68
Shadow walked out of the entrance and went straight to the bus station, avoiding her father’s anger that she had endured for the last twenty years of her life.
At the bus station, there were many people waiting. Just as Shadow started to relax, a familiar black car pulled up.
As the window slowly lowered, Jason glanced at her and said, “Get in the car.”
Though hesitant, Shadow got in anyway.
There were only three of them in the car, with the driver sitting upfront. Shadow remained silent.
The driver drove around for a while before stopping at a more isolated roadside.
After a few minutes of silence, Jason said softly, “Shadow, I know I misunderstood your skipping work. Your sister has already suffered today, and this matter needs to be addressed. Don’t take it to heart.”
“You think that’s enough?” Shadow sneered.
Jason frowned. “Your sister has already suffered. What else do you want?”This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
“Look! Jessica hit my face!” Shadow pointed to her swollen face.
Why should she just let it go?
If the situation were reversed, Jason would have found a way to get revenge. Lisa would have hit her twice as hard. But now that Shadow wanted to retaliate, they suddenly expected her to let it go.
“You’re truly vicious, aren’t you?” Jason glared at her.
“Not as vicious as you. You even hit your daughter so hard. Besides, your own daughter isn’t an angel either.” Shadow lowered her head, playing with the zipper on her bag. Though she appeared casual, her words dripped with sarcasm.
Jason had lost face in front of “Alpha Dominic” today, and he still felt the wounds from the aftermath.
Mentioning it again filled him with anger.
“You think I wanted to be forced by that bastard to beat her? Don’t you think I feel sorry for her? Don’t you think…” Jason’s voice echoed in the car, growing louder with each word.
“Alright, I know. If you have anything more to say, just say it!” Shadow interrupted impatiently.
Besides, she still needed to go back and cook for “Alpha Dominic.”
Jason stared at Shadow for a long time. The impatience and indifference on her face struck him. Where was the obedient girl he once knew?
He had been confident that she would help by persuading Alpha Kilian. But after today, he wasn’t so sure anymore.
Jason sighed and asked, “You heard what ‘Alpha Dominic’ said today, right?”
When Shadow didn’t respond, he continued, “Our cash flow is short due to a mistake made by our investment department. Regardless, you are still part of the Eden family and should lend a helping hand.”
Shadow sneered mockingly, shaking her head. Her tone became sharp. “Ha! I thought you already received three hundred million from the Lances family? Haven’t I given you enough money? Do you want to sell my body again? I’m afraid you’ll have to find some takers.”
Jason said sternly, “You chose to marry him! How can you say we sold you?”
“We both know Jessica should have been the one marrying him, not me!” Shadow looked up at him, her coldness evident. The dream of being part of the Eden family had faded long ago.
Jason froze. This was the first time he had seen her like this, so cold and distant. She was no longer the indifferent girl.
“Do you think the Lances family will treat you well when they find out the truth behind our investment? Without the support of your own family, you won’t stand firmly.” Jason’s face turned cold. Soft persuasion was useless, so he decided to be tough.
“I don’t need to rely on you for that. If I can’t survive, then we can divorce.”
Shadow finally realized why Jason had handed over the shares of the company and why he had wanted to negotiate with her.
He wanted her to persuade Alpha Kilian to invest in Eden Group.
They were ruthless, but their plan was effective, at least for the most part.
“You…” Jason pointed at her, speechless and filled with anger.
Shadow’s face turned serious. “How about this? Why were Alpha Kilian and Jessica engaged in the first place? Were there any previous agreements? Well? If you tell me that, maybe I’ll agree to your request.”
Jason’s expression changed briefly before disappearing. “You’re talking nonsense! Do you think your sister isn’t worthy of Alpha Kilian? Alpha Kilian lost his chance!”
Jason was a calculating man who always weighed the pros and cons. Though the Eden family’s status wasn’t that bad, their wealth had diminished over the years. Despite loving Jessica immensely, Jason knew the chances of Alpha Kilian marrying her were slim to none.
Shadow’s suspicion of the engagement grew upon seeing his response.
“It’s late, and I need to go home. Let’s talk about this tomorrow.” Shadow glanced at her watch and got out of the car.
“Shadow!” Jason called after her.
Ignoring him, Shadow simply waved goodbye and walked away.
…
When Shadow returned to the Castle, she saw “Alpha Dominic” standing in the living room.
He was still wearing the same vintage dark blue striped suit from earlier, radiating elegance. It must’ve been expensive, she thought, noticing the intricate embroidery near his collar.
“You came an hour later. Where have you gone?” Alpha Dominic glanced at his watch before turning back at her coldly. “Were you cheating on my cousin?”
Ignoring his question, she threw her handbag at him and headed towards the kitchen, wanting nothing to do with him after the day she had.
Alpha Kilian skillfully caught her small bag, raising his eyebrows at her retreating figure. Was she throwing a tantrum?
Suddenly, a ringtone filled the air. He looked down to see her handbag vibrating. With a sigh, he took out her phone and checked the screen.
Hazel?
Was that the celebrity Xavier was infatuated with? Shadow’s friend?
He noticed her phone had a glass screen and a protective case. It was clear that she valued her phone and took good care of it.
A smile slowly formed on his lips as he walked into the kitchen, phone in hand. However, as his thumb hovered over the screen, he accidentally answered the call.
“Shadow?” Hazel’s booming voice came from the other end. “I heard Dylan returned to Herton Pack! Maybe if you went out for a walk, you might bump into him. I’ll check if there are any events he’ll be attending soon; perhaps you can run into him.”
Hearing Hazel’s words, Alpha Kilian stopped in his tracks.
Caught off guard by the sudden silence, Hazel furrowed her eyebrows. “Hello? Are you so excited that you’re speechless? Did I lose my signal?”
Just then, Shadow came out of the kitchen. “I heard my phone ring.”
Frowning, Alpha Kilian expressionlessly tossed her the phone and turned to leave.
Shadow staggered back, catching the phone in mid-air. Glaring at his retreating figure, she muttered to herself, “Is he bipolar or something?” and stormed into the kitchen.
Alpha Kilian clenched his fists.
Shadow had come home early that Friday, the same day Dylan had returned. They had met and Dylan had asked about her.
Determined, he dialed Frank’s number. “Find out where Shadow went last Friday, and who she met with.”