UNEXPECTED...

Irene cast her gaze at Simeon and told him, "Get out of here. I don't want to be in the same room with you." At that moment, her emotions were unstable.

She noticed something in his eyes. There was a particular intensity she couldn't decipher. His phoenix eyes always seemed to hold a magic that left her confused, even though she didn't like him.

But the confusion wasn't what she needed right now. Irene took a deep breath and pointed her trembling hand toward the door. "I said, get out," she repeated firmly. "I don't want to be in the same room with you."

Irene knew she was being shameless. Her confidence wouldn't let her second-guess herself, even though this was his room. She was the intruder here. She feared that if she did anything unreliable, she'd be the one asked to leave, humiliated. No, those thoughts were fleeting. She pushed them aside.

Simeon didn't budge. His intense gaze bore into her as he took a deliberate step closer.

As he approached, Irene bit her lip nervously. Her heart pounded like a heavy drum reverberating throughout her body.

She wanted to retreat, but her back was already pressed firmly against the wall. There was nowhere to go.

"Simeon, I said back away," she demanded, her voice quivering.

Simeon remained unfazed. "Back away? Why should I?"

"Why are you coming closer?" she asked, her panic clear in her voice.

His phoenix eyes burned into hers, his lips curving into a faint, unreadable smile. It was both a smile and not a smile.

"Why should I back away?" he repeated. "Am I not your husband? Why should I back away, Irene?"

She didn't know how she had ended up trapped like this.

His breath brushed against her neck, hot and uncomfortably close. Frustration bubbled up as Irene pouted.

She wanted him gone. She didn't like the unfamiliar, unwelcome sensation he stirred within her. He needed to leave.

Summoning her courage, she muttered, "You'd better leave."

Before she could finish, Simeon's lips crashed against hers.

Irene's mind went blank. Her heart raced erratically, pounding an uncontrollable rhythm in her chest. His lips claimed hers with an overwhelming fervor, his teeth grazing her lower lip and sending shivers through her.

She couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"You're mine, Irene. My wife," Simeon murmured against her lips. "Respect goes both ways. You should give me the same respect I give you."

His lips left hers, trailing down to her neck.

Irene felt vulnerable, dangerously so. If she stayed in this room with Simeon any longer, she feared she would hate not just him but herself too.

Even though the sensations on her neck, she noticed the flicker in Simeon's eyes. They burned with a fiery intensity but softened, like a phoenix caught between flames and ashes.

She bit her lip, her resolve wavering. Her body and soul suited the edge of surrender.

Then, suddenly, the tension broke.

The sound of the door clicking open startled her: Simeon had left.

After kissing her, he simply walked out.

Irene stared at the spot where he had stood moments ago, unable to move.

He had kissed her.

After two years of marriage, Simeon kissed her.

She couldn't believe it. Frozen, she stared blankly at the door. Beads of sweat trickled down her temple, soaking into her dress.

What was Simeon doing?

Why was he trying to confuse her like this, knowing full well she didn't want him? This wasn't what she wanted.

And what was that look in his eyes? Irene couldn't figure it out.

Her hands balled into fists as frustration and confusion overwhelmed her.

The door clicked again, bringing her out of her thoughts. A maid entered, bowing politely.

"Young Lady Irene, shall I prepare a bath for you?" she asked. "I noticed you and the Alpha were busy, so I didn't want to disturb you earlier."

Irene glanced briefly at the maid before shaking her head.

"No, thank you. I can take care of myself. You may leave."

The maid bowed. "As you wish, Young Miss. I'll take my leave now."

As the maid exited, Irene found herself alone once more.

She wasn't ready to face anyone. Alone in the room, she needed time to process what had just happened. The moment was too dark, too confusing, for her to handle right now.

...

 The curtain was carried up by the wind. Irene sat on her chair with her pen and paper, writing a new poem that she would be launching for her upcoming event across the country. 

Irene was very tired from everything that happened recently.

She is a very stubborn person, Irene thought. Since she has made up her mind to escape this marriage, even the little kiss that happened between her and Simeon, she would not let it overwhelm her.

Now the only thing her mind was focused on was her book and the poetry in her head that she was trying to get out.

Irene didn't leave the house to the office; she chose to stay in the mansion because she was too scared and thought that she would meet with Simeon by chance or in any other way that she couldn't imagine.

She sighs as she has been writing for an hour or two. Getting great poetry out of her head is a lot of work to handle.

But it was quite easy for her because she had her assistant here with her.

Thinking of her assistant, the door clicked open, and Alexandra Thompson.

A very beautiful woman with curly brown hair, she was partially a werewolf since her mother was an alpha female and her father was just an ordinary human.

And for the kind of werewolf that Alexandra was, Irene did not bother asking... Digging into her assistant life.

Alexandra dropped some files onto Irene's table, and she said to her with a strict, serious face.

"Lunar, the two hours of work are over. You can now take your rest. Excessive working overtime isn't good for you. You have to keep to your words, Luna," she cleared her throat after saying all of her words.

This is what Irene doesn't like, Irene thought to herself. She has always warned Alexandra about not calling her Luna, but she keeps saying that.

This was one thing Irene didn't like about her. She was always overly professional and respectful, keeping a bounce between personal and professional life.

The house was already boring and still even at work, things were still boring because she had a very strict professor as her assistant.

Irene sighed, and she took the file that Alexandra had kept on the table. 

She opened it, and it contained categories of her old poetry that had been published a long time ago.

She raised an eyebrow to Alexandra, "What am I to do with these old works written by me? If you think I'm running out of ideas and I need to do a round-check on my old ideas, then I tell you, Alex, it is not necessary."

Alexandra looked at her and adjusted her glasses before she said seriously, "No Luna, I know that you are very smart and won't stop running out of ideas." She shifted her glasses further to the bridge of her nose and continued, "The reason I brought your old works here is because a group of small companies are requesting to buy your work. They would like to use it in one of their tragic stories in a movie."

Irene frowned the moment she heard Alexandra's words, "Alex, I don't trust this kind of dealings that work is my sweat. If someone wants to use it, they can use it, but I must have a copyright to it."

She dropped her pen, staring at Alexandra, and she sighed, "Think twice, Alex, before you come to me with this kind of dealing."

After her cold words, Alexandra's expression did not change, and she neurally said, "I'm glad that you did not accept this offer... I too was having second thoughts about it, but the amount of money that they mentioned made me think further."