Chapter 0130


    “Karl,” Gianna says once they’re gone, snapping me out of my reverie. “I think you shoulde to


    dinner tonight. We need to discuss a few more things.”


    I look up at her. There’s something off about her tone, something I can’t quite ce. Maybe because of


    that, I wind up making a snap decision. “You know what?” I say, standing. “That’s an excellent idea.


    We’ll hold a dinner at my house tonight.”


    For a moment, a peculiar expression crosses her face. It’s fleeting, but it’s there—a mix of surprise and


    something else I can’t identify. She quickly masks it with a professional smile.


    “Very well, sir. I’ll see you tonight.”


    …


    As I settle into the leather seat of my car, the engine purrs to life, but I don’t immediately pull out of the


    parking lot. My fingers drum on the steering wheel, my mind racing through the events of the day.


    Abby’s return home for the weekend, the council’s thinly veiled criticism, Gianna’s strange behavior—


    each thoughtpetes for attention, but it''s Abby who ultimately wins out.


    My wolf stirs, breaking his prolonged silence. “You know, this dinner tonight could be a good


    opportunity. A date with Abby, gaining her approval back.”


    I chuckle softly, already ahead of him. “That was the goal, my friend. I’m even thinking of taking her out


    shopping for a new dress before dinner. Let her choose whatever she wants, no price tag too hefty.”


    Memories flood back: me buying Abby thetest designer handbags, high-end jewelry, whisking her off


    on surprise getaways. I loved spoiling her, loved the shine it would bring to her eyes, or so I believed.


    “But did Abby ever really enjoy being spoiled?” My wolf’s question catches me off guard.


    I sigh, taking a moment to shift through years of memories and moments. Then it hits me. A shback


    steals over my thoughts.


    We were younger then, still grappling with the early years of our rtionship and my role as Alpha. I


    had missed our anniversary dinner due to an urgent Alpha matter. When I returned homete that


    night, I found her in our bedroom, crying softly into her pillow.


    In an effort to make it up to her, I went out the next day and bought an expensive diamond ne. I


    was certain it would cheer her up, that the sheer extravagance would wipe away her tears and


    disappointment.


    But when she opened the box, her face fell.


    “Karl, return it,” she said, her voice filled with a sadness I didn’t understand.


    “Why?” I asked, confused, maybe even a little offended.


    “Because you can’t buy my love,” she replied. “You always think that you can just… shower me with all


    the nes, bags, or gifts you want. But the truth is, I’d never appreciate them as much as spending


    quality time with you.”


    At the time, I thought she was being petty, maybe even bordering on ridiculous. Couldn’t she see these


    gifts were expressions of my love, mymitment?


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    The memory fades, leaving a bittersweet ache in its wake. That’s when the realization hits me: my wolf


    is right.


    Maybe I can’t buy Abby’s love. Maybe what she truly wanted, what she might still want, is something


    money can’t buy. My time, my presence, my love expressed not through material things but through


    actions, small and significant alike. It’s proven itself right so far, hasn’t it?


    I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles whitening. It’s a harsh realization, one that strikes at the core of


    what I believed love could be, what it should be. In this moment, I make a decision.


    “Alright,” I murmur out loud, more to myself than to my wolf. “Fine. No shopping spree, no extravagant


    gifts. Just me and Abby, spending quality time together.”


    My wolf hums approvingly, a low, resonant sound that vibrates through our shared consciousness. “It’s


    a start,” he says.