I looked up at the sky, now cloaked in heavy clouds, mirroring the gloom that had settled over me. I didn't feel like responding to his question at all. Rain was the last thing we needed in this situation. With a frustrated sigh, I turned away, stomping my foot in irritation, then grabbed Joel's arm, urging him to move forward with me. The rain hit without warning, as though it had been waiting to explode. Barely two or three minutes after the thunderclap, the heavens opened. The raindrops, as large as beans, pelted us mercilessly, quickly turning into a torrential downpour. The rain didn't let up, it battered us from all sides. Joel inhaled sharply, visibly uncomfortable. The forecast had promised clear skies, so he hadn't prepared for this sudden storm. The cold droplets stung my face, water blurring my vision as it streamed into my eyes. The sensation was unpleasant, and I instinctively wiped my face, barely catching a glimpse of something ahead. A cave. The wind howled fiercely, and the rain came down in sheets. I had to shout to be heard over the chaos. "Hold on a little longer, Joel! There's a cave up ahead! We can take shelter there!" Joel nodded, and I helped him move toward the cave as quickly as we could. By the time we reached the entrance, we were both drenched, but fortunately, the floor of the cave was dry. The air still carried a dampness, but since I was an Alpha, it didn't bother me much. Joel, on the other hand, was visibly shivering. Here he was, the young werewolf heir who had chased after me so boldly, yet his body seemed so much less resilient than mine. I helped him sit down and pulled out my phone to call Caden. If we ended up stuck here for the night, I dreaded the misunderstandings that would arise when Caden finds out later. But when I turned the phone on, the screen remained black. Frowning, I wiped away the rainwater and pressed the power button. A low battery symbol appeared before the screen went dark again. Just our luck—caught in a storm, and my phone was dead. "Do you have any food left in your bag?" I asked, feeling a bit defeated as I tucked the useless phone away and turned to Joel, who was sitting on the ground. "My phone's dead. If we're stuck here, we might have to go without food or water."Joel nodded quickly. "Yeah, I've got some bread and bottled water. Here." He opened his waterproof backpack, pulling out a couple of bags of bread, handing one to me. At least the bread was still dry. Joel looked at me, his voice soft with regret. "Rosaline, I didn't mean for today to turn out like this. I didn't want to ruin your day. Please don't be mad." I tore open the bag and took a bite of the bread, shaking my head slightly at his words. Even though I thought Joel was a bit reckless, there was no point in saying anything more. It wouldn't change things now. "I know you didn't mean it," I said calmly. "And you're hurt now, so I'm not upset. But ... can you tell me why exactly you have feelings for me?" Joel hesitated, as though weighing his words carefully. After a long pause, he spoke earnestly, "Because you're beautiful and kind. When I first saw you, my heart skipped a beat. I wanted to pursue you because of that." So, it was all based on looks, after all. For Joel, it seemed like his attraction was just a passing impulse. We hadn't taken the time to understand each other yet, but to me, his feelings were nothing more than a fleeting infatuation. I sighed. "I need to be clear with you. Caden and I are about to get engaged, and the ceremony is next week. I love him, and he loves me. So, honestly, I don't think there's any point in you wasting your time on me." Joel fell quiet, chewing his bread slowly. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke again, "Rosaline, you're about to get engaged, not already engaged. And my feelings for you are my own. Why are you so quick to shut me down? I don't think I'm lacking compared to him." I shook my head. Joel was like most werewolf nobles—he had never faced any real adversity in his life. He didn't understand what I was trying to say. I sighed, finally letting the words out. "When you truly fall in love with someone, you'll understand." Caden's POV: I worked late that night, not leaving the office until 8:00 p.m. On my way home, unease began to settle in. Rosaline hadn't contacted me all day. I thought she might have been busy, but when I stopped by Starplay Entertainment, the staff told me she hadn't even shown up. When I got home, she wasn't there either. Panic began to creep up in my chest. Rosaline never stayed out this late, especially without letting me know where she was. Especially on a day like today ... I pulled out my phone and called her, but the cold, robotic voice on the other end told me, "The number you have dialed is unavailable. Please try again later." Was there something wrong?