Vanya's POV
"Aldridge..." I was about to defend myself when the Packhouse door suddenly opened.
Cliff, dressed in a sharp suit and followed by several pack members carrying gift boxes, walked in.
"Sorry, everyone, I'm late," Cliff said calmly.
I was taken aback and whispered, "Why are you here?"
Cliff didn't answer but naturally took my hand, saying, "Picking out gifts took longer than expected, but I didn't miss much, did I?"
Mirabel, who had just claimed to see Cliff at a women's store with another woman, looked shocked at his sudden appearance.
Aldridge's expression eased as he said, "Alpha Cliff, it's great that you could make it. But these gifts are..."
"A token of introduction for everyone," Cliff explained with a smile. "I intended it as a surprise for Luna Vanya, but it seems I almost messed it up."
After speaking, he deliberately glanced at Mirabel.
Mirabel's smile froze, and her voice weakened as she said, "But I distinctly saw you shopping with a woman today. That can't be a mistake."
"That was just an employee from our company, helping to choose gifts. I thought a woman's touch might be more meticulous," Cliff responded, his gaze towards me filled with affection.
Had I not seen through his true intentions, I might have been deceived by his act.
Seeing our intimate interaction, Mirabel looked uncomfortable.
She had heard rumors of Cliff's ambiguous relationship with a college student and knew he didn't favor me, which is why she had been antagonizing me all day.
However, this was no secret to everyone.
"Alpha Cliff, you're not only promising but also dote on our Vanya. I trust you with her, and I'm sure my late brother would approve from above. Moreover, this is a family dinner. You didn't need to bring anything," Aldridge warmly invited Cliff to the table.
I whispered to Cliff, "I didn't expect you to be such a good actor."
"You, too," Cliff's voice returned to its usual coldness.
Mirabel sat at the table, restless and casting glances our way, as if looking for discrepancies in our relationship.
"Mirabel, is there something on my face that keeps you staring?" I asked pointedly, causing her embarrassment.
Mirabel quickly replied, "I was just admiring how loving you and Alpha Cliff are, quite different from the rumors."
"Rumors aren't reliable. Mirabel, why believe such nonsense?" I said, using a public fork to place a piece of roasted steak on Cliff's plate.
Cliff, who preferred light meals, accepted it naturally.
Then, Cliff placed a piece of perfectly cut grilled salmon on my plate.
Mirabel's mouth twitched as she said, "Yes... rumors aren't reliable. Today, I've seen how caring Alpha Cliff is towards Vanya."
Aldridge, observing our interaction, asked with a hint of doubt, "Vanya, when did you start liking salmon? I remember you weren't fond of it before."
Hearing this, Mirabel seemed to find something intriguing and immediately perked up.
She said to me, "Oh, I remember you never had much interest in salmon. How could Alpha Cliff not know this? Could it be that..."
"Mirabel, you're overthinking. It's just that because Cliff usually eats lightly, I've gradually tried to change my taste preferences and have come to appreciate the delicacy of salmon," I explained calmly.
Mirabel was clearly skeptical but was about to retort when Cliff interjected, "It sounds like you don't have much faith in my relationship with Vanya."
"Of course not, I'm just concerned about you newlyweds," Mirabel, facing Cliff's question, instantly lost her momentum and dared not say another word.
I sat quietly eating, knowing that although this was Dalton's family dinner, the people here were all weathercocks.
As the daughter of the former Alpha of the Thunder Pack, they wouldn't dare to disrespect me openly, but in reality, they were all secretly hoping for my downfall.
Ever since my father passed away, each of them has been coveting the position of the pack's Alpha and the Dalton family's company.
If I made the slightest mistake, the family fortune left by my father would be divided among them.
In my past life, I was in such a predicament and desperately craved Cliff's care and help.
But looking back, how foolish I was to rely on Cliff wholeheartedly when he never truly cared about me.
In my past life, he had the ability to help me out of my predicament but chose to stand by and watch.
Thinking of this, I subconsciously pulled my hand back from under Cliff's, which was resting on the back of my hand.