Scarlett’s POV

​I set the phone back on its base and stared at it for a long, quiet minute. My hands were shaking.

​I could still hear Liam’s deep, angry roar ringing in my ears. I could still hear Leonard’s broken cries. Even through the speaker, their Alpha power had made the air in my small office feel heavy. But they were on the other side of the world now. They couldn’t reach through the phone line and drag me back into their dark, dangerous world.

​For five years, I had been running. But I was tired of running. I was tired of using fake names. If they wanted to find me, let them try. China was huge, and I was not that helpless little girl under the oak tree anymore.

​"Everything okay, Scar?"

​A soft, smooth voice broke the silence, pulling me out of my thoughts.

​I looked up and smiled as Chen stepped into my office. He was wearing a neat gray suit, his dark hair perfectly styled, and he carried two cups of warm green tea. Chen was a wealthy local businessman who had helped me set up my art studio when I first arrived in the city. He didn’t know anything about werewolves, Alphas, or prophecies. To him, I was just a talented, mysterious woman who painted her soul onto canvas. And around him, I felt completely normal. Safe.

​"Yes," I lied softly, taking one of the warm cups from his hands. "Just an old phone call from back home. It’s nothing."

​Chen looked at me closely, his eyes full of care. He could clearly see the tension in my shoulders, but he was too polite to push me for answers. Instead, he smiled gently and took a sip of his tea.

​"You have been working too hard on that Safe Haven piece," Chen said, stepping a bit closer to my desk. "The auction is over, and it sold for a record price. You should be celebrating, not hiding in your office."

​"I guess I’m just tired," I murmured, staring down at the warm tea.

​Chen smiled, and a slight blush came to his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little nervous—a rare sight for a man who ran a huge company.

​"Well, if you are tired of working, maybe you should let me take you out tonight," Chen said, his voice dropping into a hopeful tone. "There is a beautiful new restaurant by the river. No paint, no business talk. Just good food, music, and... me. What do you say, Scarlett? Will you go out on a date with me tonight?"

​"Sure," I said, forcing a small smile. "A nice dinner by the river sounds perfect right now."

​Chen’s face lit up with a bright, happy grin. He was always so sweet to me.

​An hour later, we were sitting at a beautiful table overlooking the glowing river lights. The food was amazing, and Chen spent the whole time talking, trying his best to make me laugh and forget about my stressful day. I knew Chen liked me. He had been very open about his feelings for over a year now. Every time he brought it up, I always told him the same thing—that I wasn’t ready for a relationship. But Chen was patient. He wasn’t giving up on me, and a small part of me really appreciated how safe he made me feel.

​But that feeling of safety didn’t last long.

​Suddenly, my inner wolf stood up in my mind, growling softly. A sharp wave of danger hit my chest. My wolf instincts were alerting me that something was wrong.

​I stopped listening to Chen and casually looked through the large glass window of the restaurant. Across the street, a sleek car with completely tinted windows was idling by the curb. I focused my senses, sniffing the air through the open terrace door.

​Werewolves.

​My heart skipped a beat. How did the triplets find me so quickly? It had been less than two hours since the phone call! It takes way longer than that to fly a private jet from the home pack to China. No, it couldn’t be them. It was impossible.

​Chen noticed the sudden change in my posture. He reached across the table, his brow furrowed with worry. "Scarlett? Are you okay? You look like you’re at unease."

​"I’m fine," I said quickly, trying to keep my voice steady. "Just a little dizzy."

​"Let me get you some water," Chen said kindly. "I’ll excuse myself to the restroom first, and then I’ll ask the waiter."

​As soon as Chen walked away toward the back of the restaurant, my eyes snapped back to the tinted car outside. The door swung open, and a man wearing a dark mask stepped out. My eyes widened as I saw what was in his hand.

​He lifted a gun, pointing it directly through the glass window straight at my head.

​Bang!

​I didn’t even have time to think. My wolf reflexes took over, and I dove out of my chair, hitting the hard floor just as the glass shattered completely above me. Shards of glass rained down like ice.

​Absolute commotion happened instantly. People started screaming, crying, and throwing themselves under tables.

​Bang! Bang! Bang!

​The gunman kept shooting into the restaurant, the loud blasts echoing over the sound of people shouting. But I stayed hidden perfectly behind a thick concrete pillar, curling my body into a tight ball. I knew the rules of the human world—shooting a gun like this in public would draw the attention of the police in minutes.

​Sure enough, sirens began to wail in the distance. Realizing their time was up, the masked gunman ran back to the tinted car. The tires screeched loudly as they hit the gas and drove off into the night.

​Everyone in the restaurant became hysterical, running for the exit in a panic.

​"Scarlett! Scarlett!" Chen’s voice came shouting through the crowd. He rushed over to my pillar, his face pale with horror. He grabbed my arm, checking me over frantically. "Are you hurt? We need to go right now!"

​He helped me up and guided me through the screaming crowd out to the parking lot. He unlocked his car, pushed me into the passenger seat, and jumped into the driver’s seat, speeding away from the restaurant before the police could even arrive.

​I sat in the passenger seat, panting heavily, my hands gripping the dashboard. My chest was heaving as the adrenaline poured through my veins.

​"Are you fine?" Chen asked, his hands shaking on the steering wheel as he checked his rearview mirror. "Who were those people, Scarlett? Why were they shooting at you?"

​"I don’t know," I whispered, staring blankly out the window as the city lights blurred past.

​But deep down, I did know.

​A cold dread washed over my entire body. The people who just tried to kill me... were the exact same people who had wanted me dead in Paris three years ago. They were still hunting me.