"Boss, why did you deliberately leak the news about assassinating Darius?" Alissa asked, her face full of confusion. But when she looked toward the man at the top of the steps, who seemed like a king of the dark, the only things left in her beautiful eyes were respect and a hint of hidden affection. Lance rested his hands on his knees, and the corner of his mouth, hidden in shadow, curved into a strange, tempting smile. "Because I want to see what she has become," he said, his voice carrying both anticipation and a dangerous tension. Alissa almost got lost in the soft curve of his eyes and asked without thinking, "Boss, are you talking about Thora?" Lance did not answer. Alissa did not ask again and only clenched her fist, a flash of killing intent passing through her eyes.Thora again. The woman who keeps ruining Greywolf's missions. Not only did Boss not kill her, he actually ... "Alissa, you're my partner." Lance suddenly closed his eyes, his voice deep and certain. "I'll take revenge for you. But Thora's life is mine to take." Alissa snapped out of it at once and lowered her head respectfully. "Got it, Boss. I will never disobey any of your orders." You could also say the entire Greywolf group revolved around Lance as its absolute core. Even if Alissa was unhappy inside, even if it cost her life, she would carry out every one of his commands. That was Greywolf's shared belief. It was also Lance's unquestionable authority. ... Two weeks later, Astralis Empire.In a famous international hotel, representatives from the top packs of every empire gathered together. Just like the pack banquets held every year by the core packs of Starlance City, once in a while, the most powerful pack leaders from different empires would meet like this. Besides maintaining diplomatic ties between packs and coordinating resources, they would also discuss important topics, such as joint action against international thief syndicates and threats from other races. This time, the host of the inter-empire banquet was the Astralis Empire. Inside one of the private rooms of the hotel, Thora put on a realistic face mask, changed into a waiter's uniform, and only after checking the silver band on her wrist did she push her food cart toward the main hall. The moment she stepped out, she saw Darius in the distance. As one of the hosts from Astralis Empire, he had put away his usual casual air today. He was dressed in a custom silver-gray suit, holding a crystal wineglass with a graceful smile. Several foreign socialites were gathered around him, chatting cheerfully. Thora frowned. This man stands out wherever he goes. He's impossible to ignore. But the annoyance lasted only a second before she quickly lowered her head, blended in like any other waiter, and began quietly searching for Greywolf operatives. A familiar scent brushed past Darius's senses, and he looked back on instinct, but all he saw was the back of a waiter disappearing into the crowd. "Mr. Blackwood, what are you looking at?" The woman who had just been flirting with him asked softly, and the moment Darius turned back, she cried out and pretended to twist her ankle, throwing herself toward him. Darius stepped aside, and a cold Alpha pressure spread from him at once. "Ma'am, I believe I just said I do not like strangers getting close to me." The woman, who had almost fallen, met his icy eyes, and her embarrassment instantly turned to fear. She stammered, "S-sorry, I just lost my balance." "Yeah, right," Lorcan sneered inside Darius's mind. "That kind of cheap trick is old news at Starlance City parties." Darius shot the woman a cold look and then turned and walked away. "Mr. Blackwood, that was the youngest daughter of the Crimson Pack's Alpha from the Blackreach Empire. Wasn't that a little rude?" Carl followed quickly and reminded him in a low voice. Darius looked careless most of the time, but at events like this, he usually cared a lot about appearances and almost never offended people openly. When he wanted to deal with someone, he usually did it quietly behind the scenes. Darius let out a cold laugh. "If I didn't care about manners, I wouldn't have spoken to her at all." He paused, then added on purpose, "Besides, I already have a bonded mate, so I need to keep my distance from other women." Carl fell silent. Should I remind him that only a handful of people even know about that bond? To the outside world, Mr. Blackwood is still known as Chaules's golden bachelor, and no one knows he's already taken. After speaking, Darius kept scanning the crowd. He had clearly sensed Thora earlier, yet he could not find her anywhere.