Chapter 5 No.5

Three years ago, Nathaniel brought Isolde to Moonshadow Manor. I was still in college at the time, and despite the long distance between the school and the manor, I made it a point to return every day, just in case I might miss one of Nathaniel's rare visits.

And yes, on that day, I didn't miss him. I watched with my own eyes as Nathaniel introduced Isolde to his family as his mate.

I saw them embrace and kiss in the garden.

I thought that, in this lifetime, I would only ever be able to watch him from afar. But when the Lunar Goddess smiled upon me and made me the Luna of the pack, I almost thought I was dreaming.

But like all dreams, it had to end someday.

Isolde... she was the one who woke me from that dream.

A dull ache spread across my chest, and I gave a faint smile. "It's been a long time, Ms. Isolde. You're even more radiant than before."

Isolde laughed lightly. "Thank you. You're still as beautiful and sexy as ever. By the way, Seraphina, do you like the signed Avery Rose record? I heard you're a fan, and since she's a friend of mine, I asked her to sign it for you when I came back."

The words hit me like a thunderbolt. The calm, collected person I usually was... in that moment, I felt completely lost.

I felt like a clown, being stared at and mocked by everyone around me.

I turned to Nathaniel, my eyes filled with silent plea.

I wished with all my heart that Nathaniel would tell me that Isolde was wrong, that the gift had been his idea, that he had asked someone to buy it for me.

Nathaniel gave me a cold look, his words cutting deeper than any knife. "What's the matter? Don't you like the gift Isolde brought you?"

My face stiffened, and I couldn't force any expression.

After a long moment, I managed to calm myself. My voice was flat as I said, "Let's save the catching up for later. Everyone's been waiting long enough. Let's get down to business."

"Alright." Isolde nodded, then turned to Nathaniel. "Nathaniel, you should get back to work. Don't forget to join us for lunch."

"Mm."

I watched his retreating back, bitterness flooding my mouth, my heart heavy, struggling to breathe.

How could I have thought that Nathaniel might have any feelings for me?

How could I have ever believed that there was a trace of care for me in his heart?

How laughable.

...

By the time the meeting ended, it was already three in the afternoon. The teams shook hands, wishing each other a pleasant collaboration, and we all headed to the reserved restaurant for a meal.

The moment the private room door opened, Nathaniel and Isolde walked in side by side.

The man was handsome, from an illustrious family; the woman, beautiful and successful. Together, they were the epitome of envy.

"CEO Blackwood, we're honored by your presence. Please, sit here. Isolde, you too." Isolde's manager, Cassandra, rushed ahead, arranging for Nathaniel and Isolde to sit together.

Everyone else stood up to greet them.

"Please, take a seat."

Only when Nathaniel spoke did everyone settle back down.

The atmosphere seemed cordial.

Cassandra and the others took the initiative to steer the conversation, and before long, everyone began to feel more comfortable.

Nathaniel spoke little, but when he did, his words cut straight to the point.

As for me, I was unusually quiet. With Nathaniel and Isolde present, no one paid attention to my silence.

At one point, Cassandra glanced at the plate in front of Isolde and reminded her, "Isolde, watch your portion."

Celebrities were particularly strict about managing their figures.

"I know..." Isolde pouted and pushed a piece of beef onto Nathaniel's plate. "Nathaniel, I can't finish this. Can you help me?"

The beef was spicy, and Nathaniel preferred lighter, non-spicy foods.

I was about to remind her, but I watched as he calmly forked the piece of meat and ate it without a second thought.

The words I wanted to say got caught in my throat, and I struggled to swallow them back down.

The things handed to me by someone I care about, even if it's poison, still seem sweet. How could a simple chili be any different?

For a moment, I was relieved that the words I wanted to say remained unspoken; otherwise, I would've only ended up embarrassing myself.

When someone came over to toast me, I was worried the alcohol might affect Little Howler, so I used the excuse of "stomach discomfort" to decline and chose juice instead.

After several bottles of wine, Cassandra shifted the conversation toward me, casually asking Nathaniel, "I heard Director Seraphina is your sister and also works at Silvermoon Corp. You must be close, right?"

Nathaniel glanced briefly at me, then at Isolde sitting beside him, before replying indifferently, "Out of respect for grandfather, it's only right to look out for her."

To everyone else, it sounded perfectly normal. They had all heard that when I was first adopted, Nathaniel was already twenty, and we hadn't grown up together, so what kind of sibling bond could there be?

But my heart felt like it was being torn apart, bleeding out.

I couldn't tell if he was trying to distance himself from me in front of Isolde or if he genuinely meant it. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

I had been his mate for three years, but in the end, I had never truly won his heart.

Everything he had done for me during those years had been out of obligation, to honor his grandfather.

I forced a faint smile. "CEO Blackwood and I are just colleagues. There's nothing special about our relationship. But it seems Miss Cassandra is rather curious about me?"

Cassandra's face broke into an exaggerated smile. "We'll be working together soon, so of course, I'm a little curious. Please don't take offense, Director Seraphina."

Cassandra was a werewolf from the Golden Crescent Pack, which Isolde knew. Although we weren't in the same pack, could she really not know I was Nathaniel's mate? Bound by pack rules, she knew I couldn't admit I was a werewolf in front of humans. It seemed like she was trying to provoke me at every turn.

The dinner lasted over two hours, and by the time it ended, it was nearly time to clock out.

I told the other employees to head home and returned to my office to catch up on some work.

At eight o'clock in the evening, I turned off the lights and got ready to leave. The whole floor was silent, but Nathaniel's office still had its light on.

I hesitated for a moment, then walked toward his office and knocked on the door.

After hearing a response, I slightly opened the door and asked, "Do you have any plans for the evening?"