Once they left the mountain, the scenery shifted quickly, the quiet isolation of the estate giving way to the distant pulse of the city.
The drive took close to an hour, though it hardly felt slow. In fact, it was faster than it should have been. The road they used wasn’t one the public even knew existed; it was a private route carved through the mountain and connected seamlessly to the main roads leading into the city.
It didn’t appear on any map, digital or otherwise, ensuring that no outsider could trace their way back to the estate. Only when they rged into the downtown traffic did the pace finally begin to slow.
By the ti they reached the city center, the towering structure of the most exclusive shopping mall ca into view, its glass façade reflecting the late afternoon light.
Sowhere along the drive, Ashley had learned sothing that quietly redefined everything she thought she understood.
The entire mountain, the land the palace stood on, the surrounding forests, the roads that cut through it, all belonged to the Gildenvale family.
That was why the base of the mountain was sealed behind towering gates and high walls. Why access was controlled. Why, even the road they had taken existed beyond public knowledge.
It wasn’t just security; it was because they owned it.
And that realization spoke volus. This didn’t just showcase their wealth, but their legacy, power so deeply rooted that even the governnt seed to give it space, and chose not to interfere.
The kind of influence that didn’t need to announce itself, because it was already embedded into the very land itself.
Ashley leaned back slightly, letting the weight of that settle in.
Her family didn’t just own property.
They owned a fucking mountain.
Ashley couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of unreality settle over her. In the werewolf world, sothing like this would have been unremarkable, as a pack claiming vast stretches of land, expanding its territory through strength alone, unchallenged by either human or supernatural authority.
Power there was simple, direct, and undeniable. Strength ruled supre, and that was enough.
But here... it was different.
In the human world, power wore a different face. It moved through wealth, through influence, through networks built over generations. Money turned the gears, but it wasn’t just money; authority followed closely behind it, the two bound together in a way that made one aningless without the other.
Wealth could not function without power to protect it, and power could not endure without the foundation of wealth to sustain it.
The realization made her draw in a quiet breath.
And then, without noticing, she drifted, lost in her thoughts, turning the idea over and over in her mind as the car continued its steady course toward the city. Ti slipped by unnoticed, nearly another hour passing in silence.
So when the car finally slowed and ca to a stop at the entrance of the shopping mall, Ashley blinked, startled.
It felt as though they had only just left.
"Young Miss..."
The lead bodyguard from the trailing convoy moved swiftly to her side, opening the car door with practiced precision while another retrieved the wheelchair from the rear. He didn’t act imdiately, though; instead, he paused just long enough to ask for her permission, careful not to overstep.
Ashley hesitated for only a mont. The brief flicker of discomfort was still there, but she pushed it aside. Dwelling on her limitations wouldn’t change them, and right now, practicality mattered more. So she gave a small nod.
Only then did the lead bodyguard step forward, lifting her with steady care and placing her gently into the wheelchair. The transition was smooth and almost effortless.
Aunt Lavinia took her place behind her soon after, guiding the wheelchair toward the entrance with calm familiarity. The bodyguards followed at a asured distance, far enough not to crowd her, yet close enough to maintain their vigilance.
It was a subtle adjustnt, one made with quiet awareness of her discomfort, allowing her space without ever compromising her safety.
By the ti Ashley and her entourage entered, the afternoon crowd had already begun to gather, and their arrival did not go unnoticed. Heads turned almost instantly. Their presence alone, along with the bodyguards moving in quiet formation, the composed figure of Aunt Lavinia guiding the wheelchair, was enough to draw attention, but what truly stirred their curiosity was Ashley herself.
Because no one recognized her.
And that, in a place like this, was unusual.
Though it was called a shopping mall, this space functioned more like a private enclave for the elite. The guards stationed at the entrance weren’t there for show; they enforced a silent standard.
Not just anyone could walk in. Discretion, security, and exclusivity were paramount, and while no rules were openly stated, everyone understood them. Entry in that shopping mall wasn’t about who had the most money alone; it was about belonging in the upper elite circle.
The kind of place where faces were familiar, where nas carried weight, where strangers stood out imdiately.
Which was exactly why Ashley’s presence drew so much attention.
If no one recognized her, then why had she been allowed in without question?
The answer stood right behind her.
Aunt Lavinia.
Among the upper circles, she was far from unknown, the Gildenvale family’s most trusted and capable steward, a figure of quiet authority in her own right. Even the guards knew better than to interfere. And the fact that soone like her was personally attending to Ashley, pushing her forward with such care, spoke louder than any introduction ever could.
In that mont, the curiosity shifted squarely to Ashley.
"Who’s that girl? Do you know her?"
The whispers reached Ashley the mont she crossed the threshold, soft and scattered, but to her, they were clear. Too clear. Her ears twitched almost imperceptibly as she caught the direction of the voices, her gaze flicking subtly to the side. The people speaking weren’t even close, yet their words carried as if they stood just beside her.
It made her pause.
Had her senses always been this sharp?
Back when she lived among the werewolves, she had never questioned it. Everyone around her had been the sa, keen, perceptive, and attuned to their surroundings, so she had assud it was normal. That it was simply how the werewolves are. And this is the reason it had never once occurred to her that she might be different from them.
But now... surrounded by humans, the contrast was impossible to ignore.
A faint tension crept into her chest as she swallowed, suddenly aware of just how much she could hear. Every whisper, every hushed remark, most of them about her, reached her with unsettling clarity.
And with that awareness ca a growing self-consciousness, as though the attention she had drawn was pressing in from all sides, leaving her nowhere to hide.
"I don’t know, I’ve never seen her before. Do you think she’s from another social circle, maybe from out of town?" one girl whispered, leaning closer as her eyes followed Ashley.
"I doubt it," the other replied under her breath, a hint of pride lacing her tone. "You know I mingle outside our circle all the ti. I’ve t plenty of rich kids from other cities, and I’ve never co across her."
"So even you don’t recognize her?"
"No. Not at all."
A brief pause followed before the first girl spoke again, her curiosity sharpening. "But Butler Lavinia is with her... don’t tell she’s a distant relative of the Gildenvale family?"
The other girl let out a soft scoff. "Have you forgotten? Aside from the Gildenvale brothers and that so-called princess they keep around, they’re the last of their bloodline. That’s what I’ve always heard from my old man. I doubt there are any hidden relatives."
"Then... maybe she’s related to Butler Lavinia instead?"
"I don’t think so..." she murmured, though this ti, there was less certainty in her voice as her gaze lingered on Ashley, curiosity only deepening.
The whispers didn’t fade; they only grew, rippling outward as more eyes followed their every movent. Yet Aunt Lavinia moved forward without the slightest pause, her posture composed, her expression untouched, as though the attention simply didn’t exist. The bodyguards mirrored her calm, their steps steady and unbothered, clearly accustod to this kind of scrutiny.
Ashley, however, was not.
Every murmur reached her with uncomfortable clarity, each hushed guess and careless remark settling too close, too sharp. It wasn’t just the attention, it was the awareness of it, the way she could hear every word as if it were ant for her alone. The weight of it pressed in, tightening around her thoughts, making it harder to ignore.
And in that mont, she couldn’t help but wonder.
’What could possibly be more uncomfortable than this?’
Fortunately, the young ladies of those prominent families still retained a asure of restraint. None of them dared follow openly. So when Aunt Lavinia guided Ashley toward the elevator and the doors closed behind them, the weight of those prying gazes finally lifted.
The whispers continued sowhere beyond, no doubt, but they were no longer within Ashley’s reach. For the first ti since entering, she let out a quiet breath of relief, her shoulders easing slightly.
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