Caden glanced at me. I lazily curled up in his arms and said, "I really don't get how someone like you could have a family like Queenie." Caden still said nothing. I looked up at him and realized that the he was still upset about what had happened earlier. I reached out and hooked my hand through his arm, gently fiddling with his cufflinks. "No way, you're mad?" Caden still ignored me. I wrinkled my nose and tiptoed closer. "Seriously mad?" I kept my tone soft and coaxing as I tested the waters. Suddenly, Caden grabbed my chin and kissed me hard, almost like a punishment. He even bit down lightly on my lip, making me let out a soft whimper of pain. "What was that for?" I slapped his chest. Caden looked at me, a shadow passing through his deep eyes. "Rosaline," he murmured my name as tenderly as if he were calling out to something precious. Seeing that deep emotion in his eyes, my heart softened too. I couldn't help but reply softly, "Give me a little more time, okay?" Later that night, Hubert did something he rarely ever did—he called me. "Richard is so petty," Hubert grumbled on the phone, "Just because I didn't send him a birthday gift, he now acts like he's too good to even breathe the same air as me!" I couldn't help but laugh quietly. These two had once been major power players across the Werewolf Continent. Now, at their age, they still bickered like kids. "I heard you brought out Shay?" Hubert said. I nodded. "I asked him to teach me to carve a bracelet to give to Richard for his birthday." To the outside world, Shay had only ever acknowledged one apprentice—Norris. No one knew that I was also one of his students; I just never made it public. Hubert nodded lightly. "Only you could've pulled Shay out of hiding. But I did hear his other disciple might be heading to Rivemon soon.""Norris is coming?" I was a bit surprised. But thinking about it more carefully, Jessica had already invited him to do some carving. Even if he wasn't in Rivemon yet, he was probably somewhere nearby. Ryan's POV: "Cut!" With the director's call, all the cameras stopped rolling. I immediately let go of Kristy, pushed her gently out of my arms and putting a few yards between us. Kristy looked hurt as if she wanted to say something, but I quickly turned away and started chatting with the crew instead. More staff swarmed over to congratulate us, and she had no choice but to hold her tongue. "Congrats to you both for your hard work. We finally wrapped up filming for the MV!" The director clapped, and everyone else applauded Kristy and me. I smiled politely without saying much. Kristy exchanged some pleasantries, too, though her eyes stayed glued to me the whole time. The director turned to me. "We're all heading out to celebrate after we wrap up. There's a restaurant nearby." The staff around us was excited, and Kristy looked at me hopefully. I smiled apologetically. "I'm really sorry, but I can't make it tonight. You all know my wife's pregnant now that filming's over. I want to spend some time with her." The crew looked at me with understanding and a bit of envy, while Kristy's face darkened in clear disappointment. The director looked a little bummed too, but he tried hard to persuade me. "You're our male lead! It won't be the same without you. It's just a quick dinner, nothing too long." Kristy quickly said, "Yeah, if you don't come, the whole celebration will feel half-baked. You don't want to be a party pooper, do you?" Seeing that even the director and Kristy were acting like this, the crew started chiming in and encouraging me, too. In the end, I reluctantly agreed. We wrapped up quickly, and everyone headed to the restaurant.At the celebration dinner, everyone was in a great mood. After a few rounds of drinks, my tolerance gave out—I was no match for these werewolf colleagues—and I passed out on the table. Kristy's POV: As the party wound down, Ryan was still slumped over, sound asleep. A few people were getting ready to leave. The director and two other half-sober crew members looked at Ryan, worried. "Maybe I should drive him home," one werewolf crew member suggested, swaying slightly but still relatively clear-headed. "He's in no shape to get back by himself." I immediately stepped up and propped Ryan up. "No need. I know where he lives, and my place is right nearby. It's all on the way." I'd been watching him the whole night. This was the opportunity I'd been waiting for. Many crew members knew about the ambiguous rumors between Ryan and me. Seeing how proactive I was, everyone just exchanged knowing looks and let it go. Since no one objected, I happily helped Ryan into a taxi. But instead of telling the driver to take us to his house, I directed him to the nearest hotel. Looking at Ryan leaning unconscious against my shoulder, my heart raced with excitement. We'd see just how much longer Yura could keep her hold on him tonight.