Author: Momo Chan

I traded my entire human life to make Ethan the Alpha of this pack, but the day his father died, he dragged a whimpering she-wolf into packhouse and demanded I share his bed with her. “Sera, this was my father’s Mate” he says, one hand pCynthiated protectively on her trembling shoulder. “Pack tradition. I have to take care of her now.” I look at the way he shields her behind his back, and my smile turns ugly on my face. “No.” His face goes cold in a heartbeat. It’s the first time he’s ever gone against me, and he keeps her anyway. Every night after that, the cabin next to ours fills with the same sounds. Heavy thuds. Low growls. A female’s broken little moans. I clamp my palms over my ears and curl up under the fur bCynthiaket, the cramps in my belly twisting like knives. Through the pain, I force myself to count the marks I’ve carved into the stone wall with beast blood. The next Blood Moon is almost here. The cabin door creaks open. A warm body settles on the edge of the bed. I feel his hand drift toward my hair, and I burrow deeper into the furs before he can touch me. “Don’t.” Ethan freezes. His lips press into a thin line. “Sera, you’re sulking again.” His voice is rough, irritated. “”It’s not my fault you can’t give me an heir. Don’t read so much into it. You’re my Luna. You’re the only female with my name”   I clench the fur bCynthiaket and say nothing.· He drags a hand through his hair, frustrated. “When Cynthia whelps in the spring, I’ll send her away. The pack will be satisfied. We’ll raise the pup together. He’ll only ever call you mother. Stop being difficult.” With that, Ethan stands up and walks out the door. He can’t stand facing my cold face, so he goes back to Cynthia. And this same scene has played out every single night since he brought her home. I wipe the dried tears off my cheeks and sit up. The fire is still warm, but my bones feel like ice. I don’t belong in this world. I’ve been in this world three years. It’s brutal. Backwater. Cold in a way that gets inside you and never leaves. If I hadn’t met Ethan, I would never have missed the Blood Moon. I would have gone home. He was the fiercest warrior in the pack, and he gave me the most honest thing he had. I rip the wolf-fang necklace off my throat. My eyes burn. He broke his oath. He broke me. I still remember the night I chose to stay. He pressed this necklace into my palm with both hands. “Sera, thank you. I don’t care that you don’t have a Breeding Totem. In this lifetime, Ethan will only ever have you. Even if we never get a pup of our own, I’m at peace with it.” Three years. That’s all it took for him to drag his dead father’s Mate into our home. There’s a pack law here. The son inherits the father’s Mate. Even though Cynthia shares no blood with him, she became his property the moment the old Alpha stopped breathing. He feeds her. She breeds for him. Clean transaction. I thought he’d broken from those laws for me. I was wrong. I laugh under my breath and toss the necklace into the fire. The bone curls, blackens, crumbles into ash. A tainted vow. I don’t want it anymore. A female’s soft, coy laughter drifts faintly through the wall, on and off. I run my thumb over the bone ring on my finger, then lift my eyes to the corner of the stone wall, where blood-red symbols only I can read are scrawled across the rock. The next Blood Moon is almost here.

I stare at the drowned vegetable sprouts in my field, my whole body trembling with rage. Beside me, Cynthia flinches, the wooden bucket still dangling from her hand. Her eyes brim with tears. “Sera, I didn’t mean to,” she whimpers. “I just wanted to help. I only gave them a little extra water, I swear, I didn’t know they’d all die…” She starts to sob. The mating marks all over her bare skin are impossible to miss. I jerk my gaze away like I’ve been burned. My chest feels sour and hot at the same time. I open my mouth and nothing comes out. What’s the point? The sprouts are already dead. I unclench my fists and step forward to see what can still be saved. But Cynthia’s face goes white with shock. She sways on her feet, then suddenly collapses forward. Before I can even react, a force slams into me and shoves me sideways. My knee cracks against a rock. Cold sweat floods my skin. When I look up, Ethan is there. Still in his hunting leathers, dust and pine needles in his hair. He just got back. His eyes are red and feral. He scoops Cynthia against his chest, and the look he gives me is pure accusation. “Sera. You can’t even tolerate her this much?” My lips tremble. Then I smile at him, tired and sad. “Did you see me do anything to her? Or do your eyes only show you what you’ve already decided to believe?” He freezes. He looks around at the flooded field. He stays quiet for a long second. “They’re just sprouts, Sera. She was only trSerag to help. Don’t take it this far.” Just sprouts. I laugh through my nose. With one sentence, he just erased three years of my work. Before me, this pack survived on raw kills. Sick guts, weak pups, half the litters dSerag before their first winter. I taught them to farm. I taught them to cook the meat right. That’s why his pack thrived. That’s why they made him Alpha. And now he’s calling it “just sprouts” to soothe the female who killed them. “Ethan… my belly hurts,” Cynthia whispers, burSerag her face in his throat. She’s stopped crSerag just enough to look pitiful, clinging to his arm like a vine. His attention snaps to her like a leash pulled tight. His big hand spreads over her stomach, rubbing in slow, careful circles. So gentle. Like he’s afraid of bruising her. Ethan was never a gentle male. He learned all of that, every soft touch, after we mated. Every time I felt unwell, he’d hover at my side and refuse to leave, no matter how I tried to wave him off. And now he’s giving it, stroke for stroke,to another female. My knee throbs. I lower my lashes. My nails bury themselves in the dirt. “Ethan,” I say. My voice cracks. “I hurt too.” He stops. His lips part once, twice. He almost takes a step toward me. I stare him down, my hand pressed over my wound, fingers shaking. The next second, Cynthia’s arms snap up around his neck. “Blood…” she breathes. Red runs down the inside of her thigh. His face drains. He doesn’t look at me again. He just sweeps her up and runs for the Pack Doctor. I watch them disappear, the corner of my mouth twitching up. Whatever was left in me for him, the last thin thread of it, snaps clean.

“She’s… she’s carrSerag!” The Pack Doctor checks her twice, three times, then whirls on Ethan with shining eyes. “Truly the she-wolf with the strongest breeding capability in the entire pack. Just a few nights and she’s already carrSerag a pup!” “Alpha, you can start preparing the nursery!” I stand off to the side, numb from head to toe. I can’t even feel a single emotion left inside me. I just watch Ethan’s face shift from frozen, to stunned, to a wet, broken kind of joy. So this is what he really wanted. A pup. My hand drifts to my own stomach without me telling it to. For three years, I’ve been quietly poisoning my own womb with musk powder. Because I never wanted a pup. In this world, every she-wolf is born with a Breeding Totem. It marks how strong her breeding capability is. The stronger the capability, the darker the Totem. The weaker it is, the fainter the mark. And me, a modern human, of course I don’t have one. So naturally, they treated me like a freak. A cripple. Even after I ended up with Ethan, I never broke the lie. Birthing in this world is already a coin flip with death, and this place is so backward on top of it. I wasn’t going to die for a pup. But back then I was naive enough to think… if it was Ethan… I force down the wave of nausea and press hard on my cramping belly. The truth is, I’m pregnant too.  This pup picked the worst possible moment to come. “Because of the shock, and because Cynthia’s body is fragile, besides plenty of rest, by tradition…” The Pack Doctor hesitates, then lets her eyes drift over to me. I know what she means. Every pup is a treasure to the pack. When one female in the household is carrSerag, the other females are expected to wait on her alongside the male. But the Pack Doctor can’t bring herself to say it out loud. Because I’m not like the other females in this pack. I’ve given everything to this pack. I brought them prosperity. That’s why every member here respects me. I shouldn’t have to lower myself to do something like this. For a moment, no one speaks. Then Ethan speaks. “It’s fine. Sera can do it.” I turn my head so slowly I hear my own neck crack. “This is Sera’s pup too. There’s no reason she’d refuse.” He says it like it’s nothing. Like he’s commenting on the weather. He wants me. To take care of Cynthia. To nurse the female he’s been mounting next door every night. My hands ball up so tight my nails cut my palms. The Pack Doctor flinches and looks away. No one defies the Alpha. Not out loud. I look at the floor. My mouth tastes like blood. “No.” Ethan’s head snaps toward me. His brows pull together, disbelieving. “What did you just—Sera, this is your pup too, how can you—” “It is NOT my pup!” Before Ethan can finish, my voice rises, even cracking at the edge. My voice shakes. “Ethan… is a pup really that important?” “When you begged me to be with you, do you remember what you said…?” His jaw locks. His eyes drop. He doesn’t answer. I take a step back. Then another. The disappointment in my chest is so heavy I can barely stand up under it. I forgot. I let myself forget. Ethan was born in this world. He was raised on the gospel of the bloodline. Of course he was never going to change for me. Of course. I was the fool. Choosing to stay here for him. Choosing this frozen, ugly place over my own world. Cynthia’s lashes flutter. She tugs weakly on his sleeve, biting her lip, doing the wounded-doe routine. “Ethan… it’s alright. Sera has done so much for the pack. And I’m only your father’s leftover Mate. I—I don’t deserve this. I’ll have the pup quickly and move out, I promise—” Cynthia’s words hit Ethan like cold water tossed into a pot of oil. His face goes cold in an instant. It looks like he’s made up his mind. When he raises his eyes again, his face is a stranger’s. “If you don’t want to, then move out.”He says to me.

The whole room goes dead silent. Cynthia’s eyes go wide. For half a second, before she catches herself, I see triumph flash across her face. I smile, bitter and small. My belly cramps. “Then where do you want me to move to?” The Alpha’s cabin is the safest, warmest building in the pack. There isn’t a single spare cabin in the village. He knows that. Is he kicking me out? Ethan doesn’t speak. His breathing has gone fast and shallow. I know he’s hesitating. But what’s there to hesitate over now? You already said it, Ethan. Out loud. In front of the Pack Doctor. There’s no taking it back. Just admit it. The pup matters more than I do. “Where do you want me to go?” I ask again, lighter this time. Almost playful. I’m not even looking at him. I’m staring at the chipped moon outside the window. Ethan is openly hesitating now. “Yes, Alpha,” the Pack Doctor jumps in nervously, “there are no spare cabins. And Sera still tends the fields, where could she possibly—” “I remember… there are a few abandoned cabins up on the Ridge, aren’t there?” Ethan says. The moment those words leave his mouth, the few of us in the cabin react all at once — panic, shock, glee — every eye snapping to Ethan. The Ridge. Where only the ones with no one and nothing left ever go. So Ethan really is throwing me away. I almost laugh out loud. It doesn’t matter. I’m leaving this world soon anyway. “It’s only temporary,” Ethan says stiffly, refusing to look at me. “When Cynthia delivers the pup, I’ll bring you home. But if you’d rather stay—” “I’ll go.” Ethan clearly didn’t expect me to agree so quickly. He freezes for a second, then rushes to speak. “I—I meant, if you’d be willing to stay and help with Cynthia, you don’t have to—” “I’m not staSerag to look after her.” I say it again, level and final. Then I give him a small, broken smile. “Help me move my things tonight.” I turn to leave. He blocks my path with his body. His eyes are shaking. His voice comes out clenched between his teeth. “Sera… why won’t you step back for me. Just once.” I’m so tired. I pCynthiat my palm on his chest and push, gently. “Because I’ve already stepped back too many times, Ethan. This is where I stop.” He doesn’t grab me again. He just stands there, dark-faced, watching me walk away. And then I hear him let out a cold, brittle laugh behind me. “The path down the mountain is rough, Sera. Don’t bother coming back.I’ll bring your rations up to you. Every day. Until Cynthia whelps, and I bring you home.”

Three days since I came up to the Ridge. Ethan only made it up here once. The first day, he brought the rations. He tried to get close to me, and I shut him down cold. He left with a black look on his face and never came back. The grass basket where the food goes has been empty ever since. Maybe he forgot. Maybe Cynthia found some excuse to keep him busy and he never made it out the door. The firewood in the corner is damp. I don’t even have the strength to coax a flame out of it anymore. Cold air that cuts right through the animal hide I’ve wrapped myself in. I curl up tighter, both hands pressed hard against the low, dragging ache in my belly. I lift my eyes to the marks I scratched into the wall the day I arrived. Tonight is the Blood Moon. Another cramp hits, bad enough to wring cold sweat out of me. Then, out of nowhere, I start laughing. I pull myself into a smaller knot and just laugh until there’s no sound left. Because I’ve been secretly taking musk powder this whole time, this pregnancy was already hanging by a thread. And this place runs so much colder than the valley below. This pup was never going to make it. The tears come without warning. Hot and fast. I cry for my own stupidity. I cry because I gave up my whole life, my whole world, for a male who didn’t deserve a single year of it. Then a warm rush moves down the inside of my thigh. I reach down with a trembling hand and turn my palm over. Bright red. I lie back and stare up at the black ceiling. I feel it happening. The small life inside me slipping away, quiet and unhurried, like it was never really mine to keep. In the dark, my mouth curves into something that isn’t quite a smile. It’s alright. Go, little one. Ethan didn’t deserve to be your father anyway. And I’m going home. The bone ring slides off my finger and Cynthiads on the empty hide beside me.

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My husband thinks I’m the broke wife he got stuck with. He has no idea the hacker holding his entire company hostage right now is me.Our four-year-old daughter went missing in his office an hour ago. He’s been comforting his crying secretary ever since.So I locked the doors and started a three-hour countdown. “Three hours. Find my kid, or every nasty little thing you people are hiding goes online. Your bank statements. Your texts. The stuff your wives don’t know about. All of it. Everywhere.” The room loses its mind. Somebody curses. A chair scrapes back hard. Yvonne, my husband’s secretary, is doing that ugly cry thing. The one where she still somehow looks pretty. “Tessa, please. It was me. I lost her. Hate me, scream at me, do whatever you want to me. Just don’t drag everyone else into this. Please.” Ryan pulls her in. Smooths her hair. Murmurs something I can’t hear. Then he turns around and his hand cracks across my face. “Are you out of your mind? You can’t even keep track of your own kid, and now you’re, what, hacking my company? You’re gonna ruin these people’s lives? Tessa, kill the program. Now.” I touch my cheek. It stings. I don’t say anything. I just pull out my phone and start the timer. “Start looking. I want my daughter. I don’t care what shape she’s in when you find her. Just find her.” Kyle, the intern, actually rolls his eyes. “Okay, lady. Chill. Who do you even think you are right now? This is psycho behavior.” His phone buzzes mid-sentence. So does everybody else’s. Heads tilt down. A second of dead silence. Then somebody snickers. It’s a receipt. Kyle has ordered forty boxes of male enhancement pills in the last three days. “Bro. Are you serious right now?” “Kyle, you’re not even thirty, what is going on?” Kyle goes the color of a tomato. Words just fall out of his mouth. “They’re not for me, okay?! Mr. Lucas told me to order them!” Every head in the room snaps toward Ryan. He clears his throat. Doesn’t even blink. “My wife and I have been trying for another baby. Anybody got a problem with that?” I almost laugh out loud. Ryan hasn’t slept at home in six months. Whoever he’s been “trying” with, it sure as hell isn’t me. But after Kyle, nobody else has the guts to open their mouth. He nudges Yvonne in the ribs. “Yvonne. Tell her. Just tell her what happened, maybe she’ll calm down.” Yvonne sniffles. Wipes under her eyes. Lets her voice break right on cue. “I, um, I don’t even, oh my God. Mr. Lucas had this video call this morning, and Lily had nowhere to go, so I said I’d watch her, I wanted to help, and I, I just ran to the bathroom for like one second, I swear, and when I came back she was just, she was…” She covers her face. Shoulders shaking. The whole package. The office swarms her like she’s the one whose kid is missing. “Honey, this isn’t on you.” “You went to the bathroom, that’s all. People have to pee.” “Her own mother couldn’t be bothered to show up. You did way more than you had to.” Ryan tucks her against his chest like she might shatter. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. This is on Tessa. She’s never disciplined that kid for one second. No wonder Lily took off, nobody at home tells her no.” “When that little brat turns up, I’ll whip her myself. She’s getting on her knees and apologizing to you.” Something cold slides down my spine. My four-year-old is missing. And the only person my husband cares about is the woman who lost her. I cut through the noise. My voice is flat. Bored, almost. “Two hours.”

The accountant rubs his forehead, trying to play peacemaker. “Tessa, come on. Locking us in here isn’t gonna magic her back. Maybe she just got bored, snuck out, you know how kids are. Why don’t we just call 911?” Every phone in the room pings at the same time. His face drops. Screens light up with his own paper trail. Cooked books. Fake invoices. Years of skimming, all laid out clean. I tilt my head. “You sure you wanna call 911, Bennett?” He’s already sweating through his shirt. “That’s not, no, I didn’t, that’s not what I meant, Tessa, please.” I send the next file. “Then explain these. All these big numbers, no receipts. Where’d that money go, Bennett?” His eyes flick to Ryan. Mouth opens. Closes. Nothing. I smile, slow. “Fine. I’ll save you the trouble. Two million on a condo for Yvonne. Quarter mil on her car. Twenty grand on a single handbag. Want me to keep going? I have screenshots.” “Enough!” Ryan snaps. “Yvonne’s new in town, okay? She needed a place. End of story. You wanna stand here counting receipts, or you wanna find your kid?” Yvonne bites her lip. Lets out the tiniest, prettiest little sob. “It’s okay. He was just being nice. I’ll give it all back, I swear. I’ll quit today.” Ryan pulls her in. “Stop it. You’re not going anywhere. Tessa’s the one with the problem, not you.” The room turns on me. “Are we looking for this kid or what?” “She doesn’t even care. She just wants to slut-shame some twenty-something.” “No wonder her kid ran off. I wouldn’t wanna be raised by her either.” Something inside my chest splits open. I worked three jobs to put Ryan through his startup. Waitressing, retail, cleaning offices at night. I handed him every dollar I made. He threw me five hundred a month and called it generous. Said the company was bleeding. Said I shouldn’t make it worse. Lily and I lived in a one-bedroom with mold on the ceiling. Day-old bread. Canned soup. Meanwhile he was buying her a condo. Buying her designer bags. Taking her to the kind of restaurants I’d never even heard of. With our money. With my money. I shove it all back down. “My daughter is in this building. Ninety minutes.” Nobody argues this time. “Okay! Okay, we’re going!” The room clears out. I reach into my bag and slide a folder across the table. “Sign it. We’re done.” Ryan’s jaw locks. “Tessa, no. I’m not signing anything. Yvonne and me, there’s nothing there. She’s like a sister to me, I swear to God.” His phone buzzes. He looks down. The blood drains right out of his face. “You’re blackmailing me?” I shrug. “Sign it. Or in three minutes, every single person in this building reads that text.” “Are you out of your mind? You really want Lily growing up without a father?” I look up at him. My eyes sting. A father who’s never been to a single birthday party. A father who couldn’t tell you the name of her preschool. What exactly is she losing? Ryan grabs the pen. Signs so hard he nearly tears the paper. “This isn’t over. We can still tear it up. Eight years, Tessa. Eight years of marriage. You’re really gonna throw that away?” I almost laugh. Eight years ago, I cut off my own family for him. Moved across the country. Believed every word out of his mouth. If my parents hadn’t reached back out to me last year, I wouldn’t even be standing here. I wouldn’t have anything to fight him with. The search team trickles back in. Empty hands. Empty faces. Kyle is red and panting. “She’s not in the building, Tessa! We checked everywhere, twice!” I don’t argue. I just turn on the projector. Every camera. Every angle. The hour before Lily disappeared, on a loop. She never walked out that door. Not once. I tap the timer. “Sixty minutes.”

“From now on, every ten minutes, I drop a new secret.” “Don’t find my kid, and you’re either going to prison or your life is over. Pick one.” The room explodes at me. “What the hell is wrong with you?! We didn’t lose your kid!” “You’re the mom! Why didn’t you watch her?!” “Honestly? You deserve this. Garbage mom, garbage kid. She’s probably hiding somewhere laughing at us right now.” I don’t react. I just turn my head, slow, and look right at Yvonne. “What about you?” She freezes for a second. Then her eyes well up right on schedule. “It’s all my fault. I won’t sleep, I won’t eat, I’ll tear this place apart with my bare hands until we find Lily, I swear.” Ryan strokes her hair like she’s the heartbroken one. “That’s my Yvonne. Some people don’t even love their own kid. Won’t even give her a real family.” Yvonne’s eyes flash. Just for a second. Then back to wounded puppy. “Yvonne.” I cut clean through their little moment. “If you knew Ryan had a video call this morning, why did you tell my mother-in-law to bring Lily to the office?” The room goes dead silent. The same people who were just calling me a monster mom, suddenly nobody’s got anything to say. Ryan stares at her too. His face is doing something weird. I’ve raised Lily on my own from day one. He came in this morning and found a four-year-old in his lobby, and he’s been blaming me for it in his head ever since. Yvonne feels every eye in the room land on her. Her lip wobbles right on cue. “You, you said last week, when you’d been drinking, you said you missed her. I thought you wanted to see her, so I…” Ryan’s face goes blank. But he nods anyway. Of course he does. Then he glares at me. “See? Yvonne thinks about me. Not like you. You couldn’t even bother to come along when my mom brought her over. This is on you, Tessa. All of it.” I drop my eyes. So I was right. His mother hasn’t held our daughter in two years. She wouldn’t have shown up today on her own. Somebody told her to. The ten-minute timer hits zero. I let my eyes drift around the room. Land on Ryan. And smile. He goes pale. “Tessa, I signed it. You can’t use that one against me, we had a deal.” I shake my head. “Oh, honey. You have so many secrets. I’m spoiled for choice.” Every phone in the room pings. It’s a photo. A little boy on Ryan’s shoulders. Both of them grinning like the sun came up just for them. I took that picture myself. Last summer. I was at the park with Lily, picking up empty bottles to cash in for grocery money. He was twenty feet away. Yvonne next to him. That little boy laughing on his shoulders. Looked like a perfect Sunday afternoon family. Lily saw it before I did. Her eyes lit up. And then she looked closer. “Mommy. Is that Daddy?” “Mommy. I want Daddy to pick me up like that. Just one time.” I just held her tighter and swallowed the whole ocean down. Ryan stares at the photo. His face goes stiff, then ugly. “What does any of this have to do with finding her?! I’m done! I’m DONE!” I tip my head back. Push the tears down. My voice comes out flat. “Tell me where my daughter is. Or this little boy disappears. For good.” Yvonne screams. Like an animal. “YOU’RE INSANE!” She catches herself. Coughs. Brings the tears right back up. “Tessa, please, I lost her, take it out on me, kill me if you want, just don’t hurt a baby.” She drops to her knees. Crawls toward me. Wraps her arms around my legs. I don’t even get a chance to kick her off. She goes flying. Shrieks as she hits the floor. Ryan’s face turns black. The next second, his hand cracks across mine.

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Damon Pierce saved my life when I was eighteen. Then he kissed me bloody and told me he’d marry me.Then he asked me to do a hundred favors first — “just to be sure.”Seven years. Thirty-eight bullets. Ninety-eight favors.But tomorrow he’s marrying her. I was eighteen the night Damon dragged me out of a back-alley fight ring with my baby sister bleeding behind me. He looked me over. Saw me drop a guy twice my size. Grinned. “You can fight, kid. Come work for me.” After that, I was his. I climbed The Cage from prelims to main event. Seven years undefeated. The boys called me The Wraith because nobody saw the punches coming. I made him millions. I bled for every dollar. The night they crowned me his number one, his champion, his right hand, he walked into the gym with another woman on his arm. “Jesus, Selene. The hell do you look like.” His eyes flicked over the blood drying on my jaw. “Go wash up. You’re scaring her.” That was the night I lost everything. The boys started calling her Mrs. Pierce. I never got that name. Seven years and I never got that name. He cut my hand wraps off himself. Threw them in the trash. Tied an apron around my waist. The Wraith was dead. I was the help. She didn’t want to eat? I knelt by her chair and fed her. She got a paper cut? He cracked one of my ribs for “not watching her.” I took it. All of it. Because seven years ago, in the back of his car with my hands still shaking, he said: “Wanna pay me back, sweetheart? Do a hundred things for me. Just a hundred. Then you walk.” I look down at the leather notebook in my lap. Three left. Three more, and I’m done with this man. I’m carrying her dinner tray down the hall when his voice stops me. “Selene. Get your sister’s necklace. Chloe wants it.” My stomach drops. Mom’s silver cross. The one she was wearing the night she died. Nina sleeps with it under her pillow. My eyes go red before I can stop them. His face flattens. “Selene Quinn.” He uses my full name when somebody’s about to bleed. Usually me. Three days ago I wouldn’t hand Chloe my water bottle at the gym. He threw me in the sparring ring and let two middleweights take turns on me until I couldn’t stand up. So I turn around. I walk into Nina’s room. I unclasp the cross from her neck while she sleeps and put it around Chloe’s. “Looks good on you.” His mouth curls. He pulls Chloe against his chest. “See, baby? Best-trained dog on my whole roster.” “Selene. You keep her happy, maybe I’ll think about that ring I owe you.” Chloe rips the cross off and slams it on the marble. The chain snaps. “Damon! You promised it was just gonna be me!” The tears come on cue. He breaks. “Baby. Baby, come here.” He shoves past me, scoops her up, and carries her down the hall. I drop to my knees. The broken chain slices my palm open while I’m grabbing at the pieces. Blood everywhere. The boys in the hallway watch me bleed and laugh. Honestly? It’s funny. Last month I went five rounds in a death match for him. Came back with a fractured eye socket and internal bleeding. He walked into the recovery room, looked me over, and said: “Christ, Wraith. You’re slipping.” He shrugged. “Whatever. Chloe’s been needing somebody to do her hair.” I close my fist around the silver. My eyes go redder than my hand. That night Nina sees the broken cross. She sobs until she throws up. I rock her in my lap and lie to her again. “Hold on, baby. We’re almost out. I swear.” The door slams open. Damon. His face is dark. “What the hell is all the screaming? Chloe’s trying to sleep!” “Pack a bag. Both of you. East House. Now.” His boys are already grabbing Nina off the bed. She turns and screams at him. “Damon, you used to be nice to me!” He freezes. Everyone freezes. I clamp my hand over Nina’s mouth. My tears soak into her hair. I learned a long time ago what talking costs in this house. I asked him to come home more. That night he stripped my title in front of the whole roster. Seven years gone in one sentence. I told Chloe to stay out of the training cage. Before I finished the sentence his pistol was between my eyes. He came home with a busted lip last week. I brought him ice. He threw the bag in my face. “Don’t pretend, Selene. Chloe’s gonna think something’s going on.” He’s the one who said I love you first. He’s the one who said he was going to marry me. I let go of Nina. She’s still crying, quieter now. The East House sits on the edge of rival territory. Half the people who sleep there don’t wake up. I make a call. I kick the SUV door open and run for the main house. The second I knock, the noise inside cuts off. A glass shatters against my forehead. I bite the inside of my cheek and bow my head. “Miss Vance. I came to apologize for my sister. She won’t bother you again. I swear.” Damon’s chest is heaving. His eyes catch on the blood running down my face. “Cut it out, Selene. You look like she’s the one beating you up.” I don’t look at him. I drop to my knees. Press my forehead to the floor. Once. Twice. Three times. She finally lifts a soft little hand. “Damon, I’m tired. Just say yes already.” He kisses the top of her head. “Baby, you’re too sweet. People are gonna chew you up.” Then his eyes slide to me. “Since you love your sister so much, walk her there yourself. No driver.” That night the temperature drops to fifteen. Nina spikes a fever of 104. I carry her on my back through a blizzard for six hours. In the ER waiting room, with snow melting off my coat, I open the notebook. I write two words. The cross. Two left.

The East House is hours from the compound. Before the sun even comes up, I have to be back to make Chloe breakfast. I barely make it through the front gate before Damon’s boys grab me. Tie my wrists. Throw me in the back of an SUV. When the bag comes off my head, they dump me on the gym floor. Damon stands over me, arms crossed. He nods at the training cage in the middle of the room. “Get in. Chloe wants to practice.” My head snaps up. “She’s never thrown a punch in her life, Damon. She’ll kill me.” Chloe’s face falls in half a second. She presses both hands to her chest. “Damon, baby, what if she’s right? I’m so clumsy. What if I really hurt her?” “Don’t be silly, baby.” He pulls her against him and slides a pair of pink training gloves onto her tiny hands himself. “You’re a natural. You’re gonna be the best.” His eyes flick to me. The patience is gone. “Get in the cage, Selene. Don’t make me say it twice.” I look at the gloves. Every old break in my body starts throbbing at once. He sees me shaking. He grabs my jaw and squeezes until my teeth grind. “You don’t wanna get in? Fine. I’ll bring Nina down here instead. She owes me a life too, doesn’t she?” Damon doesn’t bluff. One more word out of me, and my ten-year-old sister gets dragged out of her hospital bed and tied to that post. I close my eyes. I force a smile. “She’s a kid. I’ll do it.” “I’m bigger anyway. More fun for her.” He lets go, satisfied. Turns around and starts adjusting Chloe’s stance from behind, his hands wrapped around hers. The boys haul me into the cage. Tie my wrists to the chain-link above my head. My toes barely touch the mat. “Damon, what if I miss? What if I hit her somewhere bad?” He laughs and kisses her temple. “Baby, she’s been eating punches for me for seven years. She’s a punching bag. Hit her wherever you want.” The first hook lands on my ribs. I hear something crack before I feel it. My knees give. The chain catches me by the wrists. Out of the corner of my eye, Chloe is bouncing on her heels, giggling. The man who used to put my hands in ice the second I bled, he just says one word. “Again.” She winds up. Throws another. Right hook. Left shoulder. I feel the joint pop. My head drops. Hot blood fills my mouth. The boys around the cage shift on their feet. Nobody knows what to do. Damon doesn’t even look at them. He just nods at her. “Good, baby. Now the body.” Two more. Left side. Right side. I’m coughing red onto the mat. My white shirt isn’t white anymore. Chloe winds up for one more. Damon catches her wrist mid-swing. “Okay, that’s enough. Get her stitched up.” Chloe stamps her foot. Pouts. “Damon! I was just getting good!” He folds in half a second. He turns to one of his boys. “Bring Nina down.” “No.” The word rips out of me before I can stop it. “No, Damon, please, she’s ten, she’s still sick, she can’t—” He doesn’t even look at me. He boops Chloe on the nose like I’m not screaming six feet away. The last thing I see before everything goes black is two of his boys dragging Nina across the gym floor. Bare feet. Hospital gown. She’s twisting against them. Choking on her own crying. “Selene! Selene, help me!”

I open my eyes in a hospital bed. “Nina. Nina.” I lurch upright and knock a bowl of soup out of Damon’s hands. His face goes dark. But he doesn’t snap. He grabs a tissue and starts wiping the broth off my chest. I grab his wrist hard enough to feel the bones. “Where is she. Tell me.” He looks down. He doesn’t answer. The stitches in my side rip open. I can’t breathe through the pain, but I drag myself off the bed anyway and start for the door. He catches me. Pulls me against his chest. His voice is low, fighting something. “She’s in surgery, Selene. Quit making it worse. The second she wakes up, I’ll bring you to her. Just rest. Please.” For the next two weeks, Damon gives me the best medical team money can buy. Sometimes he sits with me himself. He shows me pictures of Nina on his phone. Tubes everywhere. Tiny chest. Then he tries to spoon-feed me soup. I keep my mouth shut. He doesn’t get mad. He takes a sip himself, leans in, and pushes it past my lips with his own. I wipe my mouth and shove the bowl back at him. He blinks. Doesn’t say a word. He’s been weirdly patient with me lately. Until the day Chloe comes to visit. He bursts through the door and finds her on the floor. Cheeks flushed pink. Palms sliced up on broken glass. His whole body shakes. The look he turns on me has nothing soft left in it. “Selene. Have you lost your mind?” He scoops Chloe up against his chest. His eyes are bloodshot. “Apologize. Now.” The old me would already be on her knees. But Nina is somewhere in this building fighting for her life because of this woman. I can’t bow to her. I won’t. I don’t move. His face turns to stone. “Have I been going easy on you? You think you get to tell me no now?” I ignore him. I turn around and start walking back to the bed. His voice cuts the air behind me. “One more step and I pull Nina’s plug myself.” My foot freezes in midair. My nails dig through the hospital gown into my skin. These last two weeks, I almost let myself believe he felt guilty about Nina. I was an idiot. The Damon who used to carry Nina around on his shoulders, who taught her how to throw her first jab, that man died the day Chloe Vance walked through the door. I turn around. I bow at the waist in front of her. “On your knees.” My legs give out. I drop. I press my forehead to the cold tile. When I look up, Damon has Chloe’s face in his hands and he’s kissing her like I’m not even in the room. I keep saying it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. By the time my voice cracks, they finally come up for air. He scoffs at me. Scoops Chloe up. Rushes her toward the ER. The second his back disappears down the hallway, the tears come. Hard. Hot. Out of nowhere. I press a hand against my chest. I dig the notebook out of the drawer. I write two words. The cage. A man’s voice behind me. “What are you writing?”

I shove the notebook under the blanket. Too late. He saw it. Dazon scoffs. “Still scribbling that whiny little diary of yours?” He brushes past me, scoops Chloe’s broken bracelet off the floor, and heads for the door. “Oh. Tomorrow. Take Chloe wedding dress shopping. You’ve got experience with that kind of thing. Help her pick something good.” The way he says it, casual, like he’s asking me to grab milk. I almost laugh. Three months ago I told him I wanted to try on dresses. He gave me twelve reasons why we couldn’t. I don’t say anything. I just nod. The boutique is all champagne and giggling girls. Except me. The salesgirls are huddled by the register, whispering. “God, what’s her problem? Looks like somebody died.” “Oh, you didn’t hear? That’s the side piece. Real fiancée’s the blonde.” “Shut up. No way.” “Swear to God.” “Ew. Look at her. He picked that?” I keep my head down and slide hangers along the rack. Same dresses I looked at three months ago. Back when I was the one trying them on. Back when he found a new excuse every weekend not to come with me. Funny how nothing in this store has changed. And everything else has. Chloe tries on dress after dress. Damon doesn’t take his eyes off her. Runs through every adjective in the dictionary praising her. She still pouts. Throws the latest gown on the floor. Looks at me. “Selene, you do it for me. I’m tired.” Before Damon can stop her, I grab a dress and walk into the dressing room. He freezes. I zip up the gown. I pull back the curtain. The look on his face flips from anticipation to disgust in half a second. The dress is strapless. My skin is a roadmap. Bruises layered on top of bruises. Three deep stitched-up gashes on my left shoulder, still seeping pink through the satin. A jagged scar curling from my ribs down to my hip where I caught a knee in a death match last spring. The whole boutique sucks in a breath. Chloe stumbles back. Slaps both hands over her mouth. “Damon, oh my God! What is that? That’s so gross, get it away from me!” His face goes black. “What are you standing there for? Put it back on.” “You’re embarrassing yourself. You’re embarrassing me.” Strangers stare. Salesgirls stare. I peel the dress off in front of all of them. The fabric drags across an open stitch. I bite the inside of my cheek. Every punch I ever ate for this man, every break, every busted joint, it’s all coming back at once. Seven years late. In the end Chloe still can’t pick. Damon waves a hand and buys all of them. I grab a small pink dress off the children’s rack. Something soft. Something a little girl would love. A get-well present. For when Nina wakes up. She must be so scared. A laugh behind me. Mean and high. Chloe rips the dress out of my hands. “Aww. You buying this to bury her in?”

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There were two women in Manhattan who were famous for spending money. One was my mother, Elena Marchetti. The other was my godmother, Sofia Castellano. Whenever they were in a good mood, they might casually give a younger relative a limited-edition sports car—or simply buy an island and disappear there for a change of scenery. No one dared say a single unkind word about either of them. That was because my father, Lorenzo Marchetti, was the head of Manhattan’s Marchetti family and controlled the money flowing through Manhattan’s underworld. My godfather, Dante Castellano, not only controlled several casinos in Las Vegas, but also controlled some of the most lucrative concert, film, and streaming ventures in North America . Outside the home, both men inspired terror. In private, they indulged their wives without limit. “We make the money. They get to be happy.” Then one day, I dragged them both to a concert by Brianna, the hottest pop star in the country. During a backstage meet-and-greet, Brianna immediately noticed the pigeon-blood ruby ring on my mother’s hand. My mother refused politely. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. My husband commissioned this ring when he proposed. It cost thirty million dollars, and there is only one in the world. It isn’t for sale.” Brianna’s expression darkened instantly. “It’s just a red rock.” She snatched up a crystal glass from the table and smashed it against my mother’s forehead. “Who knows whether it’s even real? I’m offering to pay because I’m doing you a favor.” Blood immediately ran down my mother’s brow. I froze in shock. Someone in Manhattan had actually dared to make Don Marchetti’s wife bleed. These idiots had no idea what they had just done. Brianna’s private bodyguards surrounded us. They seized my mother’s wrist and tried to force the ring off her finger. I immediately pressed the emergency pendant hidden beneath the collar of my shirt. It would take only one second for the distress signal to reach my father’s private phone.

“Something’s wrong! Someone is hurting Mom and Aunt Sofia. Hurry—” Before I could finish, Brianna ripped the pendant away from me. “I was so busy dealing with these two ungrateful bitches that I forgot about the little brat. You actually tried to call for help?” She slammed the platinum pendant bearing the Marchetti crest onto the concrete floor. One sharp-eyed staff member stared at it and lowered his voice. “That… that’s the Marchetti family crest. There’s only one like it in all of Manhattan…” Others began whispering. “She pressed it twice. That’s the Marchetti family’s internal emergency code…” “Enough!” Brianna looked my mother and godmother up and down with open contempt. “Look at them. Do they look like women who could have anything to do with the Marchettis? Everyone knows how protective Marchetti is of his wife and daughter. They travel with dozens of bodyguards. Women like you couldn’t get past the Marchettis’ front gate, let alone belong to the family.” A faint silver light flashed across my watch. She destroyed the pendant, but she didn’t know my watch carried a second tracker and recorder. Someone once spoke badly about my mother behind her back. The next day, my father’s men cut out his tongue. Thinking about that made Brianna’s expression almost laughable. Blood was still flowing from the wound on my mother’s forehead. Even so, she bent down and stroked my hair. “Don’t be afraid, baby. Mommy’s here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Only then did I get a clear look at the wound. It was raw and bloody. It looked terribly painful. My father had warned me more than once that I was never to let my mother get hurt. “Don’t be afraid, Mom.” I stepped in front of her. “Dad will be here soon!” The contempt in Brianna’s eyes nearly overflowed. “Your father? What is he, a driver? A security guard? Your whole family probably crawled out of some slum, and you still dare brag in front of me?” She turned and shouted at the guards. “What are you standing around for? Take the ring!” The guards rushed forward. My godmother hurried in front of my mother. Before she could speak, one of the guards slapped her across the face and sent her crashing to the floor. When I saw another man grabbing my mother’s hand, I threw myself at him and bit him. “Ah!” The guard cried out in pain and kicked me away. I hit the floor so hard that stars burst across my vision. My mother rushed to me. “Baby, are you all right?” Then she turned on the guards. “Touch any of us again, and I promise you won’t live to see tomorrow.” My mother usually spent her days shopping and enjoying herself. But in that moment, the full authority of Don Marchetti’s wife filled the room. The guards were genuinely intimidated. They stopped. Even Brianna hesitated for a second. “You won’t let us see tomorrow? You really know how to tell a story.” “Do you even know who my husband is? Ray Stone, vice president of Titan Realm Studios. In Manhattan’s entertainment industry, when he speaks, everyone listens.” “He’s a senior associate of the Marchetti family. Once he gets here, we’ll see whether any of this nonsense you’re saying is true.” The name sounded strangely familiar. I blurted out, “Mom, isn’t Ray Stone the man Dad said was worth less than a dog?” Brianna’s smile froze. Her face turned scarlet. “You dare insult my husband? None of you are leaving here alive today!” The backstage door slammed shut. Several staff members took up positions in front of it, blocking every exit.

Brianna pointed to a brown glass bottle in the corner. “Wash out the mouths of that bitch and her daughter. Let’s see if they still dare talk nonsense afterward.” My face went white. It was industrial-grade concentrated sulfuric acid. My mother cared deeply about her beauty. Even a single pimple upset her. Whenever that happened, my father would fly specialists in from Switzerland, order the most expensive skincare products in the world, and arrange the finest cosmetic treatments money could buy. If her face was destroyed, my father’s rage could burn all of Manhattan to the ground. The guards hesitated. “Ms. Veyra, should we wait for Mr. Stone to confirm who these three are before we do anything?” They were clearly afraid of the Marchetti family. But Brianna had already been blinded by rage. “Idiot. Only someone as stupid as you would believe them.” I planted myself in front of my mother, but a guard grabbed me by the back of my collar and lifted me off the floor. “Let go of me!” I struggled desperately, the fabric cutting into my throat until I could barely breathe. My mother was forced to the floor in a humiliating position, yet she still tried to comfort me. “Don’t look, baby! Close your eyes and wait for Daddy!” Brianna slapped her hard across the face. “You’re still pretending when you’re about to die? Do you really think anyone is coming to save you?” “Once I’m done washing out your filthy mouth, that little bitch is next.” Anger burned through me. When Dad arrived, I was going to ask him to have every one of them thrown into the Hudson River for the fish. “What are you waiting for? Pour it!” The moment the cap came off the bottle, the sharp, corrosive smell spread through the room. Brianna leaned against the wall with her arms folded, laughing. “What a touching mother-daughter scene. I should put something like this in my next movie.” The guard lifted the bottle and was about to throw the acid into my mother’s face. My godmother suddenly pushed herself up from the floor and rammed into him with all her strength. He lost his balance. The acid splashed out, and some of it landed on Brianna’s face. “Ah!” She screamed in agony and cursed at my godmother. “You bitch! Do you have any idea how much I spend on this face every year?” My godmother showed no fear. “I’m going to say this one last time.” “My husband is Dante Castellano. Her husband is Lorenzo Marchetti.” “In Manhattan, if you lay one finger on us, your entire family will die with you.” The nearby staff members went pale and instinctively stepped back. My godmother thought Brianna was finally frightened and turned to help my mother. The next second, she screamed and fell to the floor, writhing in agony. Brianna tossed the acid bottle aside and smiled darkly. “Castellano? Marchetti? Look in a mirror. Do you think you’re worthy of saying those names?” “Everyone knows the wives of those two Dons travel with dozens of bodyguards.” “And yet here you are, two women and one little brat, sneaking into a concert without a single escort. You expect me to believe you’re important?” Regret crushed me. Normally, my mother and godmother traveled in convoys of black armored vehicles with teams of suited guards. No stranger could get anywhere near them. I was the one who insisted on seeing Brianna’s concert. I had begged them to sneak out without their bodyguards and had even made sure we avoided their assistants. That was how these people had gotten their chance. It was all my fault. I had done this to my mother and godmother. I screamed with all my strength. “If you touch my mother again, my father will never let you go!” Brianna sneered. “Big bitch, little bitch. Both of you live in a fantasy.” She nodded at the guards. “Cut out the little bitch’s tongue. Let’s see whether she keeps talking.” Two guards approached with scissors. My whole body shook with fear, but I refused to move. I stood firmly in front of my mother. My mother rushed in front of me. “Brianna! Take it out on me. Leave my daughter alone!” Brianna smiled viciously. “Leave her alone?” “Fine.” “My shoes are dirty. Lick them clean, and I’ll spare her.”

The surrounding staff burst into laughter. “Ms. Veyra, be careful. Don’t let her dirty your shoes.” Ever since my mother met my father at eighteen, he had treated her like a princess. She had never suffered the slightest humiliation. My father always said my mother was the most important person in our family, and that he and I had to protect her with everything we had. But now, for my sake, she was being forced to endure this. I watched my mother slowly lower her head toward the toe of Brianna’s shoe. The next second, she drove a knife straight into Brianna’s foot. Brianna screamed in pain and kicked my mother to the floor. “You miserable bitch!” “Break her hand. Let’s see whether she ever tries something like that again.” The guard brought an iron bar down hard on my mother’s hand. Her face twisted in agony. Even as her whole body convulsed from the pain, she lifted her head and forced a smile for me. “Baby… close your eyes… don’t look…” I sobbed until I could barely breathe and twisted desperately, trying to get to her. Brianna threw back her head and laughed. “How touching. Too bad no one is coming to save you today.” At that moment, the sound of synchronized footsteps came from outside. Hope exploded in my chest. “My dad is here! You hurt his wife—you’re all dead You hurt my mother. You’re all dead!” Everyone in the room panicked. The staff exchanged frightened looks, and the guards loosened their grip on me. Brianna’s smile stiffened. The backstage door burst open. A greasy, overweight man walked in. It wasn’t my father. Brianna immediately ran to him, clung to his arm, and burst into tears. “Thank God you’re here, honey! These people are pretending to be Mrs. Marchetti and Mrs. Castellano. They insulted me and even tried to hurt me.” Then she turned toward us, her eyes filled with triumph. “See? My husband is the vice president of Titan Realm Studios. None of you are leaving here alive.” I stared at Ray Stone’s limp and suddenly remembered him. He worked for my father. He had once ruined a money-laundering route connected to one of the casinos. My father had personally broken that leg. Later, Ray had knelt outside our estate for three days and three nights. My mother had taken pity on him and begged my father to spare his life. I shouted, “I’m Isabella Marchetti! That woman is my mother, Elena Marchetti!” Ray Stone froze. His gaze snapped toward my mother, and terror flashed in his eyes. Her face was covered in blood and badly swollen. She was almost unrecognizable. He started toward her, but Brianna grabbed him. “Don’t believe her, honey. They’re impostors.” “Mrs. Marchetti would never leave home without bodyguards.” Ray stared at Elena’s ruined face, unable to recognize her. Then he noticed the lack of security and convinced himself Brianna had to be right. “Everyone in Manhattan knows Don Marchetti and Don Castellano treat their wives like queens.” “If Mrs. Marchetti hadn’t spoken for me back then, I would already be dead.” He roared at the guards. “Break both bitches’ arms and legs. Let everyone see what happens when someone pretends to be Mrs. Marchetti or Mrs. Castellano.” The location marker on my watch showed my father getting closer. I looked at their ugly faces, my chest heaving. Just wait. Not one of you is getting away.

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On our wedding night,Damian Moretti climbed off me. He tossed the used condom into the trash and gave a cold laugh. “Before the wedding,you suddenly asked me to raise the premarital trust to five hundred thousand dollars.I told you the docks were shut down,the family accounts were frozen,and I couldn’t get the cash.” “I was lying.” He opened his phone and pointed to the blue diamond necklace around my friend Lillian’s neck in the photo. “She spent one night in my bed.The next day,I had someone take this photo.Five million dollars.” Pain cramped through my lower belly.I propped myself up with difficulty and stared at him in disbelief. Damian’s voice only grew colder. “Don’t think I don’t know you only wanted to use this to climb into the Moretti family.Spending one more cent on you makes me feel filthy.” After he left,I looked at the death notification from St.Mary’s Hospital on my phone. I cried until I could barely breathe. The white wedding dress beneath me slowly turned red with blood. Damian did not know that the five hundred thousand dollars for the premarital trust was actually the money that could have saved my mother’s life. On the night of my wedding,I lost the four most important people in my life at once. My only family left in the world.My new husband.The friend I had known for more than ten years. And the child in my belly. … By the time I reached the hospital,my mother had already been moved to the chapel of rest,her face as pale as the white sheet covering her body. I held her hand as it slowly went cold,kneeling on the floor while tears kept falling. The wedding dress I was wearing was the one Mom had personally helped me choose two days ago. Her greatest wish was to see me get married with her own eyes,to see me be happy. But she still left me on my wedding night,and I did not even make it in time to see her one last time. All she left me was a phone call from the hospital and a death certificate. A transfer notification suddenly popped up on my phone. The next second,Damian called. “The five hundred thousand dollars has been transferred.” “But Elena,that’s all you’re worth.” His tone was full of mockery. But in the past,he could not even bear to speak one harsh word to me. A month before the wedding,Mom had suddenly been diagnosed with a serious illness. I sold my apartment,but I was still five hundred thousand dollars short for her treatment. That was the first time I ever asked Damian to lend me money. Even now,I still remember how quickly his expression turned cold. “Something happened with the dock business.I don’t have cash either.” “Elena Weiss,if you’re with me for the Moretti family’s money,then get out now.” So I worked three jobs a day,raising money for my mother’s surgery while helping him fill those so-called cash gaps after his accounts were frozen. I was even afraid of adding to his pressure,so I hid how serious Mom’s condition was. But today,he told me it had all been a lie. The docks had not been shut down.He had not truly been forced into a cash-flow crisis. And he had already taken my best friend to his bed. Now,Mom was gone. And I did not want his late five hundred thousand dollars anymore. “No need.I’ll send the money back.” As soon as the transfer went through,I heard Lillian’s coquettish laugh from the other end of the line. “I won!I told you she would definitely return the money.” “A bet’s a bet.That yacht is mine tonight.And you,Don,are mine too.” Soon,the sound of an intimate kiss came through the phone. Then the call was quickly cut off. A violent pain tore through my lower belly again,and cold sweat soon soaked through my clothes. I could not hold myself up and collapsed to the floor. Blood gradually dyed the wedding dress red. Originally,tonight,I had planned to tell Damian the good news that I was pregnant. But before I could say it,he took me roughly. No kisses.No foreplay. At first,I thought it was because the pressure from the family was too much for him. Later,I realized he had only treated me as something to vent on. My vision gradually blurred. I reached weakly toward the direction where Mom lay. But in the end,before I could touch her hand,I lost consciousness completely. When I opened my eyes again,I was already lying on an operating table. With tears streaming down my face,I signed the surgical consent form. After the surgery ended,I was wheeled into a hospital room. In the end,the child could not be saved. Just like my marriage to Damian,it had only been my own expectation. In the end,nothing was left. The anesthesia seemed to have stopped working,and waves of pain surged up from deep in my lower abdomen. Tears soaked into the bedsheet one drop at a time. I thought of how good Damian had once been to me:cooking for me,taking me traveling,smiling countless times as he told me he loved me. In the end,that smiling face twisted into his cold,disgusted one. “Gold digger.” That one sentence ended the three years we had loved each other. I stared blankly out the window and suddenly felt that disappearing from this city right now might not be so bad after all. Just then,two girls’admiring voices suddenly reached my ears. “Look,the Moretti godfather bought an entire yacht just to make his Donna happy.” “That’s not the Donna.I heard the Donna is a gold digger,and he wasn’t even home on his wedding night.It was the woman on the yacht who was his true love.”

I endured the night alone in the hospital. At dawn the next day,I handled Mom’s death certificate and cremation arrangements by myself. By evening,I held Mom’s urn in my arms,called a cab,and returned to the Moretti family estate. The pathetic thing was,aside from Damian’s so-called home,I had nowhere else to go. The money in my pocket was not even enough for one night at a motel. The cab driver was talkative and kept chatting the whole way. “I drove a big shot this morning.Guess who?Don Moretti.” “He and a woman were in the back seat.Their mouths didn’t separate the whole ride.” His tone was casual. But to me,every word grated. The driver glanced at the rearview mirror.Perhaps he saw how terrible I looked and changed the subject. “Miss,you look awful.Break up with your boyfriend?” “If you ask me,you have to find someone who treats you well.Look at Don Moretti and that woman.So happy.” I smiled bitterly. He did not know that the man he was talking about was the husband who had abandoned me on our wedding night. And that woman was the friend I had once trusted most. More than once,Lillian had said she envied me,that I had come from an ordinary background yet could marry Don Moretti. Every time,I explained that I loved Damian for who he was,not for his last name or his money. Back then,I did not understand the jealousy in her eyes.I even thought she was truly happy for me. After she lost her job,I even introduced her to Damian as his personal assistant. I never expected that I was sending her straight into Damian’s bed. The ridiculous part was,Lillian had once told me,”I’ll keep an eye on Damian for you.If he ever dares to betray you,I’ll deal with him for you.” And Damian had also made it clear that he did not like Lillian. He said she was too calculating,too hungry for advantage.Unlike me,who was simple and clean. Until the day I asked him to lend me money. Everything changed. At the time,I still did not understand how someone could change his heart overnight. Only now,far too late,did I realize that he had changed long ago. In that case,then so be it. A husband whose heart had changed,a friend who had betrayed me.I wanted neither of them. I returned to the estate,intending to talk to Damian about divorce. But when I pushed open the door,the first thing I saw was Lillian’s smug face. She was barefoot,stepping on the wedding photo of Damian and me. When she saw me come in,she deliberately stepped on my face in the photo. “Elena,you’re finally back.Damian said he’s taking me to Sicily for our honeymoon.” “Come help me see which dresses I should choose.” My clothes were scattered all over the floor. Among them were several gowns Mom had altered for me herself before she got sick. Holding back my anger,I said,”Those are my clothes.” She laughed,picked up the scissors on the table,and walked toward those gowns. “Damian said everything in this house will be mine from now on.” “As for you?You’re just the maid he bought for me for five hundred thousand dollars.” I hurried forward to stop her. But she shoved me hard to the floor. To protect the urn in my arms,my forehead slammed into the corner of the table. Blood quickly began to flow. Just then,footsteps sounded from the staircase. Damian stood on the steps,his voice edged with urgency. “Elena,you’re pregnant?” In his hand was the pregnancy diagnosis I had planned to give him as a wedding gift.

The blood on my forehead blurred my vision. Damian strode down,grabbed my arm,and pulled me up from the floor. “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?” “What trick are you trying to play now?” I could not read the tension on his face. I had once imagined that maybe Damian would be happy after learning I was pregnant. Maybe our relationship would get better. But now,none of it mattered anymore. “Damian,let’s get divorced.” “Elena,say that again.” His gaze turned cold in an instant. “Divorce?You dare bring up divorce to me?Is this another scheme to cheat me out of money?” “Go on.How much are you trying to get with the child this time?” “Five hundred thousand?Five million?Or fifty million?” He suddenly clamped his hand around my jaw,hurting me so badly I could not get out a complete sentence. “I’m not…before…I asked you for money…because my mother was seriously ill…” “Damian…I never loved…your money…” Tears fell onto the back of his hand. He paused,then abruptly let go. Just then,Lillian suddenly spoke with a soft little laugh. “Why didn’t I ever hear you say Auntie was seriously ill?” “Elena,you wouldn’t be making up stories about your own mother just to win Damian back,would you?” I turned to look at her,unable to believe she could lie like that. Before I knew about her and Damian,I had always treated her as my closest friend. She clearly knew my mother was gravely ill,and she knew I was working three jobs a day for medical expenses. But after Damian heard Lillian’s words,the slight softness in his expression immediately turned to disgust. “I knew it.A bitch like you will never learn honesty!” The man who once said he would always believe me and protect me now decided I was lying because of a few words from another woman. Suddenly,everything felt absurd. I did not want to explain anymore. I hugged the urn tightly and turned around,wanting to go back to the bedroom and pack my things. But as soon as I turned,Lillian grabbed me. “You even prepared a prop?Your acting is so convincing.” Instinctively,I shook off her hand. But the moment I touched her,she screamed and fell backward. “Lillian!” Damian rushed over and shoved me away with the back of his hand. I lost my balance,and the urn slipped from my hands. The porcelain jar crashed onto the floor and shattered. Gray-white ashes spilled everywhere. In that moment,it was as if I saw Mom’s face again. I hurriedly reached out to gather them. The broken porcelain cut my palm,and blood mixed with the ashes. I raised my head and shouted at Damian, “Damian,give me back my mother!” Damian’s steps faltered. But the moment Lillian moaned,he picked her up without looking back. He passed in front of me with a cold face,his leather shoes stepping through Mom’s ashes. “You think I’ll still believe your mouthful of lies?” “You want a divorce?Fine.” “Pay back every dollar I’ve spent on you over the years,and I’ll sign.”

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It was my fifth year after being dumped in Pine Creek. My family finally remembered I existed. When they found me,I was sitting outside the old grocery store,playing bridge with two elderly ladies. My father,Robert Bennett,looked at me with open disgust. “Ava,you really are hopeless now.You’re actually spending your time with two old women from a small town.” “Emily is in trouble.Come back to Boston with us and take responsibility for the car accident for her.” My mother,Caroline Bennett,stood behind him.There was no warmth in the way she looked at me. “As long as you’re willing to help Emily,we’ll let you return to the Bennett family and enjoy your old life again.” My former fiance,Caleb Shaw,came over and took my hand. “Ava,how can you mix with ignorant old women like this?Hurry up and send them away,then come back with us to help Emily.” What a joke. I could send anyone away,but not them. The two elderly ladies in front of me. One was Grace Lin,who had taught me investing. The other was Mrs.Hart,the true power behind the Hart family. She controlled the largest private bank and charitable foundation on the East Coast. And she was also the mother of my current fiance. … I pulled my hand back and kept playing my cards. “Pair of aces.” My father’s face darkened at once. “We sent you here so you could reflect on yourself.” “And look at you,wasting your days playing cards with old women in this miserable place.Do you have any ambition left at all?” My mother spoke too,her voice full of contempt. “Picking up the bad habits of poor small-town people.You have completely embarrassed the Bennett family.” I felt nothing. Because five years ago,I had already heard words a hundred times uglier than these. I slowly looked up and smiled. “So playing cards is an embarrassment.” “Then should Emily get a medal for killing someone while driving drunk?” All three of them fell silent for a moment. My father was so furious that the veins at his temples stood out. Caleb quickly warned them with his eyes not to lose control,then came to my side and said gently, “Ava,don’t be so harsh.” “Emily is in poor health.She can’t survive prison.” “As long as you’re willing to come back and help Emily,I can honor our engagement again and marry you.” I had heard that line too many times. Emily didn’t mean it. Emily is weak,so you have to give way to her. Emily was just too scared. Five years ago,Emily falsely accused me of pushing her down the stairs. Caleb had been standing at the end of the hall. He saw the whole thing with his own eyes. But he did not say a single word for me. Instead,he held Emily in his arms and encouraged my parents to send me to this remote town. In five years,not one of them had come to see me. No money,no emails,not even a single greeting. They left me here to live or die on my own. Thinking of that,I gave a cold laugh. “Five years ago,weren’t you the one who called me vicious,said I wasn’t worthy of you,and broke off our engagement?” “Now that you see I still have some use to Emily,you’ve come running back to talk about marriage?” “Caleb,don’t you think you’re fake?Don’t you think you’re disgusting?” Caleb’s face flushed instantly. “I came here in good faith to discuss this with you,and this is your attitude?” “Spend long enough in the country,and I guess people really do become poor,crude,and unreasonable.” My face went cold. “Are you done?If you are,leave.I’m not going back.” My father was so angry that he stepped forward and suddenly slapped me across the face. He pointed at my nose and cursed, “How can you be so unfilial?You’ve held on to one small thing for five years?” “Your mother and I gave you your life.” “You are part of this family.You should sacrifice for this family.” My mother looked at me as if her heart were breaking. “Emily is in trouble now,and instead of helping your sister,you’re mocking her here.Ava,do you have a conscience at all?” I held my burning cheek and froze for a second. Then I laughed. “When you dumped me here and ignored me,did you ever think I was part of the family?” “Now you remember me?” “Am I your daughter,or am I Emily’s scapegoat?” My father flew into a rage from humiliation and raised his hand to hit me again. But someone caught his wrist in midair. “Enough.”

Mrs.Hart released my father’s hand. “Making your biological daughter take the blame for your adopted daughter.” “The Bennett family’s upbringing is truly eye-opening.” Mrs.Grace laid her cards face down on the table. “Isn’t it?If their brains aren’t being used,they might as well donate them to a hospital.” My father’s neck turned red with anger. “I’m disciplining my own daughter.Since when do two old hags get to interfere?” My mother looked just as disdainful. “The Bennett family has status in Boston.And two small-town old women dare lecture us?You really don’t know your place.” Caleb glared fiercely at the two elderly ladies,then looked at me with disgust. “Ava,look at the low-class people you know now.” “In manners and in perspective,Emily is miles ahead of you.” “It looks like sending you away back then was the right decision.Someone like you should be grateful for the chance to shoulder responsibility for her once.” At those words,the two elderly ladies burst out laughing. Mrs.Hart looked at Caleb,obvious mockery at the corner of her mouth. “You’re the Shaw boy,aren’t you?” Caleb immediately frowned,wary. Mrs.Hart went on. “You were engaged to Ava,yet from beginning to end,you stood on Emily’s side.Back then,you watched Ava get driven out and said nothing.Now Emily has committed a crime,and you’ve come to force Ava into prison for her.” “How cruel and stupid.” Caleb exploded at once. “What nonsense are you saying?” He stepped forward and shoved the two elderly ladies hard. Seeing that they were about to fall,I rushed over and grabbed Caleb’s wrist. “Enough!” “If you want to do something,come at me.Don’t touch them.” Caleb twisted his hand around and clamped down on my arm. “You’re coming back to Boston with me right now and taking responsibility for Emily’s car accident.” With that,he dragged me hard toward the SUV parked by the road. Just then,a familiar voice came from not far away. “Caleb.” Everyone turned around. Emily was standing there. A white cashmere coat,a pale face,tears shining in her eyes. The moment Caleb saw her,he shoved me aside and ran over. I fell straight onto the gravel,and blood seeped from my palm at once. Caleb did not even look back. “Why did you get out of the car?” “The doctor said you need to rest properly.You can’t be out in the wind.” Caleb looked heartbroken as he spoke,taking out a handkerchief to wipe Emily’s sweat. My so-called family did not notice me either. My father and mother hurried to Emily’s side. “Emily,this place is cold and filthy,and it’s full of low-class people.Get back in the car.” My mother’s eyes reddened with worry. My father also coaxed her in a low voice. “Yes.Don’t worry.We’ll make Ava take the blame for you and send her to prison.” Emily shook her head,her voice choked. “Dad,Mom,Caleb,I’m fine.Please don’t fight with Ava.” She looked at me with tears in her eyes,wronged yet strong. “Ava,I was the one who made the mistake.I’ll go to the police station myself.” “Only,if I can’t come back,I hope you’ll take good care of Mom,Dad,and Caleb for me.” After saying that,she turned as if to leave. My mother immediately stopped her. “No,Emily.You can’t go.” My father’s eyes reddened with panic too. “You’re too weak.Your sister grew up outside the family.She can endure hardship.Let her go.” Caleb protected Emily in his arms. “I will never let you go to prison.” “Today,we will take Ava to the victim’s family and make her confess and face the law.” Each of them spoke as if I were the one who had killed someone today. I thought that after so many chilling disappointments,I had long since gone numb. But watching the scene in front of me, my heart still hurt so badly I could hardly breathe.

Mrs.Grace looked at Emily and suddenly smiled. “Beautiful speech.If you truly wanted to go to the police station,you wouldn’t have come here.” “I’ve seen shameless people,but I’ve never seen anyone put on an act as well as you.” Mrs.Hart shook her head. “It is a clever trick.She gets to play the good person and get rid of the thorn in her side.” “Too bad the performance is overdone.Even an old woman like me isn’t fooled.But it can’t stop a pack of fools from being taken in together.” Emily’s face stiffened,and she immediately lowered her head,looking as though she had been wronged. My father shook with anger and turned back to roar, “Drag those two old hags over here and teach them a lesson for spouting nonsense.” Four bodyguards rushed forward at once. “Stop!” I threw myself in front of them. The next second,a heavy punch slammed into my face. Right after that,a kick landed hard in my stomach. Pain folded me over,and my knees struck the ground.Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth and soon gathered into a small red puddle. “You dare defy me?”my father roared.”Beat her until she gets into the car and goes back to take the blame for Emily.” Fists and leather shoes rained down on me. I curled up on the ground,protecting my head with everything I had. My mother not only failed to stop them,she said coldly from the side, “She’s been like this since she was little.She never listens unless she’s beaten.” A flicker of hesitation crossed Caleb’s face,but it vanished quickly. And Emily stood behind him,the corners of her mouth slightly raised,her eyes full of triumph. Mrs.Grace and Mrs.Hart tried to rush over. “Stop!” “She is your biological daughter.” But before they could take two steps,two other bodyguards pinned them to the ground. Mrs.Grace’s face was pressed into the mud. Mrs.Hart’s arms were wrenched behind her back. I heard a dull thud from over there. In panic,I struggled to get up,only to be kicked back down. I forced myself to lift my head and shouted with red eyes, “Let them go!This has nothing to do with them.” Emily walked over and crouched in front of me,her face arranged into a look of difficulty. “Ava,look.They’re being hurt because of you.” She sighed softly. “As long as you apologize to Mom,Dad,and Caleb,I’ll have them released.” I reached for my phone. I was going to call 911. Caleb snatched the phone away and smashed it on the ground. He lifted his leather shoe and stamped hard on the back of my hand. “You still want to call the police?” “Ava,if you dare bring the police here,” he pressed down on the back of my head and forced my face toward the ground, “I could have these two old women beaten to death today,and no one would dare collect their bodies.Do you believe me?”

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Every time my husband, Ethan Sterling, brought a younger woman home, he was considerate enough to bring a younger man for me too. “I need something new. You need company.” He said it as casually as if he were discussing an ordinary business deal. “We both get what we want, Claire. No one gets to judge the other.” For the past three years, I had sent every one of those men away. Until this time, Ethan finally went too far. When he brought the pregnant Chloe back to the villa, he also brought me a hockey player with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. “Chloe got pregnant by accident.” He set down his whiskey, speaking with the patience of a man trying to reason with me. “She doesn’t want the baby to be born illegitimate, so we’ll get divorced for now.” “After the baby is born, I’ll marry you again.” He pointed toward the young man standing beside the fireplace. “Until then, Julian can keep you company. I won’t interfere.” He probably thought I would do what I always did—slip Julian a check and tell him to leave. This time, I didn’t. Instead, I smiled faintly. “Yes.” Ethan paused with the cigar between his teeth. “Claire, what did you just say?” I set down my phone and shifted my gaze from Ethan to Julian. “I said yes.” I looked him over from head to toe. He stood over six feet tall, with short dark-brown hair and deep gray-blue eyes. His lean, powerful body was wrapped in a simple white shirt, yet he looked cleaner than every self-important man in the room. “You’re right. He’s gorgeous,” I said. The smile on Ethan’s face faded, but he said nothing. His mistress, Chloe, instinctively tightened her grip on his arm. “Claire has finally come around. We should be happy for her, shouldn’t we?” “Of course.” He crushed out his cigar, walked over to Julian, and spoke in a teasing, frivolous tone. “Take good care of her tonight.” Then he wrapped an arm around Chloe and took her upstairs. I looked at Julian. The tips of his ears were slightly red, and the lines of muscle beneath his sleeves were beautifully defined. “Are you staying in your dorm tonight, or here?” “Either is fine.” “Then stay with me.” I turned toward the hallway. Behind me, the servants quickly lowered their voices and began whispering. “She’s obviously just putting on a show for Ethan.” “The last time Ethan brought home that football player, she had security throw him out.” “Don’t worry. Claire is hopelessly devoted to Ethan. She’d rather die alone than touch one of Ethan’s hired playthings.” Their words pricked my spine like needles. They weren’t wrong. I had once been too proud, too convinced that my loyalty could preserve something. I had driven away every man Ethan brought home, believing that at least I was cleaner than he was. And what had that gotten me? Ethan’s mistress was pregnant and flaunting it in my face. What had my pride protected? A divorce agreement? An empty marriage bed? Or a house full of people waiting to laugh at me? I opened the second-floor guest room. “We’re here.” Julian stood in the shadowed hallway, his tall frame half-swallowed by the darkness. I stumbled. A strong arm caught me. “Careful.” I caught the faint scent of mint on him. His hot breath brushed my neck. My back pressed against the heated chest beneath his shirt—and against the hard, rapid beat of his heart. He was nervous. This time, Ethan really had spared no expense. Julian Hart, a former college hockey star, a scholarship student at Columbia Law School, and already holding an offer from a top firm after graduation. He wasn’t some male model Ethan had picked up from a bar, but his face and body were better than any model’s. His handsome features were clean-cut and still carried a trace of youthful innocence. “Did you really come for the money?” “Yes.” His answer was immediate. He didn’t try to defend himself. The old me would have laughed coldly, asked how much he wanted, and paid him to leave. Back then, I had stood on moral high ground as though one touch from him would contaminate me. Yet all the people I had called “unclean” had left. Ethan never came back. Looking at it now, which of them had ever been dirtier than my husband? “Tell the housekeeper if you need anything.” I turned and walked farther into the room. He followed me inside. “My name is Julian,” he said quietly. “I know. Ethan told me.” “I mean…” Julian added softly, “you can do anything you want with me.” I looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “All right. Go shower first.” When I returned to the master bedroom, the divorce agreement Ethan had prepared was sitting on the nightstand. For the past three years, I had turned a blind eye to Ethan’s absurd behavior. Only because something had happened between us three years ago, leaving a rift neither of us knew how to cross. He had his reasons. I had mine. At first, I told him that as long as he didn’t bring those women home, I could tolerate it. Later, I said as long as he didn’t get one of them pregnant, I could still let it go. I yielded step by step. He pushed step by step. Now, perhaps we were both tired of the marriage. There was nothing left to hesitate over. I picked up a pen and signed my name. At that exact moment, the bathroom door opened. Julian stepped out in a white shirt, the ends of his dark-brown hair still damp. The moment he saw me, the tips of his ears turned red again. I looked him over. “Don’t be so shy. Didn’t you say I could do anything I wanted with you?” “Yes.” “Then take off your clothes. Come to my room.”

When Ethan texted me, Julian was sitting on the edge of my bed. My toes rested against the hard lines of his abdomen. He massaged my calf, his fingertips gliding over my skin like a faint electric current. Go to bed early, Ethan wrote. I stared at those three words and found them ridiculous. He had never cared what time I went to sleep before. Why remember now? Because Julian had stayed? Or because he had finally realized that the woman he believed would never touch anyone else might truly walk into another man’s arms? Ethan and his mistress were staying in the guest room beside the master bedroom. My lover was in my bed. This villa, worth tens of millions of dollars, had become an exquisitely decorated landfill. Anyone could live here. I ignored Ethan’s pointless message and crooked a finger at Julian. Julian moved over me, his lean, powerful body pressing mine into the mattress. I heard his soft breathing against my ear. His kisses landed on my forehead, my cheek, and then my lips. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my body rising and falling with his movements. He moved inside me with strength, yet when he lowered his head to kiss me, he was gentle. His deep eyes held mine. “Claire, tell me anytime if you want me to change positions.” My rising body heat was the only answer I gave him. Ethan thought I was still the same Claire I had always been. He thought I wouldn’t dare. That I never would. That I would preserve my so-called loyalty forever. He was wrong. The next morning, my lower back was still sore when I went downstairs. Julian was in the kitchen helping the housekeeper prepare breakfast. The moment he saw me, the spatula nearly slipped from his hand. I smiled. The man who had whispered, “You can do anything you want with me,” and seemed to possess endless strength last night was suddenly shy again this morning. A moment later, Ethan came downstairs. He sat across from me and lifted his coffee. “You’re up early.” He glanced at Julian, then looked at me with an amused smile. “How was last night?” Before I could answer, several people suddenly entered the villa. Mason and a group of Ethan’s friends burst in. “Ethan, who won?” “I bet Julian wouldn’t last until breakfast. Five hundred thousand dollars.” “I bet she threw him out last night. Three-to-one odds, with Ethan holding the book—” Their voices cut off. The moment they saw me, their excitement turned to embarrassment. “Good morning, Claire.” Ethan sipped his coffee leisurely, as though his friends betting on our marriage were something to be proud of. “Sit down.” Then I looked at Julian. “You should go to class.” Julian paused, untied the apron, picked up his coat, and left. As soon as the door closed, Mason lowered his voice and laughed. “See? She threw him out after all.” Someone else said, “Ethan knew it. Claire was only putting on a show.” “A wife should be like Claire. She knows her limits, and she knows how to protect her place.” At those words, Ethan visibly relaxed, faint satisfaction settling over his features. I drew a breath and stepped out of the dining room. At the same moment, Ethan spoke. “Come with me to dinner at the Westchester estate tonight.” “At two this afternoon,” I said, “meet me at the law firm to sign the divorce papers.”

The living room went silent. I placed the signed agreement on the table. “Let’s take care of this first.” Ethan froze for a second, his gaze falling on my signature. I knew what he was thinking. The old me would have torn the agreement apart and demanded through red-rimmed eyes how he could decide to divorce me so easily. Without several rounds of fighting and emotional tug-of-war, we never would have reached the signing stage. But this time, I only looked at him. “Are you coming at two or not?” Ethan leaned lazily back in his chair. “What’s the rush? Didn’t we agree to wait until Chloe’s pregnancy was stable?” “I can’t wait.” Last night, after we had finished, I had lain in Julian’s arms and asked, “I’m done treating this like a game. If I leave Ethan for good, would you want something real with me?” Disbelief flashed across Julian’s face, joy hidden deep in his eyes. He placed my hand against his burning chest. “I’ve wanted something real with you from the moment I walked through that door. But are you really going to divorce Mr. Sterling?” I nodded. “Yes.” Now, the atmosphere in the living room had frozen solid. Ethan still thought I was joking. “Claire, what’s the rush? Are you still half asleep?” “You’d better sign before I change my mind.” Chloe came down the stairs with both hands protectively over her stomach. “Claire, don’t be angry. I just don’t want the media calling my baby illegitimate the moment it’s born.” Her eyes turned red, making her look delicate and pitiful. “The divorce can wait until the pregnancy is stable. Really. I don’t want to force you.” She sounded as though she were more reluctant to end my marriage than I was. Ethan glanced at her, and his expression turned cold. The one thing he could never tolerate was anyone thinking he lacked the courage to face the consequences of his actions. “You think I’m afraid to sign?” He picked up a fountain pen. Mason spoke immediately. “Ethan, don’t do anything reckless.” “Shut up.” Ethan bent over and signed, then threw the pen heavily onto the table. “Everyone here can bear witness. Once the baby is born, Claire and I will remarry.” He stood, leaned close to my ear, and spoke with confident intimacy. “You’re the woman I dragged back from the edge of death.” “What man out there could possibly compare to me? You don’t want anyone but me anyway.” “And you’ll raise this child after it’s born. You’re the only woman fit to be Mrs. Sterling.” I gave a soft laugh. So this was what he called love. I didn’t answer. I picked up the suitcase I had packed long ago and walked out of the villa. Behind me, Chloe asked softly, “What if she really doesn’t come back?” Ethan held an unlit cigar between his fingers and fell silent for a moment. “Claire can’t live without me. She just needs time to cool down.” His expression relaxed. “Once Chloe gives birth, Claire will beg me to remarry her. Want to bet?” His original plan had been for us to keep living together after the divorce. He believed I would remain in the villa, obediently continue acting as his wife, and wait for him to resolve the issue of the child. But I truly left. That was clearly outside his expectations. Even so, he still believed the outcome would not change. “Once your baby is born, my wife’s place goes back to Claire,” Ethan told Chloe. Chloe was far more intelligent than the women Ethan had brought home before. She never sent me taunting messages. She never called to show off that Ethan was beside her. She always seemed innocent and fragile, which made Ethan constantly worry that I would bully her. I had seen women younger, prettier, and far more brazen than Chloe. They were always too eager to drive me out. Only Chloe never fought openly. She moved into my home with a pregnant belly, calling me “Claire” in an affectionate tone, as though we were the best of friends. Still, I should have thanked her for making my decision easier. At one fifty that afternoon, I sat in the conference room of a family-law firm on Park Avenue. I called Ethan for the ninth time. He finally answered. “Where are you?” “I’m with Chloe at a prenatal appointment.” His voice was careless. “The doctor added a few tests at the last minute. I’ll come over when we’re finished.” “We agreed on two.” “The divorce papers aren’t going to grow legs and run away.” He spoke as though soothing an unreasonable child. “We’ll deal with it after Chloe’s appointment.” He hung up. Wait again. For years, I had always been waiting for him. Waiting for meetings to end. Waiting for him to come home from parties. Waiting for him to tire of some woman. Waiting for him to remember he still had a wife. I had cried before. I had made scenes. In the end, one impatient “stop making a fuss” from him was always enough to make me stay. But today, I no longer needed him to reward me by offering not to divorce me. The lawyer entered the conference room. “Mrs. Sterling, would you like to continue waiting for your husband?” I placed my phone facedown on the table. “No.” “Prepare the uncontested divorce filing. If he refuses to cooperate, we’ll proceed with litigation.” “I’ll send you all the financial documents tonight.” The lawyer nodded. “Understood.” For the first time, I realized that stopping the wait was not nearly as difficult as I had imagined.

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I used to be a skin-grafter. My skill at changing faces was so refined it bordered on the uncanny. After helping my husband, Woodrow, secure his position as Godfather, I quietly returned to my old trade as a skin-grafter. Then my Godfather husband came to me with a woman and demanded that I make her look like me, so she could take my place as the Godfather’s wife. In a disguised voice, I asked him, “Does the Godfather understand how brutal a skin-grafting procedure can be?” “Once the original Godfather’s wife is stripped of her skin, her flesh will be exposed. She may go blind… she may live in agony worse than death.” The Godfather glanced at me, his eyes cold as ice. “I don’t care about any of that. Just do it.” My heart felt colder than the knife in my hand. Fortunately, the black robe and mask covered me so completely that he could not recognize me. I understood very quickly. He did not want to give up my father’s arms support, and he could not bear to wrong the girl he truly loved, so he wanted his mistress to wear my face and impersonate me? In that case, there was no need for me to remember the affection of the past seven years. The only person who would return to his side would be me. Since this Godfather, whom my family had raised to power with our own hands, had become disobedient, I would simply replace him. … “Fine.” I toyed with the skinning knife in front of me, my tone flat. “But if you want a new face, you will have to follow my rules.” “During the procedure, this girl and the Godfather’s wife must both live here with me. No one is allowed to disturb us.” Woodrow nodded. “Woodrow, I…” His mistress, Susanna, nestled in his arms and clung to his sleeve, looking frightened and unable to say more. He immediately soothed her in a gentle voice. “Hedda is the cherished daughter of the Taylor family. Their arms are the key to my standing as Godfather. I cannot fall out with her.” “Besides, your identity cannot be brought into the light. This is the best way. Endure it a little longer, and from now on, you will be my Godfather’s wife.” Expectation rose on Susanna’s face, but soon her expression turned worried again. “Then what will happen to Hedda after she becomes crippled?” I was rather curious to know how Woodrow would dispose of me as well, so I lifted my eyes. But Woodrow did not answer. He only dropped a few words of warning, telling me not to breathe a word of this to anyone, then left with Susanna. I called Woodrow back, my tone heavy with meaning. “Godfather, when the Godfather’s wife is brought here, her hair and skin must not be damaged.” I had to make sure I would not be hurt. Without turning back, he said, “Mm. I will bring her tomorrow.” When the door to the hidden chamber closed, I took off my mask and removed the black robe, turning from skin-grafter back into Hedda. I was deeply grateful that I had listened to my father and never told Woodrow that I was the skin-grafter, or that I had family bodyguards of my own. In a cold voice, I instructed my family bodyguard, “Find out who Susanna is. I want to know what sort of girl my husband is protecting so carefully.” “Have Una come here. Tomorrow, she will take my place as the skin-grafter and wait for the Godfather to deliver his people.” Back at the villa, I had just finished making Woodrow a plate of doctored strawberry cakes. Then Woodrow came in carrying a glass of milk. “Hedda, it’s late. Stop working and rest early. I warmed you a glass of milk…” His voice was tender, his gaze lingering, exactly as it had been seven years ago when he asked me to marry him. Back then, he stood beneath the moon with a bouquet of bright red roses and swore that he would never fail me in this life. So I answered that if he never failed me, I would never leave him. Later, when he went on behalf of the family to inspect an out-of-town casino, he accidentally contracted an infectious disease. For five days and nights I did not sleep, studying until I found a cure. Ignoring my family’s pleas and the long distance, I traveled more than a thousand kilometers to reach him. After he recovered, he used my treatment to save the entire casino and smoothly ascended to the position of Godfather. But at the height of his glory, I collapsed from exhaustion and days of worry. When I woke, he was holding the diamond ring his dead mother had left behind, his eyes red as he proposed to me. “Hedda, be my wife. I will be good to you for the rest of my life.” “Without you, never mind becoming Godfather. I might have died in a foreign land.” “As long as you say yes, I will make you the happiest woman in the world, the woman every other woman envies.” But now, blinded by his mistress, he had forgotten that I knew medicine. I soon discovered that the milk in his hand had been drugged. It was the poison he meant to use to send me away to be skinned and turned into a faceless cripple. Seeing that I did not speak, Woodrow lifted the glass to my lips. “Hedda, let me feed you.” I did not resist. Looking at him, I drank every last drop, then curved my lips slightly and smiled. “Woodrow, you’re so good to me.” At my words, guilt surfaced in his eyes. I took the opportunity to pick up the strawberry cakes on the table, my eyes full of anticipation. “Ever since you became Godfather, you’ve been busy with family affairs every day and haven’t been eating properly. I made these cakes myself. Try them.” He finished them without hesitation and praised them again and again. He had no idea that once he ate those strawberry cakes, his reproductive organs would be ruined. My five-year-old son would become his only descendant.

Half an hour later, the drug made my whole body limp. Woodrow carried me to the bed. “Hedda, don’t blame me.” “Your family’s arms partners only recognize the Taylor family. Behind my back, many people say I became Godfather only because of you and the Taylors.” “But you know that I also secured this position through my own ability.” “Susanna is gentler than you, and more obedient. I found a skin-grafter. Susanna will take on your face, and from now on, she will wear your face and take your identity.” “But don’t worry. Even without a face, I will support you and care for you for the rest of your life. Nothing will happen to you…” He held me and repeated, “Nothing will happen to you,” as if trying to convince himself. Using all my strength, I let out a scornful laugh. “Woodrow, I, Hedda, have been married to you for seven years. I exhausted every effort to help you secure your position, and you want to skin me?” “My family searched for suitable arms for you, and you want to move against them?” “You found someone to replace my identity. Your real purpose is to wipe out the Taylor family, isn’t it?” He clenched his fists but did not turn around. “You should know there is no room in my eyes for any threat.” With that, he strode away. I did not dare imagine what would have happened if I had only been Hedda and not the skin-grafter. A taste of blood surged into my throat. Footsteps sounded outside again, and Susanna, exquisitely dressed, walked in. “Hedda, none of your people are here. No one is coming to save you.” “The Godfather originally said you should disappear forever. I was the one who told him to spare your life.” “Even if you become a cripple, you must live well. Watch me become you and take everything from you.” “Once I have a child of my own, I’ll have your son killed. How does that feel? Despairing enough?” Her seductive face twisted with malice. I closed my eyes, too tired to bother with her. Tomorrow Once we reached the hidden chamber, I would make sure she could not die even if she wanted to. “Mother.” The next second, my five-year-old son, Kyle, called to me from the doorway. “Father said you were ill. I came to see you.” Susanna immediately bent close to me. “Keep lying there. I’ll go deal with your son first.” I snapped my eyes open and shouted toward the door, “Kyle, go back! Don’t worry about me!” But the sound I made was almost inaudible. Susanna went out and deliberately raised her voice. “Kyle? The Godfather said the Godfather’s wife is ill and forbade you from coming near. How dare you disobey?” “Since you find it so uncomfortable to stay in your room, then get down to the basement and kneel there. Beg God to let your mother die quickly.” “You lot, drag him to the basement. Do not turn on the lights!” Kyle had been afraid of the dark since he was little. My heart burned with panic. I used all my strength to crawl up, but the moment I got off the bed, I fell flat onto the floor. Outside, Kyle roared, “You are an outsider, and you dare stop me? You dare shout in my mother’s room? I’ll go find my grandfather right now and have him deal with you!” Kyle’s voice was childish, but every word rang firm. After speaking, he turned and ran. I smiled in relief, while Susanna’s voice trembled with rage as she ordered the servants beside her. “Quick! Go tell the Godfather!” Then she turned back to look at me, sprawled on the floor. “Oh my, Hedda, what are you doing? Crawling on the floor like a dog. How ugly.” “To tell you the truth, that little thing won’t be seeing the old Godfather.” “Ever since Woodrow became Godfather, he has slowly replaced everyone around the old Godfather.” I clenched my fists. Let them enjoy their triumph for now. After tonight, I would be the only one playing with them.

But Susanna had no intention of letting me off. She walked toward my most treasured wooden chest. “I hear this is the wedding dress you wore back then?” “How beautiful. I heard your dead mother made it by hand and spent three years sewing it.” She draped the wedding dress over herself and turned once in front of the mirror. “Hedda, do you think the Godfather will like it if I wear this to see him?” The pearls on the dress shimmered under the light. My mother had made it with the last breath of strength left in her body. At the time, she was gravely ill and about to pass away. She said she could not watch me get married, but this wedding dress would accompany me toward happiness in her place. Through gritted teeth, I said, “Put it down!” At some point, Woodrow had appeared in the doorway. He shouted at the same time I did, “Stop!” Susanna’s eyes instantly reddened. “Godfather, from now on I have to wear Hedda’s face and live Hedda’s life. I will never be able to marry you in glory.” “I only wanted to wear Hedda’s wedding dress once. You won’t even allow that?” Woodrow glanced at me lying on the floor. His brows tightened, then loosened, and he gave Susanna a helpless sigh. “Once you take her place as the Godfather’s wife, you will naturally have countless gowns to choose from. A worn wedding dress is not worth your concern.” Susanna let her tears fall pitifully. Woodrow changed his mind again. “Forget it. Hedda won’t have any use for it after this. If you like it, take it.” But Susanna grabbed a pair of scissors and pouted. “I don’t like it now! I want to ruin it, so I won’t feel sad every time I think about not being able to wear a wedding dress.” In the end, Woodrow said only one thing. “As you wish.” The wedding dress split with the sound. Pearls scattered, bouncing and rolling to my feet with bright little clinks. I seemed to see my gravely ill mother working day and night, leaning against the bed, gritting her teeth as she sewed each pearl on stitch by stitch… Tears fell from my eyes. I hated only myself for being unable to protect the last thing my mother had left me. “Why are you crying?” Susanna crouched down and shoved the wedding dress, now cut into pieces, toward me. “I’m giving it back to you, aren’t I?” Woodrow stood beside her, watching without expression. I remembered our wedding day, when he lifted my veil and looked at me with burning eyes. “Hedda, you are so beautiful, and so is the dress.” “When we are old, wear it for me again.” Only seven years had passed, and he had forgotten it completely. He had also forgotten how he swore before my mother’s grave that he would never let me suffer even the smallest grievance. I reached out and gathered the dress into my arms piece by piece, murderous intent churning in my heart. Susanna ran excitedly back to the chest and rummaged through it. The bracelet my mother left me, the gold necklace my father made, the jewels my brother gave me, all were taken out one by one. Finally, she held up a diamond ring flecked with impurities. “Hedda, you’re the daughter of the biggest arms dealer. Why would you keep something so cheap?” I squeezed out a sound like air through a broken bellows. “Heh… Before Woodrow married me, the Godfather barely remembered he had this son. This cheap thing was all he could give me as a proposal ring. It was our token of love.” My voice was very soft. But I bit hard on the words “cheap” and “token of love.” Woodrow snatched the ring, his face changing several times. Perhaps he was unwilling to admit that only because my father and I used all the resources of the Taylor family did he ever have the chance to stand before the old Godfather. Even less was he willing to remember that, when he pledged his love to me, he had nothing of value on him at all. Only this diamond ring his mother had left behind. “Woodrow.” Susanna whined unhappily, “You’re holding that ring so tightly. Are you still thinking about your old feelings for Hedda? Do you think I’m in the way now?” Woodrow looked down at me from above and stuffed the ring into Susanna’s hand. “I only thought of my mother. It was something she left behind. Keep it for me.” “Let’s go. Tomorrow, she has to be delivered to the skin-grafter without a scratch. Let her spend her last night properly.” I was carried back to the bed again. Susanna took Woodrow’s arm and walked to the door, then turned back and smiled at me. “Hedda, after tomorrow, your face will be mine.” I carved that smile into my heart. I hoped she would still be able to smile after enduring the pain of being skinned.

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They used to say I was the most spoiled woman in the Rockclaw Pack.Kane made sure of that. He chased me for ten years—ten relentless years—transforming from an eager young heir into the Alpha every wolf respected…and feared.And yet,when I so much as frowned,that terrifying man would soften like melting snow. Everyone thought I’d be his Luna.Hell,so did I. But love—real love—should never feel like a knife twisting between your ribs. And Kane?He betrayed me.Three times. The first time was at the annual Tribal Alliance dinner. They said it was a setup—that Kane had been drugged,caught in a tangle with Omega Lilian.But when I found out,I still packed up our engagement with shaking hands.He exiled her the very next night. Then he stood outside my wooden house for three straight days and nights,shivering in the cold. “Julia,I was wrong,”he rasped through cracked lips.”Just…believe in me one more time.Just this once.” I looked at him and saw the boy who once hiked through a blizzard to find snow lotuses for me,nearly freezing to death just to see me smile. So,I forgave him. God help me—I believed him. The second time?Worse. I walked into the healing room,expecting a routine report.Instead,I found him sitting beside Lilian again—this time for a pup checkup. When our eyes met,he jumped to his feet,gripping my shoulders like he could hold me still through sheer will. “A few weeks ago,I got into a car accident,”he explained quickly.”She threw herself in front of me—saved my life.” His voice dropped.”She got pregnant…and when Grandma Jennifer announced to the entire council that the pack never abandons its bloodline…I knew I had no choice.” He rested his chin on my head,like he always did when he was desperate. “Don’t leave me.Once the pup is born,I’ll send her away—to the Ice Plains.She’ll never come near you again.” I wanted to scream.I wanted to hate him. But all I could think was:He promised me once,“My word is law.” So again,I stayed. The third time was the one that shattered me. We were both bidding at the pack’s charity auction—for the old pocket watch that had belonged to my mother. It was her only keepsake,worn smooth with her fingerprints.But Kane kept bidding,raising the price higher and higher…until he used his Alpha privilege to claim it outright. And then? He turned around and gave it…to Lilian. I stormed into his tent,fury burning hotter than the sun. But he just rubbed the bridge of his nose,the scent of her still clinging to his clothes. “She’s been anxious lately,”he muttered,like it justified everything.”Holding the watch helps her relax.Julia,just…let her have it.” Something in me snapped. I laughed—sharp,bitter,broken. “Why should I’let her’?”I asked,my voice shaking with rage. His brows pulled together in frustration.”Don’t be childish.Lilian’s due soon.After the pup is born,everything will go back to normal.” Normal?Did he actually believe we could just pretend?That I could forget every blade he buried in my back? “Kane…”I started,but I didn’t even finish before her voice pierced the air. “Kane…it hurts…” Lilian stood just outside the tent,one hand clutching her belly,the other bracing against the pole.”I slipped…the baby…” Kane didn’t hesitate.He pushed me aside—literally shoved me—and ran to her. “KANE!”I screamed after him. But he never looked back. He carried her away like I had never mattered. And as I stood there,laughing and crying at the same time,one thing became painfully clear:He’d never let her go. Not after she saved his life.Not with their pup on the way.So what did that make me?A placeholder?A fool? Blood trickled from the wound on my temple as I leaned against the stone table. The Gamma approached quietly. “Returning to camp,Julia?” I didn’t hesitate.”No,”I said.”I’m going to the altar.To break the bond.” Two hours later,I stood outside the healing ward with the severance contract in hand. Kane had stationed guards outside Lilian’s door like she was the Moon Goddess herself.Healers came and went under his personal inspection. He even arranged three security layers—one for her,one for the unborn child,and one for his guilt. “I want warm blueberry muffins,”Lilian said inside,in that soft,pathetic voice of hers. Kane stood immediately.”Wait here.I’ll have the chef make them fresh.” He brushed past me in the hallway without even meeting my eyes. I stepped inside the ward.Lilian blinked up at me with teary eyes. “Julia…I didn’t mean to take your pocket watch.Kane gave it to me,but…his heart’s still with you.I swear.” I sighed.”There’s no need to perform.It’s just us here.” Her fake tears froze. “You came back with a pregnancy,knowing Kane’s loyalty would trap him.You knew exactly what you were doing.” I dropped the document onto her lap. “This is our bond dissolution agreement.If I hand this to Kane,he won’t sign it.But you…you’ll find a way.Get him to sign it without realizing it.You’ve got one shot.Don’t screw it up.” She stared at the contract for a long while before slowly lifting it,a victorious gleam in her eyes. “Thank you,Julia,”she whispered.”For giving us a complete family.” I forced a smile.”Then I hope you stay happy…forever.” — Back at camp,I dug out a small wooden box.Everything Kane ever gave me—every lie,every illusion—was inside. The first thing I pulled out was a tiger tooth pendant.He gave it to me when he was ten,after his first successful hunt. “I’ll protect you from now on,”he’d promised,eyes wide with pride. The second item—a dried snow lotus petal.On my fifteenth birthday,every girl in the pack got gifts. But mine?Mine came with a note that said,“Only accept what’s mine.” He had already started warding off any male who looked at me. The third?A bone ring set with wolf fur and a moonstone. He placed it on my finger under a full moon and whispered,“In this life,Julia,I belong only to you.” I believed him.I really did.But Lilian changed everything. I closed the box.Tossed it into the incinerator without a second thought. — The next morning,I was woken by the sound of voices outside. I stepped out to see servants unloading crates—boxes of Omega nutrient tonics,limited-edition shoes and gowns,rare accessories…Lilian stood in the center of it all,her hands wringing together in mock modesty. “Kane,this is all too much…” He just smiled and ruffled her hair.”You deserve the best.When you’re happy,the pup’s happy.” Then he saw me.His expression faltered. “Julia,”he said,like nothing had happened.”I didn’t get anything for you this time.But next time—name it.I’ll bring it for you.” I didn’t respond. Before I could speak,Lilian walked over with a soft smile.”Actually,Kane…I prepared something for Julia.” She handed me a folder. Inside was the bond dissolution agreement—signed.His signature matched the one from our original bond. Just like that,it was over. No words.No goodbye.No apology. Just a name on paper.And a woman who’d finally had enough.

Lilian actually did it.She got him to sign it. Good. They could finally play house now—Alpha,Omega,and their precious pup.And me?I was no one’s Luna anymore.No one’s anything. I was just Julia.And that was enough. Kane’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “What was in that paper bag you just hid?”he asked,his tone sharper than usual.”Some surprise I wasn’t supposed to know about?” I instinctively tucked the bag behind my back. His eyes narrowed,his voice low and disapproving.”Since when did you start keeping secrets from me?What else don’t I know,Julia?” I met his gaze,calm and unflinching. “Oh please,”I scoffed.”You’ve never lied to me?If I hadn’t walked in on you that day,would you have ever told me Lilian was pregnant?” He didn’t deny it.Just turned his head slightly,eyes drifting toward the woman curled up on the sofa. Then he said it—his voice casual,like we were talking about the weather. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d never leave me.We love each other too much,right?” I stared at him.Speechless. So that’s what I was to him—a guarantee.Not a partner.Not a choice.Just someone who’d never walk away,no matter how deep the betrayal. Behind him,Lilian dabbed at her eyes,her shoulders trembling delicately. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to stay.But when Kane looks at me like that…how could I walk away?” I didn’t respond.I just watched. She kept going,her voice quivering just right. “I was scared too…but Kane’s grandmother,Jennifer,she insisted I keep the baby once she found out.If it weren’t for her…” “That’s enough,”Kane said quietly,placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.”None of this is your fault.” I didn’t want to hear any more.I turned toward the door. “Where are you going?”he asked,catching up to block my path. “Out,”I said simply.”To the snow plain.I need some air.” He looked at the rain pelting the windows.”Don’t go far.I’ll drive you.” Then,as if on autopilot,he turned to the servants. “Lilian’s sensitive to the cold—raise the heat.Make sure she gets her medicine on time.No spicy food,the therapist said it could trigger complications…” He kept going,listing every instruction like a man who’d already assumed his role as husband and father. Once he finally slid into the car,I got in beside him. For a while,neither of us spoke. Then I turned to him with a faint smile.”You’ll make a great father,Kane.” He stiffened,clearly not expecting that. He reached for my wrist,his touch warm,familiar. “Don’t say things like that,”he murmured.”You know I’ll only ever acknowledge a pup born from you.” I didn’t respond. His hand was steady and strong—but I felt nothing.No comfort.No security.No warmth. Just silence,and the sound of rain against the glass,trickling like the tears I refused to shed. “What exactly are you doing on the snow plain in this weather?”he asked finally,breaking the quiet. I opened my mouth to answer—But then his communicator lit up. Lilian.”Kane…my stomach…it hurts so bad…” Her voice was thin,panicked,breaking. I watched the color drain from Kane’s face,panic tightening every line. “Don’t worry,I’m coming,”he said,then turned to me. “I can’t take you there.Go alone.” He didn’t wait for my reply.Just stepped on the gas and vanished into the rain. Didn’t even look back. I stood there for a while,the cold biting through my coat.Then I laughed,quietly. “If you’d waited just a few more minutes,Kane,you would’ve known.But that’s the problem,isn’t it?You never wanted to know.” — The walk to the snow plain was long and quiet.Not a single car passed me. My boots crunched through the snow.Rain blurred my vision.I couldn’t tell if the wet streaks on my cheeks were tears or just the storm. When I finally reached the Moon Goddess’s Altar,I was soaked to the bone. But I didn’t hesitate. I handed the elder the parchment. He studied it for a long time before asking gently,”Is this an official request to dissolve the mate bond?” I nodded. A heavy pause stretched between us. “You understand,”he said slowly,”there’s a mandatory twenty-day waiting period.If it’s not withdrawn in that time,the bond will be permanently severed.Have you truly made peace with this?” I smiled.My fingers were stiff as I retrieved the faded copy of our mating vow—the one I used to sleep with under my pillow. I’d made peace the moment he chose her over me for the third time. — When I stepped out of the altar valley,the rain had stopped. Sunlight pierced through the heavy clouds,glinting off the snow like diamonds.It was blinding…and strangely beautiful. So maybe life without a mate wasn’t endless storm and shadow after all. Maybe…I’d be okay. By the time I returned to the villa,night had fallen.Not a single light was on.Then I heard it. A voice drifting softly from upstairs. “And finally,Winnie the Bear hid the honey pot inside the tree hollow and whispered,’It’s my secret now…’” Kane.Reading Lilian a story.A pre-birth story.I didn’t move.Didn’t breathe. Then I turned and walked to my room. Changed.Laid down.Closed my eyes. My throat burned.My skin was flushed.Fever had started creeping in.”Water…” I whispered into the empty dark.No one came. From next door,Lilian’s sweet voice rang out again.”I hope the baby looks like you—kind and smart.” Kane chuckled.”I’d be happy either way.Your heart…your goodness…that’s what matters.” I stared at the ceiling,motionless.Two people…behind one wall…planning a future that had nothing to do with me. I forced myself to get up. Reached for the glass on my nightstand.My hand trembled.The glass slipped and shattered on the floor. I sank to the edge of the bed,gasping through the heat.Found the medicine.Took it dry. Their laughter didn’t stop. And suddenly,I remembered.Years ago,during tribal training,I had gotten sick.A fever so high,I could barely speak. Kane crossed the warning line that night—risked being punished just to bring me medicine and water. He sat by my side all night,gently stroking the back of my neck.”If I could trade places with you,I would.I’d rather be the one hurting.” My eyes burned. “Kane…Do you even remember?Or did those words die the moment she walked back into your life?”

“Julia,are you awake?”Kane’s voice cut through the fog in my mind. I blinked my eyes open and saw him leaning over me,his expression tight with worry. “You had a fever all night—why didn’t anyone call me?”he asked,his voice hoarse,as if he’d been running or shouting.“I came by to check,and you weren’t responding…I thought I was too late.” But you were too late,weren’t you? “I’m fine now,”I said flatly,pulling my hand from his. His brow creased.“Are you mad at me?” I shook my head.“No.” “Julia…”He moved closer,his voice softening.“You always go quiet when you’re upset.I can tell.” I didn’t respond. For a moment,he just stared at me.Then,like a reflex,he leaned in and brushed a kiss against my forehead.“Didn’t you say you wanted to go horseback riding on the snow plains?The weather’s clear.Let’s go.” He stood and began gathering my clothes,moving through the room like he still belonged here,like nothing had changed between us. I didn’t protest.I didn’t help either.I just moved through the motions—getting dressed,brushing my hair,washing up—like I was back in the old days,playing the role of the obedient partner I used to be. We were just about to head downstairs when a soft knock came at the door. “Are you two…going out?”Lilian stood in the doorway,her hands resting gently on her rounded belly. “I’ve never been to the snow plains stable,”she said with a small smile.“Do you mind if I come along?I promise I’ll ride slow.” Kane hesitated.His jaw tightened.“It’s probably not safe to go too far right now.” She looked down,stroking her stomach tenderly.“I just feel so cooped up inside.It’s starting to affect my mood,and…that’s not good for the baby.” I didn’t wait for his decision.I just turned and walked downstairs. And just like I expected,when I climbed into the car,she was right behind me,helped in by Kane himself—gentle,cautious,attentive. The whole ride there,he hovered around her like a guardian angel,adjusting her scarf when the wind got strong,checking her seatbelt twice,making sure she was comfortable. At the stables,the horses had already been prepared. I chose a calm brown mare and adjusted the saddle myself,tying the reins with steady hands.I didn’t want anyone’s help.Not anymore. Lilian picked a sleek black horse.Its hooves echoed ominously against the snowy ground.The stable hand warned it could be temperamental. But she just smiled.“It doesn’t mind me.We’re already familiar.” Kane didn’t stop her. Instead,he crouched and secured her gear himself,murmuring,“Don’t go too fast.Take it easy,alright?” That voice. Those hands. They used to be mine. I stood quietly,invisible,watching him care for her the way he used to care for me.Watching my old life play out in front of me…without me in it. I mounted my horse without a word. I remembered being twenty and terrified the first time I tried to ride.Kane had held the reins with me and whispered in my ear,“Don’t be scared.I’m right behind you.Always.” He was still here now.Only,the person he was behind…wasn’t me anymore. He turned to say something,but his communicator buzzed in his hand. He looked between us.“I need to take this.Julia,stay close to her.Make sure she doesn’t wander off.” I didn’t answer.Just guided my horse away. Lilian followed. Then her voice drifted over to me.“Julia?” I turned slightly. “What happens if two horses collide?”she asked,tone far too casual. Before I could respond,she jerked her reins hard and charged at me. My horse reared up with a terrified neigh,hooves clawing the air.I held tight,but the sudden force was too much.My balance slipped and my mare bolted,galloping wildly across the snow-covered field. Out of the corner of my eye,I saw Lilian fall—conveniently,softly. “Lilian!”Kane’s voice cracked with panic. I turned my head just in time to see him sprint across the field like his life depended on it.He caught her before she hit the ground,holding her tightly,checking her for injuries,barking orders for help. “Kane!”I yelled,desperate. But the wind swallowed my voice. He didn’t even glance in my direction.Didn’t even look.He carried her away like nothing else mattered. Then I heard it—thundering hooves. A group of horses had broken free,charging straight toward me like an avalanche.I tried to grip the reins again,but they slipped through my fingers.The saddle bucked.I lost control. And then—everything went white. I felt myself lift into the air,as if time had slowed. And in that moment,I remembered his promise:”Julia,as long as you call my name,I will turn back.” But I had called. And he didn’t turn back. The impact was brutal. I hit the ground with a sickening crack,the cold seeping straight into my bones as the world spun and the pain hit me like a tidal wave. Lying in the snow,my body broken and breath knocked from my lungs,I watched as Kane disappeared into the distance,carrying her into the car like she was the most fragile,precious thing in the world. So careful. So protective. So hers. When she fell—someone caught her. When I fell—there was only snow.

I woke up in agony. My entire body ached like I’d been trampled by a stampede—which,come to think of it,wasn’t far from the truth. The sharp scent of antiseptic clung to the air.I blinked up at the unfamiliar white ceiling,confusion tugging at the edges of my foggy mind. Then I turned my head—and saw him. Kane. He was sitting beside the bed,eyes shadowed with exhaustion,the blue-tinged hollows beneath them deep and bruised.The moment our eyes met,his shoulders sagged in visible relief. “You’re finally awake,”he breathed,placing his hand gently against my forehead.His voice was low,soft—too soft.”Where does it hurt?” I parted my lips to speak,but my throat was dry.Scratchy.Useless. The last thing I remembered was screaming his name as the horses charged—screaming for him.Watching helplessly as he ran…in the opposite direction. To save Lilian. He hadn’t looked back. Now,sitting here beside me,he must’ve felt the weight of my silence,the sting of my wordless accusation.Still,he chose not to face it.He glanced away and said,too casually,”Lilian’s a little hurt.You know how fragile her health is.” Right.Of course.Fragile Lilian. I just stared at him. He cleared his throat and added,”The blood bank’s running low.And your blood type matches hers…” My chest tightened. He leaned closer,taking my hand,his voice lowering into a hoarse whisper.”I know you don’t like her…but Julia,you’ve always been the stronger one.You never hold things against me,right?” I blinked at him,my heart slowly curling in on itself. He was right.I’d never truly fought him.Never screamed.Never said no.I’d always been the one who understood,the one who forgave. But not this time. Something in me cracked. I yanked my hand away from his like it burned,the sudden movement wrenching at something inside me.Pain exploded through my side and I gasped,clenching the sheet in my fist. “Julia…”His voice cracked,gravelly and desperate.”Just this once,okay?Once.After the baby’s born,things can go back to normal—if that still means anything to you.” I stared down at the hand he’d just held.It didn’t even feel like mine anymore.And his…his looked like it belonged to a stranger. Just yesterday,this man left me to die under a storm of hooves. Now,he wanted me to save someone else? A knock came from the door.One of the healers peeked in and said quietly,“Alpha Kane,Miss Lilian can’t wait much longer.” His eyes flickered—frustration flashing beneath the concern. “Julia,please don’t make this harder than it has to be—” He caught himself.For once,he realized how hollow he sounded.His tone softened.“Come on.I’ll go with you.Please.” I didn’t answer. Didn’t fight. Just got up and followed him. The moment the needle slid into my arm,I stared blankly at the ceiling.I didn’t flinch.Didn’t cry.Didn’t even blink.Whatever the healer was saying sounded like background noise underwater. All I could hear was a memory—one that wouldn’t let go: “Julia,wherever you go,I’ll be right behind you.” He said that when he was twenty. Now? Now,he was outside the room,checking his watch over and over,not even bothering to come in and see how I was holding up. When it was over,I stood on shaky legs,blood loss making everything tilt.But I didn’t ask for help.I walked back to my room alone. Halfway there,I paused. Lilian’s door was slightly ajar.Something made me look. She was pale,her wrist wrapped in gauze.Kane sat at her bedside,gently pulling the blanket up around her like she was made of glass. “Don’t worry,”he whispered.“Everything’s okay now.The pup is safe too.” My gaze slid to her neck—and my stomach dropped. She was wearing his silver plate. The one he used to wear around his neck.The one I had knelt in the snow for three years ago,praying beneath the stars before clasping it around his neck with trembling hands. “Let it keep you safe,for the rest of your life,”I had whispered. Now it was hers. He had given away the very thing I begged the heavens to protect him with…to another woman. And she wore it like it belonged to her. I turned and walked away before I did something I’d regret. The next day,the healer brought me a clipboard. “Time to finalize your medical records,”she said,not unkindly. I filled in my name.Age.Species.Pack. When I got to”Marital Status,”my pen hovered. Then I wrote slowly,firmly:Unmarried. The healer blinked.“Wait—did you make a mistake?Isn’t Kane your mate?” I looked her dead in the eye,my voice calm.“No.” The door burst open. Kane stood in the doorway,disbelief written all over his face.“What did you just say?”

The healing room fell into an uneasy silence. The healer quietly closed her medicine kit and muttered under her breath,“I’ll come back later.” The soft click of the door shutting behind her left only Kane and me in the room,with a heavy tension hanging in the air between us. “Still mad at me?”he asked,stepping closer.His voice had softened,but the usual commanding edge in his eyes remained. He reached up like he was going to touch my cheek—gentle,hesitant—but I turned my head away,avoiding him.His fingers hovered in the empty space for a second before they slowly dropped. “I never meant to hurt you,”he said quietly.“But Lilian’s condition was critical.I couldn’t be in two places at once.” I closed my eyes,not wanting to see the guilt—or lack of it—in his expression. Then his voice dipped lower,calculated and cautious.“Julia…I came to ask for a favor.” I opened my eyes,already knowing what was coming.“Let me guess—Lilian again?” He didn’t deny it.He didn’t even look guilty. “She’s been having trouble keeping food down,”he said,like it was the most reasonable thing in the world.“She asked for your blueberry pie.Just until she gives birth.Then everything can go back to normal.We’ll go back to us.I’m doing this for our future.Can’t you understand that?” I stared at him,stunned by how easily the words rolled off his tongue—how casually he asked me to bake a pie for the woman he betrayed me with. Something inside me felt hollow.Numb. But I nodded anyway.“I’ll have someone send it over once I’m discharged.” Relief swept over his face like I’d just given him the moon.He leaned in and kissed my forehead.“I knew it.Deep down,you still care about us.” I didn’t react. The day I left the healing center,I gave my recipe to the head chef and had a servant deliver the pie to the estate. Then I started packing. A few days later,Kane came home unexpectedly in the afternoon. “Is Lilian still in the healing wing?”I asked. “She’s getting her follow-up tests,”he said,avoiding eye contact. I didn’t pry. He reached for my hand.“Don’t worry about packing.I’ve planned a trip to the snow mountains.Just you and me.We’re leaving now.” I didn’t have time to ask questions.He was already leading me out the door,his grip firm,his pace urgent. The drive was quiet—eerily so. He didn’t make his usual small talk.No smug smiles.Just the sound of tires against asphalt and his steady breathing. By the time we pulled up to the cabin at the base of the mountains,night had fully fallen.The sky was pitch black,stars hidden behind thick clouds. “I left something in the trunk,”he said,stepping out.“Wait here.” I nodded and stood at the door,clutching my coat around me,watching as he disappeared into the darkness. The wind picked up.Minutes dragged by.My fingers were starting to go numb from the cold. I pulled out my phone and called him. “How much longer?”I asked softly.My breath fogged the screen. There was silence. Then his voice came through—low and cold.“I’m not coming back.” I froze. “…What?” “There was something wrong with the blueberry pie,”he said flatly.“It was laced with an inhibitor.Lilian nearly miscarried.Did you really think no one would find out?” My throat tightened.“You think I poisoned it?” “She only ate your pie that day,”he said,like that was all the proof he needed. “You didn’t even ask me,”I whispered.“You just decided.” A pause.“You’ve changed,Julia.” My voice cracked.“So have you.” Then—click.He hung up. I stood there,alone,the wind howling through the trees,yanking at my coat like icy fingers.And then I heard it—a low rumble,deep and threatening. The mountain groaned. An avalanche. Panic surged in my chest.I turned and ran,but I didn’t get far.The snow came down like a tidal wave,swallowing everything in its path—including me. I hit the ground hard,buried under a suffocating weight of snow.My limbs ached,my breaths came shallow,my fingers trembling as I fumbled for my communicator. I dialed his number.Once.Twice.Four times. Seven. Finally—someone picked up. “Kane,”I gasped.“There’s an avalanche,I—” “Hello?”A woman’s voice. Lilian. “The signal’s bad.Who is this?” I tried to speak,but then I heard Kane’s voice in the background.“Who’s calling?” “Wrong number,”Lilian said sweetly.“Don’t worry.Keep reading to the baby.” The line went dead. My phone slipped from my hand,disappearing into the snow. And so did I. The last thing I remembered before the darkness took me was Kane’s voice from that night,whispering like a promise:“Julia,in this life,you’ll never escape me.” Now,he had left me to die—buried me himself.

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“I’ll say it one last time—if that acquisition doesn’t go through before the quarterly report,we pull out of the entire northern market.” I sat at the head of the table,eyes sweeping across the board. “I’ve already lowered the base price.What’s left is whether you have the guts to bet.” The Delta on the other end froze for a second,then started to speak,but I cut him off with a wave. “No excuses.Thirty minutes.That’s all you get.” “Yes,Luna,”he muttered. I ended the call and leaned back,exhaling.Just as I was about to stand,a sharp chime came from my terminal. 【Did you see Felicity’s wedding post?Are you really not coming?】 My brow furrowed. The high school group chat—dead for ten years—had come alive like a zombie. 【She’s marrying an Alpha of Blackthron Pack!Hundreds of luxury cars at the wedding!The whole class is here!】 【You still alive?Haven’t spoken in a century—how miserable are you?】 I glanced at the terminal,my finger swiping out of reflex…and then I saw it. My heart skipped a beat. Felicity in a white gown,beaming with joy.Standing beside her,in a tailored tuxedo—Logan. My husband. The office fell into a dead silence. “You okay?”My Beta Anna knocked and stepped in.“The board just wrapped up—next up is…” “Anna,”I interrupted,my voice icily calm.“Tell the driver to bring the car around.” She paused.“Where to?” I slid my phone across the desk. She saw the photo and gasped.“Holy hell…is that Logan?” I smiled,but there was no warmth in it. “Looks like I’ve got a wedding to crash.” In the car,I dialed Logan’s number. “Hey?”He sounded casual. “Where are you?” “At work.Client dinner.Why?” “Dinners usually involve wedding tuxedos?”I asked,voice like steel. He paused for two seconds.“You saw the picture.” “Want to explain?”I said flatly.“You’re marrying someone else.And that someone is my old classmate.” “Meghan.”He sighed.“You know our marriage was just a family arrangement…” “You married me to gain a seat on the Holloway board,”I snapped.“How long have you and Felicity been screwing around?” “Don’t make a scene,”he said,voice lower.“Let’s end this gracefully.” I almost laughed.“Gracefully?After you cheated,lied,and married my enemy?” There was a pause,then a quiet chuckle.“Let’s not pretend we were ever in love.” He hung up. I stared at the black screen,fingers digging into my palm. At the wedding hall. I walked in wearing black.Like a storm wrapped in silk. Felicity was in the middle of the crowd,glowing like a star.When she saw me,her smile brightened. “Meghan!You came!”she chirped.“I thought you’d hide!” I stepped forward,eyes locked on Logan. He stiffened.“You shouldn’t be here.” Felicity hooked her arm in his.“She’s my classmate—and your…old friend.Of course she should come.” “Really?”I leaned in close,whispering,“You stole my husband and want me to clap for you?” She grinned.“Let go,Meghan.He chose me.” I turned to Logan.“Say it to my face.Did you marry me?” His jaw clenched.“Yes.” “Then what the hell is this today?” He said nothing. Felicity tilted her head.“Just love,darling.” I tore up the invitation in my hand and let the pieces scatter at their feet. “Remember this,”I said,voice cold as ice.“This isn’t the end.It’s the beginning.” That night,back at home. I stood on the balcony,staring at the moon. A silver light bathed my skin.Then I heard it—a voice,ancient and powerful,echoing from nowhere. “True-blooded Luna,your time has come.Awaken.” I spun around—empty. But my heart was pounding. I looked up at the moon,lips curling into a calm,dangerous smile. “Very well,Felicity.” “You want everything I have?” “Then prepare to lose everything you’ve ever known.”

“Welcome!Are you a friend of the bride?” The hostess at the entrance greeted me with a dazzling smile. I took off my sunglasses and met her gaze. Her smile froze instantly. I didn’t answer.I walked straight inside. The venue was a parade of decadence—crystal chandeliers dripped with imported flowers,a red carpet led to a glass altar,and a dozen photographers circled the couple like vultures around royalty. And there she was—Felicity Simons—draped in a wedding gown that shimmered like sunrise,standing beside my husband,smiling like she owned the world. Logan leaned down to kiss her on the forehead,the cameras eating it up like they were the perfect couple. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and stepped forward. The buzz in the room dimmed.Chatter faded.All eyes turned as I approached. Felicity spotted me.Her smile flickered—then returned,wider,almost gloating. “Oh!Meghan?”she chirped.“I thought you wouldn’t dare show up!” “You asked me to handle cleanup,didn’t you?”I replied sweetly.“Figured I’d come see what mess needs mopping.” Logan walked over,tension creeping across his face.“What are you doing here?” “Attending the wedding of my‘friend’and my husband,”I said,locking eyes with him.“Got a problem with that,sweetheart?” Silence rippled across the room. Guests began whispering: “Wait—is she really Logan’s wife?” “I heard it was just a business marriage…yikes.” “This is getting wild…” Felicity didn’t flinch.She looped her arm through Logan’s. “Oh Meghan,don’t be so dramatic.We just happened to find happiness first.” I stared her down.“Sleeping with someone else’s husband is happiness to you?” “Correction,”she smiled,“your ex-husband.Divorce papers are filed.Just waiting on your signature.” “You really do love promotion.”I snorted.“From‘classmate’to‘sister’to‘bride’—quite the ladder you’ve climbed.” Her face twitched.“So,you know.” I leaned in close.“You thought you could hide it forever?” “Felicity Simons,”I said slowly,“you’re the illegitimate daughter of my father and a fallen wolf tribe woman.You were never a Simons.You’re a Holloway.” Her pupils trembled,but she kept smiling.“And yet,even as your sister,Logan chose me.” I turned to Logan.“Do you even know who she is?Do you care how she wormed her way into your life?What do you love more—her pedigree or the pup in her belly?” Logan stayed quiet,gripping Felicity’s hand tighter. “You’re pregnant?”I looked at her. She stroked her stomach proudly.“Three months.You never could conceive,right?Guess Alpha blood only works for true love.” I nodded.“How poetic.” Then I pulled a folded ultrasound from my clutch and flung it at her. “Too bad I’m pregnant too.Two weeks ahead of you.” Gasps exploded from the crowd. Felicity’s expression shattered.Even Logan’s mask cracked. I addressed the guests: “I endured all his betrayal and coldness because I once believed I’d chosen him.But now I see—he was never a partner.Just a parasite.Feeding off my family,my position,and my name.” I looked Logan straight in the eye.“You weren’t beneath me—you were never even worthy of me.” Finally,he spoke,voice low.“Meghan,calm down…this isn’t what you think—” “Isn’t what I think?”I laughed,voice shaking with fury.“Then explain the wedding tux,the vows,the kissing photos.Is this some twisted theatre piece?” He hesitated,glancing at Felicity. I stepped closer,voice like a blade.“You’ve been planning this escape,haven’t you?” A pause. “You know our marriage was never real,”he said softly. “Don’t feed me that family-arranged crap,”I snapped.“You were the one camped outside my pack begging for attention.The one who begged to come to the Alpha council banquet.The one who called me‘Luna’in bed while promising forever.” His jaw clenched.“I never said I didn’t love you.” “You never did,”I said,seething.“You loved the board seat.You loved the Beta pass I gave you.You loved what I built—and you stole every bit of it.” His voice turned cold.“And you?You used me too—as your husband’s title for your own leverage.” I laughed.“If I were using someone,I’d pick a far better option than you.” Felicity tried to step in.“Alright,that’s enough.Don’t torture yourself like this,Meghan—” I turned on her.“Shut up.You don’t get to play peacemaker in the story you ruined.” I stepped right up to Logan,locking eyes with him. “You chose betrayal.Don’t expect mercy.I’ll make sure you never take another step in wolf society.Even if you crawl to the fallen tribes,I’ll see to it that you stay an Omega forever—unawakened.Forgotten.” Logan’s face finally dropped. I turned and walked down the aisle,my heels biting into the red carpet like punishment. That night,in the Holloway estate. I sat on the balcony,scrolling through dozens of voice messages from Felicity. 【You think this is over?】 【You don’t have the guts to keep that pup.】 【You think you’re the main character?Please.I’m the one your daddy left behind.Not you.】 I played every one,calm as ice. “Anna,”I said,lifting my phone. “Yes,Luna?” “I need a drone,a paternity test,a hidden camera file,and—contact Elias.” “…Beta Elias?Are you sure?” “Tell him,”I said,smiling.“The game’s about to begin.” Outside,the moon blazed too brightly.Silver light poured over me like judgment. And then—time seemed to freeze. Lunara’s voice echoed,powerful and cold: “She seeks to steal your destiny,not knowing— the true Luna cannot be replaced.” I closed my eyes and whispered back: “Then I’ll rip their masks off,one by one.”

Felicity stormed after me down the aisle,one heel missing,gown dragging behind her like a broken promise. “You can’t be pregnant!”she hissed,catching up to me.“Pack doctor said after that accident you—” I held a finger to my lips and smirked.“Shhh.Looks like you’ve been snooping more than I thought.” Her pupils shrank.“You planned this?” “Pregnancy is a blessing from the Moon Goddess,”I said coolly.“You think your tricks would be enough to steal Logan and the Alpha bloodline all to yourself?” She trembled with fury,lips pale. I turned,walking toward the exit. “Watch yourself,Meghan,”she called after me,voice suddenly smooth.“You think I’m your only enemy?You don’t even know who you are.” I stopped. She smiled—sweet and venomous. “Maybe you should ask your mother how she found out about me in the first place.” I turned back slowly.“My mother knows about you?” “Of course she does,”Felicity said,stepping closer.“You think I just coincidentally transferred to your school that year?You were thirteen,remember?Just brought back from foster care into the Holloway estate.And I—well,I was placed right next to you.” Something flickered in the back of my mind—long-forgotten images. A girl who mimicked my clothes,copied my handwriting,even stole my lunchbox.Teachers said we were“like sisters.” She pressed on.“Remember those nightmares you had?Someone stealing your father’s hugs?Not dreams,Meghan.Memories.” My throat burned. “You’re lying.” “Am I?”Her grin widened.“Then go get a DNA test.See if we share the same father.” My fists clenched.“You’ve hated me since we were kids?” She tilted her head.“Not hate.Jealousy.I have your blood,but not your face,not your title.Not your throne.” I looked at her for a long second. “So you didn’t just want Logan,”I said softly.“You wanted to erase me completely.” Her voice was almost a whisper.“You said it yourself—wolves honor bloodlines and fate.And while you were busy believing you were chosen…I’d already stolen your destiny.” I walked away without another word. Back at the estate,I unlocked a door I hadn’t opened since coming of age—the family archives,sealed with the Holloway crest. Tonight,I needed answers. Scrolls,letters,records covered the shelves like ancient bones.I found a letter written in my father’s own hand: “Regarding F.S.,her existence must be concealed.Her mother,of fallen blood,ensnared me years ago…a daughter was born…” My fingers trembled. He’d admitted it. I pulled out a silver ring—Holloway’s blood verification artifact.Prick the finger,drop the blood—if compatible,the Moon Crest glows. I bit down,let the blood drip. The ring shimmered.Twin crests emerged—my blood and hers. They matched the wolf tooth pendant Felicity wore since high school. We were sisters. That night,a video anonymously exploded across the wolfnet: 【Logan Ridley,still married to Meghan Holloway,secretly engaged to Felicity Simons.】 【Felicity Simons:revealed to be Holloway’s illegitimate daughter.】 【The two colluded to seize Luna inheritance and connect with fallen tribes.】 Comments blew up like wildfire: 【No wonder the wedding wasn’t streamed—guilty much?】 【Meghan is the rightful Luna!】 【This is more dramatic than our favorite werewolf soap—LOVE IT.】 I closed the app,smirking. “Now they’ll see what it feels like…to burn in public.” Late at night,Elias knocked on my study door. He stood tall,composed as always,but there was fire in his eyes. “You finally called me.” I didn’t answer.I simply tossed him my father’s letter. He scanned it,jaw tightening. “She really is your sister.” “She doesn’t just want Logan,”I said.“She wants my name.My blood.My place.” “What will you do?”he asked. I stared at the moon outside. “I’ll make her watch everything she stole be ripped from her fingers.And I’ll make Logan beg to lose everything.” Elias’s voice was quiet.“This path…it won’t be clean.Every step from now on is war.” I looked him dead in the eye. “I’ve never been afraid to fight,”I said.“I was just too merciful before.”

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