Then, noticing the large bento box Ashley had been carrying the entire time, Lily instinctively reached out to help her set it down.

Before she could lift it, Ashley gently tapped the back of her hand.

"Careful," Ashley said softly, her tone calm and considerate. "It’s heavy."

She quickly explained it that way so the girl wouldn’t misunderstand her action or think she was being aloof or unwilling to let others touch her belongings.

"Oh! Okay!" Lily replied immediately. She cast the bento box a curious glance but wisely didn’t pry any further. Instead, she enthusiastically threw herself into explaining the onboarding process, talking quickly as she pointed out different areas of the office and the basics Ashley supposedly needed to know.

Meanwhile, several employees who had noticed Ashley’s arrival found their attention lingering on her longer than intended, momentarily captivated by her appearance.

Truthfully, Ashley had once been the apple of everyone’s eye in werewolf society, not only because of her talent, but because she possessed the rare combination of beauty and intelligence.

Werewolves, after all, were creatures born with strength, allure, and an almost unnatural sensuality. Even the average members of their race carried striking features and well-sculpted physiques comparable to top models in the human world.

Anyone from their society stepping into ordinary human circles would easily appear like heaven’s favored creation.

And Ashley, despite recently learning she might not even be a werewolf herself, still possessed that same devastating beauty.

It was precisely why no one had ever questioned her origins before. Even her failure to awaken a wolf had not made others suspect she was different. Instead, they simply assumed she was an Omega... someone of low birth within their society.

"Who’s that?" one of the male employees whispered, leaning slightly toward the man at the neighboring workstation while subtly glancing in Ashley’s direction.

"Not sure," the other replied under his breath. "But I heard HR was bringing in a new intern with a strong background. She’s probably one of those parachuted hires."

Another employee who was well known around the office for being the source of nearly every piece of gossip quietly slid closer from behind after spotting the commotion near Ashley’s desk.

"Where’d you hear that?" another man asked immediately, curiosity piqued.

Little by little, more employees began drifting toward the same area under the guise of casual conversation, their attention inevitably settling on the beautiful newcomer seated in the corner.

"Earlier, when I went to the break room, I overheard the HR department head taking a phone call," the gossip-loving employee whispered conspiratorially. "I didn’t catch the entire conversation, but his face was practically glowing with that ingratiating smile of his while he was talking. And the timing is too suspicious. He only got the call this morning, yet the position was arranged immediately afterward. Doesn’t that obviously mean she has connections?"

"That actually makes a lot of sense..." another employee muttered in agreement.

The small group continued sneaking glances toward Ashley, openly observing her every movement while quietly piecing together their own conclusions.

"Shit... I think I’m falling for her," one of the men whispered dramatically, looking utterly smitten. "She’s so beautiful. I finally have a reason to come to work happily besides my monthly salary."

The others nearly choked hearing him sound like a lovesick fool, but before anyone could tease him, Ashley suddenly glanced in their direction.

Instantly, the group stiffened.

Their hearts nearly jumped into their throats as panic flashed across their faces. They immediately assumed she had overheard their gossiping, and as men, they knew acting overly nosy and chatty about a woman wouldn’t exactly leave a good impression.

Worse, none of them even had time to confirm whether they had actually spoken too loudly or not, because each of them had already convinced themselves that she definitely heard everything.

And they weren’t wrong.

Even with the office buzzing with overlapping conversations, ringing phones, clicking keyboards, and hurried footsteps, Ashley still caught every whispered word with perfect clarity.

Instead of reacting, however, she simply grew quieter, the strange sharpness of her senses only deepening her suspicions about her true origins.

Still, she said nothing.

She calmly allowed Lily to continue introducing her to the company — its history, internal structure, policies, and workflow — as though she truly were just another new intern trying to learn the ropes.

But in truth, Ashley had already begun observing everything around her carefully.

One of the reasons she came here in the first place was precisely to study the company’s working environment.

Ever since her teenage years, when she began working within the Black Mountain Pack’s company, she had developed strict habits and sharp instincts.

Whenever she entered unfamiliar territory, she would investigate things thoroughly before making a move. She needed to know where she stood, what kind of people surrounded her, and what future she could carve out for herself.

Because now... she had nothing truly belonging to her.

Everything she currently possessed had been handed to her by her newly found brothers. And while they treated her well now, Ashley had already learned the hard way how quickly people could take things away once circumstances changed, just like the Yorks had done before.

That lingering fear had quietly rooted itself deep within her, becoming an insecurity she could not easily erase.

Which was why she couldn’t allow herself to remain dependent forever.

If she wanted stability, then she needed something of her own.

And the best place to start was here.

Working within her brother’s company would not only allow her to prove her capability, but also ensure her brothers wouldn’t see her as someone useless or burdensome. More importantly, the only real capital Ashley currently possessed was herself, her intelligence, adaptability, and ability to survive.

She had no outside resources she could freely use without attracting attention.

So this company... this city... would become her starting point.

Quietly, carefully, Ashley intended to plant her roots here while observing the shifting currents of business and politics around her, learning how power moved within this world so she could one day begin her own rise.

After all, right now, Ashley was nothing more than a blade of grass struggling to survive. She was no longer the person she once had been, no longer protected by the status and identity she used to carry.

Everything had changed, and if she wanted to keep moving forward, then she would have to rebuild herself from the ground up.

And in times like this, finding a tall, sturdy tree to shield her from the storm while she quietly nurtured her own strength was the wisest choice she could make.

The Gildenvale family was currently that shelter.

As long as she remained hidden beneath their protection, the Yorks and Nathan would have a far harder time reaching her. More importantly, it gave her time, time to grow stronger, gather influence, and secure a place for herself before eventually stepping out on her own.

At the same time, Ashley couldn’t ignore the irony of her current situation. Being mistakenly dragged into the Sales and Marketing department had accidentally placed her in one of the best positions possible to observe how the company truly generated its wealth and influence.

This was where deals moved, where profits were created, where the pulse of business could be clearly felt.