The moment Nene could escape, she did.
She didn't storm off—that would've been too obvious.
Instead, she stood up calmly, excused herself, and walked out of the main hall, pretending that Alexander's little stunt with the fork hadn't completely messed with her head.
She needed air.
She needed space.
And she needed to talk to her mother.
Nene found Li Xiu in a smaller sitting room, a place that was far quieter than the brunch table of power plays.
Her mother was calm as ever, sipping tea, looking completely unshaken by everything.
Like she had already anticipated everything that happened.
Nene exhaled sharply. "You knew he'd do something like that, didn't you?"
Li Xiu set her cup down gracefully. "Of course."
Nene folded her arms. "And you just let it happen?"
Li Xiu gave her a pointed look. "You married an Alpha, Nene. And not just any Alpha—Zhao Alexander. You expected him to sit quietly and not make a statement?"
Nene gritted her teeth.
Okay, fine. She should've expected it.
But that didn't mean she had to like it.
Her mother studied her for a moment, then said, "You didn't answer my question last time."
Nene blinked. "What question?"
Li Xiu's gaze was steady.
"Do you regret marrying him?"
Nene opened her mouth—
Then paused.
Because the answer wasn't as simple as she wanted it to be.
Regret?
Regret meant she wished she could undo it.
And maybe in the beginning, she would've said yes without hesitation.
But now?
Now, things were more complicated.
Now, Alexander had made his claim clear.
Now, he was weaving himself into her life.
Now, her body had walked itself to his bed in the middle of the night.
She gritted her teeth. "It doesn't matter."
Her mother tilted her head slightly. "It does to me."
Nene swallowed hard.
She wasn't ready for this conversation.
She wasn't ready to admit anything.
So instead, she exhaled sharply and changed the subject.
"Where's my brother?" she muttered. "I know he's here."
Li Xiu smiled slightly. "Waiting for you."
Nene blinked. "Where?"
Before her mother could answer—
The side door opened.
And a small, energetic figure rushed toward her.
Nene barely had time to react before arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing tight.
She stiffened—
Then immediately relaxed when she realized who it was.
"Jin?" she muttered.
Her five-year-old half-brother looked up at her, grinning wide.
"You're finally here!" he said excitedly.
Nene blinked. "You—you were waiting for me?"
Jin nodded quickly. "I told Grandpa I wanted to see you first! But he said I had to wait until you finished the boring part."
Nene snorted. "You mean brunch?"
Jin pouted. "Everyone was talking too much."
She laughed softly, ruffling his hair. "Yeah, that happens a lot around here."
Then, to her surprise, he pulled out a small box from behind his back.
"Here!" he said proudly. "Your birthday present!"
Nene stared at the box.
She hadn't expected anything.
But this?
This was real.
This was family.
Something warm curled in her chest.
She swallowed hard, took the box, and slowly opened it.
And when she saw what was inside—
Her heart stopped.
Inside was a delicate silver pendant, engraved with a symbol she immediately recognized—
Her mother's family crest.
A mark of the Li bloodline.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the box as her stomach twisted.
This wasn't just a gift.
This was a claim.
A quiet but powerful acknowledgment that she was still part of her mother's family—still tied to the Li name, despite everything else.
She swallowed hard, looking down at her brother, who was still grinning proudly.
"You picked this?" she asked softly.
Jin nodded excitedly. "Grandpa said you should have one! All the family has them!"
Nene's chest tightened.
Because he said it so simply, so confidently—like it was just obvious that she should be included.
Like she had always belonged.
She slowly lifted the pendant from the box, running her fingers over the smooth engraving.
Something about it felt heavier than it should.
Not physically—but in meaning.
She looked up at her mother, who was watching carefully.
"This was Grandpa's idea?" she asked.
Li Xiu nodded. "Your grandfather believes in bloodline ties."
Nene exhaled sharply.
Of course he did.
She had three major Alpha packs tied to her blood.
Even if she was legally Zhao Alexander's wife now, her mother's family wasn't going to let her forget where she came from.
She wasn't sure if that was a gift or a warning.
Maybe both.
Jin tugged on her sleeve. "Do you like it?"
Nene's throat tightened.
She looked down at her little brother, his bright, eager eyes, and felt something in her resolve crack just a little.
She wasn't used to this.
She wasn't used to family.
But here it was—a small child giving her something valuable, something meaningful, just because he wanted her to have it.
She cleared her throat. "Yeah," she muttered. "I like it."
Jin grinned. "Good!"
Then, without warning, he threw his arms around her again, squeezing tight.
Nene froze.
Then, after a second—she hugged him back.
And for the first time in a long time—
She felt a little less alone.