Mated to My Intended's Enemy-Chapter 193 The Dress Isn’t Mine

Freya

"It’s fine," I said, trying to mask my disappointment.

I hadn’t expected the purple gown to be such an extraordinary piece. Even as I browsed through the rest of the boutique’s collection—items that ranged from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars—nothing quite captured the ethereal beauty of Aurora’s custom creation.

I finally selected an off-white silk gown with delicate floral embroidery. It was elegant, understated, and perfectly appropriate for the mate of an Alpha attending the Autumn Moon Gathering. The bodice hugged my curves modestly while the skirt flowed gracefully to the floor—not attention-grabbing, but dignified.

While the salesperson was carefully wrapping my purchase, I couldn’t help but overhear two employees talking nearby.

"That necklace and gown together cost over 3 million dollars," one whispered incredulously. "It’s like wearing a villa around your neck. These wolves with old money are really something else."

"I know," the other replied with a sigh. "And she’ll probably only wear it once before it disappears into some climate-controlled closet..."

Three million dollars. The figure stunned me. Even if I had that kind of money at my disposal, I couldn’t imagine spending it on a single outfit.

I shook my head and left the store with my much more reasonable purchase.

---

Later that afternoon, Elena arrived at my apartment, makeup kit in hand. When she’d called earlier and learned about my attendance at the Autumn Moon Gathering, she’d immediately insisted on coming over to help with my styling.

"You can’t just show up to the biggest inter-pack event of the season without proper preparation," she’d declared. "Those wolves will eat you alive if you don’t look the part."

I’d laughed at her dramatic phrasing, but I appreciated her help. While I had a decent eye for fashion, Elena was truly gifted with makeup and styling. Under her skilled hands, the simple elegance of my gown transformed. She created a soft, luminous makeup look that emphasized my best features without appearing overdone.

When she finally let me look in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. The woman staring back wasn’t just presentable—she radiated quiet confidence and natural beauty. My wolf hummed with approval, recognizing the strength in our appearance.

"There," Elena said proudly. "Now you look like someone who belongs at that table."

Johnny arrived precisely at seven, and his expression when I opened the door was worth every minute of Elena’s meticulous work.

"You look beautiful," he said, eyes widening appreciatively. "This gown suits you perfectly."

"Thank you," I replied with a genuine smile. The compliment felt good—especially after feeling so inadequate in that boutique.

As we settled into his car, Johnny brought up work. "So, you’re officially returning to the company tomorrow?"

"Yes," I confirmed, feeling a flutter of excitement. After years of being relegated to household duties and childcare, returning to my professional life felt like reclaiming a lost part of myself.

"Perfect timing. Aurora will also be officially joining the company tomorrow. I’ll introduce you to her—" He paused, seeming to realize I might not know who he was referring to. "She’s the genius in algorithms I mentioned last time."

My body went rigid. "Aurora? You’re telling me her name is Aurora?Aurora Howlthorne?"

Johnny nodded, clearly surprised by my reaction. "Yes, do you know her?"

"She’s Silvano’ mistress." I said coldly.

The car jerked to a sudden stop at the side of the road. Johnny stared at me, clearly processing this bombshell.

"You—" he began.

"I’m fine," I interrupted, keeping my expression neutral while Selene growled inside me. "I just don’t want her joining our company. Call it nepotism or personal bias if you want, but I don’t approve of it."

Johnny’s expression grew serious. Without hesitation, he nodded. "I respect your decision."

A warm feeling spread through my chest at his immediate support. "Thank you," I said softly, then added after a brief pause, "But this means you’ll be losing a genius."

Johnny shook his head with a slight smile. "She’s indeed talented in algorithms, but compared to you," he caught my gaze, his expression turning serious, "she’s worthless."

I blinked in surprise, thinking he must be exaggerating to make me feel better. He must have read my thoughts because he chuckled and said, "I’m being honest."

As we resumed driving, I frowned, my mind working through the possibilities. "She’s been interviewing for quite some time. Why hasn’t she joined the company yet?"

"She said there were some things she needed to take care of," Johnny replied with a shrug. "I didn’t pry into the details."

About ten minutes later, we arrived at the venue, but I was still lost in thought. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"What’s on your mind?" Johnny asked, noticing my silence.

"I just don’t understand why she would want to join our company specifically," I admitted.

While our firm was successful and growing, there were certainly larger tech companies in the country. With Aurora’s qualifications and background, she could have her pick of employers. My status as a major shareholder was kept deliberately low-profile—there was no reason for her to know about my connection to the company.

Johnny stroked his chin thoughtfully, then suddenly smiled with realization. "When we were chatting that day, she mentioned being particularly interested in our programming language. She specifically said she was fascinated by cuap."

My breath caught. Cuap was my creation—a programming language I’d designed and developed with my team when I was just seventeen. Most people had initially dismissed it as just another coding language, but over time it had become the company’s strongest competitive advantage. Its elegance and efficiency had gradually gained recognition throughout the industry.

Selene’s hackles rose inside me. This was no coincidence. Aurora was coming for something specific—something of mine.