After hearing what Silviana and Doctor Jacqueline Brown had planned, Faye warned Jackie that their scheme would fail. She had made her position clear and saw no reason to continue arguing about it. Once their conversation ended, she returned to her lunch before treating herself to dessert, a delicious slice of strawberry cheesecake.
Faye enjoyed the cake so much that she ordered another slice to take away. While the staff prepared her order, she sat back and waited, already looking forward to finishing it later. Pregnancy had brought plenty of unexpected changes to her appetite, but she wasn’t about to deny herself something she genuinely enjoyed.
When her takeaway was ready, she collected it and headed towards the cafeteria exit with Doctor Jacqueline beside her. However, before they could leave, someone familiar caught her attention.
It was the Alpha King, her future grandfather-in-law.
Despite being six decades old, the little Alpha King still looked like a boy of thirteen or younger. His small stature made him easy to underestimate, but Faye knew better than to judge him by his appearance. A middle-aged woman stood beside him, with a young lady.
Faye was about to continue towards the door when the Alpha King’s gaze settled on her.
"Are you not my granddaughter’s girlfriend?" he asked, glancing at the takeaway container in her hand.
Doctor Jacqueline immediately bowed upon recognising him. Faye followed her lead, lowering her head respectfully before straightening up.
"Yes, Faye Grande is the name, and it’s nice bumping into you. See ya..."
Even as she spoke, her eyes drifted towards the exit. She had already finished her lunch, collected her dessert, and had no reason to stay. If she played her cards right, she could be out of there in seconds without appearing too rude.
Unfortunately, the Alpha King wasn’t ready to let her go.
"Faye Grande, you owe me..."
His words stopped her in her tracks.
Faye paused before slowly turning around, suddenly wary of where the conversation might lead.
"W-what do you mean by that... little sir?"
The Alpha King smiled as though he had been waiting for her to ask.
"My whiskey, you remember? Until today, I am still waiting for my drink..."
Faye stared at him as the memory returned. Of all the things he could have forgotten, he had somehow held on to that particular day. She had genuinely hoped he would have moved on by now.
Apparently, she had been far too optimistic.
That was how Faye found herself inside a private lounge at the Kitchen Kings hotel, pouring a glass of wine for the little Alpha King instead of heading home with her strawberry cheesecake.
He accepted the glass, examined its contents, and took a sip.
"It’s not whiskey, but I will manage..." he remarked with a satisfied smile. Settling comfortably into his seat, he glanced at Faye. "Shall I pour you one, Faye?"
"No, don’t worry. I am not thirsty..." she declined.
She had no intention of drinking alcohol while pregnant. Even if she hadn’t been expecting, she wasn’t particularly interested in sharing a drink with a man who has a lot of secrets.
The Alpha King tilted his head, studying her face.
"Or should I pour you milk or perhaps orange juice?"
Faye wasn’t surprised that he knew about her pregnancy. What puzzled her was how the information had reached him so quickly. News travelled fast within the Kings family, but she hadn’t expected him to know already.
"Did Princess tell you, or was it your keen hearing?" she asked.
The little man placed his glass on the table and crossed his legs, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"I have lived for six decades. Just a glance was enough for me to know what is inside a person... and yes, Princess announced it on a family group chat..."
Faye’s expression darkened.
"That bitch..."
She snorted, shaking her head at the thought of Princess announcing her pregnancy to the entire family before she had even had the chance to tell her own brother and she had the audacity to complain when she told Paye. Of course, her girlfriend would do something like that. Princess had never been particularly good at keeping exciting news to herself, especially when it concerned their growing family.
The Alpha King chuckled at her reaction. Rather than taking offence at Faye insulting his granddaughter, he seemed thoroughly entertained by her choice of words.
Their conversation soon drifted towards Princess’s childhood. The Alpha King shared stories about her younger years, occasionally smiling as he recalled some of her past antics. Faye listened and responded when necessary, although her attention kept wandering towards the middle-aged woman who had been standing beside him.
She couldn’t help wondering who the woman was and why she had accompanied him. The young lady beside her was equally unfamiliar, and Faye was curious about the connection between them.
Eventually, the Alpha King noticed where she kept looking.
"Oh, I haven’t introduced them to you. Her name is Eleanor Deanson. She is the current head of the Oakland Council, and that is her niece, Nora Deanson, her successor."
Faye brightened and offered both women a friendly grin, raising her hand to wave at them.
Neither returned the greeting.
Their expressions remained unchanged, and they made no effort to acknowledge her. Faye quietly lowered her hand, completely unbothered by their lack of manners. She wasn’t going to waste her energy trying to impress people who clearly had no interest in being friendly.
"I think we should take our leave, Alpha..." Eleanor said.
She bowed respectfully, and Nora followed her lead before they both walked out of the private lounge. Neither woman spared Faye another glance as they departed.
Faye watched them leave before turning back to the Alpha King. At least now she could relax without wondering why the two women had looked at her as though she had personally offended them.
However, the Alpha King had another subject in mind.
"So, do you want to tell me when you and my little Princess are getting married?" he asked casually.
Faye’s smile stiffened.
Of all the things he could have asked her, why did he have to bring up marriage?
"Princess and I are taking things slowly..." she replied, hoping that would satisfy his curiosity.
"Slow?" The Alpha King raised an eyebrow. "What is your definition of slow? You already have four pups together and are expecting more..."
Faye let out an awkward laugh, hoping to turn the conversation into a joke and move on to something else. However, one look at his face told her he wasn’t laughing with her. He genuinely expected an answer.
Her laughter gradually faded.
"I haven’t told Princess yet, but next, I might take our relationship to the next level..." she admitted.
The Alpha King’s eyes immediately lit up with interest.
"What level?"
Faye stared at him. Was he seriously asking her to explain every detail of her relationship with his granddaughter?
Her eyes twitched as she struggled to keep her irritation under control. She had already revealed more than she intended, and the last thing she wanted was to discuss her private plans with the Kings family. Princess was the only person she intended to tell when she was ready, not her future relatives, who seemed to have a habit of sticking their noses into matters that had nothing to do with them.
"It’s between me and Princess..." Faye replied, silently hoping he would finally understand that she wasn’t going to share anything else.
The Alpha King didn’t appear satisfied, but rather than pressing her further about marriage, he shifted his attention to her hair.
He studied the white strands that had gradually spread across her head, his expression turning thoughtful.
"Your hair, has it always been like that...?"
Faye blinked before forcing out a laugh.
"Hahaha, no, it hasn’t, but it’s changing to reflect my mother’s heritage..."
The explanation seemed to interest him. He leaned back in his seat, regarding her for a moment before asking a question that made her smile falter.
"Your mother was an outcast, right? What was her name again? Maye Grande... Do you know what her maiden name was?" he asked.
Faye stared at him. Now this was beginning to feel less like a casual conversation and more like an interrogation.
She hadn’t expected their discussion to turn towards her mother, let alone her family history. The Alpha King clearly knew more about her background than she had assumed, and she wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing.
"I see you have traced my lineage..." Faye remarked, studying the young-looking man as she tried to figure out exactly what he knew.
The Alpha King smiled faintly, seemingly amused by her observation.
"There are so many things that happen in this land that I am aware of. The school, the Council, the Gamma Police Force, even my own blood... They all keep secrets from me, but I am the Alpha, their leader, and I know every single detail of everyone’s daily lives..."
His confidence made it difficult to tell whether he was boasting or simply stating a fact.
Either way, Faye wasn’t sure she liked where the conversation was heading.
She shifted in her seat, her eyes already searching the room for the quickest way out. The Alpha King had gone from asking about her wedding plans to questioning her mother’s heritage, and she had a feeling that whatever came next would be even more troublesome.
"So, what do you know about me?" Faye asked.
The question escaped before she could reconsider it. If the Alpha King truly knew as much as he claimed, she wanted to understand how much information he had gathered about her and what he intended to do with it.
He looked directly at her, a faint smile lingering on his face.
"Why don’t you answer the question? What do I not know about you... Hija de la Luna..."