Chapter 8: It Is Actually His Matriarch

"It is nothing. She consistently views me as a phantom rival for his attention."

"In any case, so long as she can mend Leo’s mind-link, nothing else carries weight."

A heavy wave of warmth flooded Clara’s chest, and she swiftly directed a telepathic reply across the bond. "I comprehend. She has formally sworn to treat Leo, so you will not have to endure her toxic snobbery anymore!"

Yet, regarding Dr. Alyssa Cole, Clara harbored a new, calculated reservation.

She possessed very few vulnerabilities in this world; her list began and ended with Leo and Hazel.

If Alyssa succeeded in restoring Leo's consciousness, Clara would willingly revere her as a supreme savior.

However, if it ever came down to a conflict between Alyssa and Hazel, she would choose Hazel with absolute, unyielding fidelity, without a single heartbeat of hesitation.

By the time she successfully lulled her pup to sleep, the midnight hours were fast approaching.

Clara prepared to slip out to secure a private suite at a human luxury hotel.

The exact hour Leo was cleared for discharge, she intended to relocate him there, refusing to compromise Hazel's much-needed rest within her own territory.

"Madam Serena, my apologies for the disruption."

The absolute second Clara stepped onto the dark residential road, a sleek, heavily armored obsidian limousine glided to a halt dead in front of her.

A silver-haired male clothed in an immaculate suit lowered the tinted glass with absolute, fluid grace.

"Would you grant us the honor of accompanying me for a brief journey?"

Hearing the stranger articulate her exclusive alias, Clara’s lips pressed into a tight, defensive line.

Serena was the specialized title she utilized while operating within the global relic markets.

However, during every high-profile auction, she consistently concealed her features beneath an enchanted mask; technically, no entity within this sector should have linked Serena to Clara Thorne.

The stranger had targeted her coordinates with absolute precision and unwavering certainty, indicating his information web was extensive, and the authority backing him was immense.

"Greetings. May I inquire as to your master's intent?"

Observing Clara’s refined, unhurried demeanor, Silas offered a soft, diplomatic smile, smoothing over the tension. "Rest your mind, Madam Serena. We harbor no hostile intent toward your standing; my master merely requires your exceptional talent for a minor complication. However, the hourglass is running short. I must humbly request you step inside so we may review the details."

Clara’s fingernails dug slightly into her palms, her emerald gaze sharpening.

This specific brand of high-society courtesy—wrapped in absolute, impenetrable distance—was an etiquette she recognized all too well.

The entity commanding this fleet was either a supreme pack noble or a billionaire lord; she simply did not possess the leverage to cross them.

With a mask of cool indifference, Clara stepped into the luxurious interior.

Before long, the transport breached the perimeter of an ancient, heavily guarded manor secluded within the dark forest outskirts.

"The Matriarch has decreed that you may enter her private solar directly."

The exact moment Clara pushed through the heavy oak barriers, the silver-haired matriarch standing before the blazing hearth rose to her feet, stepping directly into her path.

"My child, I trust my vanguard did not cause you undue alarm?"

Matriarch Evelyn Vance captured Clara’s hand within her own, her commanding features softening into a warm, ancestral smile.

Clara offered a polite shake of her head, addressing her with measured reverence. "Not at all, Madam. May I inquire what sacred relic requires my evaluation?"

"The whispers from the outer realms claim your talent as a relic hunter is legendary. Examine this ancient artifact for me."

Evelyn observed Clara’s composed, unyielding stance under her dominant pressure, a flicker of genuine aristocratic appreciation igniting deep within her eyes.

She personally retrieved a rich velvet vault box, presenting it to Clara.

Clara drew a pair of specialized silk gloves from her leather pack, slipping them on with practiced precision.

Opening the container, her eyes were met with a massive, raw emerald ring.

It was crystalline and impossibly clear, its elemental purity evident at a single glance.

Yet, Clara’s dark brows knitted together in an immediate frown. "The core material of this artifact is authentic, but it has suffered a violent fracture and was subsequently mended by artificial magic. Its sacred value has been entirely forfeited."

"Are you entirely certain of this diagnosis?" Evelyn’s features darkened instantly, a heavy aura leaking into the room.

Clara’s response remained absolute and unwavering.

The miracle of her mystical gift, awakened the exact hour she brought Leo into the world, allowed her consciousness to pierce through the physical shell of any ancient treasure, mapping its internal spiritual energy grids!

Within her vision, the emerald’s internal life-force was incredibly faint, its light particles scattered in fractured patterns.

This absolute visual proof confirmed the artifact had been shattered into pieces before being forced back together.

"Matriarch, I have returned to the den."

Suddenly, a deep, devastatingly familiar baritone vibrated from the shadows behind Clara.

She instinctively spun around, her gaze colliding directly with Dominic Vance as he strode into the chamber with powerful, predatory steps!

The supreme entity who had summoned her to this hidden palace was actually his Matriarch!

And the exact second Dominic’s gaze locked onto Clara, his heavy stride faltered.

His narrow, amber wolf-eyes half-closed, his fierce gaze instantly filling with a sharp, suffocating intensity as he locked his target down.