At the shop, Catriona refreshed the water in the flower pots, trimmed the excess leaves from the newly arrived flowers, and placed them in the pots to soak.
She then did a quick round of cleaning.
Suddenly, the computer chimed with a cute voice announcing, "Someone's buying flowers! Someone's buying flowers!"
Two customers had placed online orders.
The first order: [11 Romantic Red Roses] with a note: "Please wrap it nicely and write on the card: 'Honey, I love you.'"
The second order: [Good Luck on the Way—Six Champagne Roses + Two Sunflowers] with a note on the card: "Wishing you a bright future."
Catriona accepted the orders and got to work. Once she wrapped the flowers, she contacted deliver, who would pick them up for delivery.
Sometimes, when she couldn't reach a delivery person, she had to deliver the orders herself.
With her son's health restored, she felt motivated to work, and soon, afternoon arrived.
On the other side.
Since it was the cub's first day at kindergarten, Roderick decided to leave work early to pick him up personally.
He was a werewolf father.
He ought to spend more time with the cub.
Arden reminded him, "Mr. Nightblade, should we invite Miss Ashford to join us at the kindergarten? It would probably make the young master happy."
Catriona's flower shop was conveniently on the way.
Roderick had no interest in Catriona and no intention of pursuing a mate relationship with her. However, since they were both currently single, it was convenient. For the sake of their child, he was willing to play along if it meant making the little cub a bit happier.
At the flower shop.
Catriona had just locked up, preparing to pick up Cedric from kindergarten.
It was his first day at the new school—she wondered if he was adjusting well.
"Miss Ashford, are you also going to pick up the young master?"
Catriona turned around to see Arden standing behind her.
Arden said, "Please get in. Mr. Nightblade is also picking up the young master today."
"Alright, thank you." Catriona politely thanked him, opened the back door, and quickly got in.
She smiled slightly. "Good afternoon, Mr. Nightblade."
Sitting across from Roderick, she reached for her seatbelt. Roderick seemed to remember something and looked away preemptively.
This woman spent her days surrounded by flowers, carrying their fragrance on her. It reminded him of a spot in the snowy mountains, where, in summer, tiny blossoms would bloom, filling the crisp mountain air with their scent. Many werewolf couples would go there to admire the flowers.
At ten, his wolf mother had taken him there. He'd been awestruck by the beauty, thinking that one day he would bring his mate to see it.
But then, an accident happened.
Looking at the woman across from him, who was now staring down at her phone, he gave a cold smirk. Bring her there? Impossible!
Catriona had no idea what the wolf across from her was thinking. She was playing on her phone when the car slowly came to a stop. She glanced up at the red light; there were over ninety seconds left.
People bustled across the crosswalk.
Suddenly, a man in a white short-sleeved shirt knelt down before a woman, holding a bouquet of flowers in his arms.
Catriona heard laughter from the white car beside them. "Proposing on the crosswalk? This guy sure knows how to pick a spot! Is he crazy?"
Catriona thought it was her first time seeing someone propose on a crosswalk. The red light continued to count down—eighty-six, eighty-five, eighty-four...
"Marry me! We've been together for three years, and I swear, every day I love you more than the day before. I know for sure—you're the one for me. We'll be happy together until we're old. I promise to love you for a lifetime, to be faithful, never to make you cry, never to let you feel wronged. I'll treat you well... forever..."
"Heh..." Roderick chuckled, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
Catriona was listening intently when she heard his chuckle and glanced at him, puzzled. "What's so funny?"
"You pure humans always make promises you can't keep," Roderick sneered openly, disdain clear in his eyes. "Ridiculous and hypocritical."
Catriona replied, "That's true."
Roderick, expecting her to argue, was left speechless. "..."
After a pause, he said coldly, "Promises are useless."
"I agree," Catriona nodded seriously.
At that moment, the woman on the crosswalk whispered something, took the flowers, and hugged the man, giving him a quick kiss. The two walked off hand in hand as the waiting cars honked in celebration. The crowd gathered at the intersection burst into applause as the red light countdown ticked: nine, eight, seven...
Catriona grinned and clapped. "The proposal was a success."
She hadn't expected to witness a proposal while on her way to pick up her child.
Roderick sneered, "What's there to celebrate? They'll break up sooner or later."
? Catriona paused, surprised. "How do you know, Mr. Nightblade? Can werewolves see the future?"
"Have you watched too many TV dramas?" Roderick scoffed. "We're just a bit stronger, live a bit longer, and aren't as fragile as you humans."
Catriona nodded slowly. "Oh... so how can you be sure they'll break up? Just a wild guess?"
Roderick scoffed. "You'd have to ask your own kind. Isn't fickleness and craving the new while abandoning the old a human trait?"
Catriona was silent for a second, then said, "Mr. Nightblade, I've noticed you have quite a bias against us humans. Are all werewolves as arrogant and condescending as you when it comes to mates?"
The scenery outside the window flowed backward, and for a moment, the car fell into silence.
"Shouldn't I be arrogant?" Roderick stared into Catriona's eyes, a hint of mockery flashing in his gaze. "Werewolves have only one mate for life and remain absolutely loyal to them."
Catriona replied, "Well... humans also have true love, even if it's not always a lifetime commitment with one partner. Who's to say that couple just now won't grow old together?"
She looked directly into Roderick's eyes, her long, dark lashes fluttering slightly. "Your bias runs too deep. Fate is a mysterious thing. I won't deny that, as pure humans, we may not share the same unwavering loyalty in relationships as your kind. But when we meet the right person, we can love each other for a lifetime, too."
As Roderick listened to her words, gazing into her eyes, he felt something shift within him. A faint sense of doubt stirred inside, and his gaze fell to her softly moving, red lips. The floral fragrance surrounding her seemed to intensify, and he swallowed hard, struggling to keep his composure.
This woman was bewitching him.
She seemed to be saying: Trust me, be with me, I won't disappoint you. We humans truly have true love, like what I feel for you.
This woman was truly cunning.
She was expressing goodwill in another way.
Roderick shuddered, snapping back to his senses.
He had let his guard down.
He recalled Grey's words and closed his eyes tightly. He couldn't relax.
Humans were masters of sweet talk and bewitching the hearts of wolves.
His grandmother still lived alone in the snowy mountains, never leaving. Even though the grandfather who had betrayed her was long dead, she still thought of him from time to time.
Werewolves typically lived over three hundred years, while humans barely reached a hundred. His grandmother would have to endure her loneliness for a long time yet...
Roderick thought, he wouldn't follow his grandmother's path, absolutely not.
So now, his expression turned cold, and he pressed his thin lips together before speaking. "Enough. Whatever humans are like is none of my concern. I won't take a human as my mate."
His words were a clear signal, bluntly telling her that there was no possibility between them—she shouldn't waste her efforts.
He expected Catriona to argue further or at least feel hurt.
Instead, Catriona merely replied with a casual "Oh," adding, "Then don't. With a bias this deep, not choosing us is the right call."
With that, she looked down and nonchalantly continued playing on her phone.
Roderick:...
