"Tell me, why do you have to marry me?" "Because I love you, of course." Olive spoke sweet words, but there was not a trace of affection in her cold eyes. Vincent Stone, Alpha of the Stone Wolfpack, sneered. No one in this world dared to treat him, Vincent, as prey; what audacity. Little did Vincent expect that the day after Olive's proposal was rejected him, she watched as he walked past her with his future mate, without even glancing at him. Vincent was immediately irritated: Is this how much she loves me?! ****** "Is it worth it, Olive?" Sydney's voice cracked with emotion, her heart aching for Olive. Of course, it was worth it, Olive thought. Since the moment her mother, Alana, was driven to suicide by Ivy and Finley, she no longer lived for herself. Besides, the marriage alliance between Stone Wolfpack and Davis Wolfpack was originally meant for her. She was merely reclaiming what was rightfully hers.
At the Grand Estate Hotel, in the presidential suite.
Olive Davis stared at the sleeping man in front of her, momentarily unable to comprehend the situation. Her body ached, and the red marks on her neck and chest, along with the scattered clothes and a few used condoms, made everything clear-she had done it.
Olive endured the discomfort, climbed over the man, and walked barefoot to the bathroom. After a quick rinse, she changed into her clothes and even fished out a cigarette from the man's pocket, lighting it for herself. In the haze of smoke, she silently observed the man's satisfied face.
Vincent Stone, 26 years old, was the Alpha of Stone Wolfpack, the largest conglomerate in the country. What was even more deadly was his Hollywood-star-level looks-handsome, noble, and unapproachable.
In Ironclad City and throughout Harborville United Kingdom, the name Vincent represented power and status.
A man like him-she knew the consequences of provoking him would be severe. But she couldn't stand by and watch him marry Finley Davis next month; she couldn't let Ivy Davis and Finley Davis; the mother and daughter have their way.
When she reached her third cigarette, Vincent woke up. He glanced at the brown-haired woman in a red dress shrouded in smoke and was momentarily stunned.
"How much do you want?" He got up, retrieved a checkbook and pen from his bag, and offered them to her. His body still remembered the pleasure of the night, and the bloodstains on the bed declared everything. As long as she wasn't too demanding, he could give her whatever she wanted.
During the ten minutes she waited for him to wake up, Olive had thought of a hundred ways to respond. But facing his sharp, eagle-like eyes, she simply stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and flashed a bright smile. "I don't want money. I want Mr. Vincent Stone to marry me."
"What?" Vincent seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and he sneered. "Do you think you're some precious jewel? You're just a high-end escort, nothing more."
Last night, he had been drunk when this woman disguised as a waiter delivered water and helped him hang up his coat. Then she had started undressing in front of him. Normally, he kept away from women, but in a moment of weakness, he lost his self-control.
He had to admit, the woman's face-a mix of purity and allure-hit his aesthetic perfectly. But her smile didn't reach her eyes, and her scheming made him disgusted. She knew who he was and had clearly taken advantage of his drunken state.
Any other woman would have been humiliated by Vincent's scornful words. But Olive remained unaffected, her smile seemingly glued to her face. She didn't feel any sorrow or humiliation because since the day her mother was driven to death by Ivy and Finley, she no longer had a heart.
She waved her phone. "I have a video of last night. Although I was quite proactive at the start, later, Mr. Vincent Stone forced me multiple times. If this gets out, it might not be good for Stone Wolfpack's stock price."
"To release the video, you'd have to be alive first," Vincent, familiar with both the legal and criminal worlds, responded coldly. He tossed aside the checkbook and took the cigarette pack from her hand to light one for himself. "Don't forget, crushing you would be as easy as crushing an ant for me."
He hated being threatened more than anything. This woman must be tired of living to dare plot against him.
"Oh, my video is already uploaded to the cloud. The account and password are shared with my best friend," Olive shrugged nonchalantly, leaning closer to Vincent. "Go ahead, Mr. Vincent Stone, kill me now. I don't mind tarnishing Stone Wolfpack's name a month before your wedding."
She knew he was getting married soon, yet she still dared to plot against him. This woman was both calculating and shameless. Vincent stared at Olive's unyielding smile and reached out to grasp her slender neck.
Her tan skin, marked with his love bites from last night, inexplicably made his breathing heavier. Olive just smiled, even as his grip tightened, not resisting at all.
Only when her face turned purple, and her smile began to falter, did Vincent release her.
"If you want money, come to Stone Wolfpack Tower at nine tomorrow on the 16th floor. If not, do whatever you want, but be prepared to face the consequences," Vincent said coldly, dressing quickly and leaving the room.
As the door slammed shut, Olive finally broke down. She slid to the floor, tears streaming down her face.
"Are you okay, Olive?" Her best friend, Sydney Ramirez, called in a video chat, her voice filled with concern at Olive's appearance.
"I'm fine. Perfect." Olive took a deep breath, holding back her tears. "Sydney, find out Vincent's next move for me."
Sydney came from a well-off family, not on Stone Wolfpack's level but still notable in Ironclad City. This hotel was one of her family's properties, which made it convenient for Olive.
"Is it worth it, Olive?" Sydney's voice cracked with emotion, her heart aching for Olive.
Of course, it was worth it, Olive thought. Since the moment her mother, Alana, was driven to suicide by Ivy and Finley, she no longer lived for herself.
Besides, the marriage alliance between Stone Wolfpack and Davis Wolfpack was originally meant for her. She was merely reclaiming what was rightfully hers.
At Stone Wolfpack Tower, 16th floor.
"Has anyone come to see me?" Vincent asked for the third time over the phone when his assistant, Brody Stevens, knocked on his office door.
"Mr. Stone, here is the information you requested."
Olive, 23, the top scorer in Ironclad Werewolf University entrance exams three years ago, went on to attend a top ten global university on a full scholarship, only to drop out and return home earlier this year.
Her current occupation is... a liquor salesperson at the Grand Estate?
Unbelievable! Vincent tossed the thick stack of papers onto his desk.
"Brody, is this your idea of a job well done?" The top scorer, a top student from a prestigious university, dropping out to sell liquor? Who would believe that?
"It is strange, but I verified her academic records," Brody quickly pointed to the relevant documents. Initially, he didn't believe it either. Who would think that the woman who tricked the Alpha had such a contradictory background?
"I see," Vincent said irritably, waving Brody out of the office.
Lighting a cigarette, Vincent couldn't get the image of Olive in the smoky haze out of his mind. Frustrated, he stubbed it out. A top university student, dropping out, and taking a lowly job? She must have experienced some misfortune. But hardships were no excuse for greed or for threatening him.
In the following days, there was no media scandal involving Stone Wolfpack. The woman seemed sensible enough. Despite her greed, she was cautious. Vincent gradually forgot about the incident.
Until he encountered Olive again at a poker game in Mystic City, he realized this woman was far from being easy to shake off.
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