Mated to my sister’s ugly mate

At Nine Clouds Media, CEO’s office:

Xavier pushed the door open, the creaking sound echoing in the dimly lit room. He entered cautiously, his eyes immediately drawn to Alpha Kilian, who sat behind the oak desk. Adjusting his spectacles nervously, Xavier placed the stack of documents on the desk with a gravity befitting of the occasion. He adopted a tone that mimicked the sternness of the secretary and said, “Director Lances, these documents require your signature.”

It had always been the task of the secretary to deliver documents, but Xavier’s purpose for personally delivering them was obvious.

As he set the papers down, Alpha Kilian’s voice cut through the silence, cold and unfeeling. “Get out.”

Xavier had always been audacious in the presence of Alpha Kilian, never one to back down. He removed his glasses and looked up, revealing the recklessness of a hedonistic son. His voice dripped with disdain and pity as he spoke, “Alpha Kilian, I pity you. You finally got yourself a wife, didn’t you? And now she’s cheating on you with your cousin. Allow me to interview you, how does it feel?”

Alpha Kilian raised his gaze, his ink-like eyes filled with icy coldness. “You wish to expand business in Africa?”

Xavier’s expression changed, his head shaking vigorously. “I have no intentions of going!”

He vehemently refused the idea of going to Africa.

“Still refusing?” Alpha Kilian’s face darkened. He had no desire to further discuss the matter.

But Xavier, always one to stir up trouble, couldn’t resist and asked in a low voice, “What if Shadow falls in love with ‘Alpha Dominic’ and discovers your true identity?”

Alpha Kilian didn’t even need to think about it, interrupting him with confidence. “That’s impossible.”

“She won’t find out you’re Alpha Kilian? Do you really believe you can hide it from her forever?” Xavier saw Alpha Kilian as incredibly powerful, but even he doubted the extent of his power.

“She isn’t the type to figure it out.”

Alpha Kilian’s response was cryptic, leaving Xavier perplexed. He exaggeratedly fanned his face with his hand, clicking his tongue. “How long have you been with her, for her to not suspect a thing? I can almost smell the sour jealousy!”

Arthur entered the room, catching the end of Xavier’s sentence. Confused, he asked, “What’s that smell?”

Xavier spoke with a knowing tone. “Oh, it’s not the scent of jealousy. We single men only have the fragrance.”

Arthur, being a traditional straight man, looked puzzled. He couldn’t grasp the meaning behind Xavier’s words.

Rolling his eyes, Xavier scoffed, “The stench of love, you just don’t get it. No wonder you’re still single.”

Arthur smiled, hitting Xavier where it hurt. “You’ve been holding onto that crush since childhood, and she still manages to slip away. How does it feel?”

Xavier’s face darkened, unable to contain his anger. He lunged at Arthur, violently beating him. His voice filled with rage, he shouted, “You came in here today, but you won’t leave alive!”

Xavier had nurtured an unfulfilled longing for someone since he was young, and the person he desired had managed to escape.

Alpha Kilian watched the scene unfold, unfazed. When the two finished their scuffle, he raised his eyes. “Once you finish packing, you can leave.”

The two of them begrudgingly finished their task before departing.

…

Shadow found herself surrounded by gossip and rumors throughout the day.

Eventually, people grew tired of talking about it and the subject was no longer brought up.

As she left the Eden Group and prepared to wait for Frank, her phone rang. It was Frank, informing her of a traffic jam and his delayed arrival.

Shadow started heading towards the entrance, but a voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Shadow.”

She turned around to see Lisa standing behind her.

Surprised, Shadow asked coldly, “What do you want?”

“I just wanted to ask if the news about you and Alpha Kilian’s cousin is true.” Lisa’s tone expressed an unusually genuine concern.

Shadow sensed that something was amiss. Suspicion filled her eyes as she stared at Lisa. “What’s going on?”

Ignoring how Lisa had previously treated her, Shadow couldn’t fully dismiss the possibility of ulterior motives.

Lisa smiled, her gentle appearance momentarily easing Shadow’s guard. “It’s nothing. I saw all the harsh comments towards you on the internet. I’m a bit worried about you.”

Lisa paused before continuing, her voice tinged with regret. “It’s my fault, you know. If I hadn’t arranged for you to marry into the Lances family, none of this would have happened. You wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Shadow found Lisa’s words increasingly absurd. Her doubts deepened as she observed Lisa’s behavior. “Is there something you’re not saying?”

No matter how indifferent Lisa had been in the past, Shadow couldn’t completely disregard her. There was still a lingering familial connection.

Lisa smiled but her expression held a hint of desperation. “Shadow, even though I didn’t show it before, I do care about you.”

Shadow’s phone rang again, this time it was Frank. She answered, “I’m at the entrance. You can come over now.”

Before she could hang up, Lisa grabbed her arm. There was a sense of urgency in her voice. “Who’s coming to pick you up?”

“Alpha Kilian sent someone.” Shadow felt increasingly uneasy about Lisa’s strange behavior.

Lisa’s concern from earlier replayed in her mind. She was moved, but now that she had regained her composure, all she felt was exhaustion and numbness.

“I don’t know what Jessica and the others are planning, but let me remind you to consider your own well-being. Don’t be too attached to Dad.”

Jessica would never show any filial piety towards Lisa in the future. To Jessica, Lisa was nothing more than a servant assigned to warm her father’s bed. Lisa failed to realize this.

Lisa seemed stunned by Shadow’s words, her hesitation palpable.

As Shadow sat in the car, she looked out the window at Lisa, who still stood rooted to the spot where they had been speaking. Lisa’s bowed head made it difficult to discern her expression, but Shadow could sense the internal struggle.

What was she hesitating about?Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

She was contemplating whether or not to help Jessica in her plan against Shadow.

Lisa had tried to coax Shadow into revealing something, unaware that she had already been exposed.

Shadow saw through her intentions and tactfully avoided answering Lisa’s questions about “Alpha Dominic.”

No matter what schemes they had or tricks they attempted, Shadow was ready to face them head-on.