Chapter 14 Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Chapter 14
Amira’s POV

What on earth was I doing? Goodness, Amira! I should just turn around and run away, that’s obviously the best thing to do. But somehow, my legs refused to move. Instead, I stood there, talking to the dog like it could suddenly grow a heart and spare me.

Was I losing my mind? Honestly, who was I fooling? There was no way this dog was going to listen to me.

Just as I nervously glanced around, I caught it staring , no, it was actually examining me from head to toe.

My eyes widened instantly. What on earth was this dog doing?

Before I could think too much about it, the dog slowly walked closer, stopped right in front of me, and sat down, looking as calm and polite as a royal butler.

Wait, was I hallucinating? Or had the world finally decided to end today?

I kept staring at the dog, and I could’ve sworn it blinked at me, like it was actually asking for my attention. Then, before I could even blink, it stood up again.

I wanted to take a step back. What if this was all an act? What if it was pretending to be nice before attacking me? Or maybe… maybe it was just studying its next meal.

Don’t judge me. After everything I’d gone through, it was only natural to be suspicious.

But to my surprise, the dog didn’t attack. It only came closer, sniffed my sleeve, and then gently rubbed its head against me.

I froze, completely stunned. Before I knew it, a smile slipped onto my face, I was actually grinning like a fool.

“Ah, argh, stop that!” I laughed helplessly as it kept tickling me.

The dog wagged its tail and continued, clearly pleased to see me laughing.

I ended up collapsing onto the ground, still laughing, while it sat there looking proud of itself.

“Hey, who’s your owner?” I asked playfully, not expecting an answer.

But to my shock, the dog turned its head toward a distant corner, as if it actually understood me.

I blinked several times, confused. “Wait… are you seriously trying to tell me who your owner is?”

Then it clicked. This was private property belonging to those three men. There was no way a stray dog could’ve just wandered in. So that meant… it belonged to one of them.

That realization hit me fast, and I immediately pulled myself away from the adorable furball. The last thing I wanted was trouble.

If it truly belonged to one of them, I needed to stay far away.

The dog must’ve sensed my hesitation because it gave me this sad, pleading look, blinking as if to say, I’ve been good, don’t push me away.

I couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Ah, don’t look at me like that. I’m not pushing you away, it’s just that… just that…” I trailed off, not knowing how to explain myself.

The dog blinked again, even slower this time, and honestly, it almost looked like it might cry if I told it to leave.

What was I thinking? Dogs don’t cry! Still, I couldn’t bring myself to chase it away.

“Alright then,” I sighed. “Stay beside me until I fall asleep again.” I reached out to pat its soft fur, and immediately, my mood brightened.

Before it showed up, I hadn’t spoken to anyone. But now, with it sitting beside me, I started talking nonstop, even sharing things I had never told Judy or anyone else before.

At some point, I glanced at it again and found it sitting still, listening with this calm, serious, almost human-like expression.

“You’re such a good listener,” I said softly, feeling encouraged to keep talking.

There was something noble about it, like a spoiled rich kid with perfect manners. Somehow, I even felt proud that it was sitting beside me, listening to my endless rambling.

Time passed without me realizing it, until a yawn escaped my lips. When I looked up, the sky had already started to brighten.

I didn’t have a phone or a watch, but I knew it was getting late. I had to go back inside. And the dog especially couldn’t be seen with me when its owner showed up.

Sensing it too, the dog looked at me and then slowly stood.

I rubbed my face against its fur and whispered, “You should go now.”

It hesitated, like it didn’t want to leave, but finally turned away after watching me walk to the door.

I waved at it, realizing how ridiculous I was, talking to a dog as if it were human.

Still, I couldn’t stop smiling all the way upstairs. My sleep that night was peaceful, though I had no idea what awaited me when I woke up.


The next day, I yawned loudly and stretched my entire body with the little energy I could gather. When I turned to the side and saw that my things were still not arranged, I couldn’t help but pout. Judy hadn’t come back yet. Still, I refused to let myself feel miserable like I did yesterday. This time, I pushed myself to get up, got dressed, and went downstairs.

To my surprise, when I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw Lily waiting for me. My brows knitted instantly. She never showed up unless she had a reason.

I took a calm breath, descended the last few steps, and greeted, “Good morning.”

Lily smiled and shook her head gently. “It’s not morning, dear. It’s already afternoon.”

“Oh, my bad.” I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.

Well, that explained it. I had spent almost the entire night awake because of that dog and only managed to sleep when it was nearly dawn.

That thought made me pause. I looked at Lily curiously. “Uh, do we have a dog here?”

Since Lily had been around from the moment I arrived, she would definitely know.

She didn’t even hesitate before replying, “Yes, Alpha Santiago owns a dog.” Then, maybe seeing my expression, she quickly added, “But don’t worry, it’s always chained up in his house.”

That surprised me. “It has its own house?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. Then I remembered, this was Santiago we were talking about. I shouldn’t be shocked by anything that man owned.

Still, uneasiness settled in my chest. What if Santiago somehow found out that I had met his dog? Would he be angry?

Before I could dwell on it, Lily turned to one of the maids beside her.

“Take those upstairs and help Amira change into them,” she instructed.

The maid nodded, holding a large box that I hadn’t noticed before.

“Ma’am, please follow me,” the maid said politely.

I blinked, confused, and didn’t move immediately. “What’s in the box, and why do I need to change into them?”

Lily smiled softly and explained, “It’s just a casual outfit. You’ll be taken around the triplets’ gate to meet the workers. It’s only a formality so they can meet their future Luna.”

Her words made me sigh quietly. Future Luna? Santiago had made it very clear two days ago that I could never be their Luna. So, what was Lily talking about? Perhaps he hadn’t told her anything yet.

I wanted to ask, but then I changed my mind. Even if I did, it wouldn’t make a difference. When Lily made up her mind about something, there was no changing it. That was one thing I’d learned about her since arriving here.

“Okay,” I finally said, nodding lightly.

I gave the maid a small smile and followed her upstairs.

Since I had already bathed earlier, I only needed to change into the outfit Lily had called “casual.” Though, to be honest, it was far from casual, the fabric alone screamed expensive. It made me look brighter, more refined, almost like someone I wasn’t used to seeing in the mirror.

For a moment, I hesitated. I’d grown so used to wearing plain, cheap clothes since coming here that these fancy ones felt strange on me. But I couldn’t possibly refuse Lily’s generosity, not that she’d allow me to, anyway.

After I got dressed, the maid carefully styled my hair into a neat bun. My reflection looked softer, almost delicate.

The purple marks that once covered my skin had faded now, thanks to Judy, who never forgot to apply ointment on them every night.

Oh, Judy… where are you?

I pushed the thought away quickly, not wanting sadness to creep in again, and went back downstairs. Lily was still in the same spot where I had left her. When she saw me, her face brightened.

“We should go now,” she said with a gentle smile.

I nodded slightly and followed her lead.

When we arrived at each section, I noticed the workers all standing neatly in their uniforms. If it had been just a few, I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but there were so many, it was obvious this entire thing had been planned ahead of time. They had all been waiting for us.

I was the only one who hadn’t been informed. I knew I wasn’t important here, but still, the realization stung a little.

After being introduced to almost everyone in the gate, I was already feeling drained.

“Water,” I muttered softly, barely audible, my eyes tired.

Lily must’ve heard me because she immediately looked around. Noticing no maids nearby, she said, “Don’t worry, I’ll get you one.”

She hurried off and returned shortly with a glass of water. I accepted it gratefully.

“Thank you,” I murmured and drank every drop in one go.