Three days into her recovery, Charlotte found herself restless enough to drag her IV pole on a lap around the safe room.
Rowan had been religious about changing her bandages, but his snarky comments never seemed to end.
"Hey, Kingslayer. Still kicking?"
"This serum is worth more than every asset in your territory. Don't expect me to just hand it over for free."
She'd heard enough of his barbs to last a lifetime.
Charlotte had his number: Rowan was your textbook guy who used a sharp tongue to hide a grudge-holding heart.
But this particular nuisance had a very specific, very secret weakness—he was a total sucker for anything "fluffy." He simply couldn't say no to a cute animal.
She glanced at the wall clock, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.
When Rowan pushed the door open, ready to launch into another round of insults, he froze dead in his tracks.
Charlotte had shed her usual icy persona.
She was leaning weakly against a wicker chair by the window, the soft amber light washing over her porcelain skin, lending her an air of incredible fragility.
But the real showstopper was perched atop her head: a pair of frost-white ears had 'accidentally' poked through her hair.
They were pointed and twitching slightly in the breeze, radiating a sense of utter innocence. Behind her, a thick, fluffy white tail lay limp on the floor.
"Rowan... you're here," Charlotte murmured, turning her head. Her eyes were misty, and her voice was as soft as silk.
"Your... your ears? Are you shifting?" Rowan's voice cracked, a telltale tremor betraying his composure.
"It hurts... I can't suppress the shift..." Charlotte bit her lip, letting out a low, whimpering sound—the fragile whine of a pup.
She leaned into the "soft and cute" persona. As Rowan stepped closer to check on her, she "absent-mindedly" rubbed her furry head against his palm.
"Who told you to—" Rowan's sarcasm died in his throat. He stood there frozen, stunned, for ten solid seconds.
"You... you wolf! What is wrong with you?!"
Heat crept up his neck, staining his ears a violent crimson. Even as he snapped, "Don't touch me! You're filthy!"
His hand moved as if possessed, cupping one of the snowy white ears. He tried to play it cool: "I'm just checking your temperature. Stay still."
"This stuff tastes like poison... do I really have to?" Charlotte looked up at him with big, pleading eyes.
Drink it or die!" Rowan barked, but even as he snarled, he was fumbling through his pockets for a strawberry candy.
He shoved it into her mouth, having gone through the trouble of warming the medicine first.
Like a harmless pet, Charlotte nudged his hand again with a soft, low thrum in her throat." Rowan's mental defenses were crumbling at record speed.
"Rowan... do you think I'm going to die? Everyone says I'm a killer... no one believes me." She lowered her gaze, a single tear clinging to her lashes, threatening to fall.
She knew this "damsel in distress" routine would hit his ego right where it counted. Rowan's guilt-tripped protective instincts were about to blow.
"Shut up! As long as I'm here, who's going to let you die?" Rowan roared, though his movements were incredibly gentle as he tucked several high-grade healing fruits into her lap.
He even clumsily tried to smooth out her messy tail fur.
[Ding! Massive emotional fluctuation detected in target Rowan! Favorability unlocked: +25%. Total Progress: 25%!]
Just as Rowan was frantically trying to comfort her, Edric walked in.
The sight of Rowan 'grooming' her caused Edric's polished smile to falter. The air in the room turned thick with sudden tension.
Hiding behind Rowan's back, Charlotte shot Edric a triumphant, wicked little grin. These two men were now officially pieces on her chessboard.
Late that night, in the safe room.
"This is your plan?" Edric stared at the complex algorithms on the screen, completely floored.
Charlotte's fingers flew over the virtual keys in a seamless rhythm.
While she had been "recovering," she hadn't just been hacking the White Wolf surveillance; she'd also optimized Edric's entire trade network for the Brown Wolves.
"Your old encryption was full of holes." Charlotte said, arching an eyebrow as she hit the Enter key.
"I've built you a state-of-the-art 'Quantum Ghost Algorithm.' From this second on, the Brown Wolf Clan's assets are invisible to the world. "
"Not even Ragnar of the Black Wolves will be able to track your cash flow. In exchange, I want you to use your contacts to hand me the keys to the island's entire supply chain."
Edric watched the data dance across the screen, a glint of raw ambition ignited in his eyes.
Looking at him, she knew he no longer saw her as just an ally—she was his one-way ticket to the top of the hierarchy.
"Charlotte, you really are full of surprises." Edric stepped up behind her, placing his hands on the back of her chair and leaning in until she was half-encircled in his arms.
In the dim light, their shadows merged into one.
"That was just the down payment." Charlotte turned her head, their noses nearly touching.
She could feel the hitch in his breath. This smooth operator was losing his grip, one step at a time.
Suddenly, a "ping" echoed from the computer. Authur had reached out through an encrypted channel.
She opened an audio file—a recorded conversation between Valeria and Magnus.
"She couldn't care less about the people. She's already plotting a political marriage with the Black Wolf Clan."
".Looks like she wants to borrow the Black Wolf King's army to secure her coronation," Charlotte noted with a cold, mocking laugh.
Edric looked at her, deep in thought. "If we have Rowan intervene—using the excuse of needing human test subjects—we might be able to smuggle your old guard out of White Wolf territory."
"I'm not betting my life on her whims." Charlotte said, the light catching the perfect profile of her face.
"You're going to the Black Wolf territory?" Edric guessed her move.
"Get things ready for me." Charlotte stood up. Though her wound still throbbed, her steely, authoritative edge had returned.
"I'm heading to the Black Wolf lands. It's time I met this 'savage' King myself."
"Like hell you're going anywhere!"
A furious roar shook the door.