Lily Wyatt was sitting in her office overlooking the audit report that was going on. It was an important time of the year when the businesses needed to be audited. Already The Starfish Refineries was surrounded in a lot of scams, which David had been trying best to suppress. She didn't want The Tiara jewelry line to get into scandals. The two auditors were busy with their work, when suddenly Lily saw that Jason had entered the shop along with Niall. She had an urge to slap Jason for bringing this girl every now and then. She had confronted Helena about it, but the clever Helena had always paid off whatever Niall bought from the shop. It was not because she loved Jason, but because she needed him beside her. She was her right hand man. And these days Niall was the muse of Jason.

The auditors stopped working when they heard commotion on the outside.

​​

"It's nothing," Lily said, controlling her anger and focusing on the auditors. She had personally come to overlook that the things went smoothly on the inside. They started to work again.

While she was at it, her eyes caught the image of someone very popular in the town – Daryn Silver. A smile formed on her lips. Presence of that man meant lots of money. However, her face darkened the moment she saw Dawn. So the little bitch was alive and kicking and was with Daryn. The loathe she had for her mother surged. A visible vein throbbed in her head. She looked even better than what she was. Her body was full and her face reminded her of Clare—the woman she hated. There was tightness in her face. The desire to carry forward her vendetta against Clare flared and that could be done only in one way—by inflicting as much pain as she could give to her daughter.

From inside the room, she watched the drama unfold. She enjoyed the way Jason and Niall bullied her. It gave her sadistic pleasure.

Lily was certain that Dawn was Daryn's seasonal lover or his mistress, who Daryn would drop the moment he found someone better from a richer family. And who could be better than Anne's daughter, Cecilia. How could a girl like her even get close to Daryn? Throw the dog a bone, and he would forget his toy.

One of the auditors got up and walked outside to see what was going on. Lily had to follow him. She said, "Please don't get disturbed. I will manage it."

"I think that your family is trying to take undue advantage and these are wrong practices," said the auditor adjusting his thick glass on his nose.

Lily frowned and then said, "Sorry for that. I'll sort it out. I think it's a minor scuffle."

At that moment Daryn had also come, so she had to intervene. She used it to her maximum benefit. Dawn was emotionally overwhelmed when she saw her after a gap of so any years. Lily took advantage of her emotions. "What an idiot!" Lily smirked on the inside.

Once she got the necklace billed for Daryn, she used the opportunity to invite Dawn for dinner. She knew Daryn would accompany her after today's showdown. That way she would get Cecilia too in front of Daryn. He was a prize catch. Other than that she needed Cole back, for he was the heir of the Wyatt Empire. However, he was with his sister, and she wanted to break that bond between the siblings. She had the urge to be possessive about her son and now her grandson, and that meant that she had to sever his ties with his sister. Lily was unsuccessful in keeping his son away from his wife, Clare. But this time she would be successful. She vowed to sow the seeds of mistrust amongst the siblings.

When Lily went back to the office, there was a winning smile on her face. Not only did she manage to sell the heavy piece of jewelry and fetch good money, she showed that her shop was in right practices in front of the auditors, Niall didn't get the jewelry, she invited Cole for dinner and she would get Daryn as a bonus.

---

Niall was extremely furious. She was jealous the way Lily Wyatt favored her granddaughter even though she never showed any affection to her. Was the old hag having new emotions for the granddaughter? Niall stomped her way out of the shop with Jason following her.

"Baby, listen to me. I will buy you a more beautiful diamond necklace. This one would pale in front of that," said Jason. But Niall simply rushed out, feeling humiliated.

---

In the car, Dawn sat quietly. There was so much that happened between her and her grandmother that she didn't quite know how to comprehend. The woman who always disliked her invited her for dinner? Her mind couldn't decipher the purpose of invitation. Perhaps this was her way of showing affection to her grandchildren. After all she was seeing her after five years. Her body trembled and she rubbed her arms with her hands.

"Dawn," said Daryn to distract her. "I am so sorry that this happened. I shouldn't have overlooked the presence of the neotide. I thought that he would be civil in his own shop."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault darling." She became quiet again and looked out of the window.

"Will you go for dinner tomorrow?"

"I want to go back," she said in a barely audible voice.

"Then I would like to go with you," said Daryn holding her hand in his lap.

"She has invited Cole and me…" said Dawn, feeling slightly embarrassed that her grandmother didn't invite him.

Daryn held her chin and turned her face towards her. "It doesn't matter. I will come with you. Your family is now mine too—for love or for revenge."

Dawn bit her lip and stared in his eyes. They were full of the promise of the future. But she didn't want to drag him into the dirt that she was dealing with. "They are vicious people Daryn. I don't want you to be involved in their politics."

"I am involved with you, in you. Though I admire how my pretty little neotide is being so brave on her own, you do underestimate your hubby."

She chuckled. "I don't. You are the most powerful man not just physically but even otherwise I've ever seen. It's just— just— I want to protect you."

He placed a finger on her lips and planted a kiss on that. His Alpha chest swelled with pride that his wife was a true Luna, more like an Alpha. His need to protect his female became a notch higher. He would massacre anyone who would be a threat to her. This display of love made him hard and his bulge became visible. Slowly, he brought her hand to his bulge and said, "This is the effect you have on me." He pressed the button between them and the driver. Dawn looked at him seductively and opened his zipper.

The phone's loud buzz disturbed her.

"Don't take it," said Daryn.

"I have to," she replied. "It will be quick." It was a call from Randy.

"Ms. Dawn, the employee that you had asked for, Hans Müller, he will come to meet you tomorrow at 11AM."

"Good!" She chucked the phone back in the purse and helped Daryn to spring free his erection.