Chapter 44: Wish To Wait For The Wife And Greet Her

A shadow moved swiftly across the mansion's rooftop, blending seamlessly with the night. The darkness concealed the figure in black, making them virtually invisible.

Below, tall, aggressive-looking men patrolled the estate, leaving no stone unturned. Yet, despite their vigilance, they failed to notice the intruder slipping through an open window.

Inside, the figure landed silently in the study—the private domain of the mansion's owner. Moving with practiced efficiency, the intruder rifled through drawers, yanking books off shelves in search of hidden compartments. Paintings were removed, walls and floors tapped for hollowness.

Then—

Clank.

A faint metallic sound echoed as the intruder pried up a loose floor tile, revealing a high-security safe requiring a passcode, fingerprint, and voice recognition to open. A single failed attempt would trigger the alarm—unless one had the remote.

The intruder exhaled lightly. Child's play.

For the fingerprint scan, there were plenty of options—the office was covered in the owner's prints. But what was the one thing only he would touch?

Obviously—the safe itself.

The screen flashed green as the fingerprint was accepted. Now came the tricky part: voice recognition.

The intruder adjusted their mask, revealing only their mouth. Clearing their throat, they leaned in close and spoke.

"Open."

The voice was rough, aged—an uncanny imitation of the mansion's owner. If one ignored the intruder's slender, youthful frame, they would never believe such a voice came from them.

A satisfying click echoed as the safe unlocked. The intruder's eyes gleamed as they pulled it open.

"Interesting..."

—

Ethan guided his car through the gates of Tranquil Villa, nodding as the guards saluted. Noticing Lillie's car was absent, he assumed she was still at work.

He sighed. She really needed to take it easy. He knew she was a workaholic—far worse than him. And she had just recovered from a cold, too.

Inside, Nanny Ying and Butler Tian greeted him warmly. Nanny Ying offered dinner, but he declined. "I'll wait for Lillie."

He never thought he'd end up in this role—waiting at home like a spouse for their partner to return from work. Not that he minded. If only he could greet her at the door with a kiss and a casual "Welcome home, honey."

But knowing Lillie, she'd probably slap him silly. Or, worse, aim a kick right where it hurt.

Shaking off the thought, Ethan stepped into the living room—only to be met with an infuriating sight.

A massive, black-furred beast sprawled lazily across his white couch.

Storm, Lillie's oversized wolfdog, lifted his head, staring blankly at Ethan. His eyes practically said: What the hell are you looking at?

Ethan's jaw tightened. That beast was on the white couch.

He turned to call for Nanny Ying or Butler Tian, but stopped. Right. Storm was just as stubborn as his owner. Even Butler Tian, whom he liked, couldn't make him budge when he didn't want to.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Get off the couch."

Storm lazily stood up. Ethan was momentarily impressed—until the wolf turned his back to him, arrogantly flicking his tail before lying down again.

"You—!"

Lillie might frustrate him sometimes, but at least she was adorable. This oversized mutt? Absolutely not.

Fine. If Storm wouldn't move, Ethan would just sit on him.

Storm's breath hitched as Ethan casually dropped his full weight onto him. The wolf snarled in outrage, baring his fangs. But Ethan remained unbothered, scrolling through his phone as if he weren't using a beast twice his size as a chair.

If you were worried Ethan might crush Storm, don't be. Storm was stronger than most humans. The real problem? No matter how much he squirmed, he couldn't shake Ethan off.

Storm eventually gave up, grumbling internally. The moment this bastard got up, he swore he'd bite his head off.

Then, both their ears perked at the sound of an approaching car.

Ethan immediately stood. Storm launched himself off the couch and sprinted toward the door, leaving Ethan behind.

Ethan scowled. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't just run to the door like an excited fool. He had a reputation to maintain. That was Storm's job. Unfortunately.

So, with as much dignity as possible, Ethan walked—though significantly faster—toward the entrance.

Lillie stepped inside, unfazed by the massive wolf waiting eagerly for her. Storm's tail wagged wildly as she patted his head.

"I'm home."

Storm's tail wagged even faster, completely thrilled.

Lifting her gaze, Lillie noticed Ethan standing calmly in the corner, arms crossed, watching her expectantly.

She blinked, tilting her head.

Ethan's stare intensified. Was she really not going to say anything?

Lillie hummed in confusion. "...?"

Ethan's brow twitched.

"Welcome home." He grumbled, clearly annoyed.

Oh, sure. Greet the damn wolf first. But her future husband? Completely ignored.

Excuse me, who exactly is your fiancé here? That oversized mutt?!

Ethan resisted the urge to call his mother-in-law.

"Hello, Mother-in-law? Yes, I'd like to report that your daughter has chosen a wolf over me. Please remind her who her actual fiancé is. Thanks."