Chapter 28 It Is A Gift From My Husband
Alicia heaved a sigh as she watched Ellis' car zoom away, receding into the distance. It appeared that neither Tobias nor Ellis was going to believe their grandfather anytime soon.
Living in a prosperous neighborhood, Alicia was accustomed to the sight of high-end vehicles on the street. However, she had no trouble identifying the brand-new, red sports car that Tobias had given her. Eagerly, she walked around the car, her fingers tracing its curves with care.
This car was Alicia's first, and she was excited yet apprehensive about driving it. Worried that her unskilled driving might leave scratches on the new car, she was lost in thought about whether to rent a second-hand car to practice when Damian suddenly appeared.
"Are you stealing the car?" Damian's voice boomed, startling Alicia.
She spun around to see her mate emerging from his gray limousine. Although he wore sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, the wicked smile that crept across his face betrayed his intent to tease her.
He seemed to have forgotten about her rejection of him on Saturday and instead stepped to her. He casually patted her new car and commented with a smile, "296 GTB Rosso Corsa. Not bad. You like this model?"
Alicia thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make Damian realize their relationship was a non-starter. "Exactly!" she exclaimed, thrusting out her chest and flaunting the car key. "It's a gift from my husband. I can visit him anytime I please."
Damian chuckled. "I see. You prefer valuable gifts to those junk lavenders."
"It's not about the gift's price," Alicia retorted. "This is the first gift Tobias has ever given me, a testament to his good nature and thoughtfulness. You wouldn't understand."
Her words made the butterflies in Damian's stomach take flight. However, he carefully concealed his good mood and scowled at the sports car. "The Wilton family is a top-class group, yet your husband could only afford this ordinary sports car. Doesn't seem like he's of high standing."
"That's nonsense!" Alicia snapped back. "Both Alpha Martin and Alpha Ellis hold my husband in high regard." In that instant, the goodwill Damian had earned in Alicia's heart the previous weekend evaporated completely with his sarcastic remark about Tobias.
Damian flashed Alicia a mocking smile and asked, "If your husband is so capable, then why didn't he become the Golden Moon Pack Alpha?"
"Because..." Alicia hesitated, wanting to reveal the truth about Tobias' past but decided against it and bit her lip instead.
"Listen! I've told my husband everything. He forgave me and allowed me to stay with him. So, I hope you can forget everything that happened between us. I will do the same," Alicia said. She gritted her teeth, suppressing the pain in her stomach and the cries from her soul telling her not to do it.
"Are you serious?" Damian asked, his tone serious.
Alicia sensed Damian's anger from the slightly pungent scent of lavender, but she stood firm. She had chosen Tobias and was willing to face Damian's wrath, even if it meant risking her life.
"Yes! I am serious," Alicia replied, her eyes determined.
Damian quickly regained his composure and shrugged. "Fine! If that's what you want," he said, spreading his hands.
Alicia was shocked by Damian's decisive compromise and asked, "So, you're giving me permission to reject you? Then..."
"Who said that?" Damian interrupted with a frown. "I told you that the rejection would come when I got tired of you. Right now, I'm still interested in you. I think we can be friends."
Being friends was at least better than rejecting him all day long. Damian didn't want to be distracted by this she-wolf every few days, especially since he was about to carry out his revenge plan.
Alicia still had something to say, and Damian quickly added, "Be my friend or let shifters all over North America know you're my mate tomorrow."
"Be your friend!" Alicia chose without hesitation, swallowing the idea of declining his suggestion.
"Very good! Nice to be your friend, Allie," Damian extended his fist in friendship.
Alicia had no choice but to bump it with hers. This was probably the best outcome for her at this point.
Alicia breathed in the calming scent of lavender emanating from Damian, feeling at ease now that she had agreed to be friends with him.
"So, to celebrate your gift from your husband, how about taking me for a nice ride in the car?" Damian leaned against the driver's door frame, patting it.
"No, no, some other time. I'm going to leave it in the underground parking lot. Oh, by the way, would you mind driving it into the parking lot for me?" Alicia asked, her tone serious as she handed him the car keys.
Damian raised his handsome eyebrows. "You choose to put it in the underground garage as a model instead of trying out your new car?"
"No, I haven't had a car in a long time. I'll rent a car and practice for a while," Alicia explained with a smile.
"Take it!" Damian pulled out his car key and tossed it to her. "Use my car to practice. I'll take your precious car into the underground parking area." With that, Damian deftly opened the driver's door and sat inside.
Alicia took his car key subconsciously, noticing the 'Bentley' label on it. She looked across the road to see the luxury silver-gray car, realizing that Damian's car was not one she could use to practice her driving skills.
"There she is!" Caroline's sharp voice rang out, interrupting Alicia's thoughts.
Alicia stood alertly next to Damian's car and turned around to find Caroline and Vivian, flanked by two sunglasses-wearing bodyguards.
Did Vivian know Caroline? Did that she-wolf know every rich girl in North America? Alicia frowned, wondering if she was cursed to encounter every bad girl who happened to be Vivian's acquaintance.
As the two girls approached her with angry faces, Alicia quickly made her way toward the apartment building, sensing that trouble was brewing.
"Don't lose that bitch!" Vivian ordered her bodyguards, prompting Alicia to quicken her pace.
But the bodyguards, towering over her by almost 8 inches, quickly caught her. Despite her best efforts, Alicia couldn't break free from their grip.
Vivian's hand, adorned with long nails, shot up and landed a hard slap on Alicia's face.
The blow stunned Alicia and her cheek now bore the imprint of several fingerprints.
"Vivian, have you lost your mind?" Alicia cried out.
"You bitch! You seduced my cousin's fiancé on Saturday, and today you're hooking up with my mate? How dare you! You know Ellis is mine." Vivian screamed, her eyes flashing with anger.
They were still on the street, and even though there were no cars or pedestrians in sight, the CCTV camera in front of the apartment complex would provide evidence of their altercation. Caroline suggested, "Vivi, there's a CCTV here. Let's teach this whore a lesson somewhere else."
Vivian opened the door of the black business car parked nearby and ordered her bodyguards, "Take her to my car!"
"What are you doing? Let me go!" Alicia yelled in terror, but the other bodyguard covered her mouth to silence her. They threw her into Vivian's car.
"Vivi, let's go to the underground parking lot! It's a weekday and no one's around. There are no CCTVs at the corner of the E-Zone!" Caroline suggested, having researched the locations of the CCTVs in the apartment complex and the adjacent parking lot to ensure that they could teach Alicia a lesson without being caught.
"You're insane! Let me go! I didn't seduce Ellis!" Alicia protested as she was being taken away.
"Shut up, you bitch! The punishment game has just begun!" Vivian warned her.
As they drove into the parking lot, Alicia's heart sank when she saw her new car parked in the C zone. Damian must have taken the elevator to the apartment lobby after parking her car in the underground parking lot. She had to delay as much as possible to allow Damian to realize that she hadn't driven his car.
Alicia tried to remain calm as she was led out of the car by the bodyguard after Caroline parked on the corner of the E zone.
"This is a mistake! Vivian, nothing happened between Ellis and me, I promise," Alicia said, trying to steady her wildly beating heart.
"Caroline has seen Ellis pick you up in his car himself. He never allows anyone else to sit in his car! Even if I'm his mate!" Vivian gave Alicia a jealous and vicious glare.
Caroline nodded vigorously and pointed at Alicia's nose. "I also saw Ellis leaving the apartment with her, smiling and chatting."
"It's not what you think! Ellis took me to see Tobias. It's an Open Day at the Medical Center! You can call and ask him!" Alicia explained.
"Tobias?" Vivian froze for a moment before realizing that he was Ellis' elusive brother who never showed up.