Chapter 161
Patrick rushed back at once after Leonard mind-linked him.
With thick curtains, no light could get through and the entire room was dark.
Patrick looked around the room and finally found Gloria in a cabinet in the storage room.
Patrick’s heart ached, and Leo couldn’t help but let out a sad howl.
Gloria huddled herself in the cabinet. When Patrick opened the door, she wanted to run away. But she was in the closet and had nowhere to go.
Patrick saw every bit of her reaction. So far, he had no idea why she reacted so violently.
“Are you here to see me make a fool of myself?” Gloria looked up at the man in front of her.
She revealed a miserable smile and said, “Mr. Hammond, you saw the video. You must be delighted, right? You don’t need to go through all that trouble at all. I was wondering why you suddenly changed your attitude towards me. Now I get it.”
Patrick’s breath paused. With great pity, he looked down at Gloria, who curled herself into a ball in the cabinet.
He said in a low voice, “What do you mean?”
Gloria hugged herself tightly and anger overwhelmed her. She thought, ‘How could Patrick still be so self-righteous?’
“Are you asking me, Mr. Hammond? Don’t you understand what I said?” She looked up at the man standing in front of her.
Suddenly, she pointed at herself.
She said, “Mr. Hammond, I know you think I’m responsible for Gabrielle’s death. So, you hate me and always try to get back at me. But I’m not immune to pain or sadness. I’m not a marionette.”
Gloria raised her head. She didn’t look numb anymore. For the first time, the pain in her eyes was exposed to Patrick.
She looked at Patrick and thought, ‘He is the mate chosen by the Moon goddess for me, and the one who has done me the most harm.’
She said softly, “If only you had killed me three years ago.”
Gloria blinked, tears streaming down her face.
“Do you know what it’s like to feel your wolf disappear and never respond to you again? A werewolf lost her wolf. Isn’t that funny? And then she was stripped...”
Gloria’s voice trembled, and she could hardly continue.
The culprit behind all this was right in front of her, but she couldn’t rebuke him for what he had done.
She did not want to show him her wound, nor did she want to know how he would react.
“Patrick,” she called his name. She could no longer pretend, and she said, “Patrick, how could I not hate you after all this?”
Gloria closed her eyes.
She did not want to see Patrick’s face right now. She could no longer repress her tears, as she had been unable to repress her love for Patrick for years before.
“Patrick!” she growled in a gruff voice. She called his name, which was the greatest disaster of her life.
Outside the window, it was still raining. The room was dark, depressing, and smelled damp.
Patrick stood in front of the cabinet and stared in silence at the crying woman.
He felt like he had a lot to say, but he couldn’t utter a word.
“You should hold her,” Leo said sadly.
Patrick bent down, trying to hug the poor woman.
“Don’t touch me!” Gloria roared in a hoarse voice.
Seeing the hatred in her eyes, Patrick felt a sharp pain in his heart, but he still reached out to her firmly.
“I said, don’t touch me!” Gloria looked at Patrick as if he were her enemy.
Patrick didn’t say anything, but he didn’t withdraw his hands either.
Gloria bit his hand out of rage. Right now, she was like a desperate she-wolf.
Patrick frowned a bit. He hadn’t been hurt in a long time since he became Alpha, but he simply let Gloria bite him and didn’t flinch.
“Satisfied now?”
Patrick said after a long time.
His voice broke the silence in the room.
Gloria looked up at Patrick, whose expression didn’t change. A few seconds later, she laughed bitterly and silently.
She thought, ‘Patrick, you don’t know me.’
Gloria was suddenly bored, so she let go of Patrick’s hand.
She tried her best to calm down and to keep her sanity.
“Are you calm now?” Patrick asked.
Gloria opened her eyes.
The mixed emotions in her eyes had disappeared.
“If so, go wash up a bit and meet me in the study.” He turned around and walked towards the study. As he walked, he added, “You have fifteen minutes.”
With a bit of Alpha pressure, he turned around and glanced at Gloria. Gloria was now just a rogue, so she could hardly resist Patrick’s order. She had to do as she was told.
Fifteen minutes later, Gloria stood in front of the study.
She was about to knock when Patrick’s voice came from inside the room. He said, “Come in.”
She opened the door and entered. Patrick sat behind the desk and pointed to the sofa across from him, and then Gloria sat down in silence.
The study room was awkwardly quiet, and neither of them said a word.
Gloria lowered her head, but she could still feel Patrick’s sharp gaze at her.
“You are a coward,” Patrick suddenly said.
His words made Gloria’s breathing quicken, and her whole body trembled. She still did not utter a word, but her tightly pursed lips showed how dissatisfied she was.
“The old Alpha of the Silver Spring Pack overprotected you. You have lived under his wings, and you don’t deserve to be called the founder of Moonlight Group,” Patrick said expressionlessly, provoking Gloria.
Gloria sat on the sofa. As she heard so, she looked up and retorted with anger, “Feel free to judge me however you want. But who gives you the nerve to say I’m not worthy of Moonlight Group? I built it from scratch!”
Patrick put his hands behind his head and leaned against the back of the chair. Then he glanced at Gloria.
Gloria saw sarcasm in his eyes.
“You’ve been imprisoned for three years, so you have to prepare yourself from the very beginning. Your opponents won’t make every move above board,” Patrick pointed out the fact in a gentle voice.
“From the moment you walk into Moonlight Group again, you should understand one thing. Business is all about winning or losing, and your opponents will go all out to crush you. It’s just a video. Is that too much for you already?” Patrick mocked. His voice reached Gloria’s ears loud and clear.
