Chapter 252:

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I froze, waiting. I had no idea how much he might have overheard.

He didn’t ask about the map. Instead, he held out a document. “Look at this.”

I took it, confused. It was an official title deed. The address was for the property on Linden Street.

My head snapped up, my eyes wide with shock. “This is—?”

“I had Silas handle it today,” Demetri said flatly. “The steward at Golden Key Property Agency was more than happy to be ‘flexible’ about apprentice licensing issues, especially after learning the buyer was the Luna of House Contreras.”

A complicated mix of relief and frustration washed over me. He had solved my biggest problem, but it went against my resolve to rely solely on myself.

I closed the folder. “Thank you, Demetri,” I said softly. “But I will be transferring the funds from my personal reserve to your accounts.” I would not relinquish my financial independence.

𝘋𝗂𝘀с𝗈𝗏e𝗿 ne𝗐 𝘴𝘵o𝘳𝘪е𝗌 𝗼ո 𝗀𝘢𝘭n𝗈𝗏е𝗅ѕ.cо𝗆

He watched me for a long moment, and then, to my surprise, a genuine smile touched his lips. It wasn’t mocking. It was appreciative.

“As you wish,” he said. “I am merely clearing away unnecessary obstacles for you. I have faith in your abilities. Just as—”

He paused, gesturing to another file he’d brought. “Just as I did with this.”

I opened the second document. It was the latest resolution from the pack council regarding military funding. The proposal to add a “Frontline Financial Supervisor” had passed unanimously. The warriors’ funding gap was closed, and they had received an additional twenty percent.

He watched my stunned expression. “Your suggestion to ‘send the man who controls the money to where the money is spent’ was remarkably effective. Arthur Baldwin left for the northern border in tears this morning. General Gideon asked me to convey his thanks.”

I never imagined a simple principle of estate management from my world would have such a profound impact here.

Demetri’s gaze was intense, his tone serious. “Haven, you possess a wisdom I have never encountered before. It does not belong to any family in this world. I will not pry into its origins, but I want you to know that I admire it. And I rely on it.”

His frankness caught me off guard. It was the first time he had so directly affirmed my intrinsic value, separate from my role as his mate.

I felt a warmth creep up my neck and looked away from his searing gaze. “I just offered a different perspective.”

As I looked down, his eyes caught it: a faint, almost invisible bruise on my wrist from the struggle with the thugs.

His expression shifted instantly. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. He reached out, his fingers closing around my wrist.

“What is this?” His voice was lethally cold.

I knew I couldn’t hide it. His senses were too sharp.

I hesitated, weighing my options. The truth would unleash his fury and could derail my carefully laid plans for revenge.

But looking into the storm gathering in his ice-blue eyes, I knew a lie might have consequences far worse than the truth.

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