Third Person’s POV
Caelan’s expression darkened as he fell into thought.
So Mira was investigating him.
Devin’s curiosity was piqued.
“Come on, tell me. How did you meet Lena’s friend? And you even came up with a fake name. Now that’s suspicious.”
The corner of Caelan’s lips lifted slightly.
He toyed with the lighter in his hand and said casually, “The woman who saved me that night. She’s the one.”
He recalled the feeling of Mira sitting in his lap in the car that night, her soft body pressed against his.
Women had thrown themselves at him for years, but Mira was the first woman who had made him feel anything.
Devin studied him.
“So? If you’re interested in her, keep her close. Just maintain your cover. Don’t let her find out who you really are, or you’ll scare her off.”
Caelan gave a cold laugh.
“You’re overthinking it. I’m not planning to pursue her.”
And Mira wasn’t the only one investigating Cale.
After leaving the hospital, Marcus had launched an exhaustive search for the man called “Cale.”
That evening, his secretary reported back.
“I’m sorry, Alpha.
We couldn’t find any information on anyone named Cale.
We searched every database, but there’s nothing.
It’s as if he appeared out of thin air.”
”Out of thin air?
What, did he just drop from the sky?”
Marcus was furious.
“Useless! You can’t even find one person. What do I even pay you for?”
Seraphina walked in.
To the outside world, she was the picture of a devoted wife and caring stepmother, warm and generous.
The secretary looked at her as though she were a lifesaver.
“Madam, thank goodness you’re here. Please calm the Alpha down.”
Marcus looked at his wife.
“Has Mira called you?”
To maintain her image as a loving stepmother, Seraphina had deliberately indulged Mira, spoiling her rotten and making Marcus resent his daughter more and more.
Seraphina shook her head, feigning distress.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into Mira. She hasn’t called me, and she won’t answer my calls. If I’d known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have suggested cutting off her resources. I thought it would bring her home to apologize, but…”
Marcus snorted.
“Apologize? That stubborn girl doesn’t even know what she’s done wrong. She’s probably in bed with some stranger right now.”
A malicious glint flashed in Seraphina’s eyes.
“Marcus, no matter what, Mira is your daughter. Without any money, how will she manage out there? Why not restore her resource allowance? Mooncrest Pack has plenty of money. It’s not as if those men could spend that much of it.”
That only made Marcus angrier.
“Not a chance!
If she doesn’t come home and apologize, she can starve for all I care!
Why should Mooncrest Pack’s money go to some stranger she’s gotten herself involved with?”
Seraphina said pointedly, “Exactly.
She finally broke up with Elias, and now she’s found someone called Cale?
I’ve never even heard of him.
Mira is so naive.
She always lets you down.”
Marcus’s face darkened.
“Keep investigating! I refuse to believe he crawled out of a rock. When you find him, pay him off and make sure he stays away from my daughter!”
The secretary nodded and left.
Seraphina stroked Marcus’s back, soothing him.
“Marcus, don’t be angry. Vivienne has been so worried about you these past two days. She’s afraid Mira’s antics will make you ill.”
As they spoke, Vivienne entered the room carrying her design entry for the Sacred Moon Jewelry Competition.
“Daddy, can you take a look at my design? Mommy said that even though Mooncrest Jewelry Group owes part of its success to my sister’s late mother, you’re the one who deserves the most credit.”
Vivienne’s words subtly diminished the contribution of Mira’s birth mother, who had co-founded Mooncrest Jewelry Group with Marcus.
Marcus examined his daughter’s design and was genuinely impressed.
“This design is flawless. I’m confident no one will be able to compete with you in this competition, Vivienne.”
“Daddy, I’ll be graduating next year. After I win the jewelry competition, will you bring me into Mooncrest Jewelry Group as an intern? I could even help secure a partnership between Mooncrest Jewelry Group and Silvercrest Group.”
Marcus hesitated.
His first wife had wronged him first.
She had cheated on him.
But at the end of the day, Mooncrest Jewelry Group had been co-founded by Mira’s mother and himself.
Back then, Mira’s mother had given up her wealthy family background and invested all her savings into his venture.
She had helped him build the company from the ground up.
That was how Mooncrest Jewelry Group came to be.
Marcus thought that even if Mira was a disappointment, he couldn’t completely abandon her.
At the very least, he should give her a chance to join the company alongside Vivienne.
Sensing that Marcus was beginning to soften, Seraphina immediately shot her daughter a look.
Vivienne understood.
She immediately put on an innocent expression.
“Oh, by the way, Daddy. My sister didn’t show up for classes again today. She failed several major courses and has been placed on the remedial exam list. The professor asked me to remind her about the makeup exams this weekend. Is she home?”
Marcus’s irritation flared.
“Embarrassing! You’re already competing in a major jewelry competition, and she hasn’t made any progress at all. Focus on your competition. This summer, Daddy will bring you into Mooncrest Jewelry Group.”
He stood and headed upstairs, still fuming over Mira.
Only after his back disappeared around the stairwell corner did Seraphina smirk.
“Mira really is something. She just broke up with Elias and already found another man. And this one doesn’t even have a background. He’s even worse than Elias.”