"B-Brother Gage..." Ashley called weakly, her lips twitching nervously as she looked at her furious brother. Under his stern gaze, all the confidence she had displayed in the arena vanished without a trace.

"I... I’m sorry..."

The apology slipped out almost immediately because she genuinely knew she was in the wrong.

Growing up among werewolves had influenced her more than she realized. She had become so accustomed to settling matters with her fists that fighting had become second nature to her. Sparring was a common occurrence among werewolves, and more often than not, the winner got what they wanted. It was simply how things worked in their world.

So when the reigning champion repeatedly got on her nerves, and with her blood already pumping from the atmosphere of the underground arena, Ashley couldn’t resist the urge to step into the ring. She had wanted to stretch her muscles, blow off some steam, and teach the arrogant man a lesson while she was at it.

The problem was that she had acted entirely on impulse.

She hadn’t consulted her brother. She hadn’t asked for his opinion. She hadn’t even stopped to consider how he would feel watching her climb into a ring with a man nearly twice her size.

To Ashley, the match had never been dangerous. She knew exactly what she was capable of, and she knew that the reigning champion was no match for her. But Gage didn’t know that. Neither he nor her other brothers had ever witnessed the true extent of her fighting abilities.

From Gage’s perspective, he had just watched his precious little sister willingly enter a brutal underground fight against a towering fighter.

Just imagining what had gone through Gage’s mind at that moment made Ashley feel even more guilty.

"Ha."

Gage let out a sharp snort, but the anger he had been holding onto quickly lost its edge when faced with Ashley’s pitiful and genuinely remorseful expression. In the end, he could only drag a hand down his handsome face and sigh heavily.

Part of him knew this was his fault as well.

He had been sent here alongside Ashley for one reason above all else, and that is to keep her safe from any danger. Yet the moment he took his eyes off her, she had somehow managed to climb into an underground fighting ring and challenge a man nearly twice her size.

If Apollo found out about this, Gage was certain he would be in for a brutal lecture.

Or worse.

To outsiders, Apollo appeared to be the very image of a refined gentleman, calm, mature, and dependable. But as one of his younger brothers, Gage knew better than anyone that their eldest brother’s fists were frighteningly persuasive when he decided someone needed to be taught a lesson. Having been on the receiving end more than once while growing up, Gage had developed a perfectly healthy fear of Apollo.

Still, that wasn’t what bothered him the most.

The truth was that he had genuinely been terrified.

The moment he saw Ashley step into the arena, his heart had nearly stopped. A knot had formed in his stomach as countless worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind. He knew nothing about Ashley’s true combat abilities, so all he saw was his younger sister facing a massive fighter in a brutal underground match.

Every punch exchanged had made his nerves tighten.

More than once, he had been tempted to charge into the arena, drag Ashley out by force, and take her place himself.

The thought of Ashley getting hurt had been enough to make his blood run cold.

That fear was the real reason he had been so angry.

"Ash, listen." Gage’s voice softened as he looked at her. "I don’t know what kind of life you had before we found you. You may have lost your memories, but your instincts, your reflexes, your muscle memory... they don’t lie. Every time I see you throw yourself into danger without hesitation, it tells me you’ve been through things no one should ever have to endure."

He paused, his jaw tightening slightly.

"But even so, I hope that next time something like this happens, you’ll think of me first. You don’t have to carry everything on your own anymore. I’ll protect you, no matter what. So trust me, okay? Believe in me. And please... don’t rush into a fight by yourself again."

As the words left his mouth, Gage felt a sharp ache in his chest. The mere thought of what Ashley’s life might have been like before she lost her memories made his heart twist painfully.

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, each one worse than the last. With skills and instincts like hers, he could already tell she had endured more than most people ever would. And the realization saddened him more than anything.

Hearing his words, Ashley’s lips twitched slightly. Judging from Gage’s pained expression, she could practically see the countless melodramatic scenarios running through his mind. He was probably imagining a tragic past filled with suffering, hardship, and endless battles.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t correct him without risking her cover. Then again, perhaps she had already exposed a little too much with her actions earlier.

Either way, she obediently nodded.

As for his request...

Well, she never promised to stop fighting.

She just needed to make sure she did it behind her brother instead of in front of him. That way, he wouldn’t find out, and he wouldn’t have to worry. It was the perfect solution.

The more she thought about it, the more brilliant the plan seemed.

With that in mind, Ashley nodded even more enthusiastically.

"Good girl."

Gage ruffled Ashley’s hair in satisfaction, pleased to see his sister listening so obediently. Only then did he finally let the matter go and give her some time to contact their eldest brother and report on the progress of her mission in the city.

Taking out her phone, Ashley quickly typed a message.

"Brother Apollo, can you send me some of the business proposals prepared by the planning department? I managed to secure an opportunity with someone important, and I also found a suitable location to rent for our storefront and company headquarters. What do you think?"

After reading it over, Ashley frowned.

It sounded far too serious.

Not cute at all.

After a moment’s thought, she immediately added a winking emoji at the end, followed by a picture of a fluffy wolf wagging its tail excitedly, as though proudly reporting its achievements and waiting for praise from its owner.

Only then was she satisfied before hitting send.

Apollo had just stepped out of the meeting room when his phone vibrated. Hearing the notification, he glanced at the screen briefly but didn’t check it immediately. Instead, he made his way back to his office.

As soon as he entered, he loosened his tie and set the documents in his hands on the desk.

"Please bring me a cup of coffee," he instructed his assistant.

"Right away, sir," the assistant replied before turning to leave.

Only after settling into his chair did Apollo remember his phone. Reaching into his inner pocket, he pulled it out and noticed a message from Ashley.