Alpha Hayley's Destined Mate

Chapter 748 Role Play Benjamin's POV:

Did Hayley just call me an idiot?

Should I be offended or flattered?

I let out a helpless sigh and raised an eyebrow, letting my gaze shamelessly

wander over her.

"Nice work, Hayley," I praised.

Henry stepped forward and high-fived Hayley right in front of me.

I closed my eyes for a second, then turned and started walking toward the stairs.

Finished

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hayley glancing at Melody Smith, my subordinate. Our eyes met for a brief moment.

Her awkward expression made me chuckle. I teased, "Didn't know you'd miss me this much."

She fumbled for a reply. "Hey, don't get the wrong idea."

"No need to explain," I cut her off with a smirk. "I get it. Don't worry-we'll be seeing each other again reallynoveldrama

soon."

Without waiting for her response, I headed downstairs, leaving her with that playful, suggestive comment. Just picturing her scowling face from earlier made me grin. She was ridiculously cute when annoyed. Even during my short time as Truman, I could feel just how loyal Hayley was to me.

It made both me and my wolf feel oddly proud.

Still, she's dangerously sharp. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep up the Truman act without her catching on.

Fortunately, I'd masked my scent-her wolf wouldn't be able to detect anythin off.

I had just slipped into the car when my phone buzzed. It was a message from Hayley-addressed to Benjamin, not Truman.

"Are you done for the day?"

From the passenger seat, Melody's disapproving gaze didn't go unnoticed.

"Melody," I said without looking up, "You think I didn't catch that look you gave me just now."

"You must've imagined it, Alpha," she replied in that robotic tone of hers. "I was just wondering... Is this some weird role-play thing you guys are into?"

I laughed and explained, "You don't get it. In our world-human or werewolf-it's called spicing things up

"Well, it's not my kind of spice," she muttered flatly.

My cheerful mood was instantly dulled by her response. I snapped my phone shut, sighing. "Melody, you

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wed, to Jun

Chapter 748 Role Play

know that attitude of yours? Total buzzkill."

"Duly noted," she said with zero emotion.

Finished

I opened my mouth to fire back but quickly realized arguing with a borderline- emotionless machine was a waste of breath. So I just let it go with a chuckle.

Romance is something only those in love can understand. There's no point trying to drag someone else into the magic of it.

I typed back a short reply, "Be back soon," then put my phone away and signaled for Melody to start her report on the latest developments in the Grimmoon Pack and Midnight Pack.

Hayley's POV:

Back at the venue, even though the auction had ended, more than half the crowd had stuck around.

They all had the same reason-rock-cutting.

Many people who bought raw stones at the auction would have them opened right then and there, mostly to satisfy their curiosity-or to show off, depending on how lucky they were.

But the crowd wasn't just casual onlookers. Some were jewelry dealers, hoping to spot a high-quality gem and snap it up before it hit the market.

Sometimes, all it took was a lucky cut to go from nobody to overnight millionaire.

That's the thrill of rock betting: one slice could lead to paradise or straight into hell.

It all depended on what was hidden inside the stone.

I joined the buzz, asking Henry to carry the raw gem I'd just bought, and we

squeezed into the crowd to check out how others were doing.

The first to go under the blade was the auction's opening stone. The buyer had shelled out a jaw-dropping four million for it. If it didn't reveal something/spectacular, they'd be in serious trouble.

The lapidary, aware of the risk, handled it with extreme caution. He used only manual tools at first, gently scraping away the stone's rough outer layer.

Everyone held their breath as they watched, eyes locked on the lapidary's slow, steady movements.

I only needed a quick glance to know the outcome. I shook my head lightly, already feeling bad for the buyer.

Just as I expected, once the outer tenth was ground away, the color of the gem inside vanished.

That meant the visible gem layer barely covered a tenth of the stone's volume. The rest? Worthless rock. No chance of a premium gem, let alone breaking even.

Four million dollars-gone. The buyer stood frozen, his face drained of all hope.

Someone nearby whispered that the man owned a century-old jewelry business, but it had been struggling badly these past few years. He'd taken a massive gamble, pouring his entire fortune into this one stone, hoping a miracle would turn things around.

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Chapter 748 Role Play

But now, his company was as good as finished.

A family legacy, built over generations, was about to collapse in his hands.

I took a deep breath, walked over, and called out to him quietly. "Mr. Byrd."

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Finished