Ethan’s P. O. V
Kill Claire Halle. Maybe that’s the only way to break free from this bond. There might be other ways to sever our connection, but none seem as effective as killing Claire to cut all ties.
Yet, a part of me rejects this plan. Killing isn’t new to me-I’ve done it since I was thirteen. But I’ve never killed someone close to me. Sure, I’ve killed prostitutes who were spies for my business rivals, but never someone I slept with willingly.
It’s almost dawn, but I can’t sleep. Usually, I’m more comfortable in foreign places than with my own Pack because I don’t have to deal with Pack matters or see Lucy.
I walk to the window and see that Shanghai’s night is still bright, even though it’s almost dawn. It should be quiet outside, with only the guardians on duty, but I see Chen Lien and Claire enjoying a bottle of wine and some food.
I cross my arms, watching Chen Lien finish his work without reporting to me. Besides, didn’t Claire eat a lot of snacks at the night market and even bring some back? And now they’re eating again?
“Should I teach them a lesson for acting so recklessly?” I mutter.
But what am I doing? Why do I feel jealous seeing Claire with someone else? Don’t I already have Lucy? Sometimes, I think I’m tired of Lucy because of her possessiveness. And sometimes, I feel comfortable around Claire for some reason.
“Huh, of course, because she’s my mate,” I say, turning away from the window, grabbing my robe, and heading out.
But I stop in the hallway, thinking about what they might say if I approach them and interrupt. They might say I’m meddling too much and hate me more.
Yeah, of course. They’ll hate me if I act childish like that. So, I decided to go back to my room and silently watch them. Even though I don’t like it, I can still see them from my window.
Just as I enter, I hear my phone buzzing. It’s Lucy because when I’m out, she’s the one who calls me more often than my business partners. But it’s neither-it’s an unknown number.
Feeling hesitant, I answer, curious about who would call me at this hour.
“I hope I know someone brave enough to call me at this time?” I ask. But all I hear is heavy breathing on the other end.
I recheck the number. I don’t recognize it, but it’s Christopher Gale.
“If you want to ask about your niece, you should introduce yourself first before calling me.”
“Do I have to?”
Bullseye. I’m curious about what Christopher Gale wants at this hour. “Of course,” I reply. “I have my reasons for why you should follow the rules I set in my territory, Alpha Christopher.”
“Your territory? Does that include Shanghai?”
I frown. How does he know I’m in Shanghai? I walk to the window, and Claire and Chen Lien remain there. “If you still want her, didn’t we agree in our last meeting?”
“You still think I’ll do it? You should be ready to see yourself left behind, Alpha Ethan.
“What have you done?”
“Huh, did I just do something?”
I can hear him laughing. This is wild. Just when I thought everything was going according to plan, it’s the opposite. It’s like I’m being played. “You’re so confident. Do you think you can get Claire for your own gain with that confidence?”
“Aren’t we betting on who deserves her the most? You with your advantage as her Alpha, or me, the uncle who misses her,” says Christopher Gale before hanging up.
I take a deep breath. I knew something was up. I throw my phone on the bed and watch Claire and Chen Lien chatting and eating at the table.
When I found Claire ‘lost’ after returning from the restroom, I suspected something was up. But I didn’t expect Christopher Gale to breach my security so quickly, and it’s no wonder Claire’s behavior has seemed different since then.
“I need to tighten my guard around her.”
As I watched Claire and Chen Lien spend the rest of the night, I also thought about what I needed to do to keep Claire with me for more gains because giving her to Christopher Gale would mean losing out on a lot more.
“This is driving me crazy. I should be able to tell them what I want more easily, but look at this? It’s like I’m protecting her, keeping her away from people who might kill her for power, but what am I doing? Aren’t I doing all this for power too?”
While wrestling with my thoughts, I hear a knock on my door. At first, I wanted to ignore it, but Danny’s voice made me open the door to see what he wanted.
Our eyes meet as I open the door. He looks panicked. “What’s up?”
“It seems Christopher Gale knows we’re here, Alpha.”
Didn’t I say something was off with Claire’s behavior last night? And I can’t let this continue. I need to take action against that fake Alpha.
“How do you know?” I ask.
Danny looks nervous, scared even. No. Maybe he doesn’t know how Christopher Gale discovered we’re in Shanghai.
“Is he coming to this villa?” I skip my question with another, but it makes Danny even more shocked.
“But Alpha, I have no-”
“We came to Shanghai for a deal. There’s nothing to fear about his presence. Besides, anyone can be in Shanghai, anytime, and whenever they want. So, what about Alesio?”
“About that, Chen Lien said he would tell you himself.”
Danny remembered when he demanded answers to the orders and questions Ethan gave him, but Chen Lien refused, she just stared at Danny with a cold gaze. a look that couldn’t be interpreted as serious, it looked more like a declaration.
“Then tell him to come to see me. I want to know what good news he has for me.”