(Third Person POV).
Jeffery walked into Draven’s office, a form neatly tucked under his arm.
Draven sat behind his heavy oak desk, scribbling a few notes, but he looked up as Jeffery approached.
"Alpha," Jeffery handed the form over.
Draven leaned back, accepting it. He flipped through the information quickly, noticing Meredith’s neat, deliberate handwriting.
His sharp gaze immediately caught the blank spaces. She had filled everything except the ’Spouse’s Name’ and ’Home Address’ sections.
He understood skipping the address—she wouldn’t know it yet since she had just arrived at Duskmoor.
But leaving out the name?
He tapped the corner of the page against his desk once, thoughtful.
Did she not know his full name? Or did she know it perfectly well—and simply chose to leave it blank just to pass a message to him?
A slow exhale escaped Draven. He would never know Meredith’s true intentions on this matter.
Without hesitation, Draven plucked a black-ink pen from the tray beside him and filled in the missing details himself.
In the ’Spouse Name’ box, he wrote in careful block letters:
Alpha Draven Oatrun.
When he finished, he turned the page and signed twice at the designated places before handing the form back to Jeffery.
"Take care of it," Draven said simply.
Jeffery bowed his head. "As you command, Alpha."
---
Meanwhile, upstairs, Wanda entered Xamira’s sunny room and found the little girl sitting cross-legged on the pastel play mat, surrounded by toys.
Wanda’s smile stretched wide. "Good morning, my darling. How are you feeling?"
Xamira beamed up at her, warmth filling her small face. "Good!" she chirped. "But..." Her hands lifted to touch her cheeks gently. "I don’t like how red my face still is."
Wanda’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
She crouched down beside Xamira, her hand half-extended as if to touch the girl’s face, then hesitated, withdrawing her fingers at the last moment. She felt a bit irritated.
But she masked the motion quickly, plastering a sympathetic expression over her features as soon as she realized how obvious her action was.
"That woman almost ruined your beautiful face," Wanda said, voice heavy with fake sorrow. "It breaks my heart to see you like this."
Xamira’s small fingers brushed her cheek again, her expression turning uncertain.
Across the room, Dorothy, the nanny, was busy folding clothes, perhaps far enough away to miss the poisonous whispers.
Wanda leaned closer, her voice lowering sneakily.
"She almost cost you your life, Xamira. And you know what? She hasn’t even come to check on you. Not once. She didn’t even say a word to you during breakfast."
Xamira’s hand fell to her lap. Her gaze dropped to the colourful mat, the happiness draining from her little body.
"Does she... hate me that much?" Xamira asked, her voice tiny.
Wanda hesitated just enough to let the impression sink deep. Then, she carefully changed the subject, smiling brightly.
"Your father and Uncle Dennis are going to ride the horses today! You should come watch them!"
Xamira’s head popped up immediately. "Really?"
"Yes," Wanda said, chuckling softly. "And you must cheer for your father. Otherwise, that woman might beat you to it."
Xamira’s brows furrowed fiercely. She shot to her feet. "I will cheer Daddy! I will be louder than her!"
Wanda laughed lightly and lifted her palm for a high-five.
The little girl smacked it enthusiastically.
"Good girl," Wanda said smoothly.
---
Meanwhile, Deidra burst into Meredith’s room without knocking, excitement radiating from her.
"My lady! The Alpha and his brother are racing horses today! In half an hour!"
Meredith, sitting on the couch, flipping through a fashion magazine, displaying Duskmoor’s models, a thing she had just learnt from Kira. She barely lifted her gaze.
"I see," she said flatly.
Of course, Deidra wasn’t alone trying to convince her for long.
Azul chimed in, practically bouncing with energy. "You should come, my lady. It’s not good to stay indoors all day."
Kira nodded firmly. "It will be fun. You will enjoy it, my lady. I promise."
Meredith pressed her lips together, pretending to mull it over even though she was very interested since the time she learnt from Dennis about Draven being able to tame and ride horses.
Then she sighed dramatically. "Fine. I will come."
Her maidservants beamed in triumph.
---
Thirty minutes later, Meredith walked outside, escorted by Azul, Kira, and Deidra.
The back lawn of the estate stretched out before them—an endless sea of emerald green.
The grass was cut neatly, velvet soft and glistening under the warm morning sun. The edges blurred into a distant horizon; no walls, no fences, just open freedom.
The occasional white flag on slim poles fluttered gently in the breeze, marking the perimeters for the horses, but otherwise, it was an expanse of unbroken beauty.
Three large cream-colored umbrellas—elegant yet simple — were set up at the sides for the spectators, with plush outdoor couches beneath them.
Meredith’s group led her to the first umbrella.
She settled onto the cushioned seat, the gentle breeze tugging at the hem of her light dress.
Across to her left, under the second umbrella, sat Wanda and Xamira.
Meredith noticed immediately how Wanda narrowed her eyes the second she saw her.
Wanda leaned down and whispered into Xamira’s ear, a vicious gleam hidden behind her perfect smile.
"It’s good you came, sweetheart. Otherwise, that woman would have cheered louder for your Daddy."
Xamira’s small face darkened, her eyes fixed on Meredith with uncertainty.
Meredith, feeling the child’s stare, turned and met her gaze. She softened instantly.
Xamira’s little cheeks were still faintly red, but she looked better. Stronger than in the morning.
Meredith opened her mouth, about to tell Azul that she wanted to check on the child, when a shadow fell across her. She glanced up.
Dennis stood there, grinning broadly. He was dressed for riding, his white shirt open at the collar, and his polished boots were ready.
"It’s good to see you again so soon, Meredith," he said smoothly.
Instantly, her frown deepened. She recognized the playful smirk at the corner of his lips.
It was mockery. Pure mockery.
"I assure you," Meredith said coldly, "there’s nothing good about it."
Dennis chuckled, unbothered.
From a distance, Draven approached, his sharp gaze narrowing slightly as he caught sight of the scene—his brother, all smiles and teasing, and Meredith looking supremely unimpressed.
Without a word, he adjusted his pace and started toward them.