Rejected By My Ex, Flirted With His Alpha Uncle

4

4

Maria didn't go to the registry office first. Instead, she took a taxi straight for the Anderson family mansion. If she was going to get married, she needed her birth certificate. It was hidden in her desk upstairs, the only thing she truly owned in that house.

When she arrived, her father had already left for the main office in the pack. She rushed inside, her heart beating fast hoping that she wouldn't run into anyone. But as she reached the top of the stairs, she ran right into her sister.

Alice was coming out of the study. She was holding a pile of company documents. She had her hair in a soft, black bob and wore a white dress that made her look like a saint. Her face was the picture of innocence.

“Oh, Ria! You’re finally back,” Alice said, her voice sounding sweet and thin. She looked down at the floor, acting guilty. “I was so worried after last night. I know you’re hurt, but Brandon... he just doesn’t feel that way about you. You can’t force a mate bond where there isn't one.”

Maria felt a growl vibrating deep in her throat. She stepped close, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light. “Cut the act, Alice. There’s no one here to see your performance. I used to think you were just a lost girl, but now I see you for what you really are—a parasite.”

Alice bit her lip, and like magic, tears began to pool in her eyes. “Don’t be so mean to me. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll stay away from the business. Here, take these files! I don’t want them if they make you hate me.”

Alice shoved the heavy stack of documents into Ria’s hands. Ria didn't want them. She instinctively pushed her hands out to keep the papers away.

But the documents hit the floor, scattering everywhere.

“What is going on here?”

Penelope Anderson, their mother, was walking down the stairs. She saw the mess on the floor and Alice’s tear-stained face. She immediately rushed to Alice’s side, pulling the girl into a hug.

“Ria! Are these the documents your father asked Alice to study?” Penelope yelled.

“Mom, please don't be mad at her,” Alice sobbed, burying her face in Penelope’s shoulder. “Ria told me to stay out of the company. She said I didn't belong. I was trying to give her the files, but I think she’s still so angry about Brandon that she—”

“You’re lying!” Maria shouted, her hands shaking.

“Shut up!” Penelope glared at Maria with pure hatred. “Who gave you the right to tell your sister what to do? Your father and I chose Alice to handle these files. She will officially become the General Manager of the Anderson Corporation next week. You’d better learn your place.”

Maria felt like the world was spinning. “Manager? Mom, I have an MBA. I’ve been working in the trenches of this company for three years. Alice doesn't even know how to read a balance sheet! How can she jump over me?”

“Mom, maybe I shouldn't be manager,” Alice whispered. “I don’t want to ruin my bond with my sister.”

Penelope's heart broke for the sweet girl. She turned back to Maria, her voice cold and sharp. “See how much she cares about you? And look at you—greedy, jealous, and small. You aren't fit to be a manager. No wonder Brandon chose her. A man wants a partner, not a headache.”

Those words hit Maria harder than any slap. She had lived her whole life trying to make her both parent proud. She had stayed at the top of her class, trained the hardest, and served the pack faithfully. And yet, three weeks after Alice returned, Maria was nothing.

“Fine,” Maria said, her voice surprisingly calm. The anger had turned into a cold, hard stone in her chest. “Since I’m so terrible, I’ll leave. I wouldn't want to give you a headache anymore.”

She marched to her room, grabbed a suitcase, and threw her clothes inside. She didn't pack everything—only what she needed to start a war.

As she dragged her suitcase toward the door, she heard Alice’s voice outside. “Mom, Ria is really mad. We should stop her.”

“Don’t bother,” Penelope replied. Maria could hear the boredom in her mother’s voice. “She’s just being dramatic. She’s been pampered too much. She’ll be back in a day when her credit card runs out. Come on, let’s go buy you a dress for the engagement party.”

The house went quiet. Maria stood in the hallway, a single tear falling onto her hand. She wiped it away and gripped the handle of her suitcase. She left the house and never looked back.

Thirty- five minutes later, Maria pulled up at the marriage registry office. Her heart was racing. ‘Would he be there? Or was she about to be humiliated and rejected again?’

Then, she saw him.

He was standing by the entrance, looking like a king among commoners. He wore a simple white T-shirt and black trousers, but on him, they looked like royal robes. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating a power that made the other wolves in the area instinctively lower their heads.

She ran toward him, her suitcase packed one side. “You actually came!” she panted, her voice full of shock.

Jack turned around. His eyes swept over her messy hair and her wrinkled clothes. He leaned in slightly, his nose twitching. “Did you even take a bath?”

Maria turned bright red. “I... I had a rough night. And a rough morning. I had to pack and leave my house and... I’m sorry. I usually smell like flowers, I promise.”

She looked at him. In the bright daylight, he was even more stunning. His skin was perfect, his eyes were the color of a winter sky, and his lips were set in a firm, handsome line.

A couple walking past them whispered loudly.

“Look at them,” the woman said. “They’re like a movie poster. Their children are going to be beautiful.”

Jack didn't miss a beat. “We won’t have children,” he said coldly.

Maria’s smile faltered.

Jack looked down at her, his expression business-like. “Listen. This is a deal. We will stay married for three years. After that, we divorce. I will give you enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life. I won't meet your family, and I won't interfere in your life. If you can't accept those terms, walk away now.”

Maria felt slightly disappointed. She had hoped for a little bit of romance, but then she remembered the image of Brandon and Alice. She needed a shield. She needed a throne.

“I accept,” she said firmly. In three years, she was confident she could make this man fall for her. And even if he didn't, she would still be an Auntie.

They went inside to take their photos. The cameraman was frustrated. “Can you two look like you actually like each other? Sir, please smile. You look like you’re at a funeral.”

Jack's face grew darker. He looked ready to walk out.

Maria quickly stepped in. She hooked her arm tightly around his, leaning her head against his shoulder. She looked at the cameraman with a sweet, fake smile. “I’m so sorry. He has a medical condition. Bell’s palsy. His nerves are damaged, so he can't smile. Please don't push him.”

The cameraman looked horrified. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn't know.”

Jack looked down at Maria, his eyes shooting icy daggers at her.

Maria stood on her tiptoes and leaned into his ear. Her breath tickled his skin, and she caught a hint of his scent—banana? vanilla? Pineapple? … she honestly couldn't tell. “If you want to get this over with,” she whispered playfully, “you’d better stop glaring at me and let me do the talking, husband.”

For the first time, Jack didn't pull away. He looked at the girl who was bold enough to lie to his face, and his grip on her arm tightened just a little.

“Fine,” he muttered. “Let’s get this over with.”