Chapter 170: Chapter 170 Hidden Scars
Author
The next evening, Yardley wore a black coat that made him look slightly more approachable than usual.
But the distant coolness in his expression remained, making him seem serious and formal when he wasn’t speaking.
When he arrived to pick up Carol and Nancy, the couple were quiet for a long moment. Carol finally cleared her throat. "Nancy, this is your boyfriend?"
"Yes, Mom. This is Yardley Wolfe, my boyfriend."
Carol nodded slowly. "Well, nice to meet you."
"Good evening, ma’am. Please, just call me Yardley." He turned to Nancy’s father with equal respect. "Sir."
Nancy sat nervously in the passenger seat. Yardley was really nailing this whole act.
Carol asked curiously, "Yardley, how did you and Nancy meet?"
Nancy’s heart skipped a beat. They hadn’t rehearsed their backstory.
"Through a mutual friend, ma’am. Someone we both know through work. We met at a get-together." Yardley stuck close to the truth while keeping it vague.
"Oh, I see. What a coincidence."
Carol could tell that Yardley had class and money, but since they’d only just met, prying seemed rude. Both parents kept their questions polite.
Nancy noticed how smoothly he handled her parents’ questions. He was polite but not overeager, confident without being cocky. The perfect fake boyfriend.
When Yardley stepped out of the car at the restaurant, he extended his hand toward Nancy.
Nancy hesitated for a moment until the man raised one eyebrow, as if asking why she wasn’t playing along.
She pressed her lips together and stepped forward, slipping her hand into his.
His hand was warm and steady. For a fake relationship, this felt surprisingly real.
Yardley’s lips curved slightly as he led Nancy and her parents into a restaurant he obviously frequented.
The server, recognizing Yardley, came over personally. "Mr. Wolfe, good to see you again. Your usual table?"
"That would be perfect, thank you," Yardley replied, then turned to Robert. "What would you like to drink tonight, sir?"
"Just water for me," Robert said. "And you go ahead, don’t let me stop you from having something."
"Water sounds good actually. I’ve got an early meeting tomorrow."
The server nodded and showed them to a private booth.
Robert looked curious. "Yardley, I couldn’t help but notice the way the staff treats you here. You must come here often for business?"
Yardley smiled faintly. "I do have quite a few business dinners here, sir. But tonight, I’m simply Nancy’s boyfriend."
Robert started putting the pieces together. Everything about Yardley suggested success - his bearing, his speech, his every gesture. The expensive suit, the confident demeanor, the way the restaurant staff clearly knew him well.
Business owner. That explained it.
The deference from the staff, his polished manner, and that surname...
Robert suddenly remembered Wolfe Holdings. Though they’d only recently moved back to the area, they weren’t completely out of touch with major local players.
"Are you related to Wolfe Holdings?" Robert asked directly.
Yardley smiled lightly. "It’s my family’s company."
Robert fell silent, glancing at his daughter. Nancy kept her eyes down, focusing intently on her menu, refusing to meet her father’s gaze.
"Well, Yardley, that’s quite impressive. No wonder you work such long hours."
Nancy knew from her father’s tone that he was completely sold on Yardley.
Robert’s mind was already racing. Wolfe Holdings was no small operation. His daughter had somehow managed to catch the attention of someone way out of their league.
The rest of the evening went exactly as she’d expected smoothly.
When Yardley drove them home, Nancy looked at him gratefully. "Thank you for tonight."
Yardley’s lips curved in a gentle smile. "You should head inside. It’s cold. Mr. and Mrs. Chen, I apologize for the short notice tonight. Next time I’ll plan something nicer."
"Tonight was wonderful, Yardley. Drive safely."
Robert watched Yardley’s car disappear down the street with satisfaction, then turned to his daughter with a meaningful look. "Nancy, I really like him. He seems like a genuine person."
Carol smiled warmly. "He’s very polite and considerate. And he clearly cares about you."
"Plus he’s got his life together - that’s important," Robert added approvingly.
Nancy’s eye twitched. "Slow down, Dad. We just started dating. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves."
Once they got through this charade, they could stage a breakup.
That would be realistic enough.
Nancy thought the matter was resolved until Yardley suggested she meet his father.
She’d met Alpha Hunter once at the school. But this time would be different. She’d be meeting him as Yardley’s "girlfriend."
"If it’s awkward, we could wait until the weekend. Dominic and Elara will be there too. You might feel less nervous."
Nancy had agreed to this deal. She had no choice but to go through with it. "Okay."
--
These past few days, Elizabeth had noticed her granddaughter’s distraction. "Elara, are you missing Dominic while he’s away?"
Elara’s heart skipped. "Grandma, don’t tease me."
Alpha Dominic had indeed been quiet these past few days. Not a single message or call. Elara found herself not used to his absence.
She didn’t know if her growing dependence on him stemmed from habit or from something deeper.
Elizabeth watched her granddaughter’s conflicted expression carefully. She deliberately sighed. "Dominic hasn’t had an easy life. Several years ago, he was in a terrible car accident. He nearly became paralyzed."
"He went through months of physical therapy to walk again. You can imagine how tough that must have been."
Elara froze. "It was that serious? He could have lost the use of his legs?"
"Oh yes. His father thought he might lose Dominic entirely. The boy went to Europe for treatment alone, wouldn’t let anyone go with him. He fought through it all by himself."
Elara remembered how casually Alpha Dominic had brushed it off that day, saying it was nothing.
"Elara, you two need to be patient with each other, be there for each other. Dominic cares for you deeply."
Elara looked at her grandmother. "Grandma, you really think he... cares that much?"
Elizabeth smiled gently. "Of course. His father once told me that when Dominic was young, plenty of girls were interested in him. He never gave them a second glance."
"Haven’t you noticed? Whenever Dominic is in the room, his eyes are always on you."
"A man only looks at someone like that when he’s in love."
Elara returned to her room with a lot to think about. She wanted to call Alpha Dominic but didn’t know what to say or how to bring up what she’d learned.
She was about to turn off the light when she received a text from Professor Williams.
[Elara, are you free to come to campus tomorrow? I have a wedding gift ready for you. You can pick it up whenever works for you.]
[Thank you, Professor Williams. Would four o’clock tomorrow afternoon work?]
[Perfect. See you then.]
