Chapter 4
As the car entered the city, the sky was ablaze with a riot of colors, casting a warm glow over the congested traffic on the elevated highway.
I found myself constantly glancing over at Lucas in the passenger seat.
His ears looked a little droopy, and his lips were pressed tight together.
He had his eyes lowered, staring at the blood on his clothes, deep in thought.
I went over my words in my head a few times before finally calling out to Lucas.
He looked up, his thick lashes trembling. Half his body was bathed in the sunset, and for a moment, the usual edge about him seemed to soften.
Damn it. The words were right there, but I just couldn't get them out.
I kept starting to speak, and then stopping myself, over and over.
"Take tomorrow off," I finally spoke, my knuckles white on the steering wheel, voice low.
It wasn't exactly a compliment, but at least I showed I cared.
Hopefully, he wouldn't be too disappointed.
After a moment of hesitation, Lucas told me, "I'm fine. I can keep training."
I turned my head, my eyes landing on his bloodstained calf.
Seriously, no rest?
I frowned.
The comments on the live stream helped me figure it out.
[He probably feels like he messed up today and didn't live up to his master's expectations. Poor little werewolf, where's our main girl when you need her? The villainess is about to crush his confidence.]
[Honestly, he's just scared of being abandoned if he's not good enough, so he's trying so hard to prove himself. Too bad he got stuck with this cold-hearted villainess. If it was the heroine, she'd already be showering him with compliments.]
[Hey, let's be fair. The heroine has so much love to give, so it's easy for her to spread it around. But the villainess? She grew up never knowing love, so it's no wonder she can't show it to others. I kinda get her, honestly.]
[Seriously, you're defending that toxic woman? No thanks. Her messed-up personality is her own problem. Our poor little werewolf didn't do anything to deserve this.]
The argument in the comments was getting more and more heated.
I ignored it all, my eyes fixed on Lucas's face.
The last rays of the setting sun fell across half his face, casting a hauntingly beautiful glow on the blood smeared along his neck.
The sunset spread across the sky, inch by inch, so dazzling that it was almost impossible not to get lost in it.
The way I kept staring at him made his fingers clench tighter and tighter, his heartbeat pounding in his chest.
He just couldn't handle being under that kind of scrutiny.
His ears were burning, and he couldn't help but look away.
He was about to turn around, desperate to avoid my gaze.
Suddenly, I spoke up, "You were amazing today."
He froze mid-turn.
I explained, "So, you get tomorrow off. That's your reward."
The traffic on the elevated highway finally started to move.
Not everyone was born knowing how to love, but I didn't mind learning a little more.
Especially when it came to this little werewolf I was raising myself.
*****
A week later, I arrived at the party as promised. Today was the day my father would finally introduce his love child to the world.
Maya was dressed in an elaborate, luxurious gown, standing nervously in the dazzling spotlight, all eyes fixed on her.
Ben stood behind her, his expression proud and aloof, taking up the role of her guardian.
We locked eyes from across the crowd.
His gaze was icy, cold enough to freeze anyone in their tracks.
I quickly looked away, only to catch Maya's gaze. She looked all sweet and innocent, but there was a spark of challenge flickering in her eyes.
Her eyes practically screamed, "See? Ben, Dad, everyone's on my side now."
The chat was blowing up with excitement.
[See? Ever since Ben got away from that toxic woman, he's like a brand new person! If it weren't for our sweet, healing heroine, I can't even imagine how pitiful he'd be!]
[Bet that bitch is losing her mind right now. Maya and Ben are just too cute. Nobody's allowed to break up this ship.]
[Look at her face. She's totally on the verge of going full villain mode, lol.]
I scoffed.
Thanks, but I'd been in full villain mode for ages, so much that nobody dared mess with me.
Especially my father.
In his eyes, I was ruthless, cold as ice, the kind of daughter who'd kill him without a second thought.
But what really made him sweat was that I knew all about Maya and the rest of his secret kids long before he ever caught on.
That was the undeniable proof of his affair.
With his "devoted husband" image about to go up in flames, he had to scramble for damage control. So he brought back Maya, the sweetest and most obedient of them all.
He claimed it was just a youthful mistake, that he felt guilty, and wanted to make it up to her.
And as a bonus, he could dump all the pressure on me.
If I showed any hostility toward Maya in public, I'd be branded as petty, heartless, and completely lacking in empathy.