Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 473: Chapter 473 - You look so much like my late wife

By the time Vladimir arrived at the gym, the snowstorm had started to calm down, though icy winds still whipped across the parking lot. He parked the SUV in a quiet corner and climbed out. The first thing he did was open the back door.

Olivia sat exactly where he had left her. Her wrists were free now, but strips of duct tape still covered her mouth. Her eyes slowly lifted to meet his. Without a word, Vladimir reached over and peeled the tape away.

Olivia winced as it came off, the corners of her lips burning from being sealed for so long. She rubbed her mouth gently and took a few careful breaths. "You know what to do," Vladimir said in a cold, emotionless voice.

Olivia lowered her head. She didn’t argue, not having the strength left for that anymore. With trembling fingers, she reached for the small makeup bag beside her.

Every movement was painfully slow. Her wolf was tired of healing her. Once a while, she would but this time, the physical evidence was clear.

She carefully covered the bruises on her face, blended foundation over the marks around her neck, and fixed her hair to hide whatever she couldn’t completely conceal. She looked into the mirror several times, making tiny adjustments.

It wasn’t because she cared about how she looked. She was simply trying to buy herself a few more precious seconds, delaying whatever Vladimir had planned next. To her, even a single extra minute felt like a gift.

Vladimir leaned against the vehicle, silently watching her while his mind wandered elsewhere. Originally, he had planned to head straight to the safe house.

The older Alphas and Lunas had been taking turns watching the pups during the festival, which meant there was a good chance the Alpha of the Seasoned Pack would be there.

Still, since he was already outside the gym, he decided to look around first. It wouldn’t take long.

Once Olivia finally finished hiding the evidence of her suffering, they walked toward the entrance together. They had barely taken a few steps when Olivia suddenly stopped.

Her entire body went stiff, and her breathing caught in her throat.

Vladimir noticed immediately. Following her line of sight, he saw two familiar figures approaching through the snow. King Jaron and Queen Pandora.

"There you are." Pandora smiled warmly as she held onto Jaron’s coat, shielding herself from the chilly wind now that the snowfall had begun to lighten.

Olivia immediately lowered her head. She couldn’t bring herself to look at them. "I’m not feeling very well," she said, her voice weak and shaky.

Jaron didn’t look convinced. A deep frown settled across his face as his sharp eyes moved from Olivia to Vladimir. "Don’t tell me, Luna Oriana..." Disappointment filled his voice. "That you also support your husband breaking his promise."

Olivia wished the snow beneath her feet would just swallow her whole. The shame was unbearable. Before she could force out a reply, Vladimir calmly answered for her, his eyes fixed on Jaron.

"Do you believe the office of the Luna outranks that of the Alpha?"

The question instantly silenced everyone. Jaron’s expression grew even more unpleasant. He didn’t like the answer, not one bit. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do.

The Grimroot Pack wasn’t just powerful; it was the wealthiest pack among the werewolf communities. Starting a conflict with Vladimir would ripple through countless alliances. Even if he wanted to pressure him, his hands were tied.

After several long seconds, Jaron finally sighed. "Alpha Vladimir..." His tone softened. "Please think it over carefully." He looked at him steadily. "We’ll continue this discussion later." Then he turned to Pandora. "Let’s go. It’s our turn to watch the pups."

Pandora nodded, and the two of them continued toward the safe house. Vladimir resumed walking, but after only a few steps he realized Olivia hadn’t followed.

He stopped and slowly turned around. She was still standing exactly where she had been, completely frozen. Her eyes were locked on two people approaching from the opposite direction.

One was a middle-aged man. The other was a young she-wolf walking beside him. The resemblance between the young woman and Olivia was impossible to ignore.

Even without anyone saying a word, Vladimir immediately put the pieces together.

They walked straight toward Olivia. The middle-aged man wore a warm, kind smile. "Luna Oriana." His voice carried genuine excitement. "I’ve been hoping we’d finally meet."

He chuckled softly. "You look so much like my late wife." He glanced proudly at the young woman beside him. "My daughter has been wanting to meet you too. She keeps insisting the two of you might be related."

The young she-wolf smiled politely.

Vladimir didn’t take his eyes off Olivia for even a second. He watched every tiny change in her expression. Tears suddenly filled her eyes, then another, and another.

They rolled freely down her cheeks before the cold winter wind quickly dried them. Olivia’s lips trembled. Her knees slowly gave out beneath her, and she collapsed into the snow.

"Ian..." Her voice broke completely. "Ira..." Fresh tears blurred her vision. "Please... forgive me."

The father and daughter instantly froze. Neither of them understood what was happening. The young she-wolf looked back and forth between Olivia and her father, confusion written all over her face. "Dad... what is she talking about?"

Olivia couldn’t answer. She was crying too hard. Her entire body shook as years of crushing guilt came crashing down on her all at once. She looked at Ian through tear-filled eyes.

He looked so different now, so much healthier, and happier. Years ago, when they had lived together, Ian had spent most of his time drinking.

His clothes were always wrinkled, his beard unkempt, and his eyes had looked endlessly tired. Now he looked exactly like the man she had first fallen in love with, neat clothes, a clean face, and real life shining in his eyes again. The sight made Olivia cry even harder.

Ian became visibly nervous. His eyes darted toward Vladimir, fear flashing across his face. Without hesitation, he hurried over and helped Olivia to her feet.

"Luna Oriana," he said, his voice trembling. "What are you apologizing for?" He glanced nervously at Vladimir again. "Do you want Alpha Vladimir to destroy us?"

Only then did Vladimir begin walking toward them. His footsteps were slow and measured, his cold eyes never leaving Ian. When he finally stopped in front of them, a heavy silence settled over the group.

Then Vladimir spoke, his voice calm, too calm. "Can you tell me about your wife?"