Catriona first took her son to the market to buy groceries, then returned home.
Her new home was a small apartment. It was a two-bedroom apartment, at 10,000 per square meter, with a high-quality renovation.
After parking the car in the underground garage, she opened the trunk, and mother and son carried the bags of groceries back.
Since moving to Luna Palace, Catriona had returned periodically, so the house was very clean.
She had last been there a week ago. After putting the groceries in the kitchen, she rolled up her sleeves and started cleaning.
She swept the floor while Cedric wiped the table. His small arms weren't long enough, so he held a cloth, wagged his little tail, and circled the table.
When Catriona mopped, Cedric peeled an orange to feed her.
"Mommy, here."
Catriona lowered her head and took the orange in her mouth, "Mmm, so sweet. Thank you, sweetheart."
Cedric extended his little hand, pointing to some empty pots on the balcony, "Mom, those are flower pots from the shop."
"Yes, in the future, Mom would like to plant some flowers at home too."
That would be three months from now.
Thinking of this, she slowly stopped mopping, watching her son's small, soft hands peel the orange. Her lips moved, "... Sweetie, I haven't told you yet, but in a few months, we'll be moving back to this new home."
She felt a bit uneasy.
Cedric, holding the big orange, looked up at her with big, wet eyes, "Wherever Mom goes, I go."
A trace of gentle, doting warmth passed through Catriona's eyes, "Okay."
With this unwavering statement from her son, her heart felt warm.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Cedric wiggled his nose, "Godmoms are here. I'll go open the door." He instinctively tucked away his ears and tail, padded to the door, opened it, and looked up at them with curiosity.
Sylvaine and Eulalia stood at the door.
Both of them held a bouquet in one hand and a box in the other.
Cedric held the door, his eyes crinkling into a smile, "Hello, godmoms."
"Oh, little darling, come let me give you a hug." Sylvaine walked in, set down the box, and picked up the little one, spinning him around.
"Catriona, happy birthday." Eulalia smiled at Catriona and handed over the flowers. "I hope to be there for every birthday of yours from now on."
Sylvaine: "Count me in too. I'm not going abroad anymore."
"Okay." Catriona's smile reached her eyes.
The adults headed into the kitchen, chatting and laughing as they started cooking. It felt like a gathering of old friends, each sharing amusing stories from the past few years, talking about bizarre encounters, and gossiping about shocking, scandalous news.
They laughed when it was funny, cursed when it was maddening, and were stunned when it was shocking.
Just before mealtime, the cake Sylvaine had ordered arrived.
"Mom, come over here." Cedric led his mom to the balcony.
On the balcony, there was a cute little round table. On it was a small white box, encircled by a ring of origami cranes folded from bills.
There were twenty-six cranes, totaling 2,600 dollar.
Who knew who had given him the cash or taught him to fold cranes?
On the box, there was a small card.
Catriona picked it up.
The writing was a bit crooked, but he had tried his best. [Dear Mom, happy birthday. And, well, your darling likes you the most, so find a boyfriend soon!]
She had been smiling as she read it, but at the last line, her smile froze. "Sweetie... why do you want Mom to find a boyfriend?"
Cedric wriggled his fingers, "... so there would be one more person to love Mom."
Catriona froze.
For a moment, her mind went blank; she hadn't expected her son to say something like that.
"I think the little one's got a point," Sylvaine remarked, leaning against the balcony door.
Eulalia added, "Honestly, Catriona, I think you should consider finding someone, too. You're only twenty-six, young, beautiful—what could you possibly be lacking?"
Sylvaine crossed her arms, looking serious. "I know a few decent guys. Want me to set you up and have a blind date?"
Catriona couldn't help but laugh. "You two single ladies, are you sure you want to keep talking about this?"
Blind dates? She had never even thought about it.
Sylvaine looked at Catriona for a while before saying, "You know, things aren't like they used to be. You don't need to push yourself so hard; it's not necessary."
Catriona was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "I know."
Sylvaine patted her, "Let me know if you ever feel like going on a date."
The gift Cedric gave his mom was a small box containing a necklace—a little wolf pendant.
He had found it while taking apart a toy, a small wolf cub figure that looked just like him.
The best part was that the design had two letters: CA.
His name was Cedric Ashford, so, his initials would be "CA." The same as his mother.
Catriona's eyes filled with delight, and she immediately had her son put it around her neck.
"Thank you, my baby. Mommy loves it."
After that, they chatted and laughed, enjoying their meal as a cheerful birthday song played.
Catriona's twenty-sixth birthday passed just like every other year, peaceful and happy.
Outside the residential area.
A black car was parked by the roadside.
Arden turned his head to glance at the man who had been silent for a long time, "Mr. Nightblade, would you like me to call Miss Ashford?"
"No need."
Roderick looked out the window at the tall buildings in the complex, seeing a faint figure pass by the window on the sixth floor.
Finally, he spoke, "Let's go."
She would return to Luna Palace that evening.
Right now, his presence would be too abrupt; he didn't want to disturb her.
On her birthday, he hadn't been invited, nor did he have the right to be there. Not just now, but for many years to come, his place would be to stay at a distance.
He had to get used to it.
Feeling his heart ache to the point of numbness, Roderick's lips turned further downward.
As night fell.
Catriona's car finally pulled into Luna Palace.
She got out of the car holding her son's hand, taking just a few steps before she saw a tall, slender figure.
"It's Daddy."
It had been rare for Cedric not to see his dad for a whole day, so his eyes widened with excitement as he wobbled his tufts of hair and walked toward Roderick.
Roderick also stepped forward, bent down to pick up the cub, and ruffled his soft black hair, "Did you have fun with your mom today?"
Cedric nodded eagerly, "Yes, it was fun!"
Roderick curved his lips, "Good, now go inside first. I need to talk to your mom."
Cedric looked over at his mom, who had walked closer.
"Go on; Mommy will be there soon."
Roderick set the cub down, and the little guy waved his hand before he wobbled his tail and headed toward the house.
As soon as the little guy left.
Catriona's gaze fell coolly on Roderick, "Mr. Nightblade, is there something you need?"
Roderick hadn't slept for an entire day and night, the red veins in his eyes clearly visible. At this moment, he looked at her quietly, like a long-lost friend, his gaze calm yet heavy, with a restrained love that threatened to overflow.
"Happy birthday," he said in a deep, soft voice.
"Thank you."
"Was it happy?"
Catriona pursed her lips, "It was quite happy."
"That's good."
Looking at the beautiful, fair-skinned woman in front of him, Roderick's mind flashed with images of her pale, frail, and haggard face, with eyes devoid of light.
He tugged at his lips in silence, lowering his gaze, "Catriona, I'm sorry."
Catriona was slightly stunned, looking at him in confusion.
Roderick felt a sharp pain in his chest and wanted to look away from her gaze, but he held back.
He looked at her, speaking slowly, "Five years ago that night, my heat cycle started three days early. While waiting for help in my hotel room, you came into my room."
"You touched me all over, almost everywhere. You said I was your favorite."
Catriona was taken aback at first, then her expression became uneasy, her face flushing.
Why... bring this up now?
But Roderick's expression calmed her down. He was sad, as if recounting something deeply painful.
"When I came to, we were already entwined together. I didn't like pure humans. I vowed from a young age that my partner wouldn't be a pure human. Yet we were together."
Roderick seemed to want to pull a slight smile, to lighten the mood, but as he tried, a hollow echo reverberated in his heart, and for a moment, he felt a deep, aching sadness.
"In our werewolf pack, we have only one mate for life. I can only be with you, and I've chosen to be with you. But when I came to my senses again, I was already in the icy pool of the snowy mountain."
"My friends said you had already run off. I have a bias against pure humans, so I wasn't surprised, but I still had them go look for you."
Catriona's pupils contracted. Roderick... had actually come looking for her back then?
"They found you by the river and mentioned me." Roderick thought that was the most ironic moment.
He was nearly breaking down, his massive wolf ears emerging. "What you said in your distress back then, my pack members misunderstood—and so did I."
"And just like that, I missed out on you and the little one for so many years."
This was the hardest part for him to accept.
His deep-seated prejudice against pure humans had blinded him, crippled him, stopping him from going to find her personally.
"I thought you slept with me and ran off. I thought you were a bad woman..." His big ears drooped down, his eyes turning red as he looked at her.
Catriona opened her mouth and slowly lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry, I..."
"There's no need to apologize." Roderick reached out, unable to resist wanting to touch her head, but midway, he froze, pulling his hand back slowly. With a bitter tone, he said, "You were so distressed back then. If I had just looked into things a bit more... when you cried, I could have at least shielded you from the cold wind by the river."
The hand at Catriona's side clenched tightly, and for a moment, her heart thudded painfully.
"I can't go back to how things were," Roderick said in a low, quiet voice. "I don't deserve to pursue you as my mate."
Roderick gazed at her, his bloodshot eyes brimming with a turbulent, unrestrained love. Holding back the urge to pull her into his arms, he said, "In the future, whatever kind of life you want to live, whoever you love, whoever you want to be with, I..." He paused, taking a deep breath, struggling with his words. "I'll help you—I'll always help you."
He wanted to personally escort her to a life of happiness and stability. He would cut down every thorny bramble, slay every beast that attacked her.
"I will always, always protect you. So go forward without worry."
Roderick took out the prepared stock transfer contract and said, "I don't want to see you living a difficult life anymore. In the human world, money is important, isn't it? Catriona, happy twenty-sixth birthday. Sign here."
Catriona instinctively took a step back, staring wide-eyed at the word "stocks." "You... why? I don't..."
The Nightblade Group stocks—why... why give them to her? She wasn't even a member of the Nightblade.
Did Roderick realize how much money was behind these stocks?
Was he crazy? What had gotten into him?
Or was it because of guilt? Because he felt guilty about her raising their child alone?
Even if it were child support, the Nightblade Group's stocks were too much...
Was he going overboard with his sense of responsibility?
Catriona wondered if he was... a bit foolish? Or were all werewolves like this?
To be practical, that street he gave last time was more than enough...
Suddenly, Roderick spoke, "The little cub is still young. What do you think?"
Catriona was taken aback.
Sylvaine's words echoed in her mind once again.
The Nightblade wouldn't only have Cedric as a child. When the time came, anyone could take a piece of the pie, and who knew how much her son would receive!
She didn't need so much money herself, but her son was still young. Besides, werewolves had long lifespans, she had heard.
Catriona had lived through tough times and knew the importance of money.
A hundred years from now, she would leave this world.
But her son still had a long way to go.
Now that Roderick was willing to give it, would she be foolish not to take it? What mother in the world would think she was leaving too much for her child?
Catriona immediately raised her eyes, a sharper look in them, and extended her hand. "Where's the pen?"
Roderick looked at her, and as he continued to gaze, his lips curled into a soft smile, a hint of fondness in his eyes.
He took a black pen from his chest pocket. "For you."
Everything, for you.
If she wanted, he would give her everything he had, even himself.
Catriona took the pen, listening to the man's voice, which carried a mesmerizing depth, while he gazed at her with an indulgent look.
Catriona immediately looked away.
Somehow, she felt a bit awkward.
This wolf, difficult and irritating as he could be, was a side of him she knew well. But this... this was rare.
The car door beside her opened automatically. She turned, stepped inside, and signed her name on the partition inside.
When she reached the last two property contracts, she froze.
Lotus District, No. 8.
Catriona's gaze lingered on those words, refusing to move. She gripped the pen, her lips trembling slightly.
At ten, her grandmother had brought her to there.
That small villa held every memory she had with her grandmother. Though it wasn't hers, it was the place she called home.
She slowly turned to look at Roderick. "I remember... Grandma's family wasn't planning to sell that house."
Roderick replied, "I offered a bit more."
A bit?
"You..." Catriona felt somewhat confused, unable to understand. "If it's for child support, you've already given enough. If it's... out of guilt, you've given enough as well. If this is you pursuing me, my answer is still no."
"You're a businessman. Do you realize you're doing a completely unprofitable deal right now?"
To be realistic, when a man pursues a woman, showing kindness and giving gifts, it's generally with the expectation of reciprocation. No one wants to be a fool.
Spending time and energy on a woman they can't bring home is something many would avoid. They'd even get criticized by friends and family for being foolish.
Roderick wasn't getting anything in return from her.
Didn't he understand that?
"A deal?" Roderick's long eyes lowered, and he tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I don't want anything from you, nor am I trying to exchange something with you."
"I just want to help you."
He simply... felt heartache for her.
His voice was soft. "Whenever you have time, take the cub and go back there for a visit."
A trace of confusion flickered across Catriona's face, unsure how to respond. She instinctively lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes concealing her emotions from view.
