Chapter 521

Madeline:

The way Ron turned away the moment he saw me felt strange. But it was understandable.

He had been here for a long time, and every attempt we made to meet him had been rejected. Of course, his disappointment made sense.

“How many times do I have to tell you that you cannot deny visitors at your own will? You are not an Alpha anymore. And besides, she is here for you. She is your lawyer,” the warrior told Ron, speaking to him disrespectfully.

Honestly, I felt that if I had not come today, it would have been too late. I was truly grateful to Byron for hiring Valeria for me.

For a few moments, Ron stood there. Through the glass window, he kept looking at

me.

He had not lifted his head fully. Only his eyes were raised, staring at me from beneath his brows and lashes.

There was deep animosity in his gaze. More than disappointment or grief, I saw anger.

Finally, he took a step forward. After a deep breath, he walked inside.

The way he entered made both Valeria and me flinch slightly. Byron remained seated, though most of his focus seemed elsewhere, as if something was bothering him.

“Ron, how are you?” Byron greeted him in his usual cheerful voice.

Ron looked at him, and his mood darkened further.

He was wearing a dirty old brown shirt and brown pants. He came forward and sat down with a thud, his eyes still fixed on me with deep anger.

“How are you, Ron?” I asked softly and carefully.

It felt like something was deeply wrong with him. And whatever that issue was, it seemed directed entirely at me, because he was glaring at me intensely.

“Who are you?” Ron asked Valeria instead of responding to me.

“I am your new lawyer. I was hired after your previous lawyer left,” Valeria replied in

her usual sweet and excited tone, showing him the papers.

“I do not want you as my lawyer,” Ron snapped harshly.

The way Ron was looking at me felt strange.

But of course, after everything he had gone through, the circumstances had hardened him.

Usually, Ron was easy to talk to.

Now, before saying anything to him, even before breathing too loudly in front of him,

it felt like I would have to think a thousand times.

“Stop throwing tantrums. Your previous lawyer has already left. At least respect her. She is here for you,” Byron said.

I had never seen Byron this annoyed or heard him speak so sharply.

I gave him a hand gesture and a look to tell him to calm down.

“Really? And this is who you found for me? Which pack is she from? I do not even know her,” Ron said, pointing at Valeria.

“Actually, I am from Byron’s pack,” she replied.

The moment she said that, Ron started laughing. It was not amusement. It was mockery.

“I did not know Byron’s pack was this funny,” he said sarcastically.

Valeria smiled softly, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

“And she does not look like she has much experience either,” Ron added.

It was the same concern I had at first.

“Ron, she is really talented,” I began.

Ron raised his finger calmly without even looking at me. The gesture was enough to

silence me.

“So, Ms.

the womyer, may I speak with who came with net

Alone?” he asked, still refusing t address the by name Conten

Both Byron and Valeria turned to look at me.

It took me a few seconds to pull my gaze away from Ron and look at them.

I had no idea what was happening,

but it

askin like they were silently

me to explain why, Ron was

so upset with me. .

“Can we?” I asked Valeria, meaning if Ron and I could speak alone.

Even I wanted to know what had made him react this way to my arrival.

“The meeting is only scheduled for today because it is a short session,” Valeria explained.

I noticed the enthusiasm had left her voice. She sounded anxious now.

“What if he attacks her?” Then Byron, who never held back his words, said something that made Ron grunt.

“I am not a killer. I am not a violent person. I am not you,” Ron shot back at Byron.

The hostility was rising, and I did not want Ron insulting Byron.

Byron had done so much for all of us. He did not deserve that disrespect.

“Byron, Valeria, I would like to speak with

alone,” I said, since it

clear Ren would not

While they were he quelet

Valeria gestured for Byron to step outside with her. After some hesitation, Byron stood up.

The two of them walked out.

Now it was just Ron and me.

“Do you have a complaint against me?” I asked him, my voice heavy with emotion.

We used to share a strong bond. Maybe it was my fault that he was this upset.

I should have tried harder. I should have come sooner.

But we were never allowed to meet him until now.

“Oh really?” he replied. “It seems like after becoming successful, you forgot your old friends.”

The way he said it shattered something inside me.

Not because I felt insulted, but because I realized he truly believed he had been forgotten.

“That is not true. I tried to come ” I stopped when I saw him lift his head and stare

at me.

There was something more in his empty gaze. That was the frightening part.

In that hollow look, there was so much anger, so much betrayal, that my mind began racing.

What could have affected him so deeply?