Chapter 2 An Unexpected Meeting

Sean frowned the moment the warm morning sunlight pierced through his closed eyelids.

His bare body, partly covered by a blanket, lay face down on the bed.

He turned his face to the other side, one hand reaching out to the space beside him-but all he found was a pillow.

Sean's eyes snapped open. He lifted his head slightly, his gaze scanning the empty spot where she should've been.

Instead, a neatly folded note sat on the nightstand.

He sat up on the bed, grabbed the note, and unfolded it.

The handwriting was delicate but clear:

"Thank you for last night. I hope we never meet again. Please don't try to find me..."

"Tch." Sean clicked his tongue in irritation.

He had nearly forgotten their agreement-a one-night encounter with no strings, no future.

But something didn't sit right.

Despite the countless women he had been with before, none had ever lingered in his mind like this.

None but Ariel.

For some unknown reason, he wanted her-again.

---

Night had fallen when Sean arrived at his family's grand estate. The mansion stood proudly under the moonlight, its opulence as cold and distant as the relationships within.

He stepped inside and was greeted by his father and his still-youthful stepmother.

"How was work today?" asked a middle-aged man with a wise demeanor. He was seated on the plush sofa beside his elegant wife.

"As usual. Fine," Sean replied, his tone indifferent.

"I've noticed you've seemed... off lately," the man-Richard Blackthorn-said calmly.

"And how would you know that?" Sean asked, frowning. "I'm perfectly fine," he deflected.

"Have you eaten?" asked the graceful woman beside Richard-Elizabeth, Sean's stepmother.

"Yes. I had dinner outside," Sean answered. "Strange that you two are welcoming me here tonight."

"Would you mind sitting down with us for a moment?" Elizabeth requested gently.

Sean walked toward the sofa and sat down, facing his father.

"Sean," Richard began, "you haven't found your mate yet, have you?"

"No. Why?" Sean replied curtly.

"Good. I have an old friend-an honorable man. He has a daughter-very beautiful-and she's expected to inherit her father's Alpha powers."

"Oh, really?"

"I'm thinking of arranging a match between the two of you," Richard said.

Sean let out a slow breath. "You don't need to do that. I can find my own partner."

"What's the harm in meeting her first?" Richard asked, voice steady.

"She's a remarkable young woman," Elizabeth added. "Successful in the human world, admired by her family-and more importantly, her presence would strengthen our goal of domination. Are you sure you want to refuse a girl like that?"

Sean exhaled again.

There was no real reason to say no.

But deep down, his heart was elsewhere-still lingering on Andrea.

"Fine," he said at last. "You can make the arrangements. Just don't expect me to fall head over heels for your perfect little match."

Elizabeth smiled, clearly satisfied. "Good. We'll set up a time for you two to meet."

"There's nothing else, right?" Sean asked as he stood up and headed toward the stairs.

"That boy!" Richard grumbled. "He always acts like this."

"Patience, my love..." Elizabeth said sweetly. "What matters is that he agreed-for now."

---

"Rachel, there's a guest!"

A woman's voice called out from downstairs.

Rachel immediately rushed out of her room, hurrying down the stairs with quick steps. She headed straight to the living room, where her parents were sitting and chatting with a guest - a strikingly handsome man dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and cream-colored trousers.

The man's gaze immediately shifted to Rachel the moment she entered the room.

"This is Rachel," Margaretha said to the man, pulling Rachel to sit beside her.

Rachel sat next to her mother, occasionally glancing at the man who was now staring at her, seemingly taken aback by the girl he was being introduced to. Rachel's heart pounded every time she looked at his face - he was incredibly good-looking. She fell for him at first sight.

"Rachel, this is the son of Daddy's friend. His name is Sean Blackthorn," said Victor, Rachel's father. "Sean, this is my eldest daughter. Her abilities are exceptional, and one day, she'll inherit my legacy," he added with pride.

"Hi," Sean greeted.

Rachel blushed and gave Sean a shy, sweet smile.

"Come on, let's have dinner!" Margaretha said cheerfully. "I made something special tonight for you, Sean."

Chuckling softly, they all got up from the living room. Victor walked alongside Sean, chatting about how Rachel was an accomplished and outstanding daughter. Meanwhile, Rachel kept her eyes on Sean's back - she was completely taken with him.

Dinner went smoothly. Margaretha and Victor engaged Sean in conversation about his work at his father's company. Rachel remained mostly quiet, sneaking glances at Sean from time to time, and feeling flustered whenever he caught her looking.

Eventually, dinner came to an end. They chatted for another half an hour before the Greyson family walked Sean back to the living room.

"Maybe one day, Sean can take Rachel out," Victor suggested. "Rachel is quite the homebody - she works all day and comes straight home after."

"Yes, she just got back from studying abroad too, so she doesn't have many friends here yet," Margaretha added.

"Alright, I'll take Rachel out sometime," Sean replied. "It would be good for her to meet more people and build connections."

"Oh, thank you, Sean!" Victor said gratefully. "You'd be a great help to Rachel."

"I'm home!"

Suddenly, a girl's voice echoed from outside. The girl walked in from the front porch into the living room.

Sean turned around - and froze when he saw a girl in a t-shirt and ripped jeans. His eyes widened as he stared at the beautiful girl standing not far from him. The girl looked just as shocked upon seeing Sean.

"Where have you been!" Victor snapped at his youngest daughter.

The girl, revealed to be Andrea, didn't answer. She was still too stunned to process what she was seeing.

Margaretha quickly gave her husband a signal to stay calm in front of their guest.

"Andrea, go inside for now," Margaretha said gently, pulling Andrea back into the house.

"Oh, that's... my youngest daughter," Victor said with an awkward laugh. "She's still young - her attitude and appearance can be a bit... careless."

Sean remained silent, watching Andrea walk inside with Margaretha. He hadn't expected to see the girl he had slept with again - and certainly not in the home of his father's friend, as that very friend's daughter.

"Well, I'll be going now," Sean said. "I'll drop by again another time."

"Oh... please do, Sean," Victor replied. "You're always welcome to spend time with Rachel."

Sean gave a small nod, then turned and left the Greyson residence.