CHAPTER 212: CHAPTER 212 THE BUSINESS DIVIDE

Freya’s POV

In the days that followed, I continued to work from home, my ankle healing gradually. Just as I had predicted, Isabella called me daily to ask about my injury, her concern carried through the digital connection but never crossing the threshold of my new apartment.

Every conversation followed the same pattern—initial concern, brief small talk, then a hasty goodbye when Aurora or Silvano entered the room. My wolf, Selene, would pace restlessly in my mind during these calls, sensing the bond with our pup stretched thin across the distance between us.

*She still loves us,* Selene would whine.

*But not enough to come see us,* I’d remind her.

Two days after the tech exhibition, Dr. Ramirez responded to the analysis Johnny and I had submitted. What we had considered confidential-level technological insights, Dr. Ramirez had torn apart as "barely scratching the surface." The scathing critique came with extensive notes and demands for a complete overhaul.

"This is intellectual kindergarten," read one particularly cutting comment. "I expected you to recognize the neural integration patterns that were clearly displayed in the third exhibit."

So for the next seventy-two hours, between handling my regular workload, I collaborated remotely with Johnny to reconstruct our analysis according to Dr. Ramirez’s exacting standards. The work was exhausting but exhilarating—forcing me to think beyond traditional pack technology paradigms into something more innovative.

By Monday, my ankle had recovered enough that I could walk without significant pain. Though I still didn’t trust myself to drive, I took a ride service to the office, ready to resume my normal schedule.

As I limped slightly into the conference room where Johnny was preparing for our morning meeting.

"Silvano is serious about partnering with us," he said without preamble.

I carefully set my laptop on the table, not meeting his eyes. "What makes you say that?"

Johnny sighed. "His people contacted me while you were recovering. I didn’t tell you because... well, I thought it might complicate things for you emotionally."

"I’m not fragile, Johnny," I said, my voice carefully controlled. "This is business."

"You’re right," he admitted. "Anyway, his team is coming by this morning to finalize some preliminary plans. If all goes well, we could be looking at a formal partnership by next week."

True to Johnny’s word, a small delegation arrived at our offices an hour later. At their head was Finn, Silvano’s personal technology director—not from Shadow Pack’s corporate structure, but from one of Silvano’s private ventures. I’d never met him before, though I’d heard his name mentioned occasionally during my years as Luna.

When Finn was introduced to me, his eyes widened slightly in recognition. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Freya," he said, extending his hand.

The use of "Miss" rather than my former title of "Luna" was telling. Word had clearly spread about my separation from Shadow Pack’s Alpha. I shook his hand firmly. "You as well."

The discussions that followed were surprisingly productive. Finn was sharp, innovative, and refreshingly straightforward in his communication style. By lunchtime, we’d made significant progress on the framework for a technological partnership that would benefit both companies.

When Johnny suggested we continue our conversation over lunch at a nearby restaurant, Finn readily agreed. We piled into separate cars and headed toward the upscale steakhouse Johnny had selected—one that catered specifically to werewolf appetites with rare meat options and private booths for pack discussions.

As we stepped out of our car in the parking lot, I froze. Directly across from us, emerging from a sleek black SUV, were Silvano and Aurora.

Johnny muttered a curse under his breath. "What are the odds?"

My wolf’s ears flattened against her head, a defensive posture I struggled not to physically mimic. Finn, however, seemed delighted by the coincidence.

"Alpha Moretti!" he called out cheerfully, waving.

Both Silvano and Aurora turned at the sound. I watched as recognition dawned on their faces—first professional acknowledgment, then the unmistakable flash of discomfort when they spotted me.

Silvano stood tall in his tailored suit, his broad shoulders and commanding presence automatically drawing the eye of everyone in the vicinity. My traitorous wolf perked up at the sight of her mate, still responding to the primal bond we shared despite everything that had happened between us.

Aurora stood close to his side, looking elegant in a fitted dress that accentuated her curves. Her honey-blonde hair was styled in loose waves, and she carried herself with the confident grace of someone who knew her position was secure.

After a brief exchange of glances with me, Johnny straightened his shoulders and we followed Finn as he approached the pair.

"Miss Howlthorne," Finn greeted Aurora with equal enthusiasm, though I noted her response was considerably cooler.

"Hello," she said simply, her eyes sliding to me with barely concealed calculation.

Finn, either oblivious to the tension or choosing to ignore it, turned to us. "I’ve been meeting with Mr. Nakamura and Miss Freya about the partnership we discussed," he explained to Silvano. "We were just about to have lunch to continue our conversation."

Silvano nodded and shook Finn’s hand. "Thank you for your hard work," he said, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

Then his gaze shifted, briefly landing on me before moving to Johnny. "Mr. Nakamura," he acknowledged with a slight nod.

Selene whimpered in our shared consciousness, feeling the rejection from her mate acutely.

Johnny, perhaps sensing my discomfort, suddenly spoke up. "Since we’ve run into each other, would you care to join us? We could discuss the partnership directly."

Silvano’s expression remained impassive. "I’m afraid not. This is a personal arrangement," he replied, his hand coming to rest lightly on Aurora’s lower back. "Not business. Perhaps another time, Mr. Nakamura."

*Personal arrangement.* The words cut through me like silver. A date with Aurora, then. Important enough that he wouldn’t allow any interruptions, not even for a business discussion that could benefit his company.

"Of course, Alpha Moretti," Johnny responded with practiced politeness. "Another time."

I noticed Aurora’s satisfied smile as Silvano guided her toward the restaurant entrance. She’d made no effort to include herself in the conversation, content to let Silvano speak for them both—taking on the role of devoted mate already.

Once they were out of earshot, Johnny turned to Finn. "You seem familiar with Miss Howlthorne as well?"

"I’ve met her a few times," Finn replied as we walked toward a different entrance. "Alpha Moretti has brought her to the company several times. He seems quite taken with her, shows her everything."

My chest tightened at his words. During our years of marriage, I had never once been invited to visit any of Silvano’s private companies. When I’d asked, he’d always declined, saying it was better to keep our personal and business lives separate.

Apparently, that rule only applied to me.

As we were seated at our table, Johnny leaned close while Finn was distracted by the menu. "After that charity gala ’incident’ and last week’s tech exhibition, the Howlthorne Pack has established quite a network in the city. I hear they’ve already secured several major projects."

The implication was clear. With Silvano’s backing, the Lin family had accomplished in days what would take most business families years—establishing themselves as legitimate players in the city’s competitive market. Aurora’s family connections were already paying dividends.

"I see," was all I could manage in response, my appetite suddenly diminished.

After lunch, we spent several more hours finalizing details, and by the end of the day, our companies had reached a preliminary agreement for collaboration.

Two days later, Johnny and I arrived at Silvano’s tech company, Xundu, to discuss contract specifics. We were greeted by Finn and another executive named Jin, who arrived slightly late to our meeting.

"I apologize for my tardiness," Jin said as he entered the conference room, shaking our hands. "I was in a meeting upstairs with Alpha Moretti and his team."

So Silvano was in the building.

We had been discussing technical specifications for about twenty minutes when the conference room door opened without a knock. I didn’t immediately look up, assuming it was an assistant bringing in refreshments.

But when both Finn and Jin abruptly stood, saying, "Miss Howlthorne," I felt my spine stiffen.

I turned slowly to see Aurora standing in the doorway, her expression carefully composed as her gaze swept over our group, lingering pointedly on me.