:The Grand Gesture

Nene barely had time to process her grandmother's decision before the sitting room door opened again.

This time, she immediately tensed.

Because walking in—**with all the confidence of a man who had never known failure—was Lin Zhen.

And right beside him?

Her sister, Lin Meiling.

Nene exhaled sharply, already bracing herself.

She had spent years ignored by this man. Years treated as dispose, only to suddenly be dragged back into his world the moment she became useful.

And now?

Now he was here, pretending to care.

Meiling, at least, looked genuinely excited, practically bouncing with energy as she tugged at Lin Zhen's sleeve.

"Come on, Baba," she said eagerly. "Give it to her!"

Nene raised an eyebrow. "Give me what?"

Lin Zhen, ever the businessman, simply gestured to the side.

And that's when Nene noticed the two assistants rolling in an absolutely massive gift box.

Nene blinked.

…Okay.

What the hell was this?

Meiling clapped her hands. "Open it! Open it!"

Nene hesitated, suspicious. "What is it?"

Her father smirked. "A gift."

Nene rolled her eyes. "Yeah, no kidding. What's inside?"

Lin Zhen just gestured lazily. "Find out."

Nene scowled.

She didn't trust this.

But with Meiling practically vibrating with excitement, she sighed and tore off the ribbon.

The box opened—

And inside was—

A set of car keys.

Nene froze.

Then, slowly, she reached in, picking them up.

She turned them over in her hands, heart thudding, because these weren't just keys to some random vehicle.

These were exclusive, high-end, custom-made Alpha security clearance keys.

Only the richest, highest-ranked wolves had access to cars like these.

And judging by the knowing smirk on Lin Zhen's face?

He had done this on purpose.

Meiling bounced excitedly. "Do you like it? It's one of Baba's limited edition security vehicles! He had it customized for you!"

Nene stared.

A car.

A ridiculously expensive, absurdly powerful, Alpha-coded car.

Why?

Her father wasn't the type to give gifts freely.

Which meant…

This wasn't just a birthday present.

This was a power move.

A way to remind everyone in this room that no matter whose wife she was now—

She was still his daughter.

And she hated it.

Nene exhaled sharply, tossing the keys once in her palm.

"Wow," she said dryly. "Didn't realize you suddenly remembered I existed."

Lin Zhen chuckled. "Don't be dramatic. It's just a gift."

Nene narrowed her eyes. "Nothing from you is ever 'just' anything."

Lin Zhen smirked. "Enjoy it, Nene."

Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Meiling gave her a final bright smile before rushing after him.

And just like that—they were gone.

The room was quiet.

Then—

A slow, deep chuckle.

Nene turned sharply.

Alexander was leaning against the couch, watching her with pure amusement.

His golden eyes flickered to the keys in her hand.

"Looks like your father is still trying to keep his claws in you," he mused.

Nene gritted her teeth.

She hated that he was right.

She hated that this car was a statement.

She hated that Lin Zhen was still playing games with her life.

She tightened her grip around the keys.

Then, voice flat and unimpressed—

"Want to help me scratch it?"

Nene twirled the car keys in her fingers, watching them glint under the light.

Her father's gift—a statement disguised as generosity.

She hated it.

Hated that he thought he could still control her.

And just as she was debating what to do with it—

A hand plucked the keys straight from her fingers.

She whipped around. "Hey!"

Alexander held them up, examining them lazily.

"Hm," he murmured, turning them over in his palm. "It's decent."

Nene narrowed her eyes. "Give it back."

Alexander's golden gaze flicked to her, sharp and unreadable.

"No."

Her eye twitched. "Excuse me?"

"You don't need it," he said smoothly, tucking the keys into his pocket like they had never belonged to her in the first place.

Nene bristled. "That was a gift."

"It was a leash," Alexander corrected. "And you don't need leashes."

Her stomach twisted.

Because—okay, yes. He was right.

But that didn't mean she liked him taking things from her without asking.

She folded her arms. "So what? I'm just supposed to walk everywhere now?"

Alexander's lips tilted slightly. "No. I'll get you something better."

Nene paused.

"...Better?"

Alexander leaned in slightly, voice calm but final.

"If you want a car, you'll get one," he said. "But it won't be one your father picked out for you. It'll be something of mine. Something with my name attached to it."

His gold eyes glinted.

"So that there's no confusion about who you belong to."

Nene's breath caught.

Her fingers curled into fists.

Because there it was again.

That possessiveness.

That absolute certainty in his voice.

Like she was already his.

Her throat tightened. "I'm not an object, Alexander."

His smirk was slow, lazy.

"Good," he murmured. "Then try not to act like one."

The moment Alexander pocketed the keys, Nene felt her mother's eyes on her.

She turned, half-expecting a lecture, but Li Xiu just took a slow sip of her tea, watching them with amused disinterest.

"Well," her mother said dryly, "at least he's efficient."

Nene scowled. "You're taking his side?"

Li Xiu arched a brow. "You wanted to scratch the car, and he removed the problem entirely. That seems practical to me."

Nene huffed. "It's not about practicality."

Alexander smirked. "It never is with you."

Nene glared. "I will throw this cake at your face."

"That would be a waste," Alexander murmured. "Jin worked very hard to bring it to you."

Nene hated that he had a point.

She grumbled under her breath and stabbed her fork into the remaining cake.

Her mother, apparently satisfied with the outcome, set her cup down.

"Lunch is ready," she said smoothly. "Let's move to the dining hall before your grandmother finds another way to interfere in your life."