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Don't miss a single moment of this captivating short drama. We bring you the best billionaire romance, intense revenge stories, and high-quality web series tailored for you.
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Disclaimer: All content is properly licensed and distributed.
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Short filmTranscript
00:02Afraid the snake gets jealous?
00:05His feelings aren't my concern.
00:07But I genuinely can't be bothered to see you.
00:09I'm not your owner anymore.
00:11You are! We never thought of Chloe as our owner!
00:14We never touched her either!
00:16If you'd wanted, we would have helped you disappear from that wedding a long time ago!
00:21So in your eyes, I'm still your owner.
00:25But in mine, you haven't been worth that in a long time.
00:33Director Ashford, these contracts need your review.
00:36Come in.
00:37I'll set the pen down.
00:40Before you go, let everyone know.
00:42Those three shifters downstairs are not to be let up.
00:45If they come back, have security remove them.
00:48Understood, Director.
00:49Also, you have a meeting shortly.
00:51What coffee would you like?
00:52Oh, right. The meeting.
00:55I picked up my phone and sent Vance a small emoji.
00:58A little pat.
00:59Might be home late.
01:00Be good and wait for me.
01:01Without waiting for a reply, I stood, smoothed the front of my jacket, and walked out.
01:08Actually, no coffee.
01:10Just water.
01:11Tell everyone the conference room.
01:12Of course.
01:13Director Ashford.
01:15Vance was often with me when I worked.
01:18Sometimes, when I'd been absorbed in something too long, a cool, smooth tail would drift over and coil slowly around
01:25my waist.
01:25Why is he so clingy?
01:27I sighed, more fond than exasperated, and stroked a tail in what I hoped was reassuring.
01:32Human form this time, please?
01:34Shifter form is...
01:36Genuinely too much for me.
01:41Okay.
01:43I never asked about his other identity.
01:45Whether he was the heir to some family or the head of some organization.
01:49What his name meant in the world outside these walls.
01:52I wasn't curious.
01:53I only needed him here.
01:54That was enough.
01:55The way Ethan had once said, at the airport.
01:58We actually have our own names.
01:59I don't need to know.
02:00And I don't want to.
02:02That had been the end of it.
02:03As for the business deals Vance had quietly helped put into motion, I chose not to notice.
02:08I simply rewarded him from time to time.
02:10Small things.
02:11Warmly given.
02:12Vance had hurt Eric and Evan badly enough that it had taken time for them to recover.
02:17By the time they were well, I was gone.
02:19They couldn't find me.
02:20Eventually, it seemed they'd left the Ashford estate too.
02:23Until recently.
02:27Director Ashford, there are three people downstairs requesting to see you.
02:31They say their names are Ethan, Eric, and Evan.
02:36Put them through.
02:37Yes, ma'am.
02:39Elena?
02:41You're back in the country?
02:43I am.
02:46Come meet us.
02:48No time.
02:49Not interested.
02:51I stepped into the role Chloe had been holding, and I was better at it.
02:54The group began to stabilize.
02:57My father's condition improved somewhat.
02:59I mentioned it to Vance, absently, in the top floor office.
03:06When a sick person suddenly gets better, sometimes it's a last flare of strength before the end.
03:11Vance's pale fingers wound slowly through a strand of my hair.
03:16I see.
03:20Father got worse again.
03:22His current condition left him with no real grip on the company.
03:26He knew it.
03:27I went to visit him.
03:32Sign over whatever shares you have left.
03:35All of them.
03:35The man in the hospital bed, frail now, aged past recognition, erupted in fury, but all he could do was
03:43cough.
03:44You built this company?
03:46Do you want to watch Chloe run it into the ground?
03:49He glared.
03:50I smiled.
03:51Give a little now, and I'll make sure she's taken care of.
03:55You've already seen what she becomes without me.
03:59That's your precious daughter, when you're not watching.
04:05Father.
04:07I'm your daughter, too.
04:09I have your blood.
04:12Who better to leave it with?
04:14He stared at me for a long time.
04:16Something painful moved behind his eyes.
04:19I smiled.
04:21Everything was in place.
04:23Tall, striking, almost violently beautiful.
04:25She recognized him.
04:27Her sister, as a child, had found a half-dead, venomous snake and refused to leave it alone.
04:31Chloe had screened at her then.
04:32Get away from it!
04:34Are you insane?
04:35Her kind, oblivious sister hadn't listened.
04:37She'd nursed the snake back to health.
04:39Her sister had probably forgotten all about it.
04:41Chloe remembered, so she brought Vance home.
04:43She knew why he agreed.
04:44He could smell her sister's presence in the house.
04:46Traces left from childhood.
04:47Here to repay a kindness?
04:49What a pity.
04:49My sister won't even know who you are.
04:51Vance didn't like Chloe.
04:52Not even a little.
04:53And the more he didn't, the more she wanted that to change.
04:56It never did.
04:56Then her sister called, wanting to trade.
04:58Chloe barely thought about it and said yes, good.
05:01Let this cold snake see exactly what kind of person her sister is.
05:04How she opens her hands for everyone and how quickly she can close them.
05:08As expected, the three wolves took to Chloe almost instantly.
05:11But what she hadn't expected, her sister had genuinely forgotten Vance.
05:14And yet, she still treated him gently, instinctively.
05:17Why?
05:18After everything that's been done to her, why can't she just stop?
05:20A dying snake as a child.
05:22A litter of abandoned wolf pups.
05:23She picked them all up.
05:25Impossible.
05:26Infuriating.
05:26It was fine.
05:27Her sister was about to be forced into a marriage with a man who'd outlasted three wives.
05:31The pressure would crush her.
05:33Would she come crawling to Chloe then?
05:34The way Chloe used to visit?
05:35Bringing gifts to that small apartment.
05:37Playing the generous sibling.
05:39Would she finally be desperate enough to need Chloe's help?
05:41That would be the right choice.
05:43Come to her sister.
05:43Not scatter kindness into the void.
05:45Chloe thought about all of it with something close to pleasure.
05:48Until she realized her sister had played her.
05:51As they got older, Chloe learned something.
05:53She was prettier than her sister.
05:54Not that her sister was ugly.
05:55She was genuinely lovely.
05:57In a quiet, clean way.
05:58But Chloe had inherited every striking feature with perfect precision.
06:02Head to toe.
06:02So the pattern became this.
06:04Those who saw Chloe first, then her sister, looked vaguely let down.
06:08Those who saw her sister first, then Chloe, looked stunned.
06:12Every time this happened, Chloe thought to herself,
06:14Her sister must be so hurt.
06:16So humiliated.
06:18When they were teenagers, her sister drew attention.
06:20The Ashford family's eldest daughter.
06:22Graceful enough that boys noticed, despite everything.
06:25Inevitably, those boys noticed Chloe and redirected.
06:28Of course they did.
06:29She was brighter, prettier, warmer, pathetic, shallow idiots.
06:32Chloe thought it internally.
06:33All contempt.
06:35But honestly, if they'd spent more time with her sister, they'd have found out.
06:38Her sister was smarter and more interesting than anyone gave her credit for.
06:41Too bad they lacked the patience to look past the surface.
06:44At that thought, Chloe would feel something almost like pity.
06:48Poor thing.
06:48No matter how kind her sister was to everyone, people still chose Chloe.
06:52She imagined her sister in the dark, seething with jealousy.
06:55Hating her.
06:56Somehow, that thought made the exhaustion of performing warmth all day vanish.
07:00Chloe would hum to herself.
07:01Lighter.
07:02Then she met a snake shifter.
07:05Her sister always had people around her.
07:07Boys and girls.
07:08A full crowd.
07:09Her sister stood in the middle of them, smiling.
07:11Then she noticed Chloe and waved.
07:18Chloe!
07:20Come here!
07:21When the others saw Chloe, their expressions shifted to something like wonder.
07:25Chloe walked over.
07:26Her sister reached into her pocket and pressed a candy into her hand.
07:31I saved this for you.
07:33Strawberry, your favorite.
07:35Chloe took it happily.
07:36Then one of the girls said,
07:39Elena is so thoughtful!
07:41She remembers everyone's favorite!
07:43Chloe's smile went stiff.
07:45Why?
07:45She was her sister.
07:46Why was she this nice to everyone?
07:48Shouldn't she save the best of herself for Chloe?
07:50Chloe turned and walked away.
07:55Behind her, voices floated.
07:59Is that your sister?
08:00She's gorgeous.
08:01Like a doll.
08:03Her eyes are so big.
08:04Her skin...
08:05She didn't hear what her sister said back.
08:07She turned the corner and dropped the strawberry candy into a trash can.
08:11I switched to an overseas number.
08:12No one could reach me.
08:14Chloe never ended up marrying the man.
08:16The two families became enemies.
08:17When I returned, my parents had aged.
08:19My father spent most of his time in a hospital bed.
08:22They couldn't trust the extended family with the company,
08:24so they'd given it to Chloe.
08:26But under Chloe's management,
08:27the group was declining.
08:29Steadily.
08:29Then I walked through the door.
08:31My mother's hand rose on instinct.
08:33She was going to slap me.
08:34I stepped back.
08:35I smiled.
08:36Are you sure?
08:38I'm the only one who can save you now.
08:40I froze mid-air.
08:41I looked over.
08:42Chloe had her eyes locked on me,
08:44sharp and searching,
08:45but she looked nothing like before.
08:47The polish was gone.
08:48She was frayed,
08:49worn down by everything she'd been holding together.
08:51I let her, too.
08:52Long time now see, little sister.
08:54Fore her gaze away and burst into tears.
08:57Chloe had hated her sister since childhood.
08:59Why?
09:00It started in primary school.
09:01The band sat beside me on the flight.
09:03He looked down,
09:04long lashes casting a faint shadow across his cheeks.
09:08So,
09:10you really were going to take the groom's place and marry me?
09:14Hmm.
09:16You move fast.
09:18After realizing I wasn't there,
09:19it slipped out immediately.
09:21That brief shadow on the live stream,
09:23only I would have recognized it.
09:24Your scent went faint.
09:26Right.
09:27The terrifying thing about shifters was their sense of smell.
09:30Precise and absolute.
09:32I'll be overseas for a while.
09:34I'll be overseas for a while.
09:34Until the timing is right to come back.
09:36Vance leaned in close.
09:38That cool, faint air of his wrapped around me.
09:42His lips pressed lightly to the side of my neck.
09:45This time, he didn't bite.
09:46I almost smiled.
09:48They said wolves were canines.
09:49Bonded hard.
09:50But this cold-blooded snake seemed more bonded than any of them.
09:54Over the months that followed,
09:56the Ashford family fell into disarray.
09:58Vance settled behind me,
10:00his chin coming to rest on my shoulder,
10:01one arm loosely circling my waist.
10:04An embrace,
10:05cool as winter air.
10:07I'm talking to you.
10:08Vance smiled.
10:10Why?
10:11Something unsettling in it.
10:12Would it make you happy if something happened to them?
10:15I paused.
10:16Eric and Evan were Ethan's brothers.
10:18Why would their getting hurt make him happy?
10:20Ethan's throat moved.
10:24Where are they?
10:25No idea.
10:26Probably close to dead, though.
10:29Ice went through me.
10:30But Ethan,
10:31contrary to everything I'd expected,
10:33didn't turn and run.
10:35You're both leaving.
10:37Together.
10:39Isn't it obvious?
10:40Why are you taking him?
10:42The vein at Ethan's temple stood out.
10:44Are you alright?
10:46Chloe gave him to me.
10:48I'm his owner.
10:50Then you're still mine!
10:51You all belong to Chloe now.
10:53Don't you remember?
10:57You're the one who sent me to her.
10:59Something dark pooled in his eyes.
11:01I heard everything you said in the living room that morning.
11:05How much you all liked Chloe.
11:06I was doing you a favor.
11:09And now you're turning it around on me?
11:11You heard all of that?
11:13I had nothing more to say to him.
11:15I pulled Vance by the hand and turned to go.
11:18Ethan moved to follow and was stopped by the airport security I'd quietly arranged in advance.
11:23At the airport, my phone rang.
11:28The fake husband.
11:29His voice was hard.
11:31Come back.
11:32Marry me.
11:33What's your problem?
11:34You're not worth it.
11:35I blocked him, too.
11:39Honestly, I'd overlooked him.
11:40I hadn't thought he'd be this delusional.
11:43I'd been waiting for a while when a shadow fell across me.
11:46I smiled without looking up.
11:48You're here.
11:48I raised my eyes.
11:49Ethan.
11:50I blinked.
11:51What's that face?
11:53Disappointed?
11:55Who were you expecting?
11:57Vance.
11:57His expression went cold.
11:59You really can't catch a break.
12:00He's not coming.
12:01I nodded.
12:02Kept my face easy.
12:03Ethan dropped into the seat beside me.
12:05I didn't expect you to actually pull off an escape.
12:07Don't bother me.
12:08I really...
12:09I cut him off.
12:09He shut his mouth.
12:10Bit down on his back teeth.
12:12He switched tactics.
12:13No cold edge this time.
12:14Where are you going?
12:15Not your business.
12:16Elena.
12:17Where are Eric and Evan?
12:19Ethan's expression changed.
12:22They're blocking Vance.
12:24Aren't they?
12:25His face went tight.
12:27Then I saw him.
12:28Vance came through the crowd in long strides.
12:30A dried cut at his temple.
12:32Marks on his neck.
12:33Something low and dark in the set of his expression.
12:35When he reached me, the sharp smell of blood came with him.
12:38Wait.
12:38Are you okay?
12:40Ethan clenched his jaw.
12:44What did you do to them?
12:49Chloe's perfect face was streaked with tears.
12:52Shaking her head.
12:53Backing behind my father.
12:54Father's face was iron gray.
12:56Where's Elena?
12:57Find her!
12:58She's gone too far!
12:59You said you had feelings for me.
13:01Her sister was willing to step aside for us and you can't even-
13:03I have no idea what's going on.
13:05Since my son loves Chloe, why not let Chloe take her place?
13:07It's still a happy occasion for both families.
13:09I'd had the foresight to block my parents, the butler, and Chloe before leaving.
13:13Even with the groom's mother trying to smooth things over, they couldn't afford to make
13:17a scene.
13:17My mother went still, then looked at Chloe.
13:20Chloe bit her lip.
13:21Her voice came out.
13:22No!
13:23What do you mean no?
13:24Were you lying to me this whole time?
13:25Don't you have feelings for me?
13:26I don't!
13:27You had three wives die on you!
13:29Why would I ever like you?
13:30Complete chaos.
13:34I watched with genuine satisfaction.
13:36Then I spotted Ethan, Eric, and Evan in the corner of the frame.
13:40Their expressions were something else entirely.
13:42The left side was also empty.
13:44The venue erupted.
13:45I stared at the screen.
13:46Two minutes later, my fake husband rushed in.
13:49He recovered, took the microphone.
13:52Actually, today's bride was never Elena Ashfun.
13:55The bride I've been waiting for is my true love, Miss Chloe Ashfun!
14:00That was when Vance's call came through.
14:05Where are you?
14:06On the way to the airport.
14:07You...
14:08Before I could finish asking, a news alert pushed to my screen.
14:12Male family heir confirmed for tonight's high-profile wedding.
14:15Not a pure human.
14:16Reports indicate he is a shifter.
14:18I tapped it immediately.
14:19A tall, unmistakable silhouette.
14:21Comments below.
14:22Looks like a snake shifter.
14:23Cold-blooded running a corporation.
14:25Actually kind of fitting.
14:26Something clicked in my mind.
14:28Vance, were you just trying to...
14:29Trash the wedding.
14:30I swallowed it back.
14:31I'm planning to lay low abroad for a while until things settle.
14:33I hung up.
14:34If Vance wanted to follow, he would.
14:36If not, I didn't mind either way.
14:37I turned back to the live stream.
14:39Total chaos at the venue.
14:41The wedding day arrived.
14:43The city's most prestigious hotel.
14:45Over 30,000 white roses cascading from the ceiling.
14:48Crystal chandeliers threading through the waterfall of petals.
14:51Long tables draped in ivory jacquard.
14:53Champagne flutes standing in neat rows.
14:55Catching the light with a faint golden tint.
14:57Every detail was breathtaking.
14:59Big budget.
14:59I took one look, then was ushered into the backstage dressing room.
15:02Over the next three hours, the guest list filled.
15:04From backstage, I heard the steady murmur of congratulations.
15:07My parents appeared several times to confirm I was still there and cooperating.
15:11I looked at myself in the mirror.
15:13Flawless makeup.
15:14Then I checked the clock.
15:15The ceremony was about to begin.
15:16I'd already taken care of the makeup artist and assistant in advance.
15:19I gathered the heavy skirt and slipped out.
15:21Elena, the bathroom's straight ahead.
15:23The assistant kept pace.
15:24So no one in the hallway questioned it.
15:29Once inside, I stripped off the gown efficiently and changed into the clothes she'd stashed in her bag.
15:35Something light, with sneakers, and opened the window.
15:37A black car was parked close by.
15:39First floor.
15:40I climbed onto the sill and dropped down cleanly.
15:45Once in the car, I called Vance.
15:50Two rings.
15:51No answer.
15:52I frowned.
15:52Maybe the venue was too loud.
15:54He didn't hear it.
15:55Head to the airport.
15:56The car pulled into traffic.
15:57I opened my phone and found the live stream.
15:59My fake husband had insisted on broadcasting the ceremony.
16:02He wanted the world to see the moment Chloe stepped forward out of love.
16:06Lucky for me, that made watching very convenient.
16:08Welcome, our bride and groom from both sides!
16:12Both doors opened simultaneously.
16:14The right side, where I was supposed to stand, was empty.
16:16I laughed.
16:17Then I looked at the left side, a shadow, there for just a second.
16:21My smile faded.
16:24Vance?
16:25The days before the wedding, I was perfectly calm.
16:27I tried on jewelry.
16:29The estate, meanwhile, had developed its own sustained low-pressure system.
16:33Even Chloe, who normally at least maintained the pretense of civility,
16:36stopped by to take a shot.
16:38Didn't expect 5% of the shares to be enough to break you.
16:41I had no reaction.
16:42That seemed to infuriate her more.
16:44Do you know how much I'll have eventually?
16:46When father's gone, all of it comes to me.
16:49I paused.
16:51I actually looked at her.
16:52She looked satisfied.
16:54Jealous?
16:55The filial piety in this household is truly something I couldn't help but think.
17:01Pathetic.
17:01Evan kept his face blank.
17:03Eric nodded.
17:04Ethan scrolled through his phone and said nothing.
17:06Pathetic?
17:07Are they talking about me?
17:08I didn't care what they thought.
17:10I was watching Vance.
17:11He wasn't as dark as I'd expected.
17:13He just lifted his gaze.
17:15And those black, fathomless eyes met mine.
17:18That's when I realized it.
17:19When his eyes weren't carrying that cold hostility.
17:22They were beautiful.
17:23The shape subtle.
17:25The outer corners lifting just slightly.
17:27An unintentional, almost lazy quality to the look.
17:30The day I came home with the marriage certificate and my fake husband.
17:34The entire Ashford family was seated at the dining table.
17:37Everyone's face said something different.
17:39The news about the arranged marriage had already spread through the household.
17:42I caught Vance's eye from across the room.
17:45A small, reassuring look.
17:47His expression was flat, but I could feel it.
17:49The suppressed hostility simmering underneath.
17:51The faint darkness around him.
17:53It was fine.
17:54Once everything was resolved, I had a place for him and what came next.
17:57I gave him a small, calm smile from across the room.
17:59He glanced at me once, then looked away.
18:02When I slipped into the kitchen to help carry dishes, Eric was at the sink.
18:06You don't like him.
18:08Who?
18:08Your husband.
18:10Eric smiled pleasantly.
18:14Elena, ask me nicely and I'll help you run.
18:17I looked at him.
18:17He clarified.
18:18The other two are on board, too.
18:20The other two.
18:21Ethan and Evan.
18:22That explained why all three of them had been off today.
18:24Eric's voice dropped, just a shade too deliberate.
18:26You don't want to spend the rest of your life with someone you don't even like, do you?
18:30Mind your own business.
18:32You'll regret this, Elena.
18:34Regret?
18:36After dinner, Chloe chatted brightly with my fake husband, effortless and radiant.
18:42I slipped away to the study alone and signed the share transfer documents.
18:47Next week, the grand wedding, and the show was just getting started.
18:51A few days later, a private room at a cafe.
18:54I took a calm sip of coffee.
18:56I looked across the table and cut straight to the point.
18:58I know you're in love with Chloe.
19:00He looked up, surprised, set his phone down.
19:02I also know you've been approaching our family with a marriage proposal.
19:06You want Chloe.
19:08But they keep deflecting you with the excuse that the eldest daughter has to marry first.
19:13Who wouldn't prefer your sister?
19:15She's not indifferent to me either.
19:17She just says she won't compete with you because you liked me first.
19:21I have a way to get you what you want.
19:24What way?
19:25We get a fake marriage certificate.
19:27If Chloe really does feel something for you, she'll get jealous when she sees us together.
19:32Right?
19:33A fake certificate?
19:34People only realize what they want when they think they're losing it.
19:38If you act close to me, let her see it.
19:41She'll be devastated.
19:42Then, at the ceremony itself, I disappear.
19:46No bride.
19:47She won't be able to stand watching you humiliated in front of everyone.
19:50She'll step in.
19:56Then you tell her, it's always been her.
19:59Have a ring ready.
20:00Something chosen just for her.
20:01She'll be moved.
20:04That's not wrong.
20:09I know we'd never make each other happy.
20:11You love Chloe that deeply and she feels something for you.
20:14I'd rather the two of you get to be happy.
20:18Miss Ashford, I misjudged you.
20:20I had no idea you were so generous.
20:23As long as you're both happy.
20:26First, snakes were notoriously insatiable.
20:29Snake shifters, even more so.
20:30If Chloe hadn't said he was celibate, I never would have asked for him.
20:35Second, certain things were simply too much.
20:38But I really am getting married, so I'll probably need to give you back to Chloe for now.
20:42She won't be marrying anytime soon.
20:44Something moved behind Vance's eyes at last.
20:46Right as something brutal flickered across his gaze, I asked quietly,
20:50Do you want to go back to Chloe?
20:54Have I made you miserable?
20:57No.
20:58You're actually pretty proactive about the housework.
21:01The next second, he lowered himself over me, his shadow swallowing everything.
21:08Then don't even think about getting rid of me.
21:11I was quiet.
21:12Then I reached out and gently touched his tail.
21:16Don't worry.
21:18About what, exactly?
21:19I shook my head inwardly.
21:21I had a plan already.
21:22I haven't lived here in months.
21:24It's still that strong?
21:26Something dangerous spread through the air.
21:28I genuinely feared he'd consume me, his sharp teeth dragged against my collarbone.
21:36You just took us to presses yesterday.
21:39I brought you up here to tell you something.
21:42I'm getting married.
21:44Vance didn't release me the way I expected.
21:46Instead, his tail coiled tighter, and I was lifted and dropped onto the bed.
21:50He loomed over me.
21:52Then his tail slipped beneath the hem of my shirt.
21:54I grabbed it on instinct, then looked away fast.
21:58He watched me, gaze darkening.
22:01You dislike me?
22:05No, that's not...
22:06Aren't you my owner?
22:07Shadow fell over me.
22:09Or are you afraid?
22:10Honestly, a little.
22:14I came back downstairs to the same quiet.
22:17I walked over to Vance.
22:18I also had something to say to him.
22:20Let me show you my room.
22:22Evan looked at me suspiciously.
22:24You haven't been back in months.
22:25What's there to see?
22:29Want to come, too?
22:31Who said I did?
22:32Chloe was picking through the fruit bowl.
22:34Father's still home.
22:36Maybe it's not appropriate.
22:38Her voice was deliberate.
22:40You have three shifters with you.
22:42I'm bringing one to my room.
22:43What exactly is inappropriate?
22:47We never...
22:50You make a fair point, sis.
22:53But Vance still has to be willing.
22:56Every pair of eyes in the room turned to the man with the perfectly unreadable face.
23:00Let's go.
23:01I nodded and gestured for him to follow.
23:04Whatever the others looked like behind me, I didn't care to check.
23:07My room was white and minimal.
23:09Clean.
23:09Someone had kept it dusted.
23:10I cleared my throat, ready to speak.
23:13Something coiled around my waist.
23:14The tail.
23:15Your scent is so strong here.
23:20Register the marriage first.
23:21Hold the wedding after.
23:22Father leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea.
23:25Once everything is settled, I'll transfer the 5%.
23:28I didn't hesitate.
23:30I want the shares the moment the certificate is signed.
23:32The teacup hit the saucer hard.
23:34The lines around his eyes deepened with irritation.
23:36You really have that little faith in your own family?
23:38I sighed.
23:40I'm just worried Chloe might throw a fit and my share disappears again.
23:43He flinched, visibly.
23:44The irritation held, but after a long beat, he relented.
23:47Come back with your husband and the marriage certificate.
23:50It said everything about what my compliance meant to them.
23:52And beyond that, this share transfer would also serve as a gesture of loyalty to the man I was marrying.
23:57After all, assets acquired during marriage get split between spouses.
24:01I didn't comment on any of that and stood to leave.
24:05You'll stay at the estate until the wedding.
24:06No wandering off.
24:08And those shifters, cut that off before the ceremony.
24:12That single sentence detonated.
24:14Evan unfolded himself from the couch, pulling that sharp grin.
24:18Come again?
24:19Then a cool hand yanked me behind him.
24:22Vance smiled, barely.
24:24Back off.
24:25Eric's expression hardened.
24:26What did you just say?
24:28The tension in the room snapped taut.
24:30Then Chloe came down from upstairs, all brightness.
24:32I could hear you from my room.
24:34What's going on?
24:36They think the mark on my neck is a hickey.
24:38They seem unhappy about it and want to investigate.
24:43Predictably, Chloe's smile flickered.
24:45Her gaze settled on my neck.
24:49So is it?
24:51What do you think?
24:52I deflected.
24:53She didn't answer.
24:55Silence.
24:56Ethan sauntered over, hands in his pocket.
24:58You always covered marks like that.
25:00Why show it today?
25:02Probably because I don't consider this a hiccup.
25:04That seemed to click for the others.
25:06Evan blinked.
25:06Now that you mention it, you used to cover everything.
25:09Eric's eyes narrowed.
25:11Sis, father wants you in his study.
25:13You don't need to follow her up.
25:14I slipped my hand quietly from Vance's grip and paused.
25:18I looked back at the room.
25:19Don't give him trouble.
25:23We give him trouble?
25:26Elena, in your eyes we're-
25:28I turned and walked away before he could finish.
25:30Silence behind me.
25:31Back at the Ashford estate.
25:33The entire first floor.
25:35Just Ethan, Eric, and Evan.
25:37The atmosphere was awkward.
25:39Evan set down his game controller and glanced up,
25:42eyes tracking from me to Vance.
25:45Ethan drawled.
25:46Why are you here?
25:48It's my house.
25:49Can I come back?
25:50Ethan's expression didn't change,
25:51but the corner of his mouth curved up slightly.
25:53I stared.
25:54Eric set down the fruit he'd been arranging
25:56and walked toward me.
25:59Chloe said you refused to come home for months,
26:01and now you show up.
26:02Did you miss us?
26:04I stepped back.
26:05Before I could speak, Evan stopped.
26:06Don't even wonder.
26:07Without us, she couldn't last a day.
26:10She doesn't look particularly heartbroken to me.
26:13Ethan's eyes snapped up.
26:15Who asked you?
26:16Sharp, hostile energy surged through the room.
26:19I reached back quickly and pressed my hand over Vance's,
26:22cool beneath my palm,
26:23trying to calm him,
26:24the same as yesterday.
26:25Wolves and snakes were both apex level shifters.
26:28If they actually fought,
26:29it wouldn't end clean.
26:31What, you brought him here to make us jealous?
26:35Snakes are cold-blooded,
26:36and from what Chloe says,
26:38this one's worse than most.
26:39No feelings at all.
26:42You don't actually think you can change him, do you?
26:45Then, Eric grabbed my jaw,
26:47fingers tight,
26:48uncomfortably tight.
26:50His stare locked onto my neck,
26:51the mark from last night.
26:53His voice came down slow and deliberate.
26:55What's that?
26:56A hickey?
26:57I rushed after him,
26:59found him bent over the washing machine,
27:00pulling out clean laundry,
27:01piece by piece,
27:02hanging it to dry.
27:03Eric had put my clothes in the wash that morning.
27:05He hadn't taken them out before he left.
27:07I watched Vance's long fingers handle my clothes
27:10and scratched my cheek.
27:11I'll buy a dryer in a few days,
27:13then you won't have to do this.
27:14Vance said nothing.
27:14I never got the chance to buy that dryer.
27:17The next morning,
27:18an uninvited guest appeared.
27:20The Ashford Estate's butler
27:21stood at my door with measured deference.
27:25Miss,
27:25your father says you've had enough time.
27:28It's time to return
27:29and proceed with the arranged marriage.
27:31No.
27:32The butler smiled.
27:35Miss,
27:36this is the wish
27:37of both
27:38the master and madam.
27:40He stepped aside.
27:41Several bodyguards materialized behind him.
27:44I laughed coldly.
27:46Aren't you worried
27:46I'll stab the man with a knife
27:48on the wedding day
27:49and then kill myself?
27:50The butler's expression faltered.
27:51The master said,
27:53should you agree to the marriage,
27:55you will receive 5%
27:57of the Ashford group shares.
27:58My hand on the door went still.
28:00The butler seemed to have anticipated
28:01exactly this.
28:02The car is waiting downstairs.
28:06Also,
28:08the second miss
28:09asked that you bring
28:10Mr. Vance along.
28:11I glanced back at Vance.
28:13We made eye contact.
28:14His dark eyes
28:15were as unreadable as ever.
28:17Yet somehow,
28:18a chill crawled down my spine.
28:20Good thing the door
28:22had closed in time.
28:23The scent hadn't drifted out.
28:25The footsteps faded.
28:26I pushed the snake shifter off
28:27and didn't let myself
28:28look at his tail.
28:29I rummaged quickly
28:30for the heat suppressants.
28:31The same ones
28:32I'd used on Ethan,
28:34Eric,
28:34and Evan
28:34during their heat cycles.
28:36When it became too much,
28:37even for me,
28:38plenty left.
28:39I tossed them to him,
28:40then went to wash my face.
28:41When I came back
28:42to the living room,
28:43his tail was gone.
28:44The man was draped
28:45across the couch.
28:46Long legs crossed.
28:47Expression back
28:48to its cold,
28:49shuttered default.
28:50He glanced up at me.
28:52I thought you were...
28:53I started confused.
28:54Celibate?
28:55His voice was low and rough.
28:56It's a theological response.
28:57It's been too long
28:58since my last suppressor.
28:59Oh.
29:00Knowing Chloe's personality,
29:01if she'd actually
29:02wanted to sleep with him,
29:03she wouldn't have
29:03kept him on suppressants.
29:04And judging by
29:05what had just happened,
29:06it wasn't like
29:06he could hold back indefinitely.
29:08So how had he been
29:08managing before?
29:09But if he didn't want to say,
29:10I wasn't going to pry.
29:11I poured a glass of warm water
29:13and handed it to him.
29:14Rest today.
29:15You can help
29:15with the housework tomorrow,
29:16and if you need
29:17more recovery time,
29:18take it.
29:18He cut me off.
29:19You treated them the same way?
29:20I blinked.
29:21Them.
29:22He meant Ethan
29:23and the others.
29:24I was quiet for a second,
29:25then nodded.
29:26Equality between
29:27pure humans and shifters
29:28was the standard now,
29:30technically.
29:31But given a shifter's nature,
29:32the bonding,
29:33the recognition of owners,
29:34there was always emphasis
29:35on extending
29:36extra consideration to them.
29:38Long quietness.
29:40My name is Vance.
29:41I registered it and smiled.
29:42Nice to meet you.
29:43I'm Elena.
29:43He stood, expressionless,
29:45and walked toward the balcony.
29:47The bedroom isn't that way.
29:48Wait, are you going to jump?
29:50If you don't like it here,
29:51I can ask Chloe to take you.
29:52But his tail cushioned the impact.
29:54It didn't hurt.
29:54His breath spilled across my neck.
29:56My skin broke into shivers.
29:58Then, sharp knocking at the door.
30:00Elena?
30:01Eric's voice from outside.
30:02Are you okay?
30:03My fingers stirred.
30:04The pale, cold, gold,
30:05vertical pupils staring down at me
30:07seemed to darken.
30:08The coil around my waist tightened.
30:10I didn't reach for the door.
30:12Are you in pain?
30:13Let me get you some heat suppresses, okay?
30:16The pressure around me paused.
30:17The mating scent
30:18that had been thickening
30:19stopped spreading.
30:20More knocking.
30:21Harder now.
30:21Chloe's voice, uncertain.
30:22Sis?
30:23Are you both okay in there?
30:25I thought I'd calmed him down.
30:26I let out a breath.
30:27I was about to speak.
30:29A coldness at my neck.
30:30He bit me.
30:31Not soft,
30:32like claiming something.
30:33And yet beneath it,
30:34a trace of something
30:35almost indulgent.
30:36I muffled a sound.
30:38My voice came out
30:38slightly adrift.
30:39We're fine.
30:40You can go.
30:42Ethan's drawl.
30:43You sure?
30:45Mm-hmm.
30:45She said she's fine.
30:46Evan cut in impatient.
30:47Then, a beat later.
30:48Elena,
30:49that snake didn't hit you,
30:50did he?
30:51No.
30:52I bit my lower lip,
30:53behind my neck.
30:54A cool tongue traced over the mark.
30:56Chloe didn't explain.
30:57She studied my expression.
30:58Nothing there.
30:59Maybe one of them
31:00should stay with you.
31:01You seem upset.
31:03Evan didn't move
31:04from Chloe's side.
31:05Ethan leaned against the wall,
31:06bored.
31:07Eric's smile
31:08stayed thin and cool.
31:09No one spoke.
31:10Chloe wasn't surprised.
31:12She gave me a small,
31:13comforting smile.
31:14Between the two of us,
31:16I was never the one who got chosen.
31:18We'd both made peace with that
31:19a long time ago.
31:21And him?
31:21At my words,
31:22Chloe's posture barely shifted.
31:24Then, she turned towards the door.
31:26Come in!
31:27Heavy footsteps,
31:28a man stepped forward,
31:30tall,
31:30with an almost aggressive stillness to him.
31:33The next second,
31:35I was looking directly
31:36into a pair of dark,
31:38shadow-filled eyes.
31:41Hello.
31:41His gaze came from above,
31:43sticky,
31:44appraising.
31:45I broke out in goosebumps.
31:46He didn't acknowledge me.
31:48He's just like this, sis.
31:50If it's too much,
31:51tell me and I'll take him back.
31:53Who is he?
31:54Chloe clearly didn't want to explain.
31:56I didn't know where to begin either.
31:58She smiled and pivoted.
32:00The car's waiting downstairs.
32:02Shall we?
32:03The wolves were quiet for a beat,
32:05then didn't push further.
32:07They followed Chloe out on long strides.
32:09The snake shifter stayed.
32:11I was about to close the door
32:12when
32:13Eric looked back at me.
32:15Something unreadable in his face
32:17and the man beside me
32:18suddenly contracted his pupils
32:20into a cold,
32:21a smooth tail wound around my waist.
32:24A strange, overwhelming scent
32:26burst through the air.
32:30You, you're in heat!
32:34Not keeping one for yourself?
32:36Which of you wants to stay with me?
32:38The air curdled.
32:39No one answered.
32:40Finally, Evan got up
32:41and went to open the door.
32:43He rolled his eyes,
32:44a flick of contempt on his face.
32:46Stop pretending to be decent.
32:47Both of you.
32:49Chloe's bright smile filled the frame.
32:51Hi, boys.
32:52My sister already explained things, right?
32:55You all belong to me now.
32:57Hey there, new mistress.
33:00Chloe looked him over with satisfaction,
33:01then let her gaze sweep across Eric and Ethan.
33:04You're all gorgeous.
33:06Did you pack?
33:08Actually, never mind.
33:09I'm sure my sister couldn't afford to buy you much anyway.
33:12We'll get everything new at the villa.
33:14Ethan gave a lazy murmur of agreement.
33:16Eric glanced at Chloe,
33:17then slid his eyes over to me.
33:19I kept my face blank.
33:20Every set of eyes in the room landed on me at once.
33:23Chloe noticed.
33:24She walked up to me.
33:25Don't worry, sis.
33:26I'll take better care of them.
33:28And when you're done playing house,
33:30just come home and do the arranged marriage.
33:33Stop stressing mom and dad.
33:36Arranged marriage?
33:37What arranged marriage?
33:39I quietly turned back.
33:40I was used to it, honestly.
33:41Everyone gravitated toward Chloe.
33:43She was radiant and magnetic.
33:45Every gesture, every smile pulled at people without even trying.
33:49Standing next to her,
33:50I felt exactly like what I was.
33:52Plain and unremarkable.
33:54Chloe glanced around.
33:55Your apartment is so much smaller than the family estate.
33:58Is there even enough room for them?
34:00It's fine.
34:01Then I watched Ethan,
34:02usually disinterested in everything,
34:04let his gaze drift to Chloe.
34:06Eric's devastating smile turned itself on her instead.
34:09Even Evan, the moody one,
34:11propped his head up to stare at her,
34:13his wolf ears flickering nonstop.
34:15Chloe didn't seem to notice.
34:16She sipped her water with perfect innocence.
34:19In that moment, I knew.
34:21My things were about to drift quietly toward Chloe again.
34:24After that,
34:25the gentle, clingy warmth disappeared.
34:27They became cooler.
34:29Like they wanted me destroyed.
34:30Like they couldn't stop themselves.
34:32Until I heard their conversation,
34:34I'd been right all along.
34:35One look at Chloe,
34:37and they'd fallen.
34:38The afternoon came fast.
34:39A knock at the door.
34:40Chloe arrived.
34:41The silence that had settled over the apartment
34:43deepened into something heavier.
34:45You're really giving all three of us to her?
34:48Yes.
34:49I found the three wolf pups
34:51on a wet, gray afternoon.
34:53They were collapsed on the concrete.
34:55Fur matted,
34:56blood soaked from the rain.
34:57I almost walked away.
34:59But then,
35:00one of them flicked its tail.
35:01Just twice.
35:02Slow and weak.
35:03Then curled it around my ankle.
35:05I couldn't leave them.
35:06I brought them home.
35:07Under my care,
35:08they recovered fast.
35:09A few months later,
35:10they hit their maturation phase.
35:12And all three of them shifted into men.
35:14I should have brought them to a shifter registry.
35:17But the registry told me they'd already bonded.
35:19Recognized me completely as their owner.
35:22Releasing them without care would cause serious psychological harm.
35:25I looked at those three pairs of beautiful eyes and caved.
35:28I let them stay.
35:29They said they had no names.
35:31So I gave them some.
35:32Oldest to youngest.
35:33Ethan,
35:34Eric,
35:35Evan.
35:35Young,
35:36hot-blooded wolf shifters with energy to burn.
35:38Even in human form,
35:40they couldn't stop their ears and tails from flickering.
35:43Clinging to me every hour of every day.
35:45Then one afternoon,
35:46Chloe called.
35:48Sis,
35:48aren't you going to come home for the arranged marriage?
35:50The man has had three wives die on him.
35:52And he's ugly.
35:53But his family has money.
35:55I looked away.
35:56That was exactly why my family had cut me off
35:59after I fought the arrangement.
36:00They couldn't bring themselves to send Chloe in my place.
36:03So instead,
36:04they applied steady,
36:05relentless pressure on me.
36:06Eric,
36:07who always read the room perfectly.
36:09Don't like the call?
36:10Hang up.
36:10What was that voice?
36:11I took the opening to change the subject.
36:13I rescued three injured wolf pups a while back.
36:16They just shifted recently,
36:17and they won't leave me alone.
36:19We can barely keep up.
36:21A few seconds of silence.
36:22I'm honestly jealous.
36:24My snake shifter won't even let me touch him.
36:27He'll warm up eventually.
36:28Chloe just gave a soft,
36:30unconvinced hum.
36:31The next day,
36:32she showed up at my door with bags upon bags.
36:34She wore a pretty little white dress,
36:37beaming at me.
36:38Surprise, sis.
36:39I turned around.
36:41All three shifters' eyes went straight to her.
36:44The three wolves I saved
36:45wanted me in bed every single day.
36:48But the truth is,
36:49they didn't like me.
36:50They just wanted to use me
36:51to get close to my sister.
36:52So I called her
36:53and asked to switch mates.
36:55Three horny wolves
36:56in exchange for one cold serpent.
36:58Today,
36:59after being fully claimed,
37:01I fell into sound sleep.
37:02God, look at her.
37:03That body,
37:04that stamina.
37:05And she thought she could handle three of us.
37:07Doesn't matter.
37:08The second she taps out,
37:09she'll hand us off to her sister.
37:10She can't even get out of bed right now.
37:12A few more days of this,
37:13and she'll give up on us for good.
37:14The conversation from the living room kept going.
37:17They thought I was still asleep.
37:18I kept my eyes low,
37:19watching the marks on my wrists and legs
37:21and the amber glow of the bedside lamp.
37:23Every single one of them.
37:25Unmistakable.
37:26She's not gonna hand all three of us over to her sister.
37:28Right.
37:29Which means at least one of us stays.
37:31Ugh.
37:31Elena's dull and boring.
37:33You wanna stay?
37:33Go ahead.
37:34I don't.
37:35Same.
37:36Whatever.
37:36Fate decides.
37:38Is she up yet?
37:39No way.
37:39She was crying so hard she nearly passed out.
37:42She's not waking up anytime soon.
37:44So weak.
37:45Let's get her up in a bit.
37:45A few more days of this and she'll give up on us.
37:47My vision went dark.
37:48I reached for my phone,
37:50face pale,
37:50and called Chloe.
37:52She picked up fast.
37:53What's wrong, sis?
37:55Weren't you just saying you were unsatisfied?
37:58Take all three of mine.
38:00Give me that celibate snake shifter of yours.
38:04Is that okay?
38:05Are they willing?
38:07They like you.
38:08She understood because it was the truth.
38:11Everyone liked Chloe more.
38:13Alright, your place is small anyway.
38:15Not really ideal for them.
38:17But my snake shifter, sis?
38:19He's cold.
38:20If he weren't celibic,
38:22I wouldn't have asked for him in the first place.
38:25I'm completely wrecked.
38:28I just need someone to handle the housework.
38:33I just hope he doesn't turn out like these three wolves.
38:36Don't worry.
38:37I haven't managed to tame him yet.
38:40He's not going to be interested in you.
38:42I'll come pick them up this afternoon.
38:43The line went dead.
38:44That exact second,
38:46the bedroom door swung open.
38:47You're up?
38:48He crossed the room and reached for my blanket.
38:50Wait!
38:51What is it, mistress?
38:53I'm exhausted.
38:53I need to rest.
38:54Can't do that, he said easily.
38:56Mistress, you took us in.
38:57That means you're responsible for us.
38:58We're nowhere near satisfied.
38:59If you rest, what are we supposed to do?
39:04Chloe's coming to take all of you this afternoon.
39:07He went still.
39:08The two leaning in the doorway froze too.
39:10Which two of us?
39:13All of you.
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