Pursuing My Rejected Alpha
Chapter 72

Milroy was able to easily detect the turmoil in his pack leader's heart.

To be very honest, the younger man thought that Ronan was a little dumb.

Instead of taking the initiative to make a call or send Lucien a text message, he waited and waited like a desperate teenage girl.

Milroy's fingers itched terribly.

He would love to call the Luna himself and tell him that the Alpha was suffering from a mysterious affliction that made him unable to think about anything else but his beloved mate.

A soft ding announced a text message from Jake to Milroy.

"How is the Alpha?" the Beta asked.

"Reporting to the Beta: still downtrodden," Milroy typed freely.

He could almost hear the Beta sigh a few floors away.

.....

Twenty-four hours had passed since Lucien left the pack house, and Ronan emerged at the company headquarters with dark shadows under his eyes. He looked scary and miserable at the same time. The Beta arrived not ten minutes later, looking pallid and weak.

To make it even more convincing, he broke into a fit of throaty cough some distance away from Ronan's desk.

"What's wrong with you, Jake?" Ronan asked with a frown.

"Alpha, it seems that I have caught a cold. I wish to go back home to recuperate."

To be fair, Jake did slave around for Ronan while the Alpha and his Luna enjoyed a lavish cruise vacation.

He deserved a break.

"You may go. Get well soon, Jake," Ronan dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Jake lit up upon hearing that he could go.

"Thank you, Alpha."

When he left, he did not at all look like someone who had an ailing sickness.

He was in such a hurry that he almost bumped into Mara Keenthorne on her way to meet with Ronan.

"Yes, Mara? What's up?" Ronan asked when Mara slipped through the door.

The PR Head flashed the Alpha a brilliant smile.

"Alpha, I am here to remind you that an interview with Glamvision is scheduled for this evening. Milroy will prepare the entire interview script for you."

Glamvision?

Ronan furrowed his brows.

"What reminder? This is the first time I hear about it."

Mara looked mildly surprised. "Really? But I told the Beta about this interview yesterday night."

" "

...

Well, said Beta had conveniently escaped his responsibilities and went back to the pack house.

With or without previous notice, Ronan was averse to partake in the interview.

"Why do I have to grant that magazine an interview? It is not even a business magazine."

"Glamvision is a renowned magazine and we have refused them a lot in the past," Mara tried to explain. "Last time we managed to dissuade them due to the sensitive nature of the relationship between you, the Luna, and Miss Lillian Woodland. This time they just want to hear from you this close to your wedding. It is one of the regular PR stunts that we do regularly to maintain the company reputation." Ronan scoffed.

"Then keep doing a good job and have them interview Jake and his little family. Why me?"

"Jake has featured a lot as the second-in-command at Silverback Corporation. This time, it's either you or the Luna, or, the both of you." Ronan leaned back in his seat and played with the thought of having Milroy call Lucien to get him to attend the interview with him. They were not forbidden from seeing each other, so it was a good opportunity to get to see Lucien again.

On the other side...

Arghhhh.

Ronan's haughty and masculine pride prevented him from making the first move.

Every time Lucien left him, Ronan had been the one to give chase and beg the former to come back to him.

This time, only once, once in his life, Ronan wanted Lucien to contact him first.

After that, so Ronan swore, for the rest of his life, he would worship the ground Lucien walked on and chase after his shadow day by day.

"Shall I give the Luna a call, Alpha?" Milroy asked full of hope. He was getting tired of this cat-and-mouse game.

"No," Ronan answered decisively. "I will attend the interview alone."

Milroy slaved around for two hours to get the interview script ready. Ronan lazily flew over the few pages while waiting for the team from Glamvision to arrive. Next to him, Mara Keenthorne kept repeating her instructions like a mantra.

"Alpha, please make sure to highlight only the harmonious and beautiful moments that you share with the Luna."

"Hmm."

Implied was the message to not even talk about Lillian Woodland or the baby or the fact that she practically disappeared from public eyes after she gave birth. "Alpha, please don't reveal too much about the wedding details. You know that we need to prevent the public from replaceing out about the werewolf community." Ronan lifted his eyes and shot Mara with sharp glares.

"Mara, I have done countless interviews with other magazines. I know very well how to be discreet about the werewolves."

"Of course," Mara hurriedly said while biting her lips.

The problem was that Glamvision was unlike other magazines that Ronan ever had interviews with.

Officially, the lifestyle magazine was geared toward sharing tidbits about the life of trending celebrities and famous people.

Unofficially, it was a high-tier gossip magazine that tried to spark sensational news through various resources.

The Glamvision readers thrived when they got to read about the rivalry and enmity behind the scene, the passionate love, the scandalous affairs, and the inconceivable betrayals.

Mara knew that Glamvision tried to get another interview from Lillian Woodland for weeks to no avail.

The lady had conveniently gone into seclusion at the Ironclad Claws Pack House.

Although Ronan and Lucien had sailed through numerous kinds of stormy weather together, one could never be too prepared.

Otherwise, one would be caught by surprise.

The woman from Glamvision who came to interview Ronan was a seasoned journalist who specialized in collecting delicious crumbs from the private dining tables of rich tycoons with massive influence.

Like a poisonous viper that bared its fangs at its victim, Miss Baker casually leaned in and asked Ronan with a wink, "Mr. Ronan Silverback, what do you think about the close relationship between your fiancée, Mr. Lucien Clearwater, and your business archrival, Mr. Kinnon Youngshaper?"

Behind Ronan, Milroy almost turned blue from holding his breath.

Mara Keenthorne barely managed to stop herself from gasping out loud.

Lucien did not purposefully neglect to contact Ronan upon his arrival at the Silent Walkers Pack House.

Whenever he remembered to send a short message or give a call to Ronan, he got distracted by his mother or his sister.

At first, it was his mother, Alice Clearwater, who heard about the fetuses at the fertility center and demanded to see the sonogram that Lucien carried around like a treasure.

Annalynne swore again and again that she did not say a word to their mother about the precious babies.

In other words, Alice managed to pry the information out of Gordon, but not the picture itself.

When the soon-to-be grandmother saw the sonogram, she broke into tears right away.

"Oh, Goddess, they are so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"Aren't they???" Annalynne gushed in a similar manner. "They look like Lucien!"

"They also inherited a few traits from Ronan," Alice added.

.....

""

Lucien did not know what to say. He looked at the picture maybe hundreds of times already, but he could not see any features that he could allocate to his or Ronan's genes.

And then, while Alice gushed over the sonogram that she temporarily confiscated after promising Lucien that she was not going to show it to anyone, Annalynne harvested the promise that Lucien made to teach her how to take care of Clearwater Finance. More and more Silent Walkers Pack members had started to work in the company.

It was going to once again serve as the pack business to support the many pack members.

Teaching Annalynne immediately took the highest priority on Lucien's to-do list.

Lucien did not waste any time and dragged Annalynne to the company headquarters in Blue Hill City to teach her everything he knew.

Just like that, he forgot all about his plan to contact his mate.

When Lucien and Annalynne were going through a few projects, Lucien found that some projects were stuck in the middle with no explanation whatsoever. He thus took up communication with related parties to settle them one by one.

Among these projects on inexplicable hiatus was one in which Clearwater Finance worked together with the Youngshaper Corporation to build a housing complex in one of the more prominent areas in East Temple City. When Lucien made a call to Kinnon's company, he asked to speak to their project manager.

It was soon apparent that the man had only been in position for two months and had no idea about the project on hiatus.

Nevertheless, he was interested to talk about the continuation of the project.

They arranged to have a brunch meeting the next day to go over all of the files one more time.

Unexpectedly, the one who showed up for the meeting was none other than Kinnon Youngshaper himself.

Granted, the Clearwater twins were stunned.

"Surprised?" Kinnon could barely suppress his smile when he saw the frozen expression on Annalynne's and Lucien's faces.

"You don't have to come yourself," Lucien said, his face melting into a smile. "You must be busy. Why not send your manager to discuss this with us?"

Kinnon returned Lucien's smile with another.

"I think it is a good opportunity to catch up. We haven't talked to each other for a long time."

The Alpha did not only refer to Lucien but also to Annalynne.

In fact, after he and Annalynne parted on bad terms post-war, they barely exchanged greetings whenever they met.

Lucien's eyes drifted to his sister, who looked as if she would rather drink molten lead than talk to Kinnon.

The elder brother heaved a sigh.

They were both serving as Alphas. Leaders of their respective packs.

Annalynne had not been an Alpha for a long time, and she was also the only woman in power. Although Ronan naturally would support her because of Lucien, there was no harm in becoming allies with more packs. Especially one as influential as the Night Prowler Pack.

Lucien grabbed Annalynne's hand, prompting the latter to look at him.

"Anna, you know the status of this project. Why don't you talk about things with Kinnon? Professionally," he emphasized.

Annalynne's facial expression turned sour upon hearing Lucien's words, but she too knew that Lucien had a point.

She could not ask for Lucien's help forever.

Lucien was after all going to leave the Silent Walkers Pack and marry Ronan in a few days.

When they met again in the future, it would be a meeting between the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack and the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.

"Okay," she agreed at last.

"Then, why don't I go and order us something to eat?" Lucien hopped down from his seat.

"What do you two want to eat?"

Annalynne looked like she wanted to puke.

Kinnon casually took out his platinum card and handed it to Lucien.

"Order everything on the menu. My treat."

Lucien pushed the card back in Kinnon's direction.

"Clearwater Finance extended the lunch invitation today. Naturally, we shall pay. Keep your money, Kinnon. I will order everything as you want."

After Lucien left, Kinnon put his fingers together in front of his chin and stared at Annalynne.

"Anna, can we still be friends?" he asked openly.

Kinnon's question made perfect sense, but it was like a thorn that stabbed into Annalynne's heart.

Annalynne had seen the way Kinnon treated Lucien back in the Night Prowler Pack House.

He was a lot gentler, a lot more patient, and accommodating.

It was a stark contrast to the way Kinnon spoke to Annalynne and treated her.

Sure, they were friends, but there was a time when Annalynne desperately wanted to be more than friends with him and Kinnon denied her that wish.

Why?

"Kinnon, make no mistake, I am no longer into you or anything," Annalynne swallowed hard.

She curled her fingers into fists on her lap.

Maybe she should not mention it, but she just had to know.

"But I have always wondered. In what way am I inferior to Lulu? Why can't you just fall in love with me?"

Kinnon heaved a long sigh.

He clasped his hands together on the table and looked straight into Annalynne's eyes.

"Anna, you are a beautiful and smart woman. Any man would be lucky to have you." "Thanks, I know that. Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth."

Kinnon leaned backward and put an arm around the long sofa that he was sitting on. The pair of caramel-golden eyes that greatly resembled Lucien's shone with determination.

But that was not all there was.

Judging from the slightly trembling hands that the owner pressed against the table, this conversation must be a difficult one for her.

.....

And yet, if it could grant her some sense of closure, then Kinnon did not mind ripping the bandaid and exposing the wound, once and for all.

"It's not that you are inferior to Lucien in any way."

That was one thing that Kinnon should have clarified a long time ago, but did not.

"I have loved him from the moment I laid my eyes on him at the Alpha Camp. It does not matter whether he looks my way or not. He will always have a place in my heart and no one can take it away from him." Annalynne's eyelashes fluttered in distress.

She knew that, but it still hurt to know that she never had a chance to win against Lucien at all.

It was as if Lucien was in a completely different league.

And that although they were born only seconds apart from each other.

"Is it because he is so good-looking?" Annalynne heard herself asking.

She knew that Lucien was more attractive than she was. It was a fact. A lot of people said that.

Kinnon smiled.

"... Or maybe because he is so capable and dependable...?

Annalynne felt stupid for asking.

Between them, of course she was the inferior twin.

Lucien was more beautiful.

Annalynne was largely dependent on her brother.

When a problem arose, the first person that Annalynne called was Lucien.

It was because she knew for sure that Lucien could solve her every problem.

"No, Anna," Kinnon softly replied. "You are you and Lucien is Lucien. There is no need to compare the two of you at all. All I can say is that I love him."

He placed his hands on top of Annalynne's cold ones.

"I am sorry but I do not love you. Not the way a man is supposed to love you."

Annalynne took a deep breath. Tears glistened in her eyes, but for some reason, she was relieved. Kinnon's words were like a thunderstorm that washed over her.

It destroyed every bit of hope and love that she harbored for the man, but at the same time, it also extinguished the painful anguish in her heart.

"Lulu is a lucky man," she muttered. "The two strongest Alphas in the continent vied for his hand."

Kinnon's lips curled up into a smile.

Lucien might be a lucky man indeed, but in the end, the one he chose was luckier.

In this case, it was Ronan Silverback.

If there was anything that Kinnon disliked about Lucien, then it was the strong love that he had for Ronan.

Kinnon knew that just like Annalynne was unable to replace Lucien in his heart, Kinnon too was unable to replace Ronan in Lucien's heart.

Lucien fell in love one time, and his feelings never wavered.

Kinnon rose to his feet and leaned over the table to give Annalynne a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I am lucky to be at the receiving end of your affection for so long. Unfortunately, I am not lucky enough to have you."

Annalynne scoffed.

"You are right. You do not deserve me at all."

Annalynne pressed her lips together.

"I don't," Kinnon agreed. "But someone does, correct?"

"Yes," she said shyly.

Annalynne had always thought that Kinnon was his type.

Strong, mature, and handsome.

Kinnon was the most popular alpha at the Alpha Camp.

Even more than that annoying guy, Ronan Silverback.

Annalynne used to think that Lucien was stupid for rejecting Kinnon. On the other hand, she was also grateful for it.

Even after Kinnon blatantly rejected her, Annalynne did not stop looking for Kinnon's shadow in other men around her.

Until Lowell came around.

Lowell was a magnificent man. He too was strong, mature, and handsome, but he was different from Kinnon.

Lowell had a gentler and more agreeable temperament. He always put up with Annalynne's childish temper. He was there for her when she needed him the most. He cherished and respected her.

After months of dating, Annalynne's idea of a perfect partner had miraculously shifted from Kinnon to Lowell.

At the current time, Annalynne did not think that she could live without Lowell anymore.

She loved Lowell dearly.

And Lowell loved her in her ugliest state, in the most deprecating circumstances.

Unwittingly, a beautiful smile laced Annalynne's lips, making her glow.

Lowell's love made her more beautiful than ever.

"I am glad that the scar heals up well," Kinnon remarked.

Annalynne pressed a hand against her cheek in response.

"Yes," she said.

Anyway, she did not undergo plastic surgery because Lowell asked her to. She just wanted to look pretty again for her boyfriend.

Lucien came back half an hour later with a huge trolley full of food.

The restaurant was so impressed by this massive order that the owner itself came personally to greet Lucien, the big spender.

In the end, most of it was packed neatly and taken back to the Silent Walkers Pack House to distribute to the pack members.

"Glad that we settled the issue," Lucien said.

He extended his hand toward Kinnon.

"See you again, Alpha Kinnon."

Kinnon took Lucien's hand, but he did not let go.

"Lucien, can we talk?" he asked.

"Just the two of us."

Lucien nodded.

He turned to his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Anna, go back without me first. I will come home a little later."

Once, they had given each other the promise to marry each other.

Once, Kinnon thought that Lucien was going to be his forever.

The short period in which Lucien lived in his pack house and became both his lover and Ralph's mother was the most beautiful time in his life.

It was amazing how well Lucien fit in.

It's not because Kinnon forced his pack members to accept Lucien.

Lucien did it all himself with his amazing personality and character.

He gained acceptance not only from Kinnon and Bjorn but from everyone within the pack. Even the most critical elders came to see him as a wonderful prospective Luna.

A perfect addition to complete the little Alpha family.

To the Night Prowler Pack's greatest sorrow, the beautiful dream ended too soon.

.....

The relationship that Kinnon worked so hard and hoped for was destroyed within one night.

It was a lie if Kinnon said that he did not wish to separate Landon from Lucien forever.

Kinnon would love Lucien with or without his wolf.

But of course, which werewolves readily parted with their other halves?

Lucien was Landon and Landon was Lucien.

Lucien might be unwilling to admit it, but his and Landon's heart had long since belonged to Ronan and Beowulf.

After months of struggles over life and death, they had finally come to this point.

The man he desired since youth was going to be married to someone else.

"I received the wedding invitation," Kinnon said in a cool tone. "I believe congratulations are in order."

"Thank you."

An eerie silence fell on the table.

The muscles on Kinnon's cheeks twitched visibly.

It was almost funny how they spoke just fine to each other when Lucien was hidden at the Night Prowler Pack House recently.

Ah yes.

Of course, it was fine.

It was because they were not talking about their broken relationship.

Kinnon cleared his throat and sipped on his strong cappuccino.

Lucien kept his gaze trained on his own cup. He did not know what to say.

Just like how he did not know how to reject Kinnon outright when they were young.

"Are you happy, Lucien?" Kinnon popped the burning question in his heart.

Upon hearing Kinnon's question, Lucien lifted his eyes to meet the man's.

"Yes."

"Do you love him?"

Back then, Kinnon would have given the world to hear an "I love you" coming from Lucien's mouth. It never came.

How ironic. Annalynne was just here to ask in what way she was inferior to Lucien. Kinnon would love to ask the same thing in comparison to Ronan, but the words would not leave his lips.

It was because he already knew the answer.

It was not because he was inferior to Ronan. To

It was because Lucien loved Ronan and not him.

"Yes," Lucien confirmed.

Kinnon broke into a chuckle.

"That's good," he said. "That's wonderful. Excuse me, I have to go now."

Kinnon rose to his feet and turned around to leave.

He could not take it anymore.

The anger, the jealousy over Lucien's preference for Ronan.

The stupid fated mate connection ruined it all.

If Kinnon did not go now, he might do something to ruin Lucien's wedding.

"Kinnon."

Lucien climbed off his chair and pulled at Kinnon's shoulder to stop him from leaving.

"Wait."

The man with dark brown hair refused to look at Lucien. He did not have the confidence to maintain his composure.

Even the shoulder under Lucien's hand was slightly quivering with boiling emotions.

"Spare me, Lucien. I don't need you to comfort me."

That was the last thing he needed from Lucien.

He did not want to hear about him deserving someone better than Lucien or that there would be someone in the future who deserved his love more.

"I am not planning to comfort you."

...

"I am sorry for how it turned out," Lucien said. "For all it matters, I wish things had been different."

Because Lucien meant it when he agreed to marry Kinnon. That was why he gave his all to fit in with the Night Prowler Pack.

He had already given up every hope, every chance to be with Ronan.

Kinnon tilted his head backward and sighed. When he closed his eyes, he was brought back to the night when Landon came back.

If Landon had not come back, they would have marked each other that night.

Mating bonds were protected by the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess.

It was only reversible through a rejection, but a man of integrity like Lucien would never do that.

Kinnon knew that.

If only they became mates that night.

Maybe then, five years from then, Lucien would truly become his.

In body, heart, and soul.

If only.

If only!

"I am sorry too," Kinnon said with a hoarse voice. "But I can't help it."

Lucien widened his eyes in surprise.

Before he could react, he was already pulled into Kinnon's tight embrace.

"Kinnon..."

"Sorry," Kinnon said while pressing a kiss on top of Lucien's head. "Just one last hug. You will grant me that much, will you, Lucien?"

Just

a hug.

One last time.

Wordlessly, Lucien put his arms around Kinnon and caressed his back.

The two men held each other for the longest time.

Kinnon took a deep breath and inhaled Lucien's sweet orange scent.

The love in his heart burst forth like water breaking through a dam.

.....

"I love you," the Alpha whispered in the lowest voice he could muster. "I love you so much..."

Lucien's "I love you"s were reserved for Ronan and no one else.

He used to expect Lucien to respond with the same sentence. Now he no longer did.

They loosened their embrace and Lucien cupped Kinnon's face with both hands.

"Thank you for loving me. I am not lucky enough to love you back."

Kinnon shook his head and smiled.

"You look down at me, Lucien Clearwater. I don't need you to love me back."

He brought Lucien's hands to his lips and pressed a kiss on the knuckles.

"I will continue loving you, even if you are in love with Ronan."

"... Kinnon."

Kinnon grabbed the back of Lucien's neck and said in a low voice, "Tell that to Alpha Ron

Ronan did not immediately answer. He merely pinned Miss Baker with a penetrating stare.

The seasoned journalist flashed him a sweet smile and then continued, "I am just asking because of some pictures that I found online this afternoon. Would Mr. Silverback like to have a peek?"

What pictures?

Of Lucien and Kinnon together?

The Alpha's face darkened at the very thought.

Before Ronan answered with a yes or no, Miss Baker already whipped out her phone and showed Ronan the pictures that she was referring to.

Those who were present during the interview could see the ripples in Ronan Silverback's gaze when he feasted upon the ungodly images.

The Glamvision team probably expected him to lose his composure and go rampant right then and there.

Scandalous news coverage about the angry CEO was something worth dying for.

To Ronan's credit, he regained his composure after only a moment of perturbation. He straightened his coat and then leaned back in his seat with his fingers neatly intertwined in each other before him.

"Kinnon, Lucien, and I are childhood friends. I see no problem with them hanging out without me. Do you?"

Miss Baker was slightly surprised at the sharp retort.

"No, of course not," she said with a nervous smile.

The woman then tucked away her phone and continued with the scripted interview questions.

Although the storm passed safely, Mara Keenthorne who watched from the side was seething with rage.

She couldn't believe it.

Sure, Ronan Silverback had suffered from worse attacks during his other interviews, but all of them were business-related. Ronan practically aced all the interviews! This was the first time he had to answer this kind of private question!

Having dealt with Ronan and Lucien a lot back when the news about Lillian Woodland came to the surface, Mara knew how strongly they felt for each other.

And also how many times their relationship had had to suffer time and time again.

The Glamvision team was too ruthless!!!

This was the first and last interview with Ronan Silverback that Mara granted Glamvision, EVER!

On top of it, what pictures did she show Ronan, exactly?

And how did these pictures even exist beyond Mara's knowledge???

The PR Head was about to go insane.

The interview ended in a little over an hour, after which Miss Baker and her team from Glamvision left the corporate headquarters.

It was already quite late by then, so Ronan grabbed his briefcase and left with Milroy in tow.

Mara did not go back to the pack house immediately. Instead, she returned to her office and started to search frantically online for the supposedly scandalous pictures.

Whatever they were, the woman secretly hoped that the pictures were doctored.

Unfortunately, as she soon found out, the pictures were real.

Mara did

not even need to search deep inside the sea of information.

Entering the keyword "Lucien Clearwater" was enough to conjure pictures of the man's activities throughout the day.

There were a few snapshots of Lucien and Kinnon in each other's arms. And Kinnon gently pressing a kiss on top of Lucien's head.

Oh, no.

Judging from the amateur quality and also the angle of the pictures, it was clear that they were taken secretly without Lucien's or Kinnon's knowledge.

Being another handsome and rich business tycoon, Kinnon had his own fans. Some of them must have seen them together before, probably in an intimate setting.

It must be Lucien's fans or anti-fans who stalked him, took the pictures discreetly, and then posted them online.

Mara's fingers flew over the keyboard like a proficient dancer.

And yes, look at that, she could replace pictures of them from around a year ago, going on outings as a family with little Ralph Youngshaper. They looked so sweet and compatible as a couple. Although Kinnon never announced their plan to get married outside of the werewolf community, the loving gazes that the two men shared unmistakably spoke for a deeper relationship.

Mara rolled with her eyes.

The pictures invited a lot of reactions from the public.

The first group maintained a very positive view of Lucien and said that the man was just reminiscing about the past with Kinnon.

The second group was blessed with a dramatic personality and said that Lucien was starting to doubt his decision to marry Ronan.

After all, Ronan was implicated in so many scandals in the past. What if he was unable to treat Lucien right after they got married?

The third group condemned Lucien for cheating right away.

They were unmistakably Ronan's fans.

Sigh.

It did not matter whether Kinnon was a better partner than Ronan or not.

Or whether Lucien wanted to keep a friendship with Kinnon or not.

The fact was that Lucien was about to get married to Ronan, so Lucien should have known better than to meet Kinnon alone.

And now they had this huge mess.

In the end, Mara closed her laptop and groaned into her palms.

Oh, why? Why?

Just why must the Luna meet up with Alpha Kinnon?

Did he not know the rivalry between the two packs? And how these two Alphas saw each other?

Sure, the pictures only showed the two men harmlessly hugging each other, but what would people think about it??? And the pack members from both sides???

Heck, they almost killed each other during the war!

Worst of all, what would Ronan think about it???

Mara facepalmed and groaned from heartaches.

The next morning, Ronan went to work as usual.

There was a look of desolation in the Alpha's eyes, one that could be interpreted as disappointment, sadness, and resignation all in one.

Milroy was shaken with fright.

He had never seen his boss look this way.

The man barely set his briefcase on his desk before he gave Milroy an instruction early in the morning.

"There is a meeting at Ravenfall City that I must attend today at 2 PM. Book me the flight as soon as possible."

When Milroy heard it, he almost gasped audibly.

The purification ceremony at North Ridge Forest was to take place in two days!

Swallowing his saliva nervously, the younger assistant then asked hopefully, "A-Alpha, shall I book the return flight back to Hapsborough City at night? Or maybe the following night?"