Vanya's POV
"Vanya!" From a distance, Wilmot, dressed in workout clothes, ran over. He must have just finished his morning exercise.
His bright red hair was particularly eye-catching, and I spotted him from far away.
"Up so early. Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked.
"Not yet," I replied, pointing to the people going in and out of the second-floor study. "Is it always like this at your place every morning?"
"Not usually. Things have just been busier lately," Wilmot said, taking my hand. "Come on, let's go eat."
"Grace hasn't woken up yet. I should wake her up," I said.
"No need. Grace loves to sleep in. I'll have them make it when she gets up." Wilmot insisted.
I was about to agree when he added, "Besides, Edwin should be eating too. His private chef is really good."
"N-no, that's okay," I tried to decline, but Wilmot said, "What's there to be afraid of? We're all family here!"
I reluctantly followed Wilmot to the dining hall.
Soon, the maids brought out the food.
Although the Silver Moon Pack had the backing of the Todd family and was quite wealthy, it was different from the vast empire of the Hammond family.
The Todd family had only Veronica at the main house, and she rarely went back.
The pack had only a few maids to take care of Veronica.
My new home with Cliff was also looked after by just Jenny.
The Hammond family, on the other hand, lived like royalty.
"Go ahead and eat. See if it suits your taste," Wilmot said.
I looked at the table full of breakfast dishes from all over the world. "Aren't we waiting for Alpha Edwin to join us?" I asked.
"No need for all that formality. You can start eating!" Wilmot had a few delicious dishes brought over to me.
"Try these. If they don't suit your taste, I'll have them make something else."
Looking at the almost overflowing plate in front of me, I couldn't help but marvel.
Even an ancient emperor wouldn't have such a lavish breakfast.
"Wilmot, you're going to overwhelm Miss Dalton," Edwin's voice came.
Sensing his gaze, I straightened up. Edwin slightly raised his hand, and a maid quickly removed the overloaded plate in front of me and replaced it with a clean one.
"Miss Dalton, please help yourself," Edwin said as he sat down at the head of the table.
I sat at the dining table, feeling extremely uncomfortable. The maids kept piling food onto my plate.
Edwin sat across from me. His presence instantly made the atmosphere oppressive, making it hard to breathe. Even the usually boisterous Wilmot fell silent.
This meal was torture. Every bite felt like something was stuck in my throat, hard to swallow.
I kept wondering how anyone could be so formal during a meal, making it feel like a business meeting.
Suddenly, Edwin put down his knife and fork and said, "I have some work to attend to. Afterward, Wilmot can show you around the yard and help you relax."
I quickly nodded in response. "Thank you so much for your hospitality, Alpha Edwin."
"You can rest easy. I'll take good care of Vanya. Nothing will go wrong!" Wilmot assured him, thumping his chest.
Edwin didn't say anything more. His bodyguard pushed him toward the elevator on the first floor.
As soon as Edwin left, I let out a sigh of relief.
When he was there, I couldn't even taste the food.
"Edwin is really easygoing. You don't have to be so nervous," Wilmot tried to reassure me.
Easygoing? I didn't think so. To me, Edwin was like a cold iceberg, radiating an aura that kept people at bay.
Ever since I saw him mercilessly throw that socialite off the second floor at the Hammond family's jewelry gala, I decided to keep my distance.
Who knows when he might see me as a threat and find some excuse to get rid of me.
"I'm full," I said, putting down my knife and fork. I really had no appetite left.
I glanced at the antique clock on the wall. There were still ten whole hours before the masked ball started.
While taking a walk in the yard, I casually asked Wilmot, "Did you receive a badge yesterday?"
"What badge?" Wilmot frowned, looking puzzled. "I've never heard of it."
If Wilmot didn't have the badge, it was likely with Edwin.
"Why do you ask?" Wilmot inquired curiously.
"Grace and I both received these badges. M Group is hosting a masked ball tonight. Since it's your birthday today, I thought we could go and have some fun," I explained.
"No problem! If you want to go, I'll definitely go with you!" Wilmot agreed readily.
I didn't expect him to say yes so quickly. I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
Although I was using him to get into the ball, I didn't have any bad intentions.
If he ever finds out and gets mad, I'll find a way to make it up to him later.