In the VIP room of the club, Lilian and Elsie sat together on the same sofa, facing each other, gossiping about the hottest men in town. They were so close that their laughter and whispers blended into one. Leo lay beside Lilian, his head resting comfortably on her thighs, while she occasionally caressed his fur with gentle strokes.
It was no wonder Derek grew jealous of the attention his brother was receiving from their mate. He couldn't bear watching Leo monopolize her affection. When Xander went to fetch Elsie Clinton from the gate, Derek and Cayden mind‑linked, excused themselves to their private room, and changed forms. Cayden slipped into the suit Derek had worn earlier, while Derek shifted into his wolf form, Riggs, before returning.
In the entire club, only Beta Xander Campbell and Gamma Mason Evans could distinguish Derek from Cayden. Even Mason sometimes struggled to tell them apart especially when only one of them stood alone.
When they returned, Riggs walked straight to Lilian, sniffing her hungrily before licking her face. Lilian laughed joyfully, hugging him tightly. They remained in that embrace until Elsie approached, intending to sit between them. Riggs growled in warning.
Elsie, who had always feared dogs, jolted upright in terror and quickly switched seats with Lilian. Lilian chuckled at her friend's reaction, ruffled the beast's head, and said softly, "Hey Leo, don't scare Elsie. She's a friend. Be good, okay?" She rubbed his head gently, then turned to Elsie. "Elsie, this is Leo. He's a friend."
Elsie looked at Lilian in surprise. "Do you like dogs?"
Lilian nodded with a hum, her eyes suddenly turning gentle as nostalgia filled her heart. She smiled wistfully, recalling her childhood with her beloved dog, Golden.
---
Lilian sighed and began recounting her story. Unbeknownst to the two women, both the wolf beside them and the tall, handsome man opposite them perked up their ears, listening intently to their soulmate's childhood tale. Occasionally, they chuckled silently at her words.
"I've loved dogs since I was a child," Lilian said softly. "My aunt, Pamela, told me that Golden was my first birthday gift from my mother." Her eyes shimmered with emotion as she sniffed a laugh.
"Aunt Pamela told me that before I turned one, I saw a little dog by my father's car. I struggled to get down from my mother's arms, which confused them. My father asked my mother to let me go, and they watched as I crawled to the dog and hugged it tightly. I even kissed it." Lilian laughed shyly. "When the owner came to take the dog back, I cried so hard that I couldn't be comforted. My mother begged the owner and eventually bought the dog. She gave him to me as my first birthday gift."
Elsie's eyes softened. "So what happened to the dog?"
Lilian's expression darkened. She sighed painfully and shook her head. "He died on my tenth birthday. He was hit by a vehicle."
Riggs lifted his head and licked her face, as if to comfort her. Lilian laughed softly, ruffling his fur.
---
Just then, she felt a sudden notch in her stomach and whimpered, "Ouch!" Riggs growled protectively. Lilian calmed him with a gentle touch, then noticed Elsie staring fixedly at someone opposite them.
Following her gaze, Lilian realized Elsie was maniacally staring at Cayden, whose eyes were glued to her. He hardly looked away or blinked.
Suspicious, Lilian asked, "Elsie, do you know Derek?"
Elsie turned to her, equally suspicious. "Lilian, how did you manage to know the hottest bachelor in the city—Derek Russell of Russell Automobile Industry?"
Lilian's eyes widened in shock. She turned to look at the man, who pretended not to be paying attention to their gossip.
Speechless for a moment, Lilian finally asked, "You mean the dealer of all kinds of aircraft, ships, and cars?"
Elsie nodded vehemently. "Yes! The Russells also own this club."
Lilian's mouth fell open.
Elsie continued, "It's just because you don't follow the news. Otherwise, you'd see him in every business headline. Russell Holdings was listed as the second richest in the world just last week."
---
Lilian sat in stunned silence, unable to respond.
Elsie leaned closer, her excitement bubbling. "Girl, your star is so strong! First, you had the handsome and powerful Perry Jerome—"
Riggs growled angrily at the mention of Perry's name. Lilian quickly ruffled his head, calming him. He laid his head quietly on her thighs, listening to their gossip.
"And now," Elsie continued, "you've caught the attention of the most handsome and richest tycoon in Beverly Hills."
Lilian rolled her eyes and scolded, "Elsie, stop spouting nonsense. How could someone like Derek take a liking to me?"
Elsie looked at her incredulously. "Stop pretending, Lilian. You can see how he's been all over you."
Lilian chuckled mockingly, her tone filled with disdain. "Please, Elsie, stop being delusional. What if I told you the reason he looks at me is because he looks down on me—for being Perry's toy?"
Elsie's eyes widened. "Lilian Asienwegher, you sure have a very wild imagination. And how would Derek even know about that?"
Lilian chuckled, her expression turning serious. "Because he was the one who saved me. If not for Derek Russell that night, I wouldn't have escaped Perry."
Elsie stared at her incredulously.
What the two didn't realize was that, although they whispered, every word was heard by the twins. Their mate's painful confession made them uncomfortable. They longed to tell her they didn't care about her past and would avenge her, but they dared not reveal they had been eavesdropping.
---
Lilian lifted Riggs off her thighs, stood up, and pulled Elsie to her feet. "Elsie, let's take a tour of the club—especially the seminar."
Cayden stood abruptly, almost at the same time as Riggs. His sudden movement drew all eyes to him. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat, scratched his head, and looked at Lilian expectantly. "Let me show you around."
Lilian looked at him calmly and nodded. Together, they walked side by side, Riggs padding along on her other side.
As they reached the seminar hall, Lilian curiously scanned the room, expecting to spot someone. But she saw no one.
What she didn't know was that the person she sought had gone to the restroom. The moment he returned and stepped into the hall, he caught a glimpse of her silhouette. His heart froze. She was the one he feared most—the apple of Perry Jerome's eye, the woman who hated him to the core.
At first, he doubted. He thought Perry had thrown a party for Lilian's return and that she was now by his side. But as he hid in a corner, watching closely, he noticed lapses. This Lilian was different from the one he had met at Perry's party. Perry hadn't seemed to love that Lilian as he once did, and that Lilian hadn't seemed to hate him. She had been calm, almost indifferent.
The Lilian Asienwegher he knew would never pretend. She would openly show her disdain.