Patrick turned his head and glanced down at Hank, who was on one knee. Patrick asked, "I told you to look up things from three years ago. Hank, do you still think no one knows about it?"
Patrick used his finger to tap the report on the desk and narrowed his eyes angrily. "I think they were onto you the second you made a move. See? The proof here is perfect."
Patrick thought, 'There's one thing that baffles me. Why did Grandpa make such a decision three years ago?
I'm so confused.
What happened three years ago did bother me. But it was related to the whole pack, and Grandpa didn't need to kill a member of the pack and frame Gloria from the Silver Spring Pack no matter what.'
"You may leave." Patrick raised his arm and gestured for Hank to leave.
Hank wanted to say something, but the second he looked up, he met Patrick's gaze. "Hank, I know what you are thinking, but this has become more than schemes between women."
"Then what about Miss Carter?" Hank asked.
"She is my mate, and she will be the Luna of the Black Thorn Pack," Patrick said gently. His expression softened when he mentioned Gloria.
Hank's eyes widened, and he thought, 'Did I hear it correctly? What did Alpha Patrick say he wanted?'
"But if it really was old Alpha Alex, would Miss Carter be safe in the Black Thorn Pack?" Hank was worried.
"She is my mate. I will protect her for the rest of my life," Patrick said, and he was very calm when he said so.
For some reason, Hank believed that Patrick meant it.
Hank left the study, not being able to calm down.
He only hoped that poor Gloria's misery would end soon so she could live happily ever after like a princess in a fairy tale.
Patrick frowned deeply. He thought, 'I'm almost certain that Grandpa was involved in what happened three years ago.
But why did he insist on making things difficult for Gloria?
I can come up with several reasons, but none of them makes sense.
Maybe Grandpa was afraid that Gloria would be so outstanding that she might lead the Silver Spring Pack to become an opponent of the Black Thorn Pack one day. Yet such a reason seemed unlikely.
The Carter family did hold some weight when the old Alpha of the Silver Spring Pack was alive, but he was already dead by then, and the Carter family had little involvement in the competition three years ago.
I'm not going to confront Alex and ask him why. That would be a stupid move. Alex will not tell me the truth anyway.'
Patrick raised his arm to check the time. Then he walked out of the study, reached the bedroom, opened the door, and said, "Come with me to a business dinner this evening."
"No," Gloria replied.
In the bedroom, Gloria sat quietly in front of the window. She looked out the window that had been reinforced.
"It's not up to you," Patrick deadpanned.
The woman with her back to him revealed a mocking smile. She said, "If so, Mr. Hammond, why bother? You don't need to inform me at all."
She thought, 'The scene right now is just a duplicate of what happened that day. After that day, he imprisoned me in this villa, and I became his caged canary.'
"After half an hour, someone will come and dress you up," Patrick said and then closed the door silently.
Gloria clenched her fists as she looked at the closed door. She thought, 'How come things between us end up like this?
Now Christine is my only connection to the outside world.'
She sat in front of the window, where she could see more than half of the villa. The two iron doors of the villa opened to let in a van.
Gloria looked at Damon as he said to those who got out of the car, "Come with me."
Suddenly, she turned, ran to the bedroom door, placed her fingers on the doorknob, pulled the door open quickly, and ran out.
She ran in the direction of the study she remembered. Her leg was lame, so she was already gasping for breath, though it was just a short distance.
She pushed open the study door, which slammed against the wall. Without looking, she said, "Patrick, I'm not going!"
In the study, Patrick chain-smoked, and the room was foggy.
He looked at Gloria with cold eyes. Seeing her gasping for breath, he frowned and said, "You ran here?"
"I am not going!" She stared at him stubbornly. Instead of answering him, she repeated it.
"I am asking you a question. Did you run all the way here from the room?" Patrick fixed his hawk-like eyes on the woman at the door sternly.
Gloria didn't care at all. What did it matter how she came over?
"I said! I am not going!" she shouted.
"I'll ask you one last time. Did you run all the way here from the room?" Patrick's eyes turned utterly cold.
Gloria stood at the door and bit her lip.
Patrick sat behind the desk. The faint Alpha's pressure he exuded made it hard for her to breathe.
However, she refused to open her mouth. Standing at the door, she looked straight into Patrick's eyes.
Gloria's heart beat rapidly. She felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest.
She was just a rogue, and Patrick's pressure made her tremble. Her eyes were red, but she held on and still refused to answer him.
Suddenly, Patrick stood up and strode towards the door.
Gloria subconsciously took a step back. Patrick's pressure was even stronger than three years ago.
After realizing that, Gloria regained her rationality. She was very upset, thinking, 'Why did I act so impulsively and challenge him?'
She looked at Patrick, who was walking towards her and wanted to run away.
In the next second, a hand pressed down on her shoulder from behind, and she heard Patrick's unique, deep voice in her ears. He said, "Where do you want to go?"
She said nothing and turned her head away. She made herself clear without a word.
Patrick grinned silently. Lifting his arms, he picked Gloria up and strode toward the bedroom.
As he expected, Damon was already waiting at the bedroom door with a group of people, and they were about to open the slightly opened door.
"Alpha Patrick?" Damon was the first to see Patrick. When he saw Gloria in Patrick's arms, his eyes flashed with resentment, though it only lasted for a second.
Patrick nodded slightly and entered the bedroom.
No one would dare enter his bedroom without his permission, and of course, no one would leave without his permission.
The crowd waited at the bedroom door.
Even though the door was open, no one dared to peep, because they knew what they should and shouldn't do.
No one dared to provoke their king in the territory of the Black Thorn Pack.