Chapter 50 Deal
"Jenny, are you absolutely certain about this? He appears condescending and arrogant. Did you notice how he spoke to me earlier? His chin was practically scraping the ceiling!"
"Just wait and see! I will definitely bring down this wealthy man. You know, guys like him who are loaded with money have numerous love affairs. They crave excitement and don't care about one-night stands. But if I can spend a single night with him, I can guarantee a worry-free life for the rest of my days."
The carpet muffled the man's footsteps as he ascended the stairs. Unbeknownst to him, Tobias overheard the sisters' foolish conversation, intending to startle them until Alicia took hold of his arm.
Alicia, too, caught wind of the conversation between her stepmother and Aunt Jenny. However, in order to prevent her mate from causing further trouble, she had to speak deliberately and loudly, "My room is at the end of the hallway."
Noticing Tobias' displeased frown, as he disapproved of her spoiling his prank, Alicia had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips before pressing her cheek against his to whisper, "Please be quiet and behave, Tobias. Can we make a deal?"
Unsatisfied with a simple peck, Tobias encircled her waist with his arms and passionately kissed her soft, sweet lips, savoring her saliva, which tasted sweeter than the finest red wine. Whether it was his imagination or not, Tobias couldn't help but notice that Alicia had an exceptionally delightful fragrance today.
Mary and Jennifer, concealed in the bedroom closet, overheard Alicia's words and blushed, believing that their conversation had been overheard by Tobias. They hurriedly shut the closet door, only to find Tobias and their stepdaughter locked in a passionate embrace at the bedroom entrance. However, despite catching them, Tobias showed no sign of stopping the kiss.
Alicia understood that he deliberately kissed her like that in front of her stepmother and Aunt Jenny.
Even though she knew it was a performance, a paralyzing current ran through her body the moment his lips touched hers. His kisses were akin to an addictive poison, willingly indulged in, even though she knew he wasn't the real Tobias.
It wasn't until her legs grew weak and she bit his lips hard to signal him to stop that Tobias released her, a satisfied smile on his face as he whispered the answer to her previous question, "Deal."
Jealousy gnawed at the remnants of Mary's sanity. It seemed that the seductive, handsome, and affluent Tobias had taken quite a liking to her stepdaughter. In contrast, her husband Jason had never pressed her against a wall and kissed her with the same intensity and dominance as Tobias did with Alicia.
Likewise, Jennifer's jealousy had driven her to the brink of insanity.
The Alpha's stylish shirt perfectly accentuated his broad shoulders and trim waistline. Even without removing his shirt, Jennifer could tell that his physique was incredibly attractive. Alicia, who had been kissed by him, had flushed cheeks and misty eyes, evidence of being swept away by passion. Hence, this Alpha must be remarkably skilled in bed. Clenching her fingernails in her palm, Jennifer gazed at Tobias' back, her greed thinly veiled.
Alicia gently pushed Tobias away, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She made her way towards the storage room located on the far north side of the second floor and informed him, "This is my room. Please hurry and finish searching. We can go grab dinner."
Mary, realizing that Alicia was leading Tobias to the bedroom-turned-storage room, stole a quick glance at Tobias' back. This Alpha had a notorious temper and a sharp tongue. She feared that if Tobias laid eyes on the clutter-filled room, he would be furious and perhaps reconsider his financial support for the Scarlett Pack.
"Allie!" Mary called out, attempting to halt them from opening the storage room door. Realizing that her voice had come across too shrill, Mary awkwardly added, "I'm currently preparing the side dishes for dinner. Could you please lend me a hand in the kitchen?"
It was the first time Alicia had ever heard her stepmother use the word 'please' with her. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she nodded subconsciously, responding, "Of course."
Jennifer flashed a flirtatious smile and proposed to Tobias, "If you don't mind, I can accompany you to the pack's pub for dinner and give you a tour of the pack along the way."
Tobias frowned, pursed his lips, and cast a disdainful glance at Mary. He grumbled, "My darling's hands are meant for creating designs, not for menial tasks like cooking dinner that anyone can do. If you need an extra pair of hands, your sister seems to have plenty of free time. I'm sure Ms. Jennifer would be more than happy to assist her, wouldn't you?"
Jennifer found herself the recipient of Tobias' inquiry.
His mouth curved into a faint smile, further enhancing his charm and exuding the unique pheromones of an Alpha. Jennifer was captivated, momentarily frozen, before nodding and replying, "Absolutely, absolutely. I'm quite skilled at making vegetable salads. You should definitely give it a try." With that, she winked at Tobias and playfully ran her tongue along her lower lip.
Alicia sensed Jennifer's flirtatious behavior towards Tobias. A pang of heartache weighed heavily upon her chest. She extended her hand towards Tobias, offering a smile, and proposed, "Let me show you around the pack now and we can grab dinner on the way back."
Tobias perceived Alicia's jealousy and planted a kiss on her lips, his mood buoyant. In a deep, seductive voice, he assured her, "You know I'll do anything you desire as long as I'm with you."
Mary suppressed her feelings of envy towards her stepdaughter and forced a smile to maintain her composure as the Luna of the Scarlett Pack. "Go ahead, Allie. Don't forget to bring some wheat craft beer for your father. You know how much he loves it."
"Until then," Tobias responded as he swiftly opened the dusty storage room, surprising everyone with his speed.
A cloud of dust billowed out, revealing a room half-filled with clutter and the other half covered in a thick layer of untouched dust. The spiders that once called the corner their home had long abandoned their webs, leaving behind only tattered remnants. In the corner, an old black sewing machine sat atop a table, appearing unusable.
"You know, Allie never came back home after getting married. I didn't have the time to clean it," Mary explained awkwardly to Tobias. The sudden return of Alicia and Tobias caught her off guard, and she never expected them to stay overnight in the house. Consequently, she hadn't tidied up the storage room at all.
"Um, that's alright," Tobias unexpectedly smiled and reassured Mary, "After dinner, I'll take Allie back downtown. I heard you guys bought a fancy villa there. I'm sure Jason wouldn't mind if Allie and I borrowed it for a night."
Prior to arriving here, Lyon had investigated the operations of the Scarlett Pack and Jason Scarlett's bank account. He had paid Scarlett Pack ten million dollars as compensation for marrying Alicia.
Even if Jason wasn't skilled in business, it was unlikely that he would lose ten million dollars in just one year. The problem lay with Mary, who had misappropriated the money to purchase luxury goods and a mansion downtown.
If it weren't for the fact that he knew his wife cared deeply about her weak-willed father, he would have chosen to acquire Scarlett Pack and remove the Scarlets, as was his nature.
"What? No, that's not true at all. We didn't," Mary panicked, denying the claim, and Tobias was surprised to learn that they had acquired a luxury villa. It was the very villa she had prepared for her son, Eric. Her intelligent son, an Alpha who inherited Scarlett Pack, deserved nothing less than a luxury villa.
Mary glanced at Alicia and quickly changed the subject, "I mean, I was planning to invite you both to stay in Jason and my bedroom. The sheets and comforter are new and clean."
Alicia let out a sigh. She understood why her father was once again facing financial difficulties.
However, the man beside her was not truly Tobias. Even if he was wealthy, she couldn't seek Damian's help due to her family's financial hardships. Furthermore, this time, her stepmother's insatiable greed was the cause of their financial troubles.
The money her father gained after she agreed to marry Tobias for couldn't satisfy her stepmother's bottomless appetite.
It felt as though her decision to sacrifice her marriage and happiness to save her father's pack had turned into a cruel joke. Realizing this, Alicia suddenly felt mentally drained, and the figure of Mary in front of her seemed to split into two. She rubbed her forehead and turned to look at Tobias, "Honey, how about we..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Alicia collapsed, overwhelmed by dizziness.
Reacting swiftly, Tobias grabbed her arm and let her lean against his chest. Earlier that morning, Lyon had mentioned that Alicia was still experiencing symptoms from motion sickness.
One of the reasons Tobias had deliberately used a spray to remove the scent of his mate was to prevent her motion sickness from worsening upon smelling the lavender. Unfortunately, it seemed that she had fainted directly. Could it be that her wicked stepmother and that despicable aunt had done something to her before his arrival?
Tobias lost control, his mind consumed by rage as he confronted an overwhelmed Mary and Jennifer. "What the hell did you do to her?" he roared.