<h4>Chapter 187: The New Project</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    <i>"How about triple of your bonus?" </i>


    The words froze my tongue right at the tip of my refusal.


    I had opened my mouth to firmly, politely, and definitively reject River’s offer to join his mysterious new project, but instead of a sharp ’no,’ my lips parted... and nothing came out.


    I blinked, trying to reboot my brain. "I-what?"


    He didn’t repeat himself. He didn’t have to. His unreadable gaze - half calcting, half indifferent - met mine like he already knew the chaos his words had triggered in my head.


    Triple. Bonus.


    That wasn’t a small increase. That was aplete flip of the table. My sensible self had been ready to walk away, shielding itself from the storm that was River Thorne, but now it was quietly pulling up a chair and weighing the possibilities.


    I needed the money.


    Badly.


    Despite my mates being more than capable of supporting me if I ever needed it, I didn’t want to rely on them for things I could still do on my own. I still had no idea how much the pregnancy would cost me in theing months, let alone the personal shopping, medication, and uing holiday gifts I had been budgeting for.


    I closed my eyes for a second, trying to will my resolve back into ce.


    But when I opened my mouth again, the words that came out were utterly traitorous to what I had nned to say.


    "...Okay."


    I startled myself. And River looked like he had expected this oue from the start.


    "But," I said quickly, raising a hand to stop whatever smug thing he was about to say next. "If I do this, I have conditions."


    His brow rose just slightly in interest, but he said nothing.


    "One," I started, "I won’t do overtime just like you mentioned. Not once. I don’t care how urgent the project is. I have school, and I’m not going to kill myself juggling work and studies."


    "Fair," he said without blinking.


    <fna326> The rightful source is Find?Novel</fna326>


    I blinked instead. I hadn’t expected him to agree so quickly, believing that he was just trying to make me agree to join the project by putting the ’no overtime’ tag.


    "Two," I continued, "If this project, at any point, starts affecting my academic performance, I’m out. No questions, no guilt trips, and absolutely no drama."


    "Understood," he replied again with the same ease.


    I frowned. "And don’t just say that to trick me into starting-"


    "I’m not," he interrupted. "I have already wired the first half of your bonus. Check your phone."


    "What?" I stared at him, confused, before digging my phone out of my coat pocket. My eyes widened as the banking app pinged with a message. My jaw dropped slightly at the figure.


    "Half now. Half with your next paycheck," he said, already heading to his desk to grab a thick folder. "Consider it a show of trust."


    "Trust," I muttered under my breath, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. "That’s riching from you."


    "You’ll need that trust to get through what’s awaiting us," he said, walking back to me and handing me the folder. It was thick. Heavy. Too heavy.


    I opened it slightly, flipping through the papers. Pack documents, maps, political charts, trade deals... what the hell?


    "What is this?"


    "Our project," he said calmly. "You are to study every line, every detail. Learn it. Memorize it. You’ll need to be fluent with this information before we depart."


    "Depart?" I echoed slowly, lifting my eyes.


    "Yes. We’ll be visiting the Nightshade Pack next weekend. That’s when the project kicks off officially."


    I gaped. "Wait-Nightshade? That Nightshade? As in... the biggest pack by size, known for its strict istion and internal disputes?"


    He simply nodded, not giving me anything else before grabbing his coat. "I have another meeting. Review the file. We’ll discuss more on Saturday morning."


    And then, just like that, he walked out.


    Left alone, I took my seat at my desk and opened the thick folder, flipping through the pages and scanning the dense information with growing confusion.


    The Nightshade Pack was massive. One of the oldest. It was located deep in the snowy pine wilderness, their territory bordered both Council-run domains and roguends. It turned out theirst Alpha had died just a few days ago, and a new one was yet to be chosen.


    Apparently, the ceremony to choose the new Alpha would be held at the end of the month. The council had been invited. Which meant River, being the Rogue Alpha King and the most powerful seat-holder in the council, would be attending. That much made sense.


    But what didn’t?


    Why me?


    Why did I need to study a pack’s hierarchy, territory, political bnce, trade partners, and security protocols?


    This wasn’t just an assistant’s job. This was intelligence work.


    There were full profiles of the potential Alpha candidates - sons and daughters of former betas, even some from neighboring allied packs. Each had their own strengths and agendas. There were also notes on recent attacks near their borders, suspicion of smuggling through the eastern ridgeline, and disputes over rogue refugees being allowed into the Nightshade territory.


    I frowned as I read.


    This wasn’t just about the Alpha choosing ceremony.


    Something deeper was brewing under the surface and River was at the center of it.


    I sat back, exhaling sharply as the reality of it all began to settle in.


    River hadn’t brought me on board because I was capable. He brought me on because I was disposable. A convenient option. Someone no one would suspect. Someone smart enough to do the groundwork, but low enough on the totem pole to be ignored if things went wrong.


    The bonus wasn’t generosity. It was a bribe.


    I leaned back against the back of my chair and stared at the folder like it had grown teeth.


    But even as that bitter realization burned through me... I couldn’t make myself regret agreeing.


    I had demanded fair terms. I had gotten them. And like it or not, I needed this money. If River thought I was just some na?ve intern he could toss into the fire, he was in for a surprise.


    Because if I was going to be part of this mission... I was going to learn everything.


    Every name. Every secret. Every pressure point.


    And when the time came, I would know how to protect myself, and the people I cared about.