Chapter 14 +25 Bonus Chapter 14 Elise's POV. News of the major leadership changes in the Northern Pack's Wolfe family spread quickly. Within just a few days, I caught up on Kieran and Cecelia's aftermath through news articles on my phone while hiding out in a small mountain village in neutral territory, working as a teacher. My heart filled with mixed emotions at this outcome. After all, in my memory, even though Kieran did not love Cecelia, he had still cared for her somewhat for the sake of their two pups. Yet in such a short time, they had reached this kind of ending. Still, none of this concerned me anymore. I had my own life to live now. I pushed the wooden gate open and watered the herbs growing in the yard. Once I was done, I set down the watering can and settled back into the reclining chair to gaze at this orphanage surrounded by mountains. It was currently summer break, so only a few teachers remained to watch over the small facility, and I was one of them. The afternoon sunlight made me drowsy and brought back memories of the past. When Lucian had given me the plane ticket, a new phone, and a million-dollar check before having me escorted to the airport, I had not said anything and went straight through security. Just to be safe, I secretly changed my flight. When I reached my new destination and was about to board a train, I suddenly spotted a job posting from the orphanage where I had spent my childhood. I immediately called the orphanage director, Margaret Lott. I learned that the facility was struggling with funds. Coupled with its remote location, it was difficult to attract teachers willing to work with the children. As I heard Margaret's helpless voice over the phone, a strong impulse suddenly stirred in my heart. I had lost both parents as a child, and Margaret had essentially raised me. Over the years, I had neglected my hometown and Margaret because of everything involving Kieran. So, I decided right then to return home and become a teacher. This twist of fate meant I perfectly avoided Kieran's people, who were searching for me. Moreover, I had never told Kieran about my past. Beyond knowing I was an orphan, he knew nothing else about me. Hiding in my hometown was my best option, which explained why no one could find me. After returning to the orphanage, I gave Margaret the entire million dollars Lucian had provided me. With this funding, the orphanage was completely renovated inside and out, and they were able to hire many new teachers. One day, the new teachers had asked me to join them on a trip to the mountains to gather medicinal herbs, pick mushrooms, and dig vegetables for that night's wild mushroom risotto dinner. 172 Chapter 14 +25 Bonus On the path up the mountain, one of the teachers, Kelly Roberts, linked her arm through mine and chattered about recent events at the orphanage. "I heard Ms. Lott secured another investor recently, apparently from up north. They're sending someone to inspect our orphanage next week. Elise, will you be there to welcome them?" After I gave Margaret that million dollars, she used half to renovate the orphanage and invested the other half in village development. For sustainable future growth, she decided to pursue the investment route, traveling everywhere to find charitable donors and convince them to contribute. However, that path was not easy. After three months, Margaret had only found two investors, one of them being the Wolfe family. To ensure they passed the inspection smoothly, Margaret had assigned her most careful and articulate staff members to handle the welcoming duties. While I was certainly Margaret's first choice, Kelly was surprised when I politely declined. "I won't be going. I have other things to handle." "Oh," Kelly mumbled with some regret. "I heard that the Wolfe family's heir, Alpha Kieran, is both handsome and wealthy. You're a catch. If he's the one who shows up..." I knew she meant well, so I was not angry. She had come from a small northern town and focused solely on academic matters. Besides, she did not know about the history between Kieran and me. More importantly, I had worked so hard to move past everything that had happened, and I really did not want to experience another fruitless love affair again. I smiled and patted Kelly's arm. "I'm not considering marriage or anything like that. I just want to stay here and teach these children well so they can eventually leave the mountains one day." U Support ୮ Share 2 Chapter 13