: The Rings That Matter

Nene was still reeling from the whole marriage contract ambush when she found herself being steered into an ultra-luxury jewelry boutique.

She barely had time to register the soft lighting, velvet displays, and the fact that everything in here probably cost more than her entire life savings before she turned to Alexander.

"What are we doing here?" she asked suspiciously.

Alexander glanced at her, completely unbothered. "Picking out rings."

Nene stared. "What?"

"For you," he said smoothly. Then, after a pause, "And me."

Her brain stuttered.

Wait. Wait. Hold on.

"We're getting rings? Now?"

"You'd rather do it later?" His tone was calm, like this was just standard procedure.

Nene threw up her hands. "We didn't even have a ceremony! We just signed paperwork in what looked like a werewolf DMV office, and now you want rings?"

Alexander's lips tilted slightly, like he was amused by her reaction. "I think it's better this way."

She squinted at him. "Why?"

"Because you're more likely to actually wear it if you choose it yourself."

Nene froze.

Because—okay, fine, that made sense. She didn't do jewelry. If he had just given her some ridiculous, overpriced rock, she probably would've 'forgotten' to wear it.

She huffed. "I could've just said no."

Alexander smirked. "You could have."

Her eye twitched.

Before she could come up with a good argument, the store manager approached—a sharp-dressed Beta woman with a professional smile.

"Mr. Zhao," she greeted smoothly. "Mrs. Zhao. A pleasure to serve you both."

Nene tensed.

Mrs. Zhao.

She still wasn't used to that.

But Alexander, ever calm and in control, simply nodded. "We need two rings."

"Of course," the manager said. "Did you have a particular style in mind?"

He glanced at Nene. "That's for her to decide."

Nene paused.

For a moment, she thought he'd just choose something ridiculously over-the-top—some giant diamond that screamed 'Alpha wealth' and nothing else.

But instead…

He was letting her pick.

She swallowed. "For both of us?"

Alexander's gaze didn't waver. "Yes."

Something tightened in her chest.

She didn't know why that mattered. Why it felt… different.

But it did.

She exhaled slowly and turned toward the display as the Beta store manager placed a velvet tray of rings in front of her.

"Take your time," the woman said smoothly. "These are some of our most exclusive designs. We also offer custom engraving if you'd like something more personal."

Nene barely registered the words.

She just… stared at the rings.

She wasn't the kind of girl who ever dreamed of a wedding, much less a wedding ring. She wasn't sentimental. She didn't get attached to material things.

But now?

Now she was legally Zhao Evangeline—a name she hadn't even chosen for herself.

And she had to pick a symbol of a marriage she hadn't planned.

Something about that made her stomach twist.

She exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through her hair. "Do I really have to wear one?"

Alexander, who had been watching her in silence, finally spoke.

"Yes."

Nene rolled her eyes. "Obviously. But why? This isn't a real marriage—"

Alexander tilted his head slightly, gold eyes calm but sharp. "Isn't it?"

Her stomach flipped.

She hated that.

She ignored it and turned back to the tray.

Fine. If she had to pick a ring, she was at least choosing something she actually liked.

Her gaze skimmed past giant diamond monstrosities before settling on something smaller, sleeker.

A simple black gold band with a thin silver engraving along the edge. Understated. Modern. Not overly feminine.

She pointed at it. "That one."

The manager nodded and placed it in front of her. "Excellent choice. And for Mr. Zhao?"

Nene hesitated.

She glanced at Alexander—who, for once, wasn't making a decision for her.

He was just watching her. Waiting.

Something about that made her annoyed.

Fine. If she had to wear a ring, so did he.

She picked out a matching band, but slightly thicker, more masculine. The same black gold, the same silver engraving.

She slid it toward him. "There. Now we match."

Alexander's gaze flickered slightly.

And then, to her surprise—

He picked it up. Examined it. Then smirked.

"Good choice," he murmured.

Something about the way he said it sent a strange warmth down her spine.

Nene shoved it away.

She exhaled sharply, standing up. "Great. Rings picked. Can we go now?"

Alexander slid the ring onto his finger without hesitation.

Then, without breaking eye contact—

He took her hand.

And before she could react, he slid the second ring onto her finger.

His touch was steady, slow, deliberate.

Like he was sealing something.

Nene swallowed hard.

She refused to acknowledge the way her heartbeat suddenly felt too loud.

Alexander let go of her hand, his smirk subtle but knowing. "Now we can go."

Nene scowled and turned toward the exit—

Ignoring the fact that the ring suddenly felt a little too heavy on her hand.

The car ride back was quiet.

Not the awkward kind of silence—more like the kind where too much had just happened, and neither of them felt the need to speak.

Nene stared out the window, rolling the ring around her finger.

It was light. Too light.

It should've felt like nothing. Just a piece of metal. Just a symbol of a contract she hadn't agreed to until the last second.

But she could feel it.

Like it wasn't just a ring—but a weight. A reminder.

Zhao Evangeline.

She had never cared about last names before. Never cared about the weight of where she came from.

But now, for the first time in her life, her name meant something.

It meant protection. It meant control. It meant belonging to someone powerful enough that no one could touch her.

And it meant she wasn't Lin Zhen's problem anymore.

Something about that should've made her feel better.

It didn't.

She exhaled sharply and glanced at Alexander, who was sitting beside her, effortlessly working through some high-level business reports like he hadn't just legally trapped her in marriage.

Finally, she spoke.

"You didn't even flinch when you put your ring on."

Alexander didn't look up from his tablet. "Why would I?"

Nene huffed. "I don't know. Maybe because you just got married?"

He finally glanced at her, gold eyes calm but sharp. "You're acting like this is a surprise."

"It kind of is," she muttered, fiddling with the ring again. "You move too fast."

"You move too slow."

She shot him a look. "Excuse me?"

Alexander closed his tablet, turning fully toward her.

"You hesitate when you shouldn't," he said smoothly. "You waste time thinking about decisions instead of making them. It's a bad habit."

Her eye twitched. "I think before I act. That's called common sense."

Alexander smirked. "No, it's called indecision."

Her fingers clenched into fists. "Okay, you know what? I—"

Before she could finish, the car rolled to a stop.

Nene paused, then glanced out the window.

And froze.

The place in front of her wasn't just a house.

It was a fortress.

Sleek black stone, sprawling modern architecture, high-tech security gates that looked like they belonged to a military base.

It didn't just say "rich Alpha territory."

It said "if you don't belong here, you won't survive stepping past the gate."

Nene's stomach tightened.

She turned to Alexander, scowling. "This is your house?"

He smirked slightly. "It's ours now."

She groaned.

This was going to be a nightmare.