he was the kid shunned by the future alpha and beta, and no one came near him.
Sometimes, social circles were like this-even kids knew how to weigh their options. They would choose to play with the tough guys and then use the leftovers as objects for venting malice or just for fun.
At that time, Rory was one of those targeted for malice. Patrick and Harry hadn’t directly inflicted violence on him, but they had set the stage for his nightmare.
Rory had been invisible for a long time, like air-ignored in everything he said or did. He was always deliberately kept on the fringes of the group, unnoticed by anyone, to the point where even the teachers would forget he existed. He couldn’t resist; being ignored was better than facing retaliation, but it was still an endless pain.
Until one of the members of that small group found him and asked, “Do you want to join us? If you do, you won’t have to be ostracized anymore.”
He believed those words, and his status shifted from the bullied to the bully. They would exclude others and callously hurt those who continued to suffer the fate of being ostracized.
Rory never stopped them because he feared facing exclusion again, and if he chose to betray them, he might face notonly ostracism, but also physical harm. Therefore, being expelled in the end didn’t make him angry; he just breathed a sigh of relief, for himself and for those poor souls who had been hurt.
The only one he never forgave was Patrick. After all, it was his actions from the start that pushed him into the abyss.
“Why remind the perpetrator of their evil deeds? After all, they have all forgotten. You shouldn’t have to remind them.” His cigarette burned down, and he extinguished the ember, lighting another for himself. “You didn’t come here today specifically for me, did you? Is it because of someone else? Emma, perhaps?”
Patrick didn’t deny it. “She just arrived at the Silver Moon Pack and still isn’t accustomed to many things, but I’m grateful that you hired her. She’s very happy to have this opportunity.”
Blowing out a smoke ring, Rory smiled suggestively. “I don’t think that’s your true sentiment.”
Patrick firmly denied Rory’s speculation. “You don’t have the right to speculate about an alpha’s thoughts, Rory. Remember your place.”
Indeed, he was just a mere bakery owner, but he chuckled. “But you clearly don’t feel that way. You’re not happy that she found a job here, and you don’t want her to continue working for me. That’s why you came today, isn’t it? You want me to find a reason to dismiss her as soon as possible?”
Patrick’s face darkened. “If I did demand that of you, would you obey my command?”
“Of course not,” Rory responded with a smile.
Patrick spoke coldly, “So that’s my purpose. Whether you follow through with my request to dismiss her or not, as long as she continues to work in this bakery, you must abandon your schemes. We may have had our differences, but if you dare to meddle with her, I will tear you to pieces.”