Lila’s POV
The sparrow outside the window flew away, leaving only a few small feathers on the windowsill, their edges gilded by the morning light.
I looked up at Zoe. "About Lilith... can you still keep in touch with her?"
She nodded imdiately, her lips curving into a sharp, confident smile. "Of course. Jasper put in charge of this investigation from the start."
She paused, a hint of pride in her voice. "He said, ’Zoe will lead the surveillance on the Thorne family. Everyone else is to follow her orders. She knows better than anyone what to look into and what to leave alone.’"
My heart ward at the undisguised earnestness in Zoe’s voice, the feeling of being entrusted with a great responsibility.
"Good," I replied, a note of relief in my voice that I hadn’t even noticed myself. "Then I’m counting on you. Any detail—even if she just idly ntions her mother’s na, or flips through an old photo album... please tell everything."
"You can count on ," she said, patting her chest with a brilliant smile.
Just then, Zoe suddenly clapped her hands, her eyes shining. "Oh! I just rembered the perfect excuse to invite her out on the water. I’d almost forgotten!"
She pulled her phone out of her bag, her fingers flying across the screen. She brought up a high-resolution photo and held it out for to see.
The photo showed a yacht moored on an azure sea. Its hull was sleek, the silver-gray paint glinting with a cool, luxurious hardness in the sunlight. On the bow, one enormous, gilded word glittered under the cara’s lens—
"MOMMY"
I froze.
"The Mommy?" I was utterly stunned. ’So Zoe wasn’t just joking to cheer up earlier.’
Zoe stood with her hands on her hips, her chin tilted up, her smile as brilliant as the midday sun. "Yep! It’s called the Mommy! The na’s already painted on the hull!"
I pressed my palm to my forehead, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Zoe, that na... isn’t it a little too blunt? What if Lilith asks, ’Why is it called the Mommy?’ How will you answer?"
She blinked, her expression completely matter-of-fact. "Why would I have to explain myself to her? She’s not my dad, and she’s not my teacher!" She paused, then suddenly lowered her voice and leaned closer, a cunning glint in her eyes. "However—now that you ntion it, that reminds of sothing else."
She sat back down in her chair and leaned forward, her expression growing unusually serious.
"About your and Jasper’s contract marriage..."
My heart skipped a beat, and I held my breath without thinking.
She looked at , the corners of her mouth curving into a gentle, reassuring smile.
"In the beginning, it was just to give you a place to land on your feet so the Goodrich family wouldn’t look down on you. The Hale family didn’t widely publicize your existence."
She paused, her gaze eting mine, frank and direct.
"But now, it’s plain to see you two are in love. Soon, you’ll be the true First Lady of the Hale Group. So, are you two going to have a wedding of the century and officially announce it to the world?"
I clenched my fists without thinking.
’A wedding...?’
’The title of "Jasper’s wife"... to be honest, it still doesn’t feel real to . Although Jasper and I are genuinely in love right now... I’m afraid to think about whether it could last. After all, my years of feelings for Caleb also vanished in an instant.’
’Not to ntion, if we made a grand, public announcent, would it make Derek guess sothing? Would it trigger an even more deranged plot from him?’
"My advice is," Zoe said, looking straight in the eye, her tone decisive, "it’s ti to announce it."
I didn’t say anything.
I just took a slow, deep breath.
’Zoe’s advice made a lot of sense. Announcing my marriage to Jasper would be a turning point, a silent but sharp boundary line.’
’From then on, anyone who tried to get close to would first have to cross that line—’
’First, guards could openly appear by my side to ensure my basic personal safety.’
’Ordinary people, or even average Werewolves, wouldn’t dare to make a move against .’
’It would also be a way to identify my true enemies.’
"However," I said, pausing as my fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the desk, "Jasper is still in Black Water Town. We’ll have to wait for him to get back to discuss this."
Zoe nodded, not disagreeing in the slightest. "Of course. That’s between the two of you." She blinked, her tone becoming light and breezy. "Buuuut... the maiden voyage party for the Mommy can’t wait. See you at the marina, tomorrow at three p.m. Lilith has already confird she’ll be there—she even ssaged to ask if she could bring her mom on board.’"
I let out a small laugh, a sharp, easy confidence in it that I hadn’t even noticed myself.
"Her mother, the mole they call Gray Dove? Then by all ans, let her bring her."
「The day of the party arrived in the blink of an eye.」
The morning sunlight, carrying the crisp, bright quality unique to early spring, poured generously through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the master suite in Moon Hidden Villa, flooding the entire walk-in closet.
Zoe was like a sparrow that had found its way into a jewelry vault, flitting excitedly between the rows of clothing racks. She was wearing a bright orange miniskirt today with her hair in a high ponytail, making her look like a dancing fla.
"No, no, no!" She snatched the plain, cream-colored dress from my hand and shook it disdainfully. "It’s too bland! Today is the Mommy’s maiden voyage! You’re one of the stars of the show, not here for a funeral!"
I stood helplessly before the full-length mirror, looking at my reflection—dressed in a silk robe, my hair a ss, with faint dark circles under my eyes.
"Then what do you suggest I wear?" I asked.
Zoe didn’t answer. She just stood on her tiptoes, reached up, and took a velvet box down from a glass case on the highest shelf.
She opened the box. A swimsuit lay quietly inside.
It was a two-piece with a minimalist, high-waisted cut, colored a deep, dark blue. It had no garish sequins or flamboyant lace. The top featured a vintage cross-back design, and the bottoms were high-waisted and wide-legged. The fabric was a matte spandex with a subtle sheen that felt cool and smooth to the touch, like a second skin.
"Try this on," Zoe said, shoving the box into my hands, her eyes sparkling. "Jasper had it custom-made in Milan last week. He said to give it to you whenever you were willing to get in the water. Let see... yup, the size is a perfect fit."
I froze.
As my fingertips brushed over the cool, smooth fabric, it felt as if sothing soft had gently nudged my heart.
’It wasn’t because of the gift itself.’
’It was because... he rembered.’
’He rembered that I’d never once gone for a swim in the pool at Moon Hidden Villa.’
’He rembered how I always said the water was too cold, how I always said, "Maybe when I’m in the mood soday."’
’He rembered every little thing I’d ever said offhandedly, things I never even took seriously myself.’
Zoe didn’t give ti to space out. She grabbed my wrist and pushed toward the dressing room. "Hurry up and change! We don’t have all day!"
In the dressing room, I slipped out of my robe and put on the deep blue swimsuit.
In the mirror, my shoulders looked defined and my waist slender, the high-waisted cut cleverly flattering my proportions. The deep blue was like a calm sea, enveloping in a way that wasn’t too ostentatious, but still gave an undeniable presence.
’Is this really ? Lila Bennett?’
I almost didn’t dare to open the door and walk out.
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