Chapter 6 I Refuse
1142 Words
"No, no, no, you must be the one with a concussion. You have no idea what you're saying." I held my head, feeling like it might explode. "Maybe I'm still dreaming. How do I wake up?"
A soft chuckle reached my ears. Leon was sitting on a single sofa, looking as composed as ever, as if we were negotiating a business deal.
"I know exactly what I'm saying, and no, you're not dreaming. You should realize that the moment you claimed you were my fiancée, the entire Northern Wolf Alliance will know about it."
"I can explain, sir..." My mind raced as I tried to find a way out of this mess.
"Explain? After everything that's happened?" Leon's smile faded, replaced by something far more serious. "If we go back now and say there's nothing between us, I'll become the laughingstock of the alliance. Is that how you plan to repay your savior, Ms. Lytner?"
There was something in Leon's gaze, something serious, that made me feel like I was shrinking under his stare. I was taken aback, feeling the weight of his words pressing down on me.
"No, sir," I whispered, my lips dry, looking down at the floor. "I didn't mean that... I just want to make things right... But I just don't know what to do."
"Then sign the agreement and get engaged to me."
I felt suffocated as I stared at the document. The words blurred before my eyes, and my heart pounded. 'If I sign this, will it really solve everything? Or will it change my life in ways I can't even begin to imagine?' *
Taking a deep breath, I firmly placed the papers down and met Leon's eyes with a steady gaze. "No, I can't be your fiancée."
"Why not?" Something flickered in Leon's gaze. "If you sign the agreement, not only will I cover the repair costs for the car, but you'll also receive compensation..."
"But that's not what I want." I was growing frustrated, though I quickly softened my tone, realizing it was rude to speak like that to someone who saved me. "Sorry, I just don't think I'm the right person for the job... to be your fiancée. You deserve someone better suited."
I locked eyes with him, standing firm in my resolve. 'I'm just an ordinary woman, and Leon Silvers is powerful, respected. Getting involved with someone like him would destroy any peace I have left in my life. I don't want to be Cinderella, so I refuse.' * *
"Then you're prepared to cover the repair costs for my car and handle everything else on your own?" Leon asked, his tone calm but laced with an unsettling edge of dissatisfaction.
My nerves tensed.
"Yes, sir. I'll make up for everything, including the rumors about us, but not like this."
Leon went quiet for a few moments, sensing my resistance.
"Then you should also prepare for Ivy's wrath," he said, his voice low and grave. "You shouldn't have crossed her. She's... obsessive, especially with her enemies and prey. And you, you're just a human... without a wolf."
I let out a short, bitter laugh, feeling deeply offended. 'Was he serious?'
I stood abruptly, feeling insulted to my core. Before I stormed out of this ridiculous place, I snapped, "Maybe to you mighty wolves, people like me are insignificant. But there's one thing I need to make clear. I wasn't the one who started this. If Ivy Silvers doesn't back down, then neither will I!"
Leon looked up at me, clearly surprised by my outburst.
I didn't bother explaining why I wasn't the kind of girl he thought I was. I wasn't weak, and I wasn't some coward who would hide and cry. So, I walked out with my head held high.
Leon didn't stop me.
A cold gust of wind hit me as I stepped outside. I glanced down at the six thousand dollar dress I had rented, now torn to shreds like a rag. With anger boiling in my chest, I spun back around and marched right back in.
Barely controlling my temper, I asked, "Ivy Silvers ruined my dress. I rented it. Can you at least compensate me for it? It's worth tens of thousands."
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Then Leon, ever arrogant, replied, "You mean this fake dress? It's not even worth six hundred dollars."
"What?" My brain felt like it was about to explode, but to my dismay, I realized Leon wasn't trying to insult me. He was simply stating the truth.
'I've been scammed. I actually spent six grand renting a fake dress!'
"And by the way, you probably don't know how much the car repairs will cost either. That's five million dollars."
"Are you trying to rob me?" I gasped, my mouth hanging open as if struck by lightning.
"Maybe I should call you a slanderer instead?"
I snapped my mouth shut, glaring at him.
Leon must have sensed my frustration because, to my surprise, he handed me a few hundred dollars along with his contact information and the agreement papers.
I almost ran out of there, booking the earliest flight home, desperate to leave behind all these ridiculous, filthy, rich people.
When my plane landed, a torrential downpour greeted me, drenching me to the bone. I shivered. 'This is just great. My life sucks.'
Thinking about the enormous debt hanging over my head, I sank further into despair.
Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Maria, my foster mother. She had taken me in when I was homeless, cared for me, and raised me as if I were her daughter, treating me so nicely.
I loved her deeply, just as she loved me.
"Maria," I answered, trying to sound normal so she wouldn't worry. "How have you been?"
There was a pause over the phone, and my heart clenched. "Is everything okay at home?"
"Carter fell off a ladder and broke his leg. He'll be out of work for months. We might have to stop Eric's rehab."
Carter was my foster father, a handyman in the human community. Eric, their son, had ongoing health issues.
'Could this life get any worse?'
Gritting my teeth, I said, "Maria, Eric needs his therapy. I'll send you the money tomorrow."
"But that's your..."
"Maria, we're family. Eric's my brother. It's settled," I said softly.
"Claire, there's one more thing. A while ago, someone broke into the house. Nothing was stolen, but your room was ransacked. Please be careful, okay?"
As the taxi pulled up to my apartment, I looked up and saw that the light in my second-floor window was on. The White Wolf beside me started growling anxiously.
I stared up at the window, and to my shock, I heard voices coming from inside.
"The scent is faint. She's been gone for a while."
- Writer
