Claire P. O. V
I should’ve known what to do with the offer from Christopher Gale. I’m not good at making decisions, but I also need to learn something about Christopher Gale and Ethan.
But asking Ethan or Chen Lien directly feels like a conversation with my demise. Where else could I get information about this guy if not from Ethan or Chen Lien?
I stared at Ethan, who hadn’t moved an inch from his seat. This was rare, considering that during our trip to Shanghai a while back, Ethan was too busy to sit for even a minute at the villa, especially after our night market adventure. I spent more time with Chen Lien. But now, Chen Lien was nowhere to be seen.
Since we returned to The Silver Fire Packhouse, my movements were restricted by Lucy Torrance’s presence. Not because of her presence but because I didn’t want to cause any drama with Ethan’s fiancee.
And the entire day after returning to the Silver Fire Pack, I holed up in my room, avoiding everyone, especially Lucy, who was always looking for trouble with me. Of course. Lucy Torrance never liked me because I’m Ethan’s fated mate.
Though I might have more authority in the Pack as Ethan’s mate, I couldn’t bring myself to disrupt the systems Lucy had put in place.
“Lying down seems like the best way to solve problems,” I murmured.
So, I lay down, prepared to close my eyes, but just as I did, someone knocked on the door, grabbing my attention. When I opened it, the person I’d just been thinking about stood Ethan Randall.
“What’s up?” I asked coolly.
“I’m going to the Philippines.”
I frowned. This wasn’t what I expected; why was he suddenly telling me his plans?
“This doesn’t feel like I’m dealing with Ethan Randall, The Alpha of The Silver Fire Pack?”
“I just want to know if you’d like to come with me?”
“Why ask?”
“Because you can’t take care of yourself. Besides, if you come with me, it’ll benefit you-you haven’t seen much of the world beyond the church and the dormitory, right?”
That sounded like a jab. “I’ve been to Shanghai,” I said.
Ethan laughed at that. Right. I felt like I was humiliating myself, but I wouldn’t admit it to Ethan. Realizing that my entire life until now had been spent in confinement and never more than a few miles from home was terrifying.
“You can bring whatever you want this time. I’ll be waiting downstairs.” He turned to leave. But before Ethan could get too far, I stopped him.
“Why not take Lucy Torrance? Isn’t she your fiancee? She’d be happier if you took her and did things together, rather than taking me, who has no connection to you,” I said. “My presence would just cause you problems.”
“Problems? That sounds like you’ve done something without my knowledge and caused issues for me.”
“W-It’s just a figure of speech, why would you think I really did that?!” I argued.
This was dangerous. I almost said something I shouldn’t have to Ethan. This was out of my control-my mouth was moving on its own, and I nearly revealed that I’d made a mistake meeting Christopher Gale, who might be an enemy.
Ethan scrutinized me. He obviously wouldn’t believe my words, and I couldn’t take them back. I tried to think of something else, hoping to distract him from interrogating me further.
“Knowing what I did seems to interest you more than where Lady Torrance has gone. I think I haven’t seen her around the packhouse since yesterday.” I asked.
Of course, this wasn’t just small talk. I hadn’t seen her since last night after Ethan and I arrived at the packhouse. I thought I missed her; her absence made everything eerily quiet as if I could hear my breath echo throughout the room.
This isn’t an exaggeration. It’s more like too quiet without Lucy Torrance’s shouting or her anger when I or the servants make mistakes.
“She won’t be at the packhouse for a few weeks; her father asked her to return.”
“Is her father also an Alpha?”
“Of course, do you think I’d get engaged to a woman who couldn’t enhance my power beyond this?” he boasted.
Fair point. Ethan Randall would unlikely get involved with a woman who didn’t have wealth, power, and strength equal to his. If not, there’d be no benefit to him.
“So, do you want to come with me or stay here alone?”
“Alone?”
“Nearly everyone will leave, leaving only the Wolf Warriors who never roam around the packhouse. You won’t see a single servant here, as they’ll serve the Elders at the other mansion in my absence.”
“Does that make sense?”
Ethan chuckled. “You can do whatever you want to verify if what I said is true or not.”
“So you’re telling me to ask everyone at the packhouse?”
“Sure, if that’s what you want.”
I couldn’t describe how annoyed I was at that. “No, thanks. I’d rather stay in the mansion than go with you.”
“You’re so stubborn,” he said, making me frown.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re coming to the Philippines with me. Pack what you want to bring, I’ll be waiting downstairs, and you have ten minutes to get down there.” He said, forcing me to follow him.
I sighed after Ethan left my room. This wasn’t the first time he’d coerced me, but it was frustrating when I thought I could relax and he dragged me to the Philippines.
“If only I could meet someone who knows Christopher Gale there, it might be better than-no, wait, maybe I can find out something if I go to the Philippines with Ethan,” I thought.
That’s the way to go. I need to head to the places where people like Ethan gather. They might not be the kind of folks I consider good, but through them, I might figure out what Christopher Gale truly meant when he talked to me that night. I need to go with Ethan. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the Philippines or Antarctica. I want to uncover the truth.