Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The Uncle’s Mystery

Lila’s POV

The study door closed, shutting out the noise from outside. Flames danced in the fireplace, casting a warm orange glow across the room. Jasper let go of me and walked over to the drink cabinet. He poured two glasses of warm water, handing one to me. He then leaned against the edge of his desk. He appeared relaxed, but a heavy aura emanated from him.

“I reviewed the last century’s worth of genealogical records and bloodline registries,” he said, taking a sip of water. His heavy gaze fell upon the dancing flames. “I wanted to confirm if he was a Werewolf, or if he had some kind of pact with the Wolf Clan. But the result is this—the name Richard Thorne has never appeared in any Wolf Clan file.”

My heart leaped. “Are you saying… he isn’t a Werewolf?”

“According to all the evidence we have so far, he’s just an ordinary human.” Jasper turned his head, his fiery gaze fixed on me. “No signs of transformation, no Wolf Clan bloodline markers, not even the slightest record related to any supernatural power. He’s like a blank sheet of paper. So clean it’s… abnormal.”

My fingers tightened around the glass of water, my knuckles turning white.

A chill shot up from the soles of my feet to the top of my head. Even the hand holding the glass began to feel cold.

’So, the man I’d always thought of as my “uncle,” that middle-aged man who occasionally appeared in my childhood memories with a constant, goofy grin, could actually be at the center of a huge mystery.’

’An ordinary human, yet he could so easily seize all of my parents’ assets after they died? An ordinary human, yet he could throw me out onto the streets and even make himself the master of that house?’

“That’s impossible…” I muttered to myself. “If he’s just a normal person, how could he have done all that? Where would he get the power?”

“That’s the strangest part.” Jasper leaned forward slightly, his burning gaze fixed on me. “A normal person shouldn’t have been able to absorb the businesses your parents left behind overnight. But he not only did it, he did it flawlessly. Lila, don’t you find that contradictory?”

“You mean…?” I asked hesitantly.

“He definitely had help from some other power,” Jasper’s voice was low and slow, like a dull knife methodically cutting through the fog. “How does an ordinary person bypass legal procedures? And how did he remain silent about your parents’ deaths for so many years, and even… cover up the truth?”

He paused, his tone growing heavier. “So, the problem we’re facing now is even more complicated than we imagined. First, we have to figure out under what identity Richard Thorne became your mother’s ’brother.’ What does he really know about your mother’s affairs? And what role did he play in your parents’ ’accident’?”

My mind was a complete mess.

’The place I once called “home,” the uncle who, despite our falling out, was at least “family” in my memory—they had now dissolved into a vague and dangerous fog in my mind.’

“But… how do we investigate?” My voice trembled slightly.

“If we can’t find anything on the surface, then we’ll dig from the shadows.” A cold, sharp light glinted in Jasper’s eyes—the cruelty and confidence of the Wolf King. “He can fool the archives, but he can’t fool time. As long as he has lived in this world, he’s bound to have left a trace.”

“For now, we’ll have Zoe handle luring Lilith into a trap. That will let you wait for the truth to surface in a relatively safe environment.” Jasper’s fingers gently brushed my cheek, his gaze deep and focused. “But Lilith is just a small player. We don’t know what kind of power her father has behind him. I won’t allow any accidents. So, starting tomorrow, my Wolf Guard will increase the patrol density around the villa. Also, I’ll have Zoe send you a few little trinkets for self-defense. You probably won’t need them, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

I saw the unconcealable worry deep in his eyes and nodded solemnly. “Okay, I promise you. I won’t let anything happen to me.”

Jasper finally seemed satisfied. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine, his breath warm and lingering. “Lila, you know? Sometimes I really wish I could hide you away, somewhere no one could ever find you. That way, you’d never be hurt, and you wouldn’t have to hear all that vicious gossip.”

My heart clenched. A bittersweet emotion spread through my chest.

’This Wolf King, so cold, ruthless, and merciless in the eyes of others, always revealed such a vulnerable side to me. His love was domineering yet profound, like an invisible net that held me securely at its center.’

“Silly,” I couldn’t help but stand on my tiptoes and kiss the corner of his mouth. “Even if you hid me away, I’d find a way out. Because my Wolf King is here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

His body tensed abruptly, then he let out a low chuckle, the vibration in his chest resonating through my entire body. He took the lead, deepening the kiss with the urgency of someone who has recovered something precious and a desire that had been suppressed for far too long.

The kiss wasn’t fierce, but it was long and deep, as if it could fuse our very souls. His tongue gently traced the shape of my lips, slowly prying them apart to capture my breath. Yet he was incredibly careful, treating me like a priceless treasure.

After a long while, he reluctantly released me. His forehead still rested against mine, his breathing slightly heavy, and a scorching fire burned in his eyes.

“Lila…” he murmured, his voice incredibly hoarse. “You are my poison, and my antidote.”

My cheeks flushed red, my heart pounded like a drum. My fingertips gently traced his tense jawline. “So what are you going to do? Try to quit me, or…”

“I can’t quit you,” he cut me off, his tone firm and decisive. “Don’t even think about me quitting you in this lifetime. You’re mine, Lila. From the moment you walked through that door, you were destined to be mine.”

He swept me up into his arms and strode toward the bedroom, his steps steady and strong.

“Now,” he glanced down at me, a mischievous smile in his eyes, “my little poison, it’s getting late. We should go to sleep.”

The moment our bodies intertwined, I suddenly let out a muffled grunt, my back arching.

A hot current surged through me. It wasn’t lust, but… something more primal, more profound. It rushed through my body, clearer and more tempestuous than ever before, like a tide breaking through the first dam, bringing with it a tearing pain and the tremor of an awakening.

“What’s wrong?” Jasper stopped immediately, his gaze sharp. “Did I hurt you?”

“No…” I gasped, my fingers digging into his shoulders. “It’s inside… My power… It’s moving.”

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