Chapter 0455
Karl
As | lift another beam into ce, a bead of sweat trickles down my forehead, but my attention is elsewhere. Across the field,
Abby is in her element, orchestrating the kitchen with a natural ease.
There’s an undeniable rhythm to her movements, and | find myself watching her probably more than | should. | try to focus on my
task, reminding myself I’m here for the approval ratings, not personal indulgences, but that’s easier said than done.
Abby looks gorgeous all of the time, but she’s even more stunning when she’s in her element. The pull between us is undeniable,
too, and | can feel my wolf tugging at me whenever | look at her.
| can’t help but wonder if her wolf is pulling at her, too.
But then my mind wanders back to what happenedtest night in the kitchen. She had asked what | thought would happen
between us over a ss of wine, and | had answered as honestly as | could despite the storm of emotions raging inside of me.
| had told her what | secretly hoped, what | secretly wanted. Although, | guess it hasn''t exactly been a secret all this time.
And yet, when | had asked her the same question, she had nched and practically fled from the room under the pretense of
being tired and tipsy. It hurt a little, | won''t lie. Of course | want this rtionship to be real and more than just a facade. Of course
| don’t want to sleep with her casually.
But it''s rarely that simple, is it? Especially when you factor in the part where | divorced her and broke her heart once.
“Hey, Alpha Karl, need a hand with that?” a volunteer, a burly man with a friendly face, asks as he approaches, breaking me out
of my deep train of thought.
“Thanks, Mike,” | respond, grateful for the distraction. Together, we lift the heavy beam into its slot. The structure of the new
library is taking shape, piece by piece.
Mike wipes his brow and looks over at the cooking tent. “The food smells good over there. That’s Abby, right? Your Luna?”
“Yeah, that’s her,” | reply, following his gaze. “She''s incredible in the kitchen. Have you tried the food?”
Mike shakes his head. “No, but | can’t wait to try what they’ve whipped up. Heard a lot about her cooking.”
“Hopefully only good things,” | tease.
The burly volunteer chuckles. “Well, | won''t lie, | heard about what happened at the Alpha party,” he says. “But | also heard your
speech the other night at the masquerade. And no one got sick from the food then, so... | hope it all works out for her.”
His words make me smile. “Thanks, man,” | say, shaking his hand. “Support like yours is important. We''re hoping her restaurant
gets to reopen and whoever actually poisoned the food gets the justice they deserve.”
Just then, the lunch bell rings, cutting our conversation short. We make our way over to the tent where Abby and her team are
serving food. The aroma is inviting, and my stomach rumbles in response. Volunteers queue up, chatting andughing, the
atmosphere light and cheerful.
| grab a te, loading it with a generous helping of stew and a piece of crusty bread. However, just as I’m about to take my first
bite, a voice rings out from behind me.
“Hope this doesn’t end likest time,” a volunteer jokes, nudging his friend. “Remember the Alpha party? | can’t afford to get
sick.”
The tent falls into a sudden silence. My wolf bristles inside of me, and | stiffen, ready to defend Abby against the onught of
usations that mighte. But before | can speak, she steps forward, herughter breaking the tension.
“Oh, don’t worry. Everything here is perfectly safe. We run a tight ship in our kitchen,” Abby says, her voice clear and steady. “In
fact, let me show you how we do things. You''ll be impressed.”
The volunteer looks surprised but interested. “Sure,” he says. “I''d like that.”
Others chime in, curious. Abby leads them on an impromptu tour. | hang back, watching her effortlessly handle the situation with
a grace that | don’t think any of us expected; even her staff shoots me looks of surprise. She points out the various stations,
exining the processes and protocols they follow.
“So, as you can see, everything is meticulously prepared and cooked to just the right internal temperatures,” Abby concludes,
setting down the special thermometer that she was just using to show that the internal temperature of one of the kitchen breasts
is a perfect 165 degrees Fahrenheit. “We take great pride in our cleanliness and quality.”
The volunteer who made the joke looks genuinely apologetic by now, but also appreciative for the tour. “I didn’t mean anything by
it, really,” he says. “It’s just, you know, after what happened...”
Abby waves him off, still smiling. “It’s okay, | get it. But rest assured, you''re in safe hands.”
As the group disperses, | approach Abby. “Handled that like a pro,” | say, admiration in my voice.
She shrugs, a yful glint in her eyes. “Comes with the territory. You learn to roll with the punches.”
| nod, taking a bite of the stew. It’s delicious, and | tell her so.
“You were going to say something to him, weren''t you?” she asks, eyeing me knowingly.
“Maybe,” | admit. “But you clearly didn’t need my help.”
Sheughs, and it''s a sound that resonates somewhere deep inside of me, causing my heart to skip a beat. “I can take care of
myself, but thanks, Karl,” she says.
| want to say more, to tell her how much | admire her strength and resilience, but the moment isn’t right. Instead, | simply enjoy
the meal and herpany.
The rest of the lunch break passes in a blur of conversation andughter.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.
As lunch wraps up, | head back to the
building site, energized not just by the
food but by Abby''s pies ce
r 1 of thelday''stretches before us,
filled with more work, more sweat,
but now, it feels a little lighter, and
maybe even just a little brighter.
Please read the original content at
NovelDrama.Org.
Every now and then, though, | steal a
nce at the cooking tent, catchin
glimpses of Abby as ERO : ''S
ing Vaal), joking with her
friends. They''re throwing kitchen
towels at each other over something
someone said, and theughter is
contagious. Please read the original
content at NovelDrama.Org.
It''s nice to see Abby and her team back together again, and it makes me realize just how depressed she’s actually been these
past couple of weeks now that | can make theparison. She hasn''tughed and smiled like this in two weeks.
And, unexpectedly, it makes me realize something else.
| had joked with Abby that if she said
‘| love you’ first, she would have to
move here. But now, esate g becwith
mle OME so sure if |
incite ever expect that from her.
She''s made a life of her own in the
city, without me. She''s got friends
there, dreams, a career that she built
from the ground up. Please read the
original content at NovelDrama.Org.
How could | possibly take that away from her?