Chapter 3

Celesta Chen POV:

The next morning, I dressed in a sharp professional suit and returned to the Holden Pack's R&D center for the first time in five years.

My grandfather had been a renowned master of ancient moon-herb medicine, and I had inherited his unparalleled gift. When I first joined the Pack's company after graduation, Arthur, the Beta Vice President who deeply respected my grandfather, immediately recognized my talent.

But after I married Hazen and stepped away from the lab to focus on bearing an heir, Hazen kept the "Director of R&D" title for me, thinking it was just a vanity label to keep his Luna happy. To him and the rest of the Pack, I was nothing more than a trophy wife. He had no idea that for the past five years, the core anti-silver serums keeping his military contracts afloat were secretly perfected by me. I had been working from home, discreetly guiding Arthur through every formula crisis.

Barely had I stepped into my office when Arthur hurried over, looking deeply troubled.

"Luna, you're finally here," Arthur whispered tensely. "Alpha just officially brought Kerri into the R&D department. He assigned her to take over the new silver-resistance project."

A sharp pain stung my chest. Hazen wasn't just parading his pregnant mistress in my face; he was casually handing over my life's work to a woman who knew nothing about it, simply because he thought my position was just for show.

But the pain quickly morphed into a glacial calm. My grandfather's moon-herb formulas required precise neutralization. I calmly opened the notebook on my desk and tore out the page containing the core neutralizing herb ratio.

"Let her take it," I said softly, slipping the page into my pocket. "Moon-herb medicine isn't something anyone can just copy."

Before Arthur could reply, a spiritual tremor slammed into my skull. Hazen was using our Pack Mind-Link.

"Celesta, I heard you went to the office today. Are you throwing a tantrum by pretending to work?" his voice echoed in my head, dripping with patronizing authority. "Stop being unreasonable. Oh, and Kerri suffered a minor injury at the border. Her father, Elder Talley, asked me to look after her, so I brought her to our house to stay for a while. You can take care of her. Remember to come home early tonight and cook dinner."

He actually wanted me to act as a maid for his pregnant mistress.

Because my White Wolf was suppressed by the wolfsbane, my knees buckled slightly under the genetic compulsion of his Alpha tone, but I dug my nails into my palms and forced myself to stay calm.

At seven that evening, I walked into the estate's dining room.

Kerri was already sitting at the table. The moment she saw me, she put on a pitiable, innocent pout.

Hazen walked in, acting every bit the generous provider. "Kerri is a junior who works hard for the Pack. She needs a good meal to recover. Serve the food, Celesta."

I walked into the kitchen, grabbed two bowls of plain, unseasoned boiled pasta, and placed them onto the table.

Kerri took one bite and immediately spat it out, her eyes rimming with dramatic tears. "Hazen, it's so salty... Did Luna do this on purpose because she's jealous that you let me join the company?"

Hazen frowned deeply, his face darkening with disappointment. He unleashed a wave of his Alpha aura.

"Celesta, what is the meaning of this?" Hazen scolded, playing the righteous patriarch. "Kerri is injured and she is our guest. Where is your generosity?"

Refusing to cower, I summoned every ounce of my dormant White Wolf bloodline to brace my spine. "I cooked. If she doesn't like it, she can starve."

Hazen choked on his words, clearly stunned by my sudden defiance.

Kerri quickly tugged at his sleeve, her voice dripping with venomous sweetness. "Hazen, don't be mad at her. It's just... the guest room mattress is too hard for my back. Can I sleep in the Luna suite?"

I stared at Hazen, waiting to see just how low this hypocrite could sink.

He rubbed his temples and looked at me with a demanding sigh. "Celesta, be sensible. She's injured and she's an Elder's daughter. Move your things to the guest room for a few days. Don't make a scene."

He wanted me to give up my marital bed to his mistress.

A cold, mocking smile touched my lips. "Since she likes it so much, she can have the room. I don't care."

Without looking at them again, I turned around and walked straight into the guest room, locking the door behind me.