Charlotte’s POV
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“When is your plane landing?” I asked Leslie on the phone.
There were only ten hours left before the opening, and I was nowhere close to being ready.
My entire desk was covered with documents I needed to sort.
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My designer and stylist were downstairs with my dress, waiting for me, but I couldn’t leave yet. There were still too many things I had to sort out.
“In a few hours. Don’t worry, I’ll be there before your opening speech,” she said, stifling a tired yawn. I could hear how exhausted she was.
“I’m so sorry I’m stressing you this much,” I said, feeling guilty.
I came with dozens of doctors, but I still needed Leslie more than anyone.
She didn’t have the healing gift like me, but she was one of the few doctors who could keep up with me in the theatre. She was extremely fast, and she rarely made mistakes.
We agreed earlier that she would stay back in London while I came ahead, but that changed the moment the list grew longer. If I wanted things to move faster so I could return to London in six months, then I needed her here with me.
There were simply too many patients.
“Are you sure you’re sorry?” she asked, her voice tingling with amusement. “You gave me five high–stakes surgeries tomorrow. And you have six for yourself.”
“Guilty,” I said with a small laugh of my own. “But with you here, I’m sure we’ll clear hundreds in no time.”
“Yeah,” she said with another yawn. “I need to get some sleep before we get to New York.”
I hung up because she needed that rest.
I went back to my desk and continued working. I didn’t even look at the time once. I just kept reviewing files, signing papers, and arranging documents.
It was already four in the evening when Liam came into my office and pulled my hand.
“Mom, you need to get dressed,” he said, dragging me toward the door with his tiny strength. The event is to start by 7:00 pm.
“And you have a visitor waiting for you in the living room. He’s been waiting for over an hour.”
My brows rose in curiosity. “A visitor? Who is it?”
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Chapter 5
I had been to America a few times for business, but never long enough to make friends. And I didn’t remember giving anyone this address.
We were staying in my dad’s mansion in New York. The few times I’d been here before, I stayed in hotels.
“It’s a surprise. And someone special,” he said, giving me a very cute grin,
His face had that “please don’t ask me again” expression that made me want to laugh.
We got to the living room, and the surprise visitor was already there, talking with one of the staff. His back was turned, and I couldn’t stop myself from trying to see who he was.
He wore a grey tux that fit him perfectly. The jacket hugged him in all the right places, and I could tell it was made just for him.
Liam cleared his throat to get his attention.
Slowly, he turned.
Ethan Grant. His father was my dad’s beta, a loyal and trusted man in his pack.
His brown hair fell slightly over his forehead, messy in a way that made him look effortlessly handsome. His dark brown eyes were so deep, warm, and intense, like they could see right through you.
I hadn’t seen him in over a year, not since he left London for Italy to handle his father’s business.
“When did you get back?” I asked, my voice a little too high, and I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face.
“No hug?” he raised an eyebrow, opening his arms wide. I didn’t hesitate. I ran into him, pressing my cheek to his chest. His hand settled gently on my back.
Ethan had been there since the day I opened my eyes six years ago. He had always cared for me, like a brother should a sister. Liam and I are so fond of him. We’ve missed him terribly.
He pressed a warm kiss on my forehead before we broke apart. “Have you been waiting for me for a long time? Why did no one call me?” I looked at the two staff he was chatting with earlier. They quickly dropped their eyes to the floor. I felt so bad for keeping him waiting.
“Please don’t scold them. They said you were busy, and I told them not to disturb you. My buddy here kept me company.” He gave Liam a fist bump.
Liam giggled, bouncing a little on his feet. Ethan ruffled his hair, and Liam’s grin became wider. They had always shared that perfect uncle and nephew bond. I remembered how Liam had cried for hours when Ethan left for Italy.
“Are you back for good now, or will you be going back soon?” I asked, silently hoping he was here to stay. I missed him so much. And I knew Liam felt the same.
“We’ll talk about that later. For now, you need to get ready for your opening. The host can’t be late.”
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Chapter 5
“You are coming with me, right?”
“You bet I am.” He flashed me his best smile.
“Go dress up now, mummy. You don’t want to keep uncle waiting again.”
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I stepped into the room, and my stylist went to work. She moved quickly, adjusting, pinning, and smoothing. In a few hours, I was ready.
The black dress clung to me in all the right places. The silk shimmered under the lights, hugging my waist, flowing over my hips, and falling perfectly to the floor. The low back revealed just enough skin, and the neckline framed my collarbones elegantly. I caught my reflection and almost didn’t recognize myself, confident, polished, and ready. My make–up artist also did a perfect job.
Ethan reached out, taking my hand gently, and we drove to the hospital.
The ground floor was packed. People were everywhere, laughing, talking, and taking pictures. I hadn’t seen this many faces at an opening before.
“I guess your fame supersedes you, Char,” Ethan mumbled, his lips curling in a proud smile.
We slipped in through the back entrance. I tried calling Leslie again, but it went straight to voicemail. A soft chime came from my phone. It was Dad, telling me to make a good impression with Alpha Ace Virel.
This was Dad’s first step into the automobile business, and this partnership meant everything to him.
I handed my purse to my assistant and took a slow breath. I read through my speech one more time, letting the words settle in my mind.
Then the floor lights went off. The whole room went quiet at once, and every head turned. A single light came on and stopped right on me.
I stepped forward and began my speech. I’ve done this so many times that the words came out easily. When I finished, the crowd clapped and cheered, the sound rising through the whole hall like a wave.
Ethan helped me down the stage, steadying me with one hand. That was when I saw Leslie standing right beside him.
“I told you I would make it before your opening speech,” she said, stretching her arms out. I hugged her tight. She still smelled like plane air and perfume, but she somehow dressed up in time.
The party kept moving around us. Music, laughter, glasses clinking. Before I could even catch my breath, people started surrounding us. Alphas, betas, wealthy humans, everyone wanted to greet me.
They introduced themselves one after the other, shaking my hand, asking questions, smiling too much. Ethan stayed close, nodding along because he knew almost all the Alphas and betas. Growing up as a beta’s son made him familiar with every powerful face in the room.
A lot of the unmated Alphas and betas tried to get my personal number, but I turned them down with a smile. Being a famous doctor was one thing, but being a Graves made it worse, people always wanted something. Power, influence, connections with the Graves. I wasn’t looking for a relationship, and I definitely wasn’t
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Chapter 5
interested in playboy Alphas.
“There’s one person I have to introduce you to. Your dad insisted you both meet tonight,” Ethan said as he grabbed my hand and gently pulled me through the crowd.
I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see my face. “Alpha Ace Virel,” I muttered under my already knew.
breath. I
There were a lot of hot Alphas in the room, but this one stole the whole show without even trying. He looked dominant in a way that made the air shift. His dark green eyes were set in a deep glare, looking so angry and his jaw kept ticking like he was holding back a storm. He stood there, hands tucked inside his pockets, with this quiet arrogance, like the world answered to him.
As we got closer, I didn’t need anyone to tell me who he was. That was Ace. Every part of him screamed power. He had that dangerous, deadly presence people always talked about. His brows were thick, his dark hair was pushed back neatly, and his sharp jawline could probably cut glass.
No wonder almost every woman in the room kept giving him those inviting looks, but none of them dared to step close. They all knew better. People always talked about how brutal he was, but no one ever mentioned that he looked like a Greek god standing there.
“Are you both married?” Ace asked, his voice low and sharp. The anger in it almost stung. People were right, he was rude and arrogant.
“Excuse you?” Ethan snapped, clearly offended. It wasn’t the question that was offensive, it was his tone.
“I’m Alpha Ace Virel.” He didn’t spare Ethan a single look. He just stretched his hand toward me for a handshake, acting like Ethan’s voice never existed.
The change in his face was so quick it almost confused me. All that hard anger melted away as his gaze remained fixed on me, replaced by something softer, something I couldn’t place.
Did he have mood swings or what? That sudden switch in his face didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t like him one bit. The way he spoke to Ethan pissed me off. If it wasn’t for Dad’s business deal, I would’ve walked away from his arrogant ass without thinking twice.
I reached out to take his hand, but my wolf growled so loudly in my head that I almost flinched. For a second, I thought everyone in the room heard her.
She wasn’t just loud.
She was angry.
The moment his hand touched mine, she went wild. It felt like she was racing inside me, claws out, ready to break free. I had never felt her like that before, so furious, so restless.
Why was she so angry?
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Chapter 6
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
