Chapter 20
After the committee confirmed they would proceed with the case, the Rosses all felt a sense of relief. They left the remaining matters to their lawyer and returned to Madrid. Although she was far from home, the stress and worries of her past life faded away, and Shelly let out a long sigh of relief. Days passed, and she slowly got used to her new life.
Mr. and Mrs. Ross asked her about her future plans. She picked up a piece of fruit, fed it to her mother, and blinked. “Mom, I’ve been thinking about this. I really want to go back to school, but I also want to rest for a while and work for Alphas in the pack, or maybe just experience life first. Do you have any suggestions?”
The wind in the garden was a bit strong, so Mr. Ross brought two blankets for his wife and daughter, smiling cheerfully.“You’ll only be twenty–three after your birthday in a few days. As for work, there will be plenty of opportunities later. Dad just wants you to live the life you want. Continuing your studies or traveling the world while you’re young are both great.”
Mrs. Ross also nodded, gently tapping her head.“Shelly, whatever you want to do, Dad and Mom will support you. Take your time to think; there’s no rush. Let’s talk about your birthday first. You’re another year older. How do you want to celebrate this year?”
Birthday? Shelly remembered that her previous twenty–something birthdays had all been celebrated with the Blakes. This was her first birthday in Spain, and many new ideas came to mind.“We just moved here, so how about we throw a pajama party and invite the neighbors? Or go to Iceland to find Auntie–is there an aurora this season? But I also kind of want to go surfing and skiing…”
Seeing their daughter troubled by these small, happy things, Mr. and Mrs. Ross’s hearts finally felt at ease. They had their only daughter when they were almost thirty, and they raised her with so much love, hoping she would be happy. But because of their carelessness, she had been hurt so deeply by Julian, and they had worried for a long time. Seeing that she had truly moved on, they were both very happy and decided to grant all her wishes.
“Then we’ll have a birthday week celebration. The first day will be a party, the second day we’ll go skiing, the third day we’ll go to Iceland…”
The whole family was full of doers. Once they had a plan, they immediately started to make it happen. They bought a lot of flowers to decorate the garden and prepared a lot of food, sending invitations to their neighbors. On her birthday, Shelly woke up to messages from friends back in the Stormfall Pack. She thanked them one by one, and when she scrolled to the bottom, she saw messages from Mr. and Mrs. Blakes. Both had sent their greetings exactly at midnight and also included money.
After hesitating for a few minutes, Shelly still thanked them. As soon as the message was sent, she saw “typing…” on the screen. Soon, she received a new
message.
“Shelly, Auntie knows you don’t want to bring up old memories, and you don’t want your good mood to be ruined on your special day. So Mrs. Blake just wants to wish you a happy birthday, good health, all the best, and happiness every day. Don’t forget to eat more cake.”
Shelly knew that no matter how close the Ross and Blake families had been, after this incident, they could never go back. But she also knew that you couldn’t blame everyone; this was her and Julian’s fault, and it had nothing to do with the elders on either side. Although they wouldn’t have much contact in the future, she still had feelings for the Alpha and Luna who had treated her like their own daughter since childhood. So, touched by their sincere and apologetic gesture, Shelly felt a little emotional. She accepted the money and sincerely expressed her apologies and gratitude to the two
elders.
Mr. and Mrs. Blake, thank you for your blessings. I’ve always felt your care and love for me over the years. So no matter what happens between him and me, in my eyes, you will always be my favorite Alpha and Luna. I also wish you both good health and all the best.”
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