Luis leaned back, completely unfazed. “And why would I?”
Thank goodness I came prepared.
I never officially worked for the company, but I had my own people inside.
I pulled a folder from my bag and handed it to him – our project proposal.
Deanna put the whole thing together. I had someone snag it from her office.
It was detailed, impressive – even I had to admit that. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have dared bring it here.
“This outlines the Moonline Expansion Project. It’s been in the pipeline for two years. We’re estimating returns around 35%. I know the Mooncrown Pack invests in solid ventures. I promise – you won’t regret it.”
Luis took the file and flipped through a few pages without much interest.
“Not bad,” he said, sounding bored. “But Ms. Jillian, I don’t invest just because the numbers look good. Most of the time… it depends on my mood.”
I froze, caught off guard.
How was I supposed to argue with that?
He added coolly, “I’ve got a meeting to get to. Someone show her out.”
Panic surged up my throat, and I blurted, “Mr. Eaton, we don’t have to talk shop right now. I’ve heard so much about you – I’d love to grab dinner sometime.”
“There’s a long list of people dying to eat with me. Where do you think you land on it?”
His words hit like a slap.
I stood there stunned, unable to say anything.
Just then, Avery appeared, grabbed my arm, and leaned in. “You should go.”
I glanced back at Luis – tall, distant, impossible to read – then pouted and let Avery lead me out, sulking the whole way.
…
Avery’s POV:
Right after I walked Jillian out, I saw the Luis stepping out of his office.
I quickly stepped aside and kept my head down. “Alpha.”
He paused, gaze unreadable. “That was the Ms. Wiley you told me about?”
Wait – is there another Ms. Wiley I’m not aware of?
“Y-Yes. That was her. The Mistbane Pack’s heiress.”
He gave a cold look. “I don’t keep fools around. Ada, retrain her before she sets foot in here again.”
Without another word, he headed toward his private elevator.
Ada stood from her desk. “Understood.”
“Ada…” I murmured, my eyes already stinging.
She sighed. “Looks like the Alpha’s got no love for the Mistbane Pack – or their heiress. You’d better be careful.”
I nodded weakly, completely defeated.
Right in front of me, Ada picked up the phone and called the front desk. “From now on, if a Ms. Wiley from the Mistbane Pack shows up asking for the Alpha, turn her away. No exceptions.”
…
Luis’ POV:
Truthfully, the project Jillian brought wasn’t bad, but it annoyed me.
The Mistbane Pack was desperate for funding, and even Jillian knew to come knocking.
So, where was Deanna?
Off chasing Jake again?
I couldn’t concentrate anymore. Work felt pointless.
I left the office and drove back to Hollyvale Estate.
As soon as I stepped into the garden, a huge white dog came charging across the lawn.
I caught him mid-air, laughing. “Still think you’re a pup, huh? Running around like this?”
The dog barked like he was offended.
I carried him to the middle of the yard and set him down, a smile on my face.
The housekeeper handed me a brush, and I started grooming the furball.
As I brushed, I muttered under my breath, “Puddy, your mom’s got no heart.
“She broke her promise from way back, and now she’s just moved on. Think she’d even recognize you if she saw you? Maybe you should show up and jog her memory.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Who am I kidding? She can’t even recognize me anymore. What chance do you have?
“You used to be this tiny mess of fur. Look at you now – built like a beast. I guess hoping you’ll spark something in Deanna’s memory is just wishful thinking, huh?”
Deanna’s POV:
I was digging through my office looking for the Moonline Expansion Project file when I suddenly sneezed.
Someone must be trash-talking me behind my back.
Seriously though, where the hell did that proposal go?
I had planned to take it straight to Luis, walk him through the numbers like a pro, and convince him to invest.
And if that didn’t work? I was fully prepared to shamelessly cash in that favor he owed me.
But now the whole file was gone.
I could’ve sworn I left it right on my desk.
I even pulled an all-nighter finishing it.
“Kylie, has anyone been in my office these past couple of days?”
Kylie kept her eyes down. “Ms. Wiley, no one’s touched your office.”
I narrowed my eyes, watching her for a moment, but decided not to press it.
There was no way that file just vanished into thin air – but if she wasn’t going to talk, there wasn’t much I could do.
“You can go,” I said, waving her off.
Never mind.
I had every page of that proposal committed to memory. I could present it without the folder.
I got in the car and headed for the Mooncrown Pack’s headquarters.
At the front desk, I kept my tone polite. “Hi, could you help me get in touch with your alpha?”
“And you are?”
“Deanna Wiley, from Mistbane Pack.”
“The heiress of Mistbane Pack?” The receptionist gave me a quick once-over, then offered a crisp, polite smile. “I’m sorry, but the alpha isn’t here.”
“Can I leave a message? Or maybe schedule an appointment for when he’s back?”
Her expression turned bland. “We don’t take walk-ins. If we allowed everyone to schedule a meeting, he’d never get any work done.”
Are you serious? I grumbled to myself.
If I couldn’t even speak to Luis, how was I supposed to get this funding?
I tried one more time. “Please – this is important. It won’t take long.”
She didn’t blink. “I’m sorry, Ms. Wiley. The answer’s still no.”
Defeated, I walked out of the building, completely deflated.
That was when my phone rang. It was Philip.
“Deanna, where are you? I stopped by your office. Your assistant said you went out.”
“I’m trying to lock down investors.”
“Any progress?”
“Still working on it.”
“You’ve already got Jake backing you, but you’re dead set on finding outside capital. You think it’s easy to raise four billion?”
“Jake’s not making a fuss about it. His beta – Axel – called today. Said he wants to see you.”
Jake?
He was just sitting back, waiting for me to fold.
I glanced up at the towering glass building above me and muttered, “I’ll figure it out on my own.”
“Deanna,” Philip snapped over the phone, “you and Jake are about to sign that contract. Stop being immature and just apologize already. You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”
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