Nene sat at her desk, staring at the secured link Shen Qian had just sent her.
She had two options:
Click it and see just how deep the rabbit hole went. Ignore it, pretend this wasn't happening, and go back to working on her beats.
Option two sounded really tempting, but the truth was already sitting in her inbox, waiting for her to open it.
She groaned and clicked the link.
A holographic login page materialized on her screen, glowing with sleek silver-blue text:
Welcome to the Werewolf Interweb. Please verify your identity.
Underneath was a pre-filled login with her full legal name, her date of birth, and a title that made her pause mid-breath.
Registered Beta Heir – Lin Evangeline
She definitely hadn't signed up for this.
Nene's fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitating before clicking ENTER.
The page loaded instantly, revealing an entirely different internet—a private network that humans had no access to.
It had news reports, financial trade logs, classified business deals, even open bounty lists for rogue wolves.
One section caught her eye: Mate Bond Registries.
She clicked it, morbidly curious.
A search bar popped up, with two categories:
Confirmed Bonds (Legally recognized mate pairs) Unconfirmed Bonds (Pending legal confirmation)
The whole thing looked so clinical, like a government database for soulmates.
Her stomach turned. Was this really how werewolves treated love? Like some legal transaction?
Before she could scroll further, her phone buzzed again. Another unknown number.
She sighed and picked up. "Now what?"
A deep chuckle came through the line. "Well, that's not the greeting I was expecting."
Nene frowned. The voice was different from Shen Qian's—a little older, smoother, and way too familiar with her.
"Who is this?"
"Lin Zhen," the man answered simply.
Nene froze.
Her father.
The man who had ignored her for eighteen years was suddenly calling her personally?
Her grip on the phone tightened. "Wow. So the great Alpha Lin Zhen actually knows how to dial a number. I'm honored."
A pause. Then another chuckle. "You take after your mother."
That shouldn't have made her chest tighten.
But it did.
She shook it off. "What do you want?"
"I assume Shen Qian has informed you about your legal status," Lin Zhen said smoothly. "There's no point in pretending you aren't curious."
He wasn't wrong, but she wasn't going to admit that.
"And?" she challenged. "What do you want from me? Because we both know you didn't suddenly decide to be a father."
Lin Zhen sighed, as if he found her amusing but mildly exhausting. "There's a dinner next week. I want you to attend."
Nene nearly dropped the phone.
A family dinner? Now?
"Oh, hell no." She scoffed. "Try again."
"It's not just a dinner," he continued. "It's a gathering of Alphas and political leaders. You need to be seen."
That made her stop.
"You mean… this is a business thing?"
"Everything is a business thing," Lin Zhen said simply. "Your existence was never meant to be public knowledge. Now that you're legally recognized, others will find out sooner or later. It's better if you make your debut on our terms."
Debut. Like she was some new stock option being introduced to the market.
She hated how logical it sounded.
"Hard pass," she said. "I have zero interest in being paraded around like some political chess piece."
"You may not have a choice," Lin Zhen said calmly. "Your name is already out there, whether you acknowledge it or not. And trust me, Evangeline—"
Her breath caught.
That name.
No one called her that.
She was Nene.
Not Evangeline. Not his precious heir.
Lin Zhen continued, "—if you don't take control of your position now, someone else will do it for you."
Nene's nails dug into her palm.
She hated that he had a point.
She hated that he knew she wouldn't ignore it.
She let out a slow breath. "One dinner. That's it."
"For now," he said, sounding too pleased with himself.
The line went dead.
Nene tossed her phone onto the bed, staring at the glowing Werewolf Interweb page still open on her screen.
Nene had barely processed the last conversation when her phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number.
She groaned. "If this is another werewolf legal update, I swear to—"
"Nene?"
The voice was soft, hesitant, and completely unfamiliar.
She frowned. "Who is this?"
A small pause. Then, carefully:
"My name is Li Xiu. I'm… your mother."
Nene's breath caught in her throat.
She had never heard that name before. Not once. Not from Lin Guang. Not from anyone.
Her real mother?
"Are you still there?" the woman asked gently.
Nene found her voice. "Yeah. Just—uh—processing."
"I understand," Li Xiu said softly. "This must be a shock. I won't keep you long, but… I'd like to see you."
Nene rubbed her temple, her brain struggling to keep up. First, Lin Zhen suddenly cared about her legal status, now her biological mother was reaching out?
"Why now?" she asked bluntly. "Eighteen years of silence, and suddenly, I'm on your calendar?"
There was a pause—one that felt heavy. Then, Li Xiu said, "Because now, I can."
That answer threw her off.
Nene hesitated. "And what, you just expect me to show up for some tearful reunion?"
"No," Li Xiu said quietly. "I don't expect anything. But… if you give me a chance, I'd like to explain."
Something in her voice made Nene pause.
She didn't sound like Lin Zhen—like someone who made decisions and expected them to be obeyed. There was a careful, almost nervous quality to her words.
Still, Nene wasn't sure.
Li Xiu seemed to sense it. "I've sent transportation. It's already waiting outside. You don't have to come, but if you do… I'll be at Lotus Café."
Nene glanced toward her window.
Sure enough, a sleek, black autonomous car was parked outside her building, waiting.
Her fingers tightened around her phone.
She could ignore it. She could pretend this wasn't happening.
But the truth was…
She was already standing up to grab her jacket.