Chapter 144 Jealousy in the Shadows
Chapter 144 Jealousy in the Shadows
A few days after his official investiture as the new Alpha of the Moreno Clan, Alpha Rolex quietly began organizing a search for Sera, his lawful wife who had been missing ever since the tragedy that befell his family years ago. Though he was now swamped with heavy responsibilities as the clan's leader, his heart could never truly find peace without knowing for certain the fate of the woman he loved so deeply.
Inside his tightly closed study, Alpha Rolex stood staring out the window, his expression sharp yet filled with profound longing. A knock at the door broke the room's silence.
"Come in," Alpha Rolex commanded sharply, his voice heavy and authoritative.
One of his trusted subordinates stepped in cautiously, holding a scroll of classified documents.
"What about my orders?" he asked directly, wasting no time. "Is there any progress regarding Sera's whereabouts?"
He had indeed ordered several of his trusted spies to secretly investigate Sera's trail using the covert information network he had established during his time in disguise. After several days of intensive investigation, a crucial lead had finally been uncovered.
"Alpha," one of his spies reported softly, bowing his head in deep respect, "we found information that a woman matching Sera's description was once seen near a remote cave along the northern border, a few months after the tragedy occurred."
Alpha Rolex's eyes gleamed with hope upon hearing the news. His chest surged, rekindling the spark of hope he had long suppressed.
"Which cave? Give me the exact location," Alpha Rolex demanded, stepping closer with impatient urgency.
"We are still actively tracking the precise location, Alpha," the spy replied meticulously. "However, we obtained this information from a local resident who claimed to have given food to a severely injured foreign woman near the cave."
Alpha Rolex gave a firm nod. "Do not stop here. Send more personnel to the northern region and comb every corner of that border."
"Yes, Alpha. Orders will be carried out," the spy replied before bowing out and disappearing from the room.
Alpha Rolex exhaled a long breath, ordering the investigation to continue even more intensively. The hope of finding Sera burned brightly in his chest once more, though he tried hard to keep his focus on his massive responsibilities as the new Alpha tasked with maintaining stability across the clan.
That night, a special dinner banquet was held in the mansion's dining hall as a small celebration for Alpha Rolex's official appointment as the supreme leader of the Moreno Clan. The room was decorated with exquisite lights, and a long table was laden with lavish food. Maya, with immense enthusiasm, had prepared a special dish she claimed to have cooked herself—a unique gift to celebrate this historic moment.
"I prepared this specially for you, Alpha," Maya said with a sweet smile, stepping gracefully toward the table and placing a plate containing a luxurious dish directly in front of Alpha Rolex. "As a token of my respect for your appointment as the strongest Alpha in this realm."
Alpha Rolex stared at the dish for a moment, then gave a brief nod of appreciation, even though his mind was still consumed with thoughts of the search for Sera that had yet to yield definitive results.
"Thank you, Maya. This looks delicious," Alpha Rolex replied, cold yet polite.
"Give it a try. I'm sure you'll love it," Maya coaxed playfully, seating herself beside Alpha Rolex with a broad smile.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to either of them, Sera stood quietly behind the cracked kitchen door, watching the moment between Maya and Alpha Rolex with feelings she couldn't quite explain. An odd pang of jealousy crept into her chest—a feeling that left her startled and confused.
Her hands gripped the edges of her maid apron tightly.
Why do I feel like this? Sera wondered, perplexed as she watched Maya sitting so close to Alpha Rolex, smiling sweetly while occasionally touching his arm with attentive gestures. I shouldn't even care about the relationship between the two of them.
Yet no matter how hard she tried to push the feeling away, the jealousy felt so real and impossible to ignore. Sera realized that the strange bond she felt toward Dion whom she now knew to be Alpha Rolex was far deeper than she had previously thought.
From the crack in the door, she kept watching the banquet. She observed how Maya constantly tried to capture Alpha Rolex's attention throughout the meal, throwing flirty gestures and subtle compliments his way, even though Alpha Rolex himself remained mostly quiet, occasionally answering with brief, formal, and distant responses.
"Please, have some wine, Alpha," Maya urged persuasively, sliding a crystal glass closer to his hand.
"That's enough, Maya. I don't really feel like drinking tonight," Alpha Rolex turned her down gently, his tone remaining flat.
Does he like Maya? The thought suddenly popped into Sera's head, making her chest tighten with emotions she struggled to comprehend. Or is he just pretending to maintain his standing as the new Alpha?
"Ana, what are you doing standing there? Quickly, help clear the dirty plates!" a senior maid passing behind her scolded, startling Sera.
"O-oh, yes, I'm sorry. I'll be right there," Sera whispered in surprise, turning away from the door.
Sera quickly realized the flaw in her own thinking, shaking her head briskly to dismiss the strange thoughts that kept bubbling up. She reminded herself that as Cassen's lawful wife, she had no right to feel jealous of Alpha Rolex and Maya's relationship.
"Remember your place, Sera... you have no right to him," Sera whispered softly to herself in the dimly lit kitchen hallway.
Yet that night, as she returned to her room with a heavy heart, Sera recognized a difficult truth—her feelings for Dion, or Alpha Rolex, had grown far deeper than she had ever realized. It was a connection that might just be the sign of a true mate bond she had never felt before, not even with Cassen.