Chapter 27

I gasped, locking my gaze with his piercing eyes. “My father... did what?” I whispered, my voice trembling with disbelief.

“You heard me,” Hadrian said, his smirk as cold as his tone. “Now, tell me... would you be so eager to ‘protect’ a child of your mother’s killer?”

“I’m nothing like him!” I snapped, the words escaping in a fiery burst. “I don’t even share his features! You know as well as I do that his appearance is determined by the wolf gene, which I don’t have!”

“Is that supposed to make me want to protect you from him?” he sneered, the mocking lilt in his voice cutting deeper than I cared to admit.

I clenched my teeth, my mind racing. There was no way to erase my tracks in Monteforte City in just three days. By then, my father would undoubtedly deploy his army of wolves, sealing off every possible escape route. Turning myself in seemed inevitable. Yet, the Lord Protector’s protection was my only chance at survival.

“I’m... begging you,” I murmured, my pride swallowed by desperation. “You have every reason to hate my father, but so do I...”

“Oh, poor little princess!” Hadrian mocked, his smirk deepening. “Do you think I care that you’ve rebelled against your daddy because you don’t get along?”

“What my father had planned for me isn’t some petty political marriage!” I cried out, my voice cracking under the weight of suppressed anguish. “He intended to use me to birth a male wolf, and once I was no longer useful, I’d be discarded—killed without hesitation!”

“I seriously doubt Marwood would harm his own blood,” Hadrian said, his mocking tone unwavering.

“His own blood?” I let out a bitter chuckle. “You don’t know him at all, do you? He’s the kind of man who ripped me from my mother’s arms and ensured no one would ever adopt me. He experimented on my blood, and because of that, the nuns at the orphanage drained me mercilessly every three days! If it weren’t for the fact that some of my unique genes were supposed to activate when I became an adult, I’d have been sold the moment I reached puberty! And when I finally turned eighteen and was brought before him, do you know what he said to me? He said, ‘Good thing I didn’t kill that thing at birth—it might still bring me a fortune.’ Those were the words of the man who dares to call himself my father. Now, tell me I don’t have a reason to hate him!”

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Hadrian regarded me with an inscrutable expression before pulling me roughly to my feet. “So what? Do you want my pity? I don’t keep useless people around me,” he said with icy finality.

I wiped my cheeks, forcing myself to meet his unrelenting gaze. This was my last chance. I had to prove my worth, to give him a reason to keep me.

Before I could speak, he cut me off. “And don’t even think about offering me your blood. I don’t need another donor. Forget it.”

I exhaled slowly, banishing the thought. He was right; my blood wasn’t my only leverage.

“I can bring you money,” I said, steadying my voice.

Hadrian’s laughter rang out, cold and mocking. “Look around you! Do I seem like someone who’s desperate for money?”

“I know you’re wealthy,” I replied, undeterred. “I know you practically own most of Monteforte City. But money is power, and power is never enough—especially for someone in line for the throne.”

His eyes narrowed, curiosity flickering behind them. “How do you know that?”

“Freya and Mr. Larkspur mentioned a few things. The rest I pieced together through research,” I admitted with a casual shrug.

Hadrian leaned back in an armchair, his posture deceptively relaxed. “You have one minute. Impress me.”

I drew a deep breath, silently thanking my curiosity for the countless hours spent researching his companies. That knowledge might save my life now.

“Your Monteforte Investment Bank is currently seeking projects outside the city. One of the approved ventures is a villa estate by Darkcrest Development. But that project is doomed to fail,” I said firmly.

“Oh? And why’s that?” he asked, his interest piqued.

“The land they purchased was suspiciously cheap, and no one in your company thought to investigate why. It turns out the area was an old cemetery, and the ground is nothing but wetland. It will likely subside, even during construction. You can’t build anything stable there unless you intend to sell cheap, poorly made houses for a quick profit and vanish before anyone realizes they’re uninhabitable.”

Hadrian’s gaze sharpened. “Who gave you this information?”

“I have my sources,” I said coolly. “I’ve been analyzing investments for years. I’ve worked with clients from companies worldwide. I specialize in risk analysis, financial audits, and predictions. I can tell you which ventures will succeed and which will fail—and I’ve never been wrong.”

His intrigue was evident, though skepticism lingered. “If you’re as good as you claim, why hasn’t anyone snatched you up? Why aren’t you working for some major corporation?”

I drew in a deep breath and locked eyes with Hadrian. “No company run by humans can protect me from my father’s pack. That’s why I’ve never accepted any of the positions I’ve been offered, no matter how tempting they might seem.”

Hadrian chuckled softly and rose from the chair. He stepped closer, his movements deliberate and predatory, until he leaned over me.

“I’ll look into what you’ve said about Darkcrest Development,” he murmured, his voice brushing against my ear with a dangerous intimacy. “If it turns out to be true, I might consider offering you a position in my company.”

The warmth of his breath against my skin sent a jolt through me, unraveling every ounce of composure I had. His voice—it wasn’t just what he said, but how he said it—left me completely undone. My face burned as I instinctively stepped back, struggling to find any semblance of composure.

Hadrian smirked, clearly amused by my flustered reaction. “You may return to your room. I’ll let you know once I’ve made my decision.”

“O-okay...” I stammered, barely managing to form the word as he turned toward the door.

I exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to my chest to still the relentless pounding of my heart. Watching him leave brought a rush of relief—until he paused in the doorway, glancing back over his shoulder.

“By the way,” he said, his tone dripping with mischief, “that dress suits you.” His gaze raked over me slowly, his eyes glinting with a wicked edge. “It makes you look... tasty.”

I swallowed hard, caught between mortification and an unsettling thrill as he bit his lip, smirking before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

For a long moment, I stood frozen, my pulse roaring in my ears. Then I let out a nervous laugh, shaking my head at myself. Had I made the right choice in asking Hadrian for protection? It certainly felt like the lesser evil, but that didn’t make it any easier to ignore his insidious charm or the way his presence seemed to unravel me at every turn.

I returned to my room, catching sight of myself in the mirror. My dress bore a slight tear along one slit—a detail I hadn’t noticed before. Of course, it had to be his doing. My thoughts instantly replayed the moment, his piercing eyes, and the lingering sensation of his touch. My skin betrayed me with goosebumps, a wave of heat and inexplicable excitement coursing through me.

“Get a grip, Thalassa,” I snapped at my reflection, glaring as if to scold the person staring back. “You know he’s playing with you. It’s all a game. You’re too smart to fall for this.”

But as my gaze drifted to the faint bruise on my wrist—another of Hadrian’s marks—my anger surged. I rotated it experimentally, wincing at the ache.

“This is what it’ll lead to,” I muttered bitterly. “A toxic relationship filled with manipulation and violence.” I laughed at myself, a hollow, humorless sound.

Shrugging off the dress, I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over me, carrying away the day’s tension and confusion. As I scrubbed away my unease, a steely resolve began to form. I had to be stronger—strong enough to bury my emotions deep where they couldn’t be used against me.

Emerging from the shower, I splashed cold water onto my face, hardening my features as if they were armor. By the time I dressed again, I had shed the remnants of vulnerability, preparing myself for whatever came next.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long. A knock at my door announced Mr. Larkspur’s arrival.

“Master awaits you in his study,” he said, his tone solemn as ever.

I met his gaze with a smirk. “Then we shouldn’t keep him waiting, should we, Mr. Larkspur?”

My heart clenched as I followed him down the corridor. This was it—the moment of reckoning. I was about to hear Hadrian’s verdict, and whatever it held, I knew I would have to face it with unyielding strength.