Chapter 4

The sky was painted purple and orange when Kylian finally reached his home. He immediately stopped his bicycle in its usual place in the yard. Lily was still wincing from the pain of her scraped knee, her rosy cheeks stained with tears. As Kylian dismounted, Lily looked up at him with wide eyes, tears swirling within them. Kylian's chest ached at the sight. He gently picked her up and started ascending the few stairs to his front door.

Kylian pressed the doorbell.

Ting~

The sound echoed through the yard. Something rattled on the other side, followed by a shuffle, and then the door opened. An older man stepped out, his hair messy but his clothes neat. He smiled as he saw Kylian and Lily, but immediately frowned when neither responded with their usual smiles or bickering.

"Kyle, what's wrong?" the man asked with concern as Lily made grabby hands towards him. The man, David Truce, took Lily from Kylian's arms. She fastened her hands around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder, whimpering.

"Nothing major, Papa. We had a little accident, but we're fine. Except for Lily's knee—it got a little scraped," Kylian explained as they made their way inside and closed the door.

The house was simple: a corridor led to the kitchen on one side and the living room on the other. Just past the main door, stairs led to the second floor where Kylian's room was.

"Quickly, go and bring the first aid kit from our bedroom, Kyle," David said, his usually woody-citrus pheromones spiking with worry as he carefully lowered Lily onto the living room couch. He sat beside her, placed her leg on his knees, and examined the scraped knee.

"Does it hurt a lot, baby? You're going to be okay, alright?" David reassured her, releasing his calming pheromones as he kissed her forehead and lovingly stroked her hair.

"No, Papa, it doesn't hurt much now. It's just stinging a little," Lily said, giving a brave smile.

"You're my brave girl, aren't you?" David said, patting her back.

In his parents' bedroom, Kylian rummaged through the drawers beside the bed and found the kit in the second one. He grabbed it and practically ran back. David took it and started treating Lily's wound with utmost care, as if holding fragile glass.

"There, all set," David said after cleaning the scrape and applying a bandage. He took Lily into a hug.

"Papa, Mama isn't home yet?" Kylian smiled heartily at the duo before heading towards the stairs.

"Um, yeah. She'll be late. She texted me there were some customers, but she said she'd be back by 7:00 PM. Until then, go freshen up. I've made some chicken pasta," David said to Kylian, who had one foot on the stairs. Kylian nodded and quickly went up to his room on the right side in the corner.

Kylian entered his orderly room. It was simple, with a single bed in the middle, two small side tables with lamps and a few books on the right one. A study table stood in front of the bed with a portable chair, his black bag hanging from it. To the left of the table was a small closet for his clothes, with a shoe rack between the table and the closet.

Kylian took off his shoes, not bothering to put them on the rack, grabbed his laptop from the study table, and plopped onto the bed. He opened the laptop.

Just as he was about to open the browser, a notification popped up. Kylian clicked on it with a nonchalant expression that soon turned to surprise and excitement as he read the message.

Mr. Truce,

You are hereby informed that you have been selected to attend "Lakewood Prestige," one of the most renowned universities in Ignaria, due to your exceptional score on the entry test. The university has decided to grant you a scholarship that will cover your tuition, canteen expenses, dormitory fees, etc.

Classes will begin on Monday. Please ensure you are prepared beforehand.

Thank you.

Kylian read the email, shut the laptop, and stared blankly into space for a full thirty seconds. Then, realization dawned. He sprang from the bed, flung the door open, and dashed down the stairs.

"Papa!! I got the scholarship!" Kylian shouted, excitement running through his veins as he bounced cutely on his feet.

David was in the kitchen when he heard the shout and hurried out. A sudden weight collided with him, staggering him back a few steps.

Lily, sitting in the living room watching cartoons, clapped with excitement.

"Papa, I got it! A full scholarship! Can you believe it? They said I got the highest marks on the entry test. I'll be starting my career at my dream university!" Kylian said, his voice laced with excitement as he leaned back from the hug to see his father's grinning face.

"I knew you could do it, Kyle. Your mother will be so happy to hear this good news. I'm proud of you, my son," David said, patting Kylian on the back with a proud grin and giving him a side hug.

"Now, come on, this calls for a celebration! I'm glad I made chicken pasta, and there are cupcakes in the fridge. I'll get them out, and when your mother comes back, we'll have a proper celebration," David said with an excited laugh, squeezing Kylian's shoulder before heading to the kitchen counter to plate the pasta.

Kylian smiled at his father, squeezing his hands together as a wave of satisfaction flowed through him.

I really made it. I can't believe that the day after tomorrow, I'll be starting university, Kylian thought, uncontained excitement shining in his eyes.

---

On the other side, the Porsche stopped in front of a huge mansion. A butler opened the car door, and Alex stepped out. His pheromones, now soft, spiked when he noticed a BMW parked on the lawn. He knew all too well who it belonged to—this wasn't the first time it had been here.

He fixed his jacket and walked to the main door, which opened before he reached it. He stepped inside, and the door closed behind him. Laughter and chatter reached his ears. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. A woman, upon seeing him, came running and hugged him. His clenched fists instantly loosened, and his pheromones softened to a gentle coffee scent.

"Alex, my darling, you're here! Come, we've been waiting for you," the woman said. She leaned back and cupped his face.

"Mom, can't I skip this? I'm tired. É stata una giornata stancante (It's been a tiring day)," Alex said to his mother, Zoya William, his jaw clenching at the thought of meeting a certain shameless someone.

"Tranquillo, amore, solo per un pó. È importante (Be calm, my love, just for a little while. It's important). Come on," Zoya said, practically dragging him to the table where everyone was already seated, ignoring his protests.

His father, Henry William, sat at the head of the table. To his right was his mother, and to his left was his aunt. In the chair beside his aunt sat Grace Taylor.

Ugh, I have to sit across from this witch, Alex thought, rolling his eyes as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Hello, Aunt. Hello," Alex greeted, not bothering to look at them or even say Grace's name.

"So, now that Alex is here, I think we should discuss why we're all here," Alex's aunt said to Henry, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.

"What is it?" Alex asked before anyone could answer. His parents looked at him, then at each other.

"I would like to put forward a proposal for Grace to marry Alex—" The words had barely left his aunt's lips when Alex abruptly stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"I reject this proposal," Alex said, his voice deep and terrifying, golden specks swirling in his eyes as his wolf threatened to break out. His knuckles turned white from the pressure of gripping the table's edge, his jaw clenched tight in controlled rage.

Everyone stood up at Alex's outburst. His mother placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him, but Alex was far gone.

"Why? Why would you reject the proposal? My daughter is suitable for you, Alex," his aunt said calmly, her chin held high in quiet arrogance.

"No. Never. Never the likes of her. I hate it. She doesn't meet my standards. I prefer a partner who meets my standards, and apparently, no one in Ignaria can meet them," Alex said, his pheromones spiking—a bitter coffee and sour sandalwood scent filling the room. His aunt, Grace, and parents immediately covered their noses. Without waiting for a response, Alex turned and left, ignoring his mother's protests. He glanced at his father, who gave a slight nod as if to say he would handle the situation.

"Sister, I think we should respect Alex's choices. It's not as if any of us can force him. Sit, let's have dinner. He's been irritated since he arrived; something must have happened on the way," Henry said, trying to pull out a chair for her.

But she stepped back, grabbed her purse from the table, her pheromones turning sour. Grace had stood behind her mother the entire time, not daring to say a word—she knew exactly what had caused Alex's reaction. It wasn't about her looks; it was something else. She chewed her lip nervously, fidgeting with her rings.

"No need, Henry. Your son disrespected me today. I can't take this humiliation. We're leaving. I have better things to do anyway. This was a waste of time," Alex's aunt said, grabbing Grace's hand and storming towards the main door. The staff opened it, and they left without looking back.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***