Chapter 2: The Villain’s Awakening

I struggled up from the floor, both cheeks burning, probably swollen out of shape.

But this was nothing—Derek’s hit me harder before.

Honestly, as long as she doesn’t cripple me, I’m willing to let her do whatever she wants.

After tidying up, I expertly gathered Derek’s clothes into a pile.

Burrowing into them, I video-called my best friend, Marcus.

“Man, maybe your dad wasn’t really an Enigma. Otherwise, how do I keep losing to an Alpha?”

I curled up under a shirt, gloomily jabbing an inhibitor into my thigh.

A minute later, the burning finally faded.

“Got your ass handed to you by your Alpha again?”

“Told you from the start—cold, sharp beauties are impossible to wrangle, especially an Alpha.”

“Seriously, what Alpha in their right mind would let someone else mark them?”

He’s got a point.

But I wish he was wrong.

I really like Derek—the kind of want that hits just seeing her face.

Otherwise, why would I have proposed to her the second I heard the Cross family was going bankrupt?

Yet after dropping a fortune to pay off her debts, I haven’t even held her hand.

“Don’t even start. I get beat up every time—this time was even worse. She stomped my face with her foot.”

I pointed the camera at my battered face, pitifully showing off my battle scars.

Marcus whistled, shaking his head. “Man, you gotta stop letting that Alpha use your face for target practice. Next time, duck.”

“If you ask me, you might as well just go for it—once the deed’s done, would she really toss you aside?”

I inhaled the lingering scent of Derek’s cologne on her clothes, letting my heartbeat slow. “I want to, but she’s too strong—I can’t beat her.”

“Come on, an Enigma can’t beat an Alpha? Don’t kid yourself. You just can’t bring yourself to hurt her.”

“…Maybe.”

I dodged the question. Truth is, I can’t bear to hurt her. Every time, I just tease, then get beat up.

If I actually fought back, Derek might not win.

But I’m scared. If things go too far, I might not even have these scraps of interaction left.

“All right, I’m hanging up, my man’s coming back. Take care, don’t get yourself killed.”

“If it really doesn’t work, just divorce her. You’re the young master of the Walker family—you could have anyone you want.”

“Yeah, got it. Bye.”

I was about to toss my phone aside when the tracking app suddenly popped up a warning.

[Warning, warning: Target has entered a dangerous area. Please take action as soon as possible.]

The notification glowed red against my cracked screen, and my heart jackhammered in my chest. I barely noticed the phone slipping from my hand. Not tonight. Please, not tonight. My hands shook as I fumbled for my jacket, adrenaline surging as I tried to think past the fuzz in my brain. Nothing good ever started with a warning like that.