Author: Momo Chan

My friend and I had just finished dinner and were about to leave. Someone suddenly stopped us, insisting that I pay the bill for another table. I refused, saying I didn’t know them. The woman immediately exploded. “Damn it! You should be honored to pay the bill for me! How dare you disrespect the Smith Group? You’ve got a death wish!” Before I could say anything, she grew even more arrogant. “Do you know who I am? I’m Henry Smith’s wife! He’s the chairman of the Smith Group! Scared now?” I froze for a moment, then dialed Henry calmly. “I hear you have another wife at the company?” *** The moment I hung up, that woman was completely enraged. She snatched my phone and smashed it onto the floor. “How dare you call for help? You’re not walking out of this restaurant today!” “Stop!” My childhood friend, Alice White, pulled me behind her. “So this is how employees from the Smith Group behave? Stopping strangers to force them to pay and then getting physical?” The woman’s face flushed red from Alice’s words. “Yeah. What? In Metrocity, Smith Group is everything!” “It’s an honor for you to pay my bill. Do you understand?” “You want to talk rules? My words are the rules!” I laughed out loud and looked up at Karen. “The Smith Group trained you to rob people like that?” Karen snorted and shouted like a shrew, “Letting you pay is giving you a chance to climb up the ladder! Lots of people would kill for such a chance, you know?” Climb up the ladder? Since when did the Waynes need to cling to anyone in Metrocity? I glanced at my friend’s darkening expression. She was from a top family from Lordecity. She never imagined she’d get bullied like this by a poor employee from the Smith Group in Metrocity. Karen sneered and waved toward the entrance. “Listen up. In Metrocity, I make the rules! Grab these two idiots!” As soon as she finished speaking, several bodyguards in black suits rushed in and surrounded us. Alice instinctively pulled me behind her. But there were too many of them. Before she could act, two bodyguards seized her arms. “Alice!” I tried to rush forward, but something struck the back of my neck. My vision went black. Through the haze, I saw Alice struggle and curse. Then someone punched her hard in the side of the face and blood instantly seeped from the corner of her mouth. I was pressed to the ground and could only watch as Karen lifted her foot and kicked Alice in the stomach. “You dare meddle in my business? Today I’ll let you know the consequence of messing with the Smith Group!” Then her bodyguards started hitting me. Alice had only come out to have fun, yet she was dragged into this absurd mess. I shouted hoarsely, “Karen, I’m Henry’s legally married wife!” I pointed at Alice, who was pinned beside me. “And she’s Alice White from the White family in Lordecity! Release us now, and we’ll let this slide!” Karen froze for a second, and then she burst out laughing. “You’re Henry’s wife? She’s from the White family? Have you gone crazy or something?” The people at her table all laughed along. “Everyone knows Chairman Henry’s wife is Ms. Karen.” “How dare she bluff like that?” “The White family? Lordecity? I’ve never even heard of them. She’s probably just making it up to scare us.” Karen bent down and grabbed my hair. “Say one more word about being his wife, and I’ll rip your mouth apart.” “I’m his wife. You’re definitely not.” “Don’t you dare say that again, understand?” Alice was pinned to the ground with blood at the corner of her mouth. Yet she still chose to mock me. “Lily, this is hilarious.” “The mistress thinks she is the legal wife and is beating the real legal wife up.” Her words stunned me for a second, then I laughed too. Karen was still gripping my hair. I suddenly jerked my head and bit down hard on her wrist. She screamed in pain, and her grip instantly loosened. Using that moment, I drove my knee hard into the crotch of the bodyguard behind me. As he doubled over in pain, I grabbed a beer bottle nearby and smashed it into another bodyguard’s forehead. By the time Karen reacted, I was already in front of her. My clenched fist was slamming into her face. The sudden counterattack stunned her. She staggered back two steps, blood immediately pouring from her nose. “You bitch! How dare you?” Karen shouted in shock and rage. She reached for my face, but I grabbed her arm and slammed her to the ground. I straddled her and threw punch after punch. The Smith Group employees panicked. Reeking of alcohol, they rushed over to pull me away. “How dare you hit Ms. Karen? You crazy bitch!” At some point, Alice had also broken free. She kicked away the person lunging at her and yelled at me, “Damn it, beat the crap out of her! I’ve never been humiliated like this in my life!” In the chaos, someone grabbed a chair and smashed it into my back. I let out a muffled groan but didn’t stop. Karen screamed as she was beaten. She clawed desperately at my hair. “Everyone! Kill her! I’ll take the responsibility—triple bonus!” The employees surged forward like maniacs, grabbing my arms, clutching my waist, even kicking the backs of my legs. Taking advantage of the struggle, Karen suddenly kicked me hard in the stomach. I stumbled back two steps. Just as I was about to charge again, a voice rang out from the restaurant entrance. “Everyone, stop right now!”

Two people in police uniforms squeezed their way in. When they saw the mess all over the floor, they frowned. But when their eyes landed on Karen, who was lying on the ground with a swollen, bruised face, their expressions changed instantly. “Ms. Karen? What are you doing here? What happened?” One chubby police officer hurried over. He reached out to help Karen up. When Karen saw the police, it was as if she had found her backing. She pointed at me and Alice and started shouting. “Peter! These bitches had gone crazy! First they refused to pay the bill, then they even assaulted us! Look at what they did to me, and my employees too. We were all injured by them!” The chubby officer glanced at the injuries on us and didn’t take them seriously at all. Instead, he put on a stern face and shouted at us. “Who are you two? How dare you cause trouble here? And you even dared to hurt people from the Smith Group? You’ve got some nerve!” Alice said, “She asked us to pay her bill for no reason and attacked us first.” “Nonsense!” Karen cut her off immediately. “I was being kind and trying to make friends with them. I only asked them to pay the bill for me. They turned hostile right away and even pretended to be my husband’s wife and someone from the White family in Lordecity.” The chubby officer clearly believed her. He pointed at the shattered beer bottles and overturned tables on the floor. “No matter what, you beat her into this state and smashed up the restaurant. That means you’re in the wrong!” “Let me tell you, in Metrocity, nobody dares to disrespect the Smith Group?” “Ms. Karen is right under Chairman Henry. Disrespecting her means disrespecting the Smith Group. You’re going against the rules of the entire city!” The other, thinner officer had already taken out his handcuffs and waved them. “Enough talk. Come back to the station with us first.” “Oh, and the bill for Ms. Karen’s table, the restaurant’s damages, medical costs, and emotional distress. You two will cover it all.” “Then you gotta kneel down and apologize to Ms. Karen. Maybe this can still be settled privately.” I laughed in anger. “On what grounds? She started the trouble. You don’t even bother to find out the facts before convicting us?” “On what grounds?” The chubby officer waved his hand impatiently. “Because you’re outsiders! Since you’re here, you follow the rules here. Ms. Karen was being nice to let you pay her bill. Don’t be ungrateful!” Alice sneered. “You mean Metrocity’s so-called rules can override the national law?” The thin officer stepped forward and reached for me with the handcuffs. “Heh, still talking tough? Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson!” I dodged him. He flew into a rage, suddenly pulled out a stun baton, and turned it on. He jabbed the stun baton toward me and said, “So you want it the hard way? You’re asking for this!” The electric current shot through my limbs. My whole body went numb, and I nearly collapsed. Alice reacted quickly and caught me. She shouted at the police. “How dare you abuse your power?” “Abuse of power?” The chubby officer also pulled out a stun baton and aimed it at Alice. “I’m carrying out official duties. In Metrocity, anything involving the Smith Group is a big deal. People like you who don’t know their place need to be punished!” Alice let out a muffled groan as she was shocked. A burnt smell filled the air. “A bunch of damn fools! You’ll regret this one day…” “Regret?” The chubby officer laughed even harder. He lifted Alice’s chin with his baton. “I won’t regret anything, but you will, when you’re both locked up and getting beaten every day.” He turned to Karen with an ingratiating smile. “Ms. Karen, is this enough? If not, just tell us what we should do.” Karen watched from the side with satisfaction. “Beat them. They need to learn who really calls the shots here.” The chubby officer kicked me once and then bent over toward Karen again. “Ms. Karen, can you give us a hint? About when is your due date?” “We wanna prepare some gifts to congratulate you and Chairman Henry.” The thin officer nodded eagerly as well. “Exactly. Please honor us then and let us share the joy.” “Maybe Chairman Henry can help promote us somehow.” When they mentioned this, Karen smiled. “Four or five months more. It’s a boy.” Karen was pregnant? When I heard that, my mind went completely blank. I had been away on a business trip for half a year and had only just returned to Metrocity. And Henry already got her pregnant? My blood rushed to my head. I had been married to Henry for two years. He always used being busy with work as an excuse to put off having a child. I struggled to get up. When the thin officer saw me still trying to move, he jabbed the stun baton straight into the back of my neck. The electric shock made my vision go black. I nearly collapsed onto the floor. Seeing this, Karen casually grabbed a stool and raised it, about to smash it down on my head. At that moment, the sound of hurried leather shoes rang out from the restaurant entrance.

When Henry swept his gaze over the wreckage on the floor, he didn’t even frown. But when his eyes landed on Karen, his tone softened a little. “What happened? Who hurt you?” Karen immediately put on a wronged expression. “Henry, you’re finally here. These two have gone crazy. One pretended to be your wife, and they assaulted us. They even dared to attack the police!” The chubby officer hurried over. “Chairman Henry, you came at the perfect time! These two outsiders were causing trouble. They even insulted you and Ms. Karen. We’re handling it.” Henry’s gaze finally fell on me, as if he were looking at something filthy. “Lily, I really underestimated you. You were away on a business trip for half a year, and now you’ve grown bold enough to fight with others?” He then glanced at Alice. “And look at the trashy friends you make. How dare you come to Metrocity to cause trouble?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and said, “Henry, let me ask you something. Karen claims she’s your wife. And why was she asking me to pay for her bill?” Henry went silent for a while and then turned to the chubby officer. “Officer Peter, what exactly happened?” The chubby officer paused for a second and then put on a look of righteous indignation. “Chairman Henry, it was really outrageous!” “It’s all her fault! The moment she walked in, she started shouting at Ms. Karen, saying she looked familiar. She insisted on paying for Ms. Karen’s bill, trying to make friends with her.” He pointed at me and continued, “Ms. Karen declined. But this woman kept bothering Ms. Karen. She said Ms. Karen was disrespecting her. Then she started bragging about how rich she was.” The thin officer added, “Yeah! We already checked it out. The waiter can testify too!” “Ms. Karen declined, and this woman suddenly snapped. She said Ms. Karen wasn’t respecting her. She even cursed Ms. Karen, saying she wasn’t worthy of you or the Smith Group!” “Ms. Karen couldn’t take it and argued back. That’s when she started hitting people!” Alice was so angry that veins bulged on her forehead. “This is completely twisting the truth! It was clearly her…” The chubby officer suddenly shouted, “Shut up!” “Stop twisting the fact! If you hadn’t been fanning the flames, saying Ms. Karen didn’t deserve it, would things have escalated?” Karen covered her mouth and coughed. “Henry, I know she might have wanted to get on good terms with me, but her way was too…” “I just didn’t let her pay my bill, and she lost her temper. She even said she’d ruin the Smith Group and make us regret it…” Henry’s face turned completely cold. “Lily, I never imagined you could be this outrageous.” “I can understand why you wanna cozy up with Karen. But you shouldn’t assault people after being rejected!” He didn’t wanna hear my explanation. His voice was filled with disappointment. “I think this half year on business trips has damaged your brain.” “How dare you start assaulting people like that? Lily, can you have even a shred of dignity?” “I didn’t…” I had just opened my mouth when he cut me off harshly. “You didn’t? The police have already told me everything. And you still want to argue?” Henry pointed at my nose. “You’re truly beyond saving. You ‘re used to living off others. Trying to latch onto everyone you see. When you get rejected, you go crazy. How did I ever end up marrying you?” Karen pretended to persuade him. “Henry, don’t get so angry. She might have just been confused…” “Confused?” Henry turned to the police. “I think it’s her nature. Officer Peter, handle it however it should be handled. Not a single cent less in compensation!” “I really wanna know how she is gonna pay!” I looked at how confident he sounded, and felt kinda disappointed. So in his eyes, I had already become such a despicable person. I stared at Henry’s indifferent face and suddenly laughed. “Fine. You want compensation, right? So, how much?” Henry looked at me as if he had just heard some joke. He sized me up from head to toe and then said, “Five million! Do you have that much? I don’t think you can even come up with ten grand, do you?” Alice didn’t answer him. She just took out her phone. “Five million, right?” I pressed my lips together and looked at Alice. “Send a message to my dad too. My phone was smashed.” Karen and the police started laughing at us. “Keep pretending!” “You can get five million? In your dreams!” The chubby officer came closer with handcuffs. “Stop wasting time here! Put your hands out and come back to the station with us!” The thin officer stepped forward directly and reached for my arm. “You want it the hard way, so let’s do it the hard way.” Alice shifted to stand in front of me. “What’s the rush? The money will be here any second.” Karen laughed even louder. “Really? Can your dad bring so much money? I seriously doubt it!” The employees behind her joined in the laughter, and the restaurant filled with mockery. The chubby officer impatiently shoved Alice. “Enough! If you don’t comply now, I’ll stop being so nice!” Just as he raised his hand to cuff Alice, a deafening roar suddenly came from overhead. Immediately after, the ground began to tremble slightly. Alice and I both looked toward the restaurant entrance. “They’re here.”

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Seven years ago, my parents’ adopted daughter—my younger sister Madeline Archer—committed a hit-and-run while driving drunk. My parents. My biological sister. They all said the same thing to me. “Madeline has a heart condition. She can’t go to prison. Nora, please.” I didn’t agree. Then one night, deep into the dark, they put me in the back of a police car with their own hands. And my fiancé, Connor Ashford—the hedge fund titan who owned half of New York—he arranged everything. He said— “Nora, when you get out, I’ll marry you. Just get through these seven years.” … Seven years later. “Vance. Live your life out there. Don’t look back.” I took the faded canvas bag from the corrections officer’s hands. Bowed once. Walked out of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility with a limp. A black Cadillac Escalade was already waiting. The window rolled down. Connor Ashford’s sharp, handsome features emerged. “Nora.” Seven years. He hadn’t changed at all. I dropped my gaze without thinking. Got in the car. The rearview mirror threw back the reflection of a gaunt, scarred face. “Seven years. You’ve suffered enough. I’m keeping my promise. I’m marrying you.” Connor reached for my thin, brittle hand. I looked at the hollowed-out woman staring back at me in his eyes. Slowly pulled my hand free. Felt nothing. “Mm.” Seven years locked away. Two thousand five hundred eighty-nine days and nights. More than enough time to see Connor and my family for what they really were. They didn’t love me. And I didn’t want to marry him anymore. Connor caught my coldness. His reflex was to explain. “Madeline knew you were coming home today. It brought back everything from the accident seven years ago. Her anxiety flared up again. Your parents and your sister are at the hospital with her right now.” I listened in silence. Closed my eyes. Twenty-five years ago, I got lost in a shopping mall. I was two. My mother couldn’t bear the grief, so she went to a Catholic adoption agency and adopted Madeline Archer—a girl who looked like me. When I was fifteen, my parents found me. But they didn’t love me. Everything was about making way for Madeline. Seven years ago, they made me take Madeline’s place in prison. Compared to Madeline, I was the one who seemed like the adopted child. The whole drive, cars parted for Connor’s Escalade like it was a royal procession. An hour later, we reached the Archers’ townhouse on the Upper East Side. Only the housekeeper and staff were inside. They glanced at me with flat, indifferent eyes. A nod. Then back to their work. My parents loved Madeline. Not me. Their biological daughter. To the staff, I was just someone who existed in this house. Expendable. “Mr. Ashford. You’re here.” The housekeeper greeted Connor with careful deference first. Only then turned to me. “Miss Vance. Madam hopes you’ll keep outings to a minimum after you return.” Keep outings to a minimum. I served time for Madeline. So how did I become the one who had to hide? But I’d stopped expecting anything from them seven years ago. That night they put me in the police car. “Got it.” I moved toward the door. Connor’s phone rang. He took the call. Hung up. Turned to me. “Nora. Madeline had another episode. She needs me. I’m going to check on her. You just got back—rest. I’ll come see you tomorrow.” Then he was gone. Didn’t hesitate. I watched his back disappear. Limped down to my room in the basement. Pushed the door open. Dust everywhere. The sheets were a crumpled mess. No one had touched this place in a long time. I was too exhausted to care. Walked in. Collapsed onto the bed. Night. Half-asleep, I heard voices from the living room. My biological younger sister. Sophia Archer. “Dad. Mom. Madeline’s condition is this serious. Maybe we should have Nora move out. Every time Madeline sees her, it triggers an episode.” My father sighed. Said nothing. My mother spoke. “She is still an Archer daughter. If we kick her out, what will people say?” “Then what? We can’t keep Madeline in the hospital forever.” Sophia again. My father’s voice this time. “Here’s what we’ll do. When Madeline comes home, Nora stays out of her sight. She stays in her room.” I heard every word. My eyes burned. That’s when my phone buzzed. I picked it up. An encrypted email. “Ms. Eleanor Vance, congratulations. You have been accepted to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.” “Upon acceptance, you will assume a new identity and deploy with the research team to Thule Air Base, Greenland, in ten days. You will participate in the Arctic Climate Research Project.” “From that point forward, your identity will be fully classified. For five years, you will have no contact with anyone outside the program.” I read every line of the confidentiality agreement. Signed my name without hesitation. Eleanor Vance.

Seven years ago, I’d already gotten early admission to MIT. Double major. Atmospheric Science and Nuclear Engineering. The cruel part? Before I could decide whether to accept the offer, my biological parents sent me to prison. Seven years inside. I saw everything clearly. Near the end of my sentence, I retook the national lab selection exams. Not long after I sent the email, a reply came. “Ten days. December 10th. A security vehicle will pick you up at 9 p.m. sharp.” Ten days. I closed my eyes again. Ten more days. Then I could leave this house that never loved me. Forever. The next morning. Noise from the living room woke me. I blinked my way awake. Washed up. Walked out. Madeline was back. She sat on the couch in a white dress. Like some kind of socialite. My father. My mother. My biological sister Sophia. My fiancé Connor. All circled around her. The housekeeper brought out a red velvet cake. Everyone spoke in unison. “Happy birthday, Madeline.” Happiness pooled in her eyes. “Thank you, Dad. Mom. Sis. Connor.” Then she added, “I just got out of the hospital. Did anyone get me presents?” My parents and sister handed over their gifts one by one. Connor was about to give his when he spotted me coming up from the basement. “Nora. You’re awake. Come here. Celebrate Madeline’s birthday with us.” He waved me over. Didn’t notice my parents’ and sister’s faces shift. Madeline called out to me sweetly. “Sis. I’m sorry. I was sick yesterday, so I couldn’t pick you up when you got out. You’re not mad, right?” Sis. Before I could answer, Connor spoke for me. “Nora won’t hold that against you.” Madeline took Connor’s hand. Said to me— “Sis. It’s my birthday. Give me a birthday present. I want Connor.” She laid her filthy intentions out that bluntly. And no one in the room said a word. They just waited for my answer. I’d never seen anyone that shameless. My fists clenched. “And if I’m not willing?” Madeline’s face stiffened. She suddenly said something in German. A music term. “Such a dissonant note.” My mother echoed in German. “Don’t be upset, Madeline. Eleanor is just… talking to her is like playing the piano to a cow.” My father joined in. “Don’t bother with her, Madeline. No matter what, your mother and I only consider you our real daughter.” My sister Sophia followed in German. “Yeah. Sis. You’re my only sister.” What a family. I pretended I didn’t understand. Turned to Connor. “What are they talking about?” Connor’s eyes were deep. His lips moved. “Madeline said she was joking. Everyone’s telling you not to overthink.” Not to overthink. I don’t know how Connor and my family managed to lie to my face without flinching. They had no idea. I understood every word. My mother was a renowned pianist with the New York Philharmonic. My father made his name on Wall Street in his prime. From the moment they found me at that church adoption agency, they believed I’d never received a proper education. So all their attention went to their adopted daughter. Madeline. Ten years ago, Madeline and I applied to college at the same time. Madeline got into Juilliard. Massive celebration. None of them knew I’d been accepted to MIT. That I’d taught myself German. French too. Italian. But none of that mattered anymore. Because soon I’d be leaving this house of lies. And the liar Connor. “I just got out. Haven’t had a chance to see New York yet. I’m heading out. You all carry on.” I limped away under the indifferent stares of my family and the staff. Behind me, my parents and sister kept talking in German. Didn’t bother to hide it. They all forgot. Today was my birthday too.

I left the Archer house and took the subway to Brooklyn. Felony record. Academic credentials wiped. A body that didn’t work right anymore. I could only find part-time work washing dishes. Just to survive the next ten days. It’s laughable. After I came back to the Archer family at fifteen— The only money they ever gave me was five hundred dollars. The first month. After that, they decided I wasn’t as impressive as Madeline. Stopped caring about their biological daughter entirely. I worked. Took out loans. Paid my own tuition. Fed myself. Eleven-thirty at night. Last dish washed. I walked out of the restaurant alone. Saw Connor stepping out of a Maybach. Walking toward me. “Nora. Where have you been all this time?” Before I could speak— He pulled me toward the car. Opened the door. On the seat sat a beautiful strawberry cream cake. “Happy birthday, Nora.” I froze. The Ashfords and the Archers. Old family friends. Neighbors. Connor and I had been betrothed since before I was born. Even when I went missing at two, even when I was found at fifteen—that engagement never changed. I still remember. The first person I saw when I came back to the Archer house was Connor. White button-down. Standing in the sunlight. He glowed. Connor was the third son in the Ashford family. The housekeeper told me to call him “Connor.” I called him that for five years. In the Archer house, Connor was the only one who didn’t treat me like I was beneath him. He stood up for me when people bullied me. Gave me gifts on every holiday. He was the only person in New York City who was good to me. That kindness made me fall for him. Hopelessly. Irreversibly. I made him my redemption. My anchor. When a rival went after him, I didn’t even hesitate. I gave him one of my kidneys. And in the end, he was the one who arranged my seven-year prison sentence. “Nora? What’s wrong? You thought I forgot your birthday?” Connor’s voice pulled me back. I answered. Flat. “Thanks.” Connor pulled out another gift box from the back seat. “Open it.” I lifted the lid. Inside lay a hand-stitched ivory wedding gown. “You told me when you were little that you wanted to wear white to marry me. I had it made in advance. Do you like it?” His voice was soft. Connor was probably the only person in this world who would give me a wedding dress. My throat tightened. I murmured— “Connor. You remembered wrong. I don’t like wedding dresses. And I don’t like white.” The nuns at the orphanage told me they found me outside a bridal boutique. I was wearing an expensive navy-blue dress. So once I was old enough to remember things, I’d linger outside bridal shops. I made a habit of wearing blue. All kinds of blue. Hoping my parents would find me. Connor paused. Ran his hand over my hair. The same way he did seven years ago. “I’m sorry. I remembered wrong. I’ll have a new one made right away. Come on. Let’s go to a restaurant. Celebrate your birthday.” In the car. Driving back. A fine rain was falling. Connor kept a tight grip on my hand. “Nora. How are you thinner than seven years ago? And your leg—” He didn’t finish. His phone rang. I saw the name on the screen. Madeline. Connor took the call. Whatever was said on the other end, panic filled his eyes. He barked at the driver— “Back to the Archer house.” The driver turned around. The whole way, Connor kept texting Madeline. When we got back— Madeline stood on the rooftop terrace. White dress. Pale face. She saw me and Connor arrive. Murmured— “Dad. Mom. Sis. Connor. My sister’s back. It’s time for me to step aside. Goodbye.” Then she jumped. Three stories down.

The Archer townhouse was four stories total. Rooftop to ground. Maybe twelve meters. But when Madeline jumped, my parents, my sister, Connor—they all lunged toward her. That night. The sound of sirens filled the Archer house. After they all left for the hospital— I limped back down to my basement room. Lay on the bed. Checked my phone. December 2nd. 12:13 a.m. Connor broke his promise. Didn’t celebrate my birthday with me. But I didn’t hurt the way I used to. Closed my eyes. Slept. Eight days left. Eight days and the lab people would come take me away. … The next five days, I kept my routine. Work. My parents and sister stayed at Mount Sinai Hospital taking care of Madeline. Didn’t come home. Then one day. The restaurant TV played the news. “Ashford Capital CEO Connor Ashford and Archer family daughter Madeline Archer announce engagement.” My pupils tightened. That night, I got home. My parents. My sister. Madeline. All back. Connor was there too. My mother started in French. “Home this late. No concept of time at all.” My father shot her a look. She adjusted her tone. “Nora. You’re finally back. The whole family’s been waiting for you.” My father spoke. “Nora. The doctors say Madeline’s anxiety is getting worse. So we made the decision for you. We’ve transferred your engagement to Madeline. I hope you can understand.” I listened to them finish. My eyes full of contempt. They’d already made the decision for me. Now they wanted my feelings. I looked at Connor. Asked what I already knew. “Connor. Did you agree to this too?” Connor stood up from the couch. Walked over. Took my hand. “Madeline’s only wish right now is to marry me. Don’t worry. I won’t let you down. I’ll only go through the wedding ceremony with her. Just to give her what she wants.” You’re marrying someone else. How is that not letting me down? I pulled my hand away. “Fine. Whatever you’ve decided.” Connor heard my words. Something tightened in his chest. He tried to explain. But Madeline, sitting between my parents, spoke first. “Sis. If you’re not willing, then forget it.” As she talked, her nails dug into the back of her own hand. Hard enough to draw blood. My sister Sophia saw it. Rushed to stop her. Screamed at me. “Eleanor! Can’t you see my sister is sick? What do you want from us? What will make you satisfied?” My own sister. Can’t tell right from wrong. Hearing her, I thought about when I first came to the Archer house. First, they made me give up my bedroom to Madeline. Then they made me give up the Paris exchange spot to Madeline. After Madeline committed a crime— My mother grabbed my hands. Her grip strong enough to crack bone. Tears streaming down her face. “I raised Madeline with my own hands. Her heart won’t survive prison. Nora. We just want her to live. We don’t know what else to do.” “You take the blame for Madeline.” I remembered all of it. I said to Sophia— “You know what? I don’t care anymore. That engagement. That man. I don’t care about any of it. You want it? Take it.”

The living room sank into dead silence. No one could speak. Clearly, no one expected this from me. The me who always swallowed everything. Always said yes. I didn’t want to fight anymore. Limped back to my room. Late at night. Lying in bed. I opened my phone. Checked the calendar. December 7th. Three days left. My phone buzzed. Connor calling. I answered. “What is it?” “Nora.” Connor’s familiar voice came through. Smooth. “Madeline saved my life once. She gave me her kidney. So even if you can’t accept this, I’m still going through with the wedding ceremony.” Lying there, his words hit me like a boulder to the chest. I was the one who saved him. I was the one who gave him my kidney. How did it become Madeline? “Connor. Back then when you were hurt, I was the one who saved you. I gave you my kidney.” I couldn’t hold back the truth. Silence on the other end. Then Connor spoke. “Eleanor. Seven years in prison. When did you learn to make up stories?” “The one who saved me was Madeline. Your parents and the doctors can all prove it. I really can’t believe you’d say something like this.” I lay on that cold bed. Suddenly couldn’t find a single word. Eight years ago. Connor was attacked by a rival firm. Rushed into surgery. He needed a kidney transplant. I didn’t hesitate. Got tested. Match. Didn’t think twice. Gave him my kidney. And now it was all Madeline’s credit. And I couldn’t even prove it. After a long silence, I said— “Fine. Don’t believe me.” I’ve already decided to let you go anyway. I hung up. Closed my eyes. Sank into sleep. … Second-to-last day. I kept working at the restaurant. But I saw my sister Sophia sitting at a table. When she spotted me in my server uniform, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. Then back to cold. “The family didn’t give you money? You’ve been working as a waitress all this time?” I didn’t know why she came. “I’m not stealing. Not begging. Is there a problem?” Sophia choked. She stood up. “Mom and Dad are already planning my sister’s wedding. I hope this time you won’t upset her again.” She turned to leave. Her eyes caught my limp. Rare concern. “Your leg… go see a doctor when you have time.” Watching her back, I felt nothing like gratitude. When I first came back to the Archer house. Seeing my little sister. I was so happy. I remember that first year. Sophia’s birthday. I spent six months of my part-time wages on a Tiffany necklace. She handed it to a maid without a glance. “What is this? You know I never wear stuff like this. Don’t waste your money next time.” That same birthday, Madeline gave her a small cupcake. Sophia was over the moon. “Sis. You’re my real sister. You remembered my birthday. You know I love red velvet.” That was the moment I understood. I didn’t have a sister. Tomorrow night, I’d leave New York. So today was my last shift. Settled my wages. Walked out of the restaurant. A familiar Maybach sat in front of the department store. Before I could approach, the sky above the Brooklyn Bridge exploded with fireworks. Then drones. Hundreds of them. Forming words across the night sky. “Connor loves Nora. Forever.”

Forever? I stared at the drones for a long time. Connor walked up to me. “Nora. Yesterday. I handled things badly.” Under the neon lights, his voice was soft as water. “But you have to believe me. Even if Madeline saved me, the one I love is still you. So you didn’t need to say those things.” I almost wanted to cry. Not from being moved. From Connor’s words. How did he manage it? Hurting me over and over with my parents and sister. While saying he loved me. “What’s wrong?” Connor saw I wasn’t speaking. His long fingers pinched my cheek. “You’re really too thin. Why don’t you eat more?” I finally looked at him. “Seven years in prison. I was barely surviving. You didn’t think I had the luxury of putting on weight, did you?” Connor met my gaze. A tremor went through him. Maybe that was the moment he remembered. He was the one who sent me to prison. He opened his mouth. Before he could speak, the Maybach door swung open. A familiar voice. “Connor. Sis. Don’t just stand out there. It’s cold.” Madeline. My heart went colder. Connor explained. “Madeline insisted on coming with me to see you. She said she wants to thank you for being generous enough to let us be together.” “Come on. Let’s get you home.” He took my hand. Pulled me into the car. In the back seat. Madeline saw me climb in. Her eyes swept over my worn-out clothes. “Sis. Don’t Mom and Dad have finance send you money every month? Why did Sophia say you’re still working in a restaurant?” “That doesn’t look good. If outsiders see, they’ll think Mom and Dad play favorites. That they treat you badly.” She pulled a bracelet off her wrist. Held it out to me. “Sis. If you’re short on money and too embarrassed to tell Mom and Dad, just tell me. Mom gave me this bracelet for my birthday. It’s over forty thousand dollars. Should last you a while, right?” Forty thousand dollars. I stared at the extravagant bracelet she was offering. Self-loathing rose in my throat. One gift. Forty thousand. I remembered high school. I needed three hundred dollars for textbooks. I went to my mother. She said, “Money, money, money. Do I owe you? I gave birth to you. You should be grateful. Why do you keep asking me for money?” After that, I never asked my family for a single cent again. And as for finance sending me money? That never happened. “They do play favorites. Look at what you’re wearing. Look at me.” I pushed her charity bracelet away. “Stop performing for me. I’m not fifteen anymore. I don’t fall for your act.” When I was fifteen. Fresh to the Archer house. I wanted to be sisters with Madeline. She framed me. Again and again. Every bad thing she did, she pinned on me. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. Tears rolled down Madeline’s cheeks. Connor rushed to shield her. “Nora. Madeline meant well. You don’t have to take the bracelet, but there’s no need to say things like that.” That’s the man who said he loved me most. Every time it came down to me or Madeline, he always chose her. “Connor. When someone poor gets charity thrown at them, are they required to accept it? Required to weep with gratitude?” I asked him. Word by word. I have my dignity too.

Connor couldn’t answer. Madeline’s breathing turned ragged. She gasped for air. “I’m sorry… it’s my fault… all my fault… Connor, don’t blame my sister…” Connor panicked. Barked at the driver. “Now. Mount Sinai.” He saw me still in the car. “Nora. This was too far. Get yourself home.” He dumped me on the side of the road. The car roared away. I couldn’t feel the hurt anymore. Looked up at the night sky. At some point, snow had started falling. Snow in New York. I didn’t think I’d get to see the first snow before I left. I walked back to the Archer house. The whole mansion was decked out. Festive. My parents were planning Madeline’s wedding. “The day after tomorrow is a perfect date. We have to make Madeline’s wedding absolutely splendid.” My mother smiled. My father sighed. “Time really flies. I can’t believe our daughter’s about to get married.” Both of them. Joy and reluctance over Madeline’s marriage. I watched them from a distance. Saw how much they loved her. Really, truly loved her. When I was little, I watched this reunion show once. A girl got trafficked to the mountains of West Virginia when she was small. Renamed “Beth.” Later, she became an entrepreneur. Found her family. She kept telling the host, “I knew my mom wouldn’t abandon me. She has to be looking for me.” The host told her that her mother had never stopped searching. That her mother loved her. Deeply. Her mother’s original name for her was “Grace.” She wasn’t Beth. The woman on TV broke down sobbing. She kept saying, “I knew it. My mom didn’t abandon me.” I sat in front of the TV that day. Cried until I couldn’t breathe. It made me more determined to find my own mother. But now, I almost regretted it. Regretted finding them. If I’d never known, they could have stayed beautiful in my mind. Forever. I didn’t greet my parents. Went straight back to my basement room. Tomorrow night at nine. I’d be gone. After that, wide open sky. I could fly anywhere. No more begging for love. From family. From anyone. … The day after tomorrow. Madeline and Connor’s wedding. My sister Sophia threw them a pre-wedding party at a private estate in the Hamptons. The party drew young heirs from half the East Coast. Plus old classmates of mine and Madeline’s. The next morning. The house was buzzing. My room had no bathroom. I had to go upstairs to wash up. Passing the living room, everyone was drinking and laughing. Madeline and Connor sat in the center. Center of attention. “Connor. Tell us your most unforgettable moment with Madeline.” Someone was stirring the pot. Connor’s lips moved. “There are many.” “The most unforgettable one?” Madeline lowered her head. A blush on her cheeks. My sister Sophia laughed. “It’s the pre-wedding party. Connor and my sister’s last moments of being single. Can’t we all just have fun?” The guy who asked the question spotted me not far away. He said, “Connor. Pick any woman in this room. Tell us your most unforgettable moment together.” The atmosphere heated up instantly. The man pointed at me. “Nora. You and Connor used to be close, right? Why don’t you tell us?” Connor saw this. Stood up. Walked toward me. When he was about a meter away— Madeline spoke. “Connor…” Pitiful. Helpless. Connor glanced back at her. Then at me. Lowered his voice. “There are too many people here. I’m about to marry Madeline. I don’t want to make things awkward.” “You understand, right?” I answered flatly. “Mm.” Turned and went to wash up. Behind me, everyone circled back around Connor and Madeline. More laughing. More talking. I may be starved for love. But I’m not stupid. When it’s a choice between two, thanks for letting me go.

That whole day. The Archer house buzzed. Rich kids showered Madeline and Connor with praise. “Madeline. You and Connor are just perfect together. Remember back in high school? Connor drove you home all the time, right?” “I remember Connor beat up a whole crew of Brooklyn thugs for you. And that car accident—Connor shielded you with his own body, not caring if he got hurt. You’re the only one he’s ever treated like that.” Madeline’s best friend jumped in. “Connor treats our Madeline well, but Madeline gives just as much back. Years ago when Connor was injured, Madeline even gave him one of her kidneys.” “Wow. Connor and Madeline are that rare thing. True love.” “Mutual. Real mutual.” On Wall Street. In capitalist circles. Love is a luxury. Rare. Precious. I sat alone in my little corner. Almost laughed. Because everything they described about Madeline—that was me. Connor was older than me. When I was in high school, he was already at Harvard Business School. He saw how pitiful I was. Every time he came home, he’d have his driver wait and take me back too. I got harassed by thugs a lot. Connor would shed his suit jacket and fight them for me. Once we got in a car accident on the way home. Connor shielded me with his body. I didn’t get a single scratch. That’s why I fell for him. No hesitation. Even gave him my kidney. But… The Connor who used to like me. Protect me. Put me first. That Connor died. The one sitting in the Archer house now—he wasn’t that boy made of light anymore. So I decided. I didn’t want him. Time ticked by. Night fell. Connor set off fireworks across the city for Madeline. He pulled me aside. “Nora. After the wedding tomorrow, you and I can finally be together.” I thought about the past. All the times he helped me. Saved me. I opened my mouth. “I’m sorry… I won’t…” Be with you anymore. I didn’t finish. My sister Sophia called for him. “Brother-in-law! Come on. We’re waiting for you to cut the cake.” Cut the cake? Connor called back. “Coming.” Then he looked at me. “You won’t what?” I gave a bitter smile. “Nothing. Go.” Connor squeezed my cold hand. “After tomorrow, everything will be over.” He turned and left. I watched his tall figure walk away. Yeah. Everything’s over. … Fireworks bloomed overhead. Everyone flocked to Madeline’s room. I walked into the main house alone. Checked the time on my phone. 7:15 p.m. One hour and forty-five minutes left. I took a long, clean shower. Stared at myself in the mirror. Scars all over my body. Leftover souvenirs from prison. Then I put on the cleanest, most expensive outfit I owned. Waited for the lab to come get me. Final hour. Countdown. I scanned the room I’d lived in for years. The basement wasn’t small. But my things barely filled a corner. A few worn-out clothes. Old shoes. A quilt the staff didn’t want anymore. A beat-up notebook on the desk. And next to it, the only decoration—a photo frame. I tossed the useless clothes first. Shoes. Quilt. Then I walked to the desk. Picked up the frame. Inside was a photo from twelve years ago. The day I first came back to the Archer house. A group shot of both families. Father. Mother. Sisters. Madeline. Connor. All there. That photo held every hope I’d ever had. Now I pulled it out of the frame. Tore it into pieces. One by one. Dropped them in the trash. Finally, I looked at my notebook. The one I’d been writing in since I was fifteen. Flipped to the first page. “December 3, 2012. Sunny. I came home. I saw my father and mother. My father is so handsome. My mother is so elegant. Both my little sisters are beautiful too. I’m so happy. I have parents now. I have sisters.” Turned the page. “March 1, 2013. Cloudy. Didn’t get the textbook money today. Don’t know how to tell my teacher. Mom and Dad probably have their reasons. I should earn my own money. Can’t be a burden on them anymore.” “June 7, 2013. Sunny. I saved up three months of part-time wages for that necklace. My little sister didn’t like it. I’ll make more money later. Buy her better gifts.” Flipped further. Last entry. The day before I went to prison. “December 1, 2017. Rain.” Only one line. “They don’t love me at all.” … My eyes blurred. I couldn’t help it. I picked up the pen. Wrote on the last page. This time, in German. “December 10, 2024. Light snow.” “I’m leaving, Mom and Dad.” “Before I go, I can’t stop myself from asking—if you never liked me, why did you put ads in the papers and go on television looking for me all those years?” “Is it really true, what some people say? That if you didn’t raise a child yourself, there’s no bond?” “But why have I seen other parents so happy after finding their kids?” “They say when parents find their lost child, that’s when they lose the child all over again. Maybe I’m the exception. Getting found by my parents was the moment I truly lost them.” I poured it all out. The confusion. The resentment. Everything. “Sophia. You said you only want Madeline as your sister. Today I’ll grant your wish. From now on, you have only one sister.” Last. I wrote to Connor. “Connor. You told me to wait until after your wedding with Madeline. Then we could be together.” “I’m sorry. This time, I won’t wait for you.” “Wish you and Madeline happiness.” “This is goodbye. Let’s not see each other again.” I set the notebook on the desk. Then I placed my prison medical report on top of it. The report showed it clearly. I only had one kidney. Done. Nine o’clock. I grabbed my faded canvas bag. Limped out of the Archer house. Behind me, the Archer house blazed with lights. People laughing. Celebrating. Across from me, black armored SUVs waited in perfect silence. I didn’t hesitate. Walked toward my future. The vehicles pulled away from the glittering streets. Vanished into the night.

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My fiancé, Marco Bellini, tried to marry me ninety-nine times. But every single time, it was ruthlessly interrupted. On the day of our 99th wedding, Marco’s first love, Sophia, called again. This time, she claimed she’d been kidnapped. The ransom was thirty million dollars. In the video, Sophia was flawless, as perfect as a porcelain doll. But Marco—the future Godfather of the Bellini family—lost his composure once again. Fighting back tears, I grabbed his arm as he spun around to bolt from the church. “Do you have to go right now? Marco, this is the 99th time! All the families are watching!” Marco viciously shook my hand off, leaving me alone at the altar, exposed to the stares of every mafia family in New York. Once again, I was the laughingstock of the entire underworld. A week later, I was the one who got kidnapped. The ransom was just one dollar. But my fiancé’s voice on the phone was impatient. “Ella, stop messing around. All the guests are waiting for you.” My defenses crumbled completely. My voice was so hoarse it didn’t sound like my own. “I’ve really been kidnapped. They only want a one-dollar ransom… Marco, save me…” His tone remained ice-cold. “I’ll give you half an hour. If you don’t get your ass over here, I’ll find a new bride!” Marco Bellini really did find a new bride. And because of that one-dollar ransom, my fingers were chopped off on a dark web livestream. That day, two stories blew up New York’s underworld: The Bellini family heir’s wedding of the century featured a last-minute bride swap. And a dark web livestream from an abandoned warehouse showed a kidnapper torturing a hostage, the victim suspected to be the Bellini family’s bride-to-be. … I was kidnapped on my wedding day. And Marco, my groom, was in the chapel’s dressing room, comforting his crying childhood sweetheart. I called him forty-nine times, but he never picked up. “Is this the guy you said would pay up? Fuck! He’s not even picking up your calls!” The kidnapper yanked my hair, the searing pain making my scalp feel like it was ripping from my skull. My face contorted in agony. Then came a storm of kicks and punches. The sharp pain of broken ribs made every breath feel like swallowing razor blades. The world spun around me. But the pain in my body was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. A week ago, Sophia was “kidnapped.” Thirty million dollars. He didn’t even blink. For Sophia, he abandoned me at the altar for the ninety-ninth time. I had begged him, holding onto him, only for him to shove me away without a second thought. He always said they had a bond from growing up together, that he couldn’t just stand by. It was his responsibility. So, time and time again, he canceled our wedding—a wedding meant to unite our two powerful families—all for Sophia. Now, I, his rightful fiancée, the daughter of the Marino family, was the one who was kidnapped, and I couldn’t even get him on the phone. The irony was crushing. Suddenly, my phone lit up. It was a video from Sophia. “Marco is helping me with a blister on my heel, Ella. He’s too busy to take your call.” “It’s your wedding day, but you’re still not here. Marco said I should try on your dress, to see if it fits.” In the video, Marco was on one knee, gently placing a crystal heel on Sophia’s foot. And Sophia was wearing my mother’s only heirloom—the wedding dress she had sewn for me with her own hands. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my heart. My eyes turned bloodshot red. That was my mother’s wedding dress. How dare he let another woman wear it! I lunged for the phone, desperate to confront Marco, but the kidnapper was faster. He kicked my wrist hard, sending the phone flying. The pain was so intense my body curled into a ball.

The kidnapper walked over, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and forced my head up. “No one’s even answering your calls. And you were telling me you’d get me ten million?” I gasped for air, struggling to speak. “Let… let me try again… He’ll… he’ll definitely give you the money…” “You think I’m gonna fall for that again?” The kidnapper swore, but then he seemed to change his mind, a cruel grin spreading across his face. “Fine. You can call again. One finger for every call.” He pinned my hand to the filthy concrete floor and pulled a dagger from his belt, slamming it into the ground next to my fingers. I trembled in terror, begging him, even offering more money. “No… please… I’ll give you anything you want, I have money, my fiancé is…” He slapped me across the face, cutting me off. “Shut up! All I want now is a one-dollar ransom. Remember, not a penny more.” I wanted to ask why, but he gave me no chance. He threw the phone in front of me. “You have ten seconds. When time’s up, I’m chopping off your finger.” I didn’t dare waste a second. I scrambled to pick up the phone and dialed Marco’s number again. I prayed desperately, Please, Marco, pick up. Please. One dollar. All it would take is one dollar to save my life. The kidnapper counted down beside my ear, each number a sledgehammer pounding on my nerves. “Three.” “Two.” Just as he was about to say “one,” the call connected! “Marco!” I screamed his name, a tangled mess of terror and elation. Tears streamed down my face. But the voice that answered wasn’t his. “Ella? Are you looking for Marco?” It was Sophia. “I scraped my heel, he went to get me a band-aid.” I choked back a sob. “Let me talk to Marco. It’s an emergency.” The kidnapper loomed over me, the cold glint of his dagger reflecting in my tear-filled eyes. Just then, I heard Marco’s voice in the background. Hope surged through me again, and I screamed with all my might. “Marco, save me! I’ve been kidnapped!” He finally took the phone. His tone was as cold as a Siberian winter. “Ella Marino, there’s a limit to your games. It’s our wedding day. Are you trying to make a point by disappearing?” “You have half an hour to get your ass over here. Don’t expect me to come and get you.” I shook my head frantically, hot tears rolling down my cheeks. “No, that’s not it… Marco, I’ve really been kidnapped, you have to come save me…” Marco cut me off, his voice filled with rage. “Enough! Sophia was just kidnapped last week, and now you’re pulling the same stunt? Ella, this is not how you play your jealous games!” “If you have any sense of decency left, you’ll get over here and finish this wedding!” With that, he hung up without a shred of mercy. My tears froze on my face. When Sophia was kidnapped, it was real. It was worth him abandoning the honor of our families to save her. When I was kidnapped, I was just being dramatic. He wouldn’t even listen to a full sentence. The kidnapper stood up with a cold sneer, raising the dagger in his hand.

I scrambled backward in terror, but my feet were tied together. There was nowhere to run. “What a pathetic waste. Bragging about giving me ten million.” The kidnapper spat at me, then grabbed my right hand and pinned it down. “No… let me call one more time… AHH!” The dagger came down with cold, brutal finality, severing my pinky finger. The agonizing pain made my body twist into a knot. The only sound in the empty warehouse was my piercing scream. A pool of blood spread quickly on the floor around the small, severed piece of my finger. The kidnapper tossed the phone in front of me again. “Keep calling.” Tears and cold sweat soaked my face. I had no choice but to endure the excruciating pain and dial the video call with my trembling left hand. A few seconds later, the call connected. Marco’s handsome but cold face appeared on the screen. He was looking down, carefully applying a band-aid to the scrape on Sophia’s heel. I remembered how he used to be like that with me. If I got a tiny paper cut, he’d rush to disinfect and bandage it. If I complained my feet hurt, he would immediately carry me on his back to see the family’s private doctor. But everything changed after we announced our engagement. The camera shifted, and Sophia’s face, smiling in triumph, filled the screen. “Ella, are you calling to apologize to Marco?” “It’s getting late. You should hurry over. All the family elders are getting impatient.” Marco snorted and took the phone from her. “I’ll let it slide since it’s our wedding day. Get over here now.” My face was streaked with tears as I asked in a hoarse voice: “Marco, why is it real when Sophia gets kidnapped, but when it happens to me, I’m just faking it?” Marco’s expression instantly darkened. “Ella Marino, are you ever going to let this go?” “Just because I had to leave to save Sophia last time, you’re going to retaliate like this?” “Have you no conscience? That was a life-or-death situation! And you have to hold a grudge and stage your own kidnapping on our wedding day?” “I don’t know how you became so cold and selfish. Does it make you happy to keep all our families waiting?” His words made me tremble with rage. I screamed, completely breaking down. “Why won’t you just believe me! If you don’t save me, I’m going to die!” I pushed my unrecognizable face closer to the camera, my vision blurred by blood and tears. Marco glanced at me and frowned in disgust. “What happened to your face?” The kidnapper was right beside me. I could only cry, making one last, desperate plea. “Come and save me. The ransom is only one dollar…” The moment the words left my mouth, Marco laughed coldly. “A one-dollar ransom?” “Ella, you can’t even tell a convincing lie!” I completely lost it. I held up my bloody right hand, aiming the stump of my finger right at the camera. “He already chopped off one of my fingers! What will it take for you to believe me? Do I have to die right in front of you?” The severed joint was still oozing blood. Beneath the mangled flesh, I could see the white of the bone. Marco froze. He frowned, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. Just then, I heard Sophia let out a soft laugh. “Ella, that special effects makeup looks a little fake. A real wound wouldn’t look like that.”

“Besides, what kind of kidnapper would only ask for one dollar to release someone from the Bellini family? You might as well have said a hundred million. That would at least sound more believable.” Then she sighed, her voice soft with feigned guilt. “I’m so sorry, Marco. This is all my fault. Ella must still be upset that you left her to come and save me.” “But Ella, you really shouldn’t have resorted to such extreme measures.” Marco’s face turned livid. I shook my head desperately, ignoring the pain racking my body. “That’s not it! Marco, believe me, you’re the only one who can—” “Enough!” Marco’s sharp voice cut me off, colder than I had ever heard it. “I’ve told you countless times, Sophia is like a sister to me. But you always get jealous over her.” “You either deliberately embarrass her at parties or find ways to bully her. Now you’re staging this elaborate kidnapping drama!” “Ella, you have disappointed me more than I can say.” With the bloody dagger right beside me, I screamed in despair. “Marco, why can’t you just believe me this one time!” He accused me of embarrassing her, but it was just because we wore dresses from the same designer to a family gala. I had ordered mine first. He accused me of bullying her, but that was after she’d ruined dozens of my weddings, and my friends had said a few things to her in my defense. He twisted it into me putting them up to it. Her kidnapping was the one that was staged. In the video she sent, she was perfectly unharmed, her makeup still flawless. But Marco was blind to all of it. Here I was, battered and kidnapped, and he saw it as me throwing a tantrum. An icy blade seemed to pierce my heart, the pain so sharp my insides clenched. I no longer cared if he believed me. I just wanted him to pay the ransom and save me. “Marco, whether it’s real or fake, all you have to do is pay one dollar and you’ll know the truth! Just one dollar…” Marco frowned, seeming to consider it. But then Sophia started crying. Her voice was thick with sobs. “I’m sorry… It’s all because of me that your big day has been ruined like this. If I had known this would happen, I would have rather died at the hands of those kidnappers than call you for help.” With that, Sophia turned and ran off, crying. Marco’s brow furrowed, and he immediately moved to follow her. I screamed his name. “Marco—” He looked back, his face filled with anxiety, but his next words were my final sentence. “This is our 100th wedding. If you still want to marry into the Bellini family, get your ass over here now.” “I’ll give you one last half hour. If you don’t show up, I don’t mind finding a new bride!” Before I could say another word, the video call was mercilessly disconnected. It felt like my heart stopped beating. I stared at the dark screen, the light in my eyes completely extinguished. The kidnapper stomped on my head, grinding his boot into my temple. “Pathetic. Not even worth a single dollar.” He mocked me, then raised his dagger again and chopped off my ring finger. “AHHH—” The agony was unbearable. I thrashed on the ground, screaming. But no physical pain could ever compare to the gaping wound in my soul. Tears slid from the corners of my eyes. My heart was broken, a hole that could never be repaired.

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On the day I was released from prison, rain poured from the sky as I followed my husband to the cemetery to pay respects to our daughter. Rain hammered against the tombstone. Damian Blackthorne, Alpha of the Black Wolf Clan, suddenly spoke in a voice so calm it was almost cruel. “The day our daughter Elsie drowned, I was the one who had the image crystal by Moon Lake destroyed.” I froze where I stood. The next second, I turned and met my son’s eyes. There was not a trace of guilt in them. Aiden’s tone was careless, almost light. “I was the one who testified that you abused my sister. I cleared Celeste Mom of suspicion.” The torment of more than a thousand days and nights in prison was nothing compared to the agony of this truth ripping me open. A metallic sweetness surged up my throat. I grabbed Damian by the collar and screamed hysterically, “What did I ever do wrong? Why would you do this to me?” My son let out a soft laugh. “My sister is already dead. What, were we supposed to let Celeste Mom go to prison?” “You were just a useless Luna who couldn’t do anything. So what if you spent a few years in jail?” Damian pried my fingers off one by one, his voice cold. “I gave you the respected title of Luna, admired by everyone. But Celeste is pitiful. Even after giving birth to Pearl for me, she still can’t let anyone know about it, and she has to be cursed as a shameful mistress who can never be seen in public.” “So, Evelyn, as long as you stop making things difficult for Celeste and her daughter, I won’t send you back in a second time.” … I collapsed in front of my daughter’s grave, feeling as if I had fallen into an ice cellar. Damian bent down and brushed the rain-soaked hair from my face. “Evelyn, you were the one who insisted on having someone investigate Celeste.” “So I arranged for someone to teach you a lesson. I wanted you to behave.” “But I didn’t expect them to go too far and leave you disabled.” The dull sound of iron rods smashing into bone exploded in my ears all over again. That day, I had just found a clue that Celeste was the one who drowned my daughter. I was about to find Celeste and make her pay when a group of wolf guards pinned me to the ground. Again and again, they brought their rods down on my legs. In a pool of blood, I used the last of my strength to crawl, inch by inch, toward the door. “Help me…” But all that remained in the corridor was the sound of footsteps growing farther and farther away. The pain and despair from that day were still vivid in my mind. I took a deep breath and looked at the son standing before me. All I felt was strangeness. And cold. My son looked at me coldly as I collapsed in the mud and rain. “Stop acting like you’re the victim.” “Celeste Mom was about to hold her harp recital then. You were the one who insisted on making trouble for her.” “Father didn’t even want to do anything at first. You forced him.” My own flesh and blood was speaking for my enemy. The last string in my mind snapped completely. I forced myself to stand and slapped my son hard across the face. The crisp sound of the slap cut through the roar of the rain. My son covered his face, stunned. Damian suddenly reached out and shoved me away. “Evelyn Hawthorne, why are you hitting a child?” I crashed into the tombstone. Blood mixed with rainwater and streamed into my eyes, staining the whole world red. Two wolf guards lifted me up and dragged me into the car, taking me back to the Blackthorne Pack estate. Damian pushed an adoption contract in front of me. “Pearl will be adopted under your name.” Pearl Blackthorne. His daughter with Celeste. I swept everything off the coffee table, my eyes bloodshot. “Damian, you want me to acknowledge the daughter of my enemy? Dream on.” “She killed Elsie! I will never raise that bastard!” Shattered porcelain sliced across the back of my hand. Blood dripped onto the carpet. Damian frowned and pressed a handkerchief against my bleeding wound. “Evelyn, stop making a scene.” “As long as you can be a little more generous and accept Celeste and her daughter…” “You will still be the mate I love most. The position of Luna will always be yours.” Nausea churned violently in my stomach. I yanked my hand back. Damian’s face darkened. “Evelyn Hawthorne, you need to calm down.” “When you’ve thought this through, you can come out and talk to me.” He turned and left the room. The door slammed shut behind him. Silence returned. Blood continued to bead from my hand, taking with it the last trace of warmth in my heart. I immediately booked a ticket to the Southern Territory. A home like this I would never return to it again.

The servants’ voices drifted in from outside the door. “Alpha is so good to Miss Pearl. Tomorrow’s adoption banquet is even grander than the mating ceremony he held with Luna back then.” “But isn’t tomorrow Miss Elsie’s death anniversary? Why would Alpha choose that day?” “A young lady who wasn’t loved only deserves that kind of treatment. Don’t waste your pity on her. Just remember, tomorrow’s banquet will be broadcast live across the whole city. From now on, the Blackthorne Pack will have only one young lady.” My nails dug into my palm, cutting through flesh. Blood seeped out. On Elsie’s death anniversary, Damian was going to trample over his own daughter’s remains to throw a grand banquet for the daughter of her murderer. Not long after, the bedroom door opened. Damian placed a cup of warm milk gently by my bedside. “Evelyn, I’ve asked someone to contact the best bone-healing therapist in the Northern Territory.” “Your leg can still be treated. I’ll arrange the healing ritual for next week.” He reached out, wanting to touch my hair. I slapped his hand away. The tenderness on Damian’s face vanished. His voice turned hard. “I’m thinking of you in every possible way. I found you the best healer.” “How much longer are you going to keep making trouble?” I looked at him coldly. “Thinking of me? By having my legs beaten until they broke?” “Thinking of me? By covering for the murderer who killed our daughter?” Damian sighed, his tone helpless. “You spoiled Elsie too much. She was only a child, yet she pointed at someone and called her a slut.” “Celeste had been insulted by her, and all she did was push her once. Who knew she would fall into the lake?” “To this day, Celeste still blames herself. She is already suffering enough.” “You can’t put all the blame on her.” It felt as if my heart had been torn apart, leaving me almost unable to breathe. To protect that murderer, he was actually throwing filth on a five-year-old child. When I was eighteen, I lay on the floor covered in blood. At my feet was the corpse of my abusive father. Beside him was my mother, who had just slit her wrists and died. Damian had rushed in and pulled my trembling body into his arms. “Don’t be afraid, Evelyn. From now on, I’ll protect you with my life.” But now, the cruel face before me had turned all that love into stagnant water. “Damian, dissolve our mate bond.” “I’ll let you have your happy ending with her.” “I only ask to take Elsie’s ashes with me.” Damian fell silent. His expression grew more and more terrifying. In the end, he let out a cold laugh. “Dissolve the bond? Don’t even think about it.” “Tomorrow’s adoption banquet—you will attend as Luna.” “If you dare refuse, you will never know where Elsie’s real ashes are for the rest of your life.” He released me, then slammed the door and left. I staggered out of the room, only to stop in front of that familiar door. When I pushed it open, all I saw were princess dresses, custom gowns, and an entire wall of priceless jewelry. Elsie’s desk, her toys, her bed— all of them were gone. A giant portrait of Celeste and Pearl hung on the wall. Inside the wardrobe were the limited-edition handbags and jewel necklaces Damian had given them. This place had become Celeste and Pearl’s private dressing room. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Celeste leaned against the doorframe, swirling a glass of red wine. “When that little bitch died, she kept crying for her mommy to save her.” “I pushed her under the water again and again.” “She struggled for five whole minutes before she finally stopped breathing. Her eyes were so wide when she died.” All the blood in my body rushed straight to my head. I raised my hand and slapped her face with every ounce of strength I had. Celeste did not dodge. She only smiled with mocking contempt. Suddenly, a violent wave of dizziness hit me. My vision went black. And I collapsed heavily to the floor.

A bucket of ice water was dumped over my head. I snapped my eyes open. The wolf guards forced me into an ill-fitting gown and dragged me roughly into the banquet hall. Beneath the blinding crystal chandeliers, my miserable state was exposed to everyone. “So this is the vicious woman who abused and killed her own daughter?” “She actually has the nerve to come out alive. How disgusting.” “Alpha is truly unlucky, getting stuck with a crippled madwoman like her.” Mockery surged toward me from every direction, turning into countless slaps across my face. Celeste walked toward me, holding Pearl’s hand. She was wearing a familiar white gown, radiant and flawless. It was the first gift Damian had ever given me the year he took over the Blackthorne Pack. “Evelyn, you’ve suffered so much.” Celeste’s eyes reddened, her voice gentle. I stared at that gown, nausea churning violently in my stomach. Pearl suddenly threw herself into my arms and kicked hard at my left leg. A bone-deep pain shot through me. I cried out and shoved her away. Pearl fell to the floor with the momentum and burst into loud sobs. “What are you doing?” My son rushed over and picked Pearl up. “Did you not spend enough time in the dungeon? Now you won’t even spare Pearl?” Damian grabbed my wrist. “On such an important occasion, I will not allow you to throw another tantrum.” I struggled desperately out of his grip and limped toward the door. Celeste’s eyes were red, tears threatening to fall. “Evelyn Hawthorne, abusing Elsie was bad enough. Why won’t you even spare innocent Pearl?” “As Damian’s godsister, I know I shouldn’t interfere in your family matters, but I truly cannot stand by and watch this anymore!” “Pearl is still so young! How can your heart be this cruel?” Her pitiful appearance immediately drew sighs of sympathy from the guests around us. Suddenly, the giant screen lit up. Several crystal-image media outlets bought off by the Blackthorne Pack surrounded me. “Ms. Evelyn, according to our investigation, your father committed domestic violence many times, and your mother brutally murdered him.” “Did you inherit your father’s violent tendencies? Is that why you killed your own daughter so cruelly?” The image crystals flashed wildly. Those accusing voices were shoved right into my face. I froze in place, their words piercing into my mind like a swarm of needles. Only after a long while did I come back to myself. Then I screamed until my voice tore. “I was framed!” “Celeste isn’t some godsister at all! She is my mate’s mistress! She destroyed our marriage!” “Pearl is the illegitimate daughter she had with Damian! They were the ones who killed my daughter!” The entire hall fell into dead silence. Celeste’s face turned deathly pale. Her body swayed hard, nearly collapsing. Damian quickly reached out and caught her firmly in his arms. Holding Celeste protectively, Damian let out a sigh. “I apologize, everyone. My Luna was traumatized in the dungeon. Her mental state has never been stable.” Then he turned his head and leaned close to my ear. “Apologize to Celeste. Clarify that she is not my mistress. Say you were jealous and slandered her.” I gritted my teeth and stared at him. “Never.” Damian opened his communication crystal. A prewritten message appeared before my eyes. Destroy the ashes. My whole body trembled. A chill rushed from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my skull. “Damian, are you insane? That is your biological daughter!” “You won’t do this. You wouldn’t!” Damian looked at me coldly. Then, without the slightest hesitation, his finger pressed the send mark. “No!” I dropped to my knees with a thud, tears bursting from my eyes. “I’m sorry. I was jealous of Celeste. I slandered her!”

“So she’s just a jealous madwoman. She even envies his godsister.” “Someone mentally ill should be locked up. Why did she come out just to embarrass herself?” I lowered my head and let the mockery from every direction smash into my face. Celeste held Pearl’s hand, smiling brightly amid wave after wave of praise. The banquet finally ended. Damian shoved a wooden box into my hands, his tone softening. “Evelyn, I know you’ve suffered.” “I promise I won’t let Celeste appear in front of you again.” “Pearl will be registered under your name. In a way, you’ll have both a son and a daughter.” I clutched the wooden box tightly, my nails digging into the wood. “Fine.” The moment Damian left, I hugged the urn and ran toward the back door. But as soon as I reached the alley, a sharp pain struck the back of my head. Then I blacked out. The sting on my face woke me. In the basement of the Blackthorne Pack, Celeste withdrew her hand and sneered as she threw the urn onto the ground. The lid burst open. Ashes scattered all over the floor. Celeste took out a white porcelain jar. “Did you really think Damian would return the ashes to you?” “Give them back!” I lunged forward, only to be pinned hard to the ground by the wolf guards. Celeste crouched down and seized my chin viciously. “Damian said he only married you back then because your family was ruined and you looked pitiful, like some stray dog.” “The daughter of a murderer like you—how could you ever deserve to be Luna?” Carrying the white porcelain jar, Celeste walked toward the trash can in the backyard. I crawled after her like a madwoman, dragging my crippled leg across the ground until it left a trail of blood. “No! Celeste, I’m begging you!” Martha happened to pass by with gardening tools. I grabbed the hem of her pants and begged for help. “Martha! Help me!” Martha stopped, then stepped back coldly. “Luna, Alpha has given his orders. From now on, everything in the Pack, big or small, is under Miss Celeste’s authority.” “If you refuse to behave, she may deal with you however she sees fit.” I froze in place. A bone-deep cold pierced through my heart inch by inch. Celeste waved her hand. Several rogue wolves immediately surrounded me. “Serve Luna well.” “And record every second of her filthy little state.” A foul stench closed in. Several large hands suddenly tore my clothes apart. I grabbed a pair of pruning shears from the ground and pressed them hard against my throat. The sharp tip pierced my skin. Blood surged out instantly. “Get away from me! Or I’ll die right in front of you!” The smile on Celeste’s face only deepened. She held the porcelain urn above the trash can and loosened her fingers one by one. “Evelyn Hawthorne, go ahead. Try dying.” “You don’t want to see this little bastard mixed in with all this garbage, do you?” The ashes slipped down in a soft stream, falling straight into the foul-smelling trash. I lunged forward like a madwoman to snatch them back, but someone kicked me away viciously. I crashed heavily to the ground. All I could do was watch helplessly as the last piece of my daughter was swallowed completely by filth. It felt as if my heart had been dug out alive. The pain was so extreme that I went numb. Just then, the backyard door was pushed open. I turned my head numbly. And met Damian’s face— instantly drained of all color.

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The night I miscarried and nearly bled to death, I was trapped inside an apartment with the door bolted shut. And my godfather-turned-husband was at the hospital, kissing his mistress. He’d cut the water, the electricity, the phone line. He’d even tried to force me to kneel before Rowena and apologize. He called it a little lesson—because I, his “vicious wife,” had dared to compete with his mistress for his affection. But what he didn’t know was this: That night, he killed his only heir with his own hands. … … It was just past nine months into the pregnancy when a sharp, plummeting pain tore through my abdomen. My pants were already soaked through with dark red. Something was horribly wrong. I grabbed the bathroom doorframe for support and called out to Colby, who sat by the window. “Colby, I’m bleeding. Take me to the hospital.” He was on a phone call, brow furrowed, murmuring something in Italian. After he hung up, he walked straight to the entryway and picked up the hospital bag I’d packed for labor. “Rowena’s gone into labor. It’s an emergency. She’ll need these first.” I stared at him in disbelief. “I’m bleeding, Colby. Our baby might be coming!” He picked up my phone from the coffee table, slid it into his suit jacket along with the building access card. “Your due date isn’t for another two weeks. You heard me on the phone just now, didn’t you? This is another one of your pathetic little tricks to compete with Rowena. It’s cheap.” “Stay home. Don’t bother me.” Then the door slammed shut behind him, the deadbolt sliding into place with a sound that was dull and final. I dragged myself to the door, gripped the handle with both hands, and pressed down with everything I had. It didn’t budge. He’d locked it from the outside. Another contraction hit—the pain exploded from my lower spine outward—and then a warm rush of liquid coursed down my inner thighs, splattering against the oak floor. My water had broken. He’d taken my phone. Gritting my teeth, I crawled toward the landline on the side table by the couch—I remembered, I remembered there was still— The instant my fingertips touched the receiver, I saw it. The phone cord had been snipped cleanly from the jack. A neat cut. Deliberate. I had no time to process it. The contractions were coming closer together now, the stabbing pain blurring my vision. I slid down the wall inch by inch until I collapsed on the floor. Survival instinct drove me to summon one last breath and crawl toward the balcony. I shoved open the glass door. December night air rushed in, so cold it sent my entire body into spasms. We lived on the second floor. The balcony overlooked the apartment building’s parking lot. “Help! Is anyone there? Call an ambulance!” Nothing. Empty. Colby had reassigned every single bodyguard to protect Rowena—his mistress, about to give birth. No one answered my screams. Every avenue of outside help had been sealed shut. All I could do was stumble back inside. The baby seemed to sense the danger, kicking frantically, each strike sending white-hot pain through my organs, my vision going black in waves. Suddenly my knees buckled and I crashed to the floor beside the coffee table, my arm sweeping the crystal fruit bowl off the surface. Shards exploded across the floor, mingling with the blood pooling beneath me. A scene of utter devastation. The spike of sharper pain jolted a brief moment of clarity back into my mind. I cannot die here. My palm groped across the floor and closed around the sharpest piece of glass I could find. I have to find a way out. I have to save my baby. That’s when the red light on the ceiling-mounted surveillance camera blinked on. “Serena, are you done with this little tantrum?” Colby’s voice—low, cold, detached—ricocheted off the walls of the empty room, dripping with condescension. I tilted my head back and fixed my gaze on that blinking red dot. He actually had the leisure to check the home security feed. I raised my blood-soaked hand toward the lens, making sure he could see it clearly. “Colby, I’m bleeding. I really am going into labor. Please—save our baby…” “Cut the crap.” A scoff. Contemptuous and impatient. “This again.” “Last time you used red ink to fake bleeding. What is it this time? Food coloring?” “Rowena is in so much pain she’s about to pass out, and you’re holed up at home putting on this little sob show.” “Serena, you are truly a disappointment.” My body was convulsing with pain. I didn’t have the strength to argue. Watching the blood pool into a dark puddle beneath me, soaking through my nightgown, all I could do was beg. “Colby, for the sake of our child.” “Call me an ambulance.”

He was silent for two seconds. Then he sighed, his tone carrying a thread of exhaustion, as though my desperate plea was nothing more than a tired plot point in a bad soap opera. “I looked at your prenatal report before I left—the doctor’s notes in black and white say everything’s normal, and you’ve still got two weeks until your due date. You’re lying on the floor playing dead because you want to trick me into coming back from Rowena’s side.” “These little games of yours are pathetically juvenile.” I gasped for air, each word requiring every ounce of strength I had left. “My water… already broke… the baby will lose oxygen…” “Colby, this is your own flesh and blood.” Through the speaker came a rustle of movement—the friction of fabric, Rowena’s low moan, and Colby’s voice going suddenly, impossibly soft. “Rowena, is it hurting again? Don’t be scared, the doctor’s on his way.” After soothing her, he turned his attention back to the microphone. His tone shifted instantly from tender to cutting. “Serena, Rowena is an orphan. In this entire world, she has no one but me.” “And you? You already have the Donna title that everyone envies. Why do you insist on competing with a girl who has nothing?” “She borrowed your hospital bag—that’s all—and you pull this disgusting stunt to force me back.” “You’re rotten to the core.” My cheek pressed against the cold oak floor. Tears and cold sweat mixed together, splashing onto the back of my hand—warm yet desolate. I stopped looking at the camera. I clenched my jaw, braced my elbows against the floor, and began crawling toward the entryway. Glass shards pierced my palms, punctured the skin, embedded themselves in the flesh. I couldn’t feel the pain. Only one thought remained in my mind: Get out. Get out alive. I made it to the entryway, pushed myself upright, and smashed the largest piece of broken glass against the door lock. Time was precious. The agony had already drained me of any energy to search for a more suitable tool. The glass shattered on impact, the jagged edge slicing open the skin between my thumb and wrist. Blood sprayed onto the cream-colored wall. The lock didn’t budge. Colby’s voice came through the speaker again, barely containing his rage. “Serena! What are you doing! If you damage that door, there will be hell to pay when I get back!” I ignored him. With blood-soaked hands, I tore through the shoe cabinet. I vaguely remembered a spare key kept here. Colby’s housekeeper often locked a spare key in a hidden compartment at the very bottom of the shoe cabinet. He thought I didn’t know. If I could find the key, I could get out. I could survive. I dumped everything from the cabinet onto the floor, and finally—in a small tin box at the very bottom—my fingers closed around a cold brass key. I braced myself against the wall and stood, legs shaking, aligning the key with the lock. It wouldn’t go in. I leaned in close, squinting in the residual light from the hallway. The keyhole had been filled. Dried industrial-strength adhesive had sealed every millimeter of the gap. The lock cylinder was completely blocked. “Don’t waste your energy.” Colby’s voice carried a note of satisfaction. “You think I don’t know what a temper you have? Stubborn, impossible to control, always looking for a chance to bolt. I was afraid you’d use the opportunity to run out and cause trouble for Rowena.” “So before I left, I personally sealed the keyhole with Gorilla Glue.” “Serena, the rules are simple. All you need to do is be a good girl, admit you were wrong, and promise never to harass Rowena again. Once she delivers safely, I’ll come home and be with you. Understood?” I stood there, numb, listening to my husband’s calculated confession of attempted murder. My back slid down the door panel, my body sinking inch by inch. This wasn’t negligence. This wasn’t carelessness. This was premeditated. He meant to strip me of every right to survive. I tilted my head up and stared at the surveillance camera—its lens trained unflinchingly on my trembling body, like the barrel of a gun ready to fire. “Colby, let’s get a divorce.” The speaker went briefly silent. Then came the explosion. “Threatening me again! Serena, is this the only trick you know? You think saying ‘divorce’ will make me cave? What else can you do besides cry and throw tantrums!” I closed my eyes. I didn’t answer. The contractions stacked on top of each other, wave after wave, like someone was taking a dull blade to my body. Something was descending—heavy, unstoppable. I could feel it. “Colby Blackwell.” I called his full name one last time. “I don’t want you anymore.” When I said it, I didn’t cry. Then, very calmly, I raised the brass key—metal slicing through the air—and hurled it with perfect aim at the surveillance camera. The housing shattered on impact, the circuit board popped loose, the red indicator light flickered twice, and went permanently dark. The living room returned to silence. I lay in a pool of blood, gulping air that grew thinner by the second. And then, without warning, the darkness came.

Every light in the living room died in the same instant—the chandelier, the wall sconces, the motion-sensor nightlights in the hallway. Even the hum of the air conditioning and refrigerator cut off abruptly. “Ah—” The scream left my lips the same moment I understood. It was Colby. He’d used his phone’s smart home system to kill the apartment’s main power supply with a single tap. The only thing still functioning was a Bluetooth speaker, its ring of pale blue light glowing in the darkness. Colby’s voice emerged from that circle of blue. “Serena, since you insist on being ungrateful, you can sit in the dark and reflect on what you’ve done.” “When you’ve come to your senses and apologized, I’ll turn the lights back on.” “Don’t expect me to go soft. You brought all of this on yourself.” His voice was ice-cold, controlled. As though he’d completely forgotten that ever since his rival faction locked me in a warehouse for twenty-four hours three years ago, I’d developed nyctophobia. That day, he’d held me in his arms and promised that as long as he was with me, the lights in our home would never go dark. But now… Colby had apparently forgotten that promise entirely. Forgotten the wife he’d locked in the dark. I curled up on the floor, biting down hard on my lower lip, fighting the physiological terror. Blood was still leaving my body. The abdominal pain surged like a tide, each wave more brutal than the last, and with every crest, my consciousness blinked out for seconds at a time. I can’t give up. I can’t give up. The bathroom had scissors. Towels. If no one was coming to save me, I would have to deliver this baby myself. I forced myself to stay calm, feeling my way toward the bathroom in the dark. I crawled until my elbows and knees were raw and bleeding, and just as my fingertips brushed the bathroom doorframe, the bedroom television screen blazed to life. A video call had been force-cast onto the seventy-five-inch LCD. The sudden light illuminated the entire living room—and the long trail of dark red I’d left behind me. On screen, Rowena reclined against her hospital bed, complexion rosy, makeup flawless enough for a magazine cover. Colby sat on the edge of the bed, his arm around her, my hospital bag beside him. “Colby, is Serena mad at me?” Rowena’s voice was coy and aggrieved, each word pitched with just the right amount of a quiver. “I didn’t mean to take her things—it just came on so suddenly… Maybe you should go back and check on her. I can manage alone.” Colby pressed a tender kiss to the back of her hand. “Forget about her. She just can’t stand seeing me be good to you. The moment she notices I’m over here, she starts pulling stunts.” “She smashed the security camera at home. She’s probably in some corner breaking things and throwing a fit right now.” He turned to face the camera, his gaze turning razor-sharp. “Serena, look at how considerate Rowena is. How thoughtful.” “Now look at yourself—smashing things, lying, acting like a complete shrew.” “I’m warning you one last time.” His voice dropped low, the kind of quiet menace that needed no volume—like a warning issued to a traitor who’d tried to flee the organization. “If you dare make one more scene that upsets Rowena—” “Tomorrow I’ll cut off every penny funding your brother’s hospital stay. And you can watch him die.” My heart felt like an invisible fist had clenched around it. Ethan. My eighteen-year-old brother. After the car accident three months ago, he’d been lying in the ICU, kept alive by machines maintaining his most basic vital signs. He was my only remaining family in this world. And Colby knew it. He wielded Ethan like a noose suspended above my head, ready to tighten at any moment. On screen, the loving couple nestled together. And I lay in my own blood, watching this broadcast from the darkness. A violent wave of nausea churned in my stomach. “Colby Blackwell.” I screamed it with every last shred of strength. “You make me sick.” On screen, Rowena immediately shrank into Colby’s arms, her voice trembling. “Colby, Serena is so scary… my stomach hurts so much…” Colby’s face went iron-gray. “Serena, you’re asking for death.” “Since you love acting insane so much, you can stay in there and rot.” The video cut to black with a single click. Then came a hollow rumble from inside the walls—the sound of water flowing through the pipes vanished all at once. He hadn’t just cut the power. He’d remotely shut off the main water valve. I dragged myself to the sink and twisted the faucet. A few residual drops fell—plink, plink—and then nothing. No water. No electricity. No communication. He’d driven me into a dead end, then turned around to be with another woman while she gave birth. My back against the cold bathroom tile, I gasped for air. The blood beneath me had soaked through my entire nightgown, and the metallic smell filled the cramped bathroom, so thick it tasted sweet. The baby was getting quieter. The little feet that had been desperately kicking moments ago now only produced faint, intermittent squirms. “No… no…” I pressed both palms against my swollen belly, and the tears finally broke free. “Don’t be afraid.” “Mama will fight to the death to save you.” Gritting my teeth, I fumbled through the storage cabinet beneath the sink. My fingertips touched something cold and metallic—a pair of rusted scissors. This was my last tool.

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“Ms. Hayes, as you requested, we have prepared a body identical to yours. It will be delivered on time to your wedding with Mr. Vanderbilt in ten days.” Hearing the confirmation from the person on the other end of the line, Vanessa Hayes tightened her grip on the phone. The tension that had been coiling in her chest for days finally loosened, just a little. “Thank you. Your service has been excellent.” “This is what we do. Rest assured, the body’s realism is sufficient to pass a preliminary visual inspection by a coroner. It will not raise any immediate suspicion.” … Before ending the call, Vanessa went over a few more details with them, confirming every last point. Only then did she push the door open and walk back into the private club’s VIP room. The room had been filled with the loud, brash laughter of young money. The moment she pushed the door open, it was as if someone had hit a mute button. Benedict Vanderbilt, who was sitting at the head of the table, stood up immediately. He took her hand, his eyes full of concern, and quickly signed in ASL. “Sweetheart, what took you so long? Are you feeling unwell? Let me take you home to rest.” He was already putting an arm around her waist, ready to leave. Vanessa looked at his deep blue eyes, which held only her reflection, and a bitter ache rose in her throat. She shook her head gently, mouthing her reply. “I’m fine. Stay with your friends. I don’t want to ruin the mood.” Benedict double-checked with her several times before he finally led her back to her seat beside him. The room’s atmosphere heated up again. A man named Parker lifted his whiskey glass, grinning widely at Benedict. “Hey, Benedict, you and Vanessa are about to tie the knot. So what are you going to do about that little assistant you’ve got stashed in your downtown apartment?” Vanessa’s nails dug silently into her palms. The man next to Parker elbowed him in the ribs. “Dude, watch it. Vanessa is sitting right here.” Parker just shrugged, not caring at all. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like she can hear us. I’m just curious. I want to know how our Wall Street golden boy plans to handle his little pet.” Everyone at the table turned their eyes to Benedict. “I’m keeping her.” Benedict used his fork to expertly shell the lobster tail on Vanessa’s plate, arranging the snow-white meat neatly in front of her before he continued, completely unhurried. “She’s nothing but a bit of fun. The only woman I love is Vanessa.” “But if Vanessa ever found out, she would leave me. So I’ve kept it well hidden. Even after we’re married, she will never find out.” He then swept a warning glare around the table. “All of you—keep your mouths shut. If anyone breathes a word of this in front of Vanessa, don’t blame me for erasing you completely from New York’s social circle.” These men all moved in the same circles of wealth and privilege. The “a wife at home and a mistress on the side” routine was nothing new to them. Hearing Benedict’s words, they just clicked their tongues in amusement. “Man, you must be exhausted, having to hide a mistress like that. My wife stopped caring what I do in Palm Beach a long time ago.” “You think Benedict is like you, spreading it around everywhere? The man’s just keeping things fresh, get it?” One of them, eyes bright with gossip, leaned in closer. “Benedict, since Vanessa can’t hear—have you and your little assistant ever, you know, in that penthouse of yours on the Upper East Side…” He trailed off, leaving the rest to everyone’s imagination. Benedict let out a short laugh, twisting the engagement ring on his finger as he answered casually. “Of course. It’s very— stimulating.” The room erupted in loud wolf whistles and applause as everyone at the table gave him a thumbs-up. “You’re the man!” “I bet you’ve christened every corner of that apartment, haven’t you, buddy?” “Looks like marrying Vanessa won’t slow down your ‘private projects’ with that assistant one bit.” The flattery poured in one after another. Not a single person noticed that Vanessa’s knuckles were white around her knife and fork. No one knew that her surgery in Switzerland had been a complete success. Her hearing had been restored for a while now. And even more, no one knew that she had already decided to leave. She was never going to marry Benedict Vanderbilt. On the day of the wedding, all that would be left for Benedict was a “body” that looked exactly like her. Out of the corner of his eye, Benedict saw the untouched lobster meat on her plate. He immediately signed. “Sweetheart, why aren’t you eating?” Vanessa looked up at the man before her, at his eyes full of concern, and forced a stiff smile. She signed back. “What were you all talking about? You seemed so excited.” Benedict smiled tenderly. He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her skin. “They were admiring us. They were saying we’ll be the most loving couple in all of New York, that our wedding will be the legend of the social season.” He made the sign for “I love you,” his gaze focused and deeply affectionate. The other people in the room exchanged meaningful looks. Vanessa saw the mockery in their eyes as clear as day. Her heart felt as if it had been dropped into a glass of martini, full of ice. Bone-chillingly cold. They were clearly talking about his dirty affairs with his mistress, yet he could look her in the face and say they were admiring their love. Benedict, I never knew you could lie without even blinking.

Vanessa put down her fork and knife and stood up. She didn’t want to hear another word of these hollow lies. Seeing her rise, Benedict quickly got up with her, signing to ask what was wrong. Vanessa shook her head and spoke softly—she knew he could read lips. “I’m tired. I want to go home and rest.” She didn’t wait for Benedict’s response and walked straight out of the private room. Stepping onto Sixth Avenue, Vanessa looked up. On the giant digital screen across the street in Times Square, the video of Benedict proposing to her was still playing on a loop. “Vanessa Hayes, marry me!”—those words were plastered boldly across the center of the screen. Tourists passing by were stopping to look up at the screen, sighing with envy. “Oh my god, I heard that Mr. Vanderbilt’s girlfriend is deaf. So when he proposed, he rented out the biggest screen in all of Times Square just so she could clearly see the words ‘Marry Me.’ After she said yes, he kept the video running for an entire month so the whole world could witness it.” “That man must love his girlfriend so much. He’s going to be the perfect husband.” As the subject of all this talk, Vanessa just curled her lips in a sardonic smile. Just one week ago, she would have reacted exactly like these strangers—believing wholeheartedly in Benedict’s love, thinking he would be a wonderful husband. She had grown up bouncing between foster homes. At the age of nine, a severe fever and medical negligence had cost her her hearing permanently. From that point on, she became the target of relentless bullying at school. Day after day of cruelty made her build high walls around her heart, sealing herself firmly inside. That was when Benedict appeared. He fell for her at first sight and pursued her with a textbook example of relentless passion. But she had seen these kinds of performances many times before. He confessed his feelings ninety-nine times, and she rejected him ninety-nine times. Until that day. They were inspecting a construction site downtown together when the scaffolding suddenly collapsed. Without a moment’s hesitation, he shielded her with his own body. A steel rebar pierced straight through his shoulder blade, yet he held his protective position, not moving an inch. When he woke up in the hospital, still extremely weak, the very first thing he did was struggle to make a single sign. “You’re safe… thank god.” It was then that she realized, just to be able to truly communicate with her, he had hired the best teacher and spent three months in intensive American Sign Language training. The walls around her heart cracked open for him in that moment. Later, the wound left a permanent, circular brown scar. Every time she saw that scar, her heart would flutter uncontrollably. For the five years they were together, he was so good to her it was beyond reproach, making her feel his sincerity with absolute certainty. Even when the elder members of the Vanderbilt family objected in every way possible, he still defied the immense pressure and proposed to her. So that she could hear Benedict say “I do” with her own ears at the wedding, and to spare him from being torn between his family and her, she had risked the possibility of dying on the operating table and flown to Switzerland for the most advanced experimental hearing restoration treatment. God must have been looking out for her. The surgery was a success. She planned to surprise Benedict on their wedding day, so she kept the fact that her hearing had returned a secret. She had fantasized about it more times than she could count—how overjoyed Benedict would be when he found out she could hear at the ceremony. But the last thing she ever expected was that on the day she returned from Europe, she would overhear Benedict on the phone with his female assistant. The two of them were flirting, completely unrestrained and explicit beyond belief. That was when Vanessa realized the truth. He had been messing around with his assistant behind her back for a long time. Their affair had been going on for an entire year, and she had been completely in the dark! A violent pain tore through her heart. She crouched down, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Benedict’s dismissive word from the private room echoed over and over in her head. “Keeping her.” Even though they were about to get married, he had absolutely no intention of ending that affair. Did Benedict think that just because she couldn’t hear, he could fool her for a lifetime? The cold winter wind sliced through the collar of her coat. The chill seeped deep into her bones, but her mind only grew clearer. She would show Benedict with hard facts that lies always get exposed in the end. And she, Vanessa Hayes, would never tolerate betrayal.

Vanessa took a deep breath, forcing down the stabbing pain in her heart, and was about to stand up and go home. A pair of large hands caught her from behind. “Sweetheart, why didn’t you wait for me? Are you not feeling well today? Let me take you to try on your wedding dress. The custom gown from Paris has arrived. Let’s go see if you like it. If not, I’ll have the designer fly here immediately to make changes.” Benedict pulled her into his arms, ruffling her hair with doting affection. “I don’t want to go. You decide on the dress.” She was going to “leave” on the day of the wedding. It made no difference to her what that dress looked like. Benedict seemed to pick up on her coldness. He signed carefully, a hint of real panic in his eyes. “Vanessa, it feels like you’re not looking forward to our wedding at all. Are you… are you having second thoughts about marrying me?” Vanessa looked at the man in front of her. There was genuine fear in his expression. She felt a powerful urge to tell him. Yes, I’m not marrying you. You’re the one who cheated. You’re the one who trampled our love into the dirt. You’re the one who destroyed all my anticipation for this marriage. And now, you have the nerve to ask me that? But she wasn’t ready to lay her cards on the table just yet. Inside the high-end bridal boutique on Madison Avenue, the moment Vanessa and Benedict walked in, a sales associate pulled back the velvet curtain, revealing the wedding gown that had been waiting for her. “Ms. Hayes, the custom Zuhair Murad gown Mr. Vanderbilt ordered for you from Paris has arrived. Please, have a look and let us know if there’s anything that needs altering.” As soon as the associate finished speaking, the ASL interpreter standing by stepped forward and translated the words into sign language. Watching this, the other associates murmured among themselves, their voices brimming with envy. “Mr. Vanderbilt is so incredibly thoughtful. He even brought a sign language interpreter.” “That’s not all. Look at the main diamond on the bodice. That’s the ‘Heart of Dawn’ that Mr. Vanderbilt won at a Sotheby’s auction. He specifically instructed the designer to set it right over the heart of the dress.” “I also heard he paid a fortune to buy out the designer’s entire schedule for the year, just so he could focus solely on designing this one dress for Ms. Hayes.” The admiration in their voices made the corners of Benedict’s mouth curl up slightly. He stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Vanessa’s waist. “Baby, do you like it?” Right over the heart of the dress was a pink diamond the size of a pigeon’s egg. The train stretched a full five yards, encrusted with countless smaller diamonds. Under the spotlights, the entire gown shimmered with a dizzying brilliance. Vanessa reached out and gently touched the skirt. There was no denying it. This dress suited her taste perfectly. When they were dating, she had mentioned countless times that her favorite color was pink and that her dream wedding dress was a glamorous gown with a long train. Benedict had carefully filed away every one of those details, and the result was this nearly perfect creation before her eyes. But it was a pity. No matter how beautiful the dress, no matter how dazzling the diamond, it couldn’t fill the crack in her heart. “Vanessa, look at the very center of the diamond. It’s engraved with ‘B & V forever.’” “Diamonds are forever. I had the initials of our names engraved there to show that my love for you is also eternal.” Vanessa’s gaze instinctively moved to the diamond. Right in the center, there was indeed a tiny line of letters engraved. She turned around to face him, looking straight into his eyes, which were overflowing with love. Her heart trembled slightly, and she asked in a low voice. “Is your love for me really eternal?” Benedict signed back urgently, as if afraid that a split-second delay might cause her to misunderstand. “I, Benedict Vanderbilt, will love Vanessa Hayes forever. In this life—no, for all eternity. I will never betray her. If I break this vow, may I lose my reputation and everything I own.” Such passionate words of devotion, yet they couldn’t warm a heart that had already gone completely cold. He had already broken his vow, and yet he was still performing for her. Wasn’t he tired? Vanessa looked away, unwilling to face his hypocritical face any longer. Benedict looked like he wanted to say something more, but his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression flickered. He strode a few paces away, away from anyone who might overhear, and took the call. When he came back, an apologetic look had settled on his face. “Sweetheart, something urgent just came up at the company. An emergency acquisition. I have to go back right away. You go ahead and try on the dress. Just tell the associates if you need anything changed. I’ll have my driver take you home when you’re done.” After finishing his signing, he didn’t even take the time to give her a hug like he usually did. He just hurried into his car, leaving her with nothing but a view of his back as he sped away. After Benedict left, the associates erupted in excited whispers. “Oh my god, that confession Mr. Vanderbilt just made was so touching. I’m practically in tears.” “He’s rushing off to handle a business deal worth tens of millions, but he still didn’t forget to carefully remind his fiancée about everything. What an incredible, perfect man.” Vanessa’s heart was filled with nothing but bitter irony. Benedict never used to leave her alone because of work. And besides, when he came back from taking that call, there was an unmistakable flash of desire in his eyes. How could it possibly be work? It was likely a booty call with his little mistress, Sabrina. Vanessa’s mouth twisted in a humorless smile as she turned and walked toward the exit. An associate hurried to stop her. “Ms. Hayes, you haven’t tried on the dress yet.” Vanessa shook her head calmly. “There’s no need to try it on.” On the day of the wedding, a bride’s “body” would be the only thing showing up. This dress was completely useless.

When she returned to the apartment on Park Avenue, her phone chimed with a notification. Vanessa tapped the screen. It was an iMessage from an unknown number. A photo. In the picture, Benedict was shirtless, his back facing the camera. Sabrina was wearing a strapless, fishtail-style wedding dress. The floor-length skirt had been pushed all the way up to her waist, her two smooth, slender legs wrapped tightly around Benedict’s toned waist. The pose was ambiguous to the extreme. Immediately after, another message came. A video. Sabrina’s face was flushed. She hooked her arms around Benedict’s neck, her voice breathy and broken, laced with post-coital laziness. “Benedict… my dress just arrived from Paris today, and you’ve already wrinkled it.” Benedict chuckled and leaned close to Sabrina’s ear. His voice was low and hoarse with lust. “You wanted this dress so I could see you in it, right?” “I already fulfilled your request—I had Vanessa’s wedding dress designer make you one, too. Tonight, shouldn’t you be fulfilling mine?” Sabrina let out a soft, coy gasp. The video cut off abruptly. As if that wasn’t enough, the sender added another text message. “Oops, almost forgot Ms. Hayes can’t hear. What a shame. I’ll make sure to add subtitles for her next time ;)” Vanessa’s knuckles went white as she gripped the phone.Tears streamed down her face, splashing onto the cold marble floor. She had never known that a human heart could be split in two. Having the same top-tier designer create wedding dresses for two different women—Benedict, is this what you call love? This kind of love was something she simply couldn’t bear. Something she didn’t even want. She forced down the searing pain in her chest and lifted a hand to wipe away her tears. The engagement ring on her ring finger flashed into her vision. Vanessa stared at it for a long moment. Then, without a second thought, she pulled it off and dropped it down the kitchen garbage disposal. This was the ring Benedict had personally visited Tiffany’s head designer to help design and learn from. After the design was complete, he had flown to Antwerp to pick the center diamond himself, and had completed the final setting under the guidance of a master craftsman. He had been personally involved in every step. When he proposed, he said that only a ring made by his own hands was worthy of their love. He told her that whenever she touched it, she would feel his heartbeat and his promise. But now, his love had gone bad. This ring had naturally lost its original meaning, too. It wasn’t until late at night that Benedict came back. Vanessa felt the mattress on his side of the bed dip. A mixed scent of “Jasmine Noir” perfume and post-coital musk wafted from him. The image of the two bodies tangled together in that video instantly flooded her mind. She couldn’t control it. She bolted up and rushed to the bathroom, retching. Seeing her so miserable, Benedict was frantic. He immediately tried to call the family doctor. “Sweetheart, did you eat something bad at dinner? Let me call Dr. Evans right away!” Vanessa, red-eyed, pressed her hand down on his to stop him. She mouthed the words. “I’m fine. I just… thought of some pictures and a video that made me sick.” Benedict crouched down beside her, patting her back with a pained, worried expression on his face. “Don’t look at those kinds of messes anymore. Seeing you like this breaks my heart.” As if afraid his signing wasn’t enough to convey his heartache, he took her hand and pressed it against his own chest, letting her feel his heart pounding fiercely. Vanessa’s gaze drifted downward instinctively. Her eyes immediately caught the distinct red marks peeking out from the open collar of his shirt. She was hit by another uncontrollable wave of nausea, gagging again. What kind of mental fortitude did Benedict possess, to be able to come to her covered in another woman’s marks and put on such a deeply affectionate act? Seeing this, Benedict grew even more anxious. “Who sent you those photos and videos? Who did this to my Vanessa? If I find out, I’ll make sure they pay!” A bitter smile touched Vanessa’s lips. Benedict, the person who did this to me is you. She didn’t want to look at that hypocritical face anymore. She pushed him out of the bedroom and locked the door. “Tonight, I want to sleep alone.” Benedict’s worried calls kept coming from outside the door. But she acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing, got straight into bed, and lay down. Benedict’s flippant words from the video kept echoing in her mind. After she got together with Benedict, he had promised to give her a kind of devotion unmatched anywhere in New York. Back then, she thought he was the knight who had rescued her from a world of gray silence. But now she could see the truth. He was the devil dragging her into an even deeper hell. He had given her a love carved into her very bones, and then delivered a killing blow straight to her soul. Vanessa closed her eyes. A tear slipped silently from the corner. If she could do it all over again, she would rather have never met Benedict Vanderbilt. The next morning, Vanessa opened the bedroom door to find Benedict leaning against the doorframe. There was a slightly wronged look on his face. “Sweetheart, why did you shut me out? Was it because I left you alone at the bridal shop yesterday? Are you mad at me? I swear, I really did have an emergency acquisition to deal with. Please, can you forgive me?” An emergency acquisition? Rushing off to sleep with Sabrina—to him, that probably did qualify as an “urgent project.” Vanessa didn’t expose his lie. She only had eight days left before she left. He would find out soon enough that she had known everything all along. She shook her head. “I’m not mad. Work is important. I understand.” Her calm, even tone made Benedict’s heart lurch with sudden anxiety. He immediately refuted her. “No! Of course my Vanessa is the most important thing! I will never leave you alone again.” After signing, he pulled her forcefully into his arms, as if wanting to fuse her into his very bones so they’d never be separated again. Vanessa didn’t respond. Never again? There would never be an “again” for them.

Maybe it was a guilty conscience. For the next few days, Benedict didn’t leave her side for a moment. He handled company business from home while double-checking the final details with the wedding planner. That changed when a charity gala was held at the Met. Benedict, as one of the main sponsors, had no choice but to attend. He insisted that Vanessa come with him. Before she could even refuse, he had already summoned his personal styling team to their door. It wasn’t until they arrived at the gala that Vanessa discovered Sabrina was also there. She was wearing a tight, deep-V Tom Ford gown that left little of her perfect figure to the imagination. Holding a glass of champagne, she walked up to them with a polished smile. “Mr. Vanderbilt. Ms. Hayes.” Vanessa studied the woman before her. Sabrina was poised and completely at ease, acting as if she and the woman who had sent those taunting messages last night were two entirely different people. Oscar-worthy acting, just like Benedict. Vanessa had clearly seen the flicker in Benedict’s eyes when they landed on Sabrina, the subtle roll of his Adam’s apple. Yet he kept a firm grip on her hand, only giving Sabrina a cold, impersonal nod—the perfect picture of a boss. As soon as people at the gala spotted Benedict, they flocked over with champagne glasses to network. A few wives of finance tycoons tried to chat with Vanessa. But she maintained her role as someone with no hearing, giving no reaction to any of the conversation around her. Benedict smiled and explained on her behalf to everyone. Then, worried she might be bored, he personally went to the refreshment table and selected her favorite macarons, placing a glass of sparkling water by her hand. The wives gushed with praise. “Benedict is truly the perfect gentleman.” “We’ve long heard that his devotion to his fiancée is on another level. Seeing it firsthand today, the rumors don’t do it justice.” Vanessa kept her eyes lowered. Her long lashes concealed the mockery in her gaze. Just as everyone was chatting, Benedict’s phone buzzed. He checked it, and his expression shifted slightly. With an apologetic tone, he said to the group, “Excuse me, everyone, there’s an urgent work matter I need to handle.” He didn’t forget to sign to Vanessa. “Sweetheart, something urgent came up. Sit here and wait for me. I’ll be right back.” Almost subconsciously, Vanessa swept her eyes across the ballroom. Sabrina was gone, too. A moment later, her own phone buzzed. Sabrina had sent her a message. It was a screenshot of a chat. In the screenshot, Sabrina had sent a photo of her bare back. The zipper of her gown was pulled all the way down, leaving everything to the imagination. Below the picture was the message. “Benedict, I can’t zip up my dress. Could you come help me?” Benedict had only replied with two short words. “Your location.” Immediately after, Sabrina sent another text. “He couldn’t even wait. Just took me in a private lounge on the third floor. There were waitstaff passing right outside in the hallway. So thrilling. He took me twice. My legs are so weak I can barely walk. It’s a feeling you could never give him.” “Oh, and we didn’t use protection. And it’s not the first time. He said if it happens, it happens, and I can keep it. For all I know, his future heir might already be inside me.” Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut, pressing hard against her chest to try and ease the tearing pain. He was so desperate he couldn’t even wait a few hours? Her phone buzzed again. She thought it was another round of provocation from Sabrina. Instead, it was an encrypted email from the special effects studio. “Ms. Hayes, your new identity has been prepared. We have booked you a flight to London departing at six p.m., five days from now. Please confirm once more whether to proceed with the final plan.” Vanessa opened her camera, aimed it at her own face, and recorded a short video. “I can confirm I’m leaving.” The words had barely left her mouth when a panicked voice sounded behind her. “Leaving? Vanessa, you’re leaving?”

Vanessa instinctively wanted to turn around but immediately remembered that her “deaf” status hadn’t been exposed yet. She forced herself to freeze. Benedict rushed around to face her, his eyes wild with genuine terror. “Sweetheart, you’re leaving me? Our wedding is right around the corner. Where are you going?” Seeing her absolute lack of reaction, Benedict snapped back to his senses and quickly repeated himself in sign language. Vanessa’s expression remained perfectly calm. “It’s a friend of mine. She’s leaving New York.” Benedict studied her face intently. Only after confirming that her expression was cool and she showed no signs of lying did he let out a long breath of relief. “Oh, thank god. Vanessa, do you have any idea how close my heart came to stopping just now? I honestly can’t even imagine how I would go on living if you ever left me.” Benedict held her tightly in his arms, his face etched with lingering fear. Listening to this deeply moving declaration, Vanessa’s heart was utterly unmoved. If you’re so terrified of me leaving, then why did you betray me? Was it because you thought I couldn’t hear, so you felt invincible? What a pity. I hate to disappoint you. The fear in Benedict’s heart hadn’t yet subsided when he wrapped his arm around her waist, ready to leave the gala. “Sweetheart, let’s go home. From this moment on, I won’t let you out of my sight for a single second.” “What about your assistant?” “She wasn’t feeling well. She already left early.” Hearing the lie roll so smoothly off his tongue, Vanessa felt nothing but biting sarcasm. Just as they reached the VIP parking area of the underground garage, Vanessa spotted Sabrina in a struggle with a man. The man had one hand clamped around Sabrina’s wrist, refusing to let her leave. His other hand was about to slide up her waist. Sabrina yanked herself free and whipped a hard slap across his face. Enraged, the man grabbed a champagne bottle from a nearby service cart and smashed it toward her. In that split-second, all Vanessa felt was the arm around her waist suddenly vanish. Benedict lunged forward and shielded Sabrina tightly in his arms. The bottle smashed hard against his shoulder. Sharp glass shredded through the expensive suit fabric and into his skin. Bright red blood instantly soaked into his white dress shirt. Benedict’s face darkened with a terrifying fury. First, he quickly checked that Sabrina in his arms was unharmed. Then he grabbed the man by the collar and slammed his fist into his face, punch after brutal punch. “Who the hell gave you the nerve to touch my woman! You’re dead!” As soon as the man got a clear look at Benedict’s face, he was so terrified he started begging for mercy and didn’t dare fight back. Off to the side, a shard of flying glass had cut a thin streak of blood across Vanessa’s cheek. But she felt nothing. She just stood there, silent and still, watching the enraged man. The scene before her eyes slowly merged with a memory. Five years ago, not long after she and Benedict had started dating, they had attended a similar gala. That was the first time she had appeared in public as Benedict Vanderbilt’s girlfriend. His reputation as a “devoted knight” hadn’t yet taken root in everyone’s mind. When people realized she couldn’t hear, she saw the contempt and mockery in their eyes with perfect clarity. After Benedict was pulled aside by a business partner to talk shop, a few men with bad intentions surrounded her. They all assumed she was nothing more than a temporary plaything for Benedict. Even though she couldn’t hear the words coming out of their mouths, she could read the taunting, lecherous intent written all over their faces. She wanted to call for help but was terrified of causing trouble for Benedict. All she could do was warn them off with her eyes, again and again. The only response she got was even deeper ridicule from the men. Just as one man’s hand was about to touch her cheek, Benedict drop-kicked the man several feet away. Then, his eyes blazing red with rage, he pinned the man to the ground and beat him bloody. Afterward, he ordered his assistants to use every means possible to bankrupt these men’s family businesses on Wall Street. From that point on, everyone knew the rule. Vanessa Hayes was Benedict Vanderbilt’s forbidden territory. No one was allowed to touch her. Now, the exact same scene was playing out. Except the woman he was shielding in his arms wasn’t her anymore.

On the way to the private hospital, Benedict finally noticed the cut on Vanessa’s cheek. After beating that man, he had been busy comforting the trembling Sabrina ever since. Once they arrived at the hospital, he completely ignored his own bleeding shoulder and insisted the doctor treat the wound on Vanessa’s face first. “The wedding is right around the corner. There can’t be a single flaw on my Vanessa’s face!” After saying that, he turned to her and signed, his eyes flooding with guilt. “Baby, this is all my fault. I only protected her just now because Sabrina is my subordinate. It was my duty as her employer. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?” Vanessa didn’t answer. She just signaled to the doctor to ignore her wound and focus on treating Benedict’s shoulder. It wasn’t like she was even going to show up at that wedding. Whether there was a scar on her face or not didn’t matter. Benedict, however, took this as a sign that she was worried about him. Pure emotion swelled in his expression. The doctor cut away the custom-made dress shirt, soaked through with blood, exposing the ghastly wound underneath. Only then did Vanessa notice that the location of the wound was exactly the same spot as the scar left by the piercing rebar from that accident five years ago. Now, the circular scar that had witnessed the very beginning of their love was covered by a fresh new wound. There wasn’t a trace of it left to see. For a moment, she felt dazed. It seemed even God was sending a sign—their relationship was already a thing of the past. After leaving the hospital, Sabrina wrapped her arms around herself, trembling, and choked out the words to Benedict. “Benedict… tonight… can I stay at your place?” Seeing Sabrina in such a rare state of vulnerability, Benedict’s heart softened a little. He carefully watched Vanessa’s expression as he tentatively signed to her. “Sweetheart, my assistant Sabrina was really shaken up tonight. Would it be alright if she stayed at our place for one night? Just in the guest room.” As if terrified she might misunderstand, he hurriedly added. “I don’t mean anything else by it. As her boss, it’s just my responsibility to make sure an employee’s emotional state is stable.” Watching his anxious expression, Vanessa’s nails dug into her palms unconsciously. Did he actually want to brazenly bring that woman into their home? Then, a self-deprecating smile touched her lips. Forget it. She would be gone soon enough. Once she left, Sabrina would move into that apartment sooner or later anyway. Why even bother caring now? “Whatever,” she mouthed. Probably because she was there, Benedict barely spoke to Sabrina during the entire drive. Whenever Sabrina tried to talk to him, he would silence her with a look. Vanessa didn’t want to watch this two-person show any longer. She closed her eyes and rested against the soft leather seat of the Bentley. When they got home, Benedict sent Sabrina, despite the resentful look in her eyes, to the guest room on the second floor. Back in the master bedroom, Benedict retrieved the first-aid kit. He used a cotton swab soaked in iodine to gently treat the cut on her face. “Vanessa, I know you were thinking of me. But how could you tell the doctor to leave your wound untreated? If it left a scar, it would break my heart.” After finishing with the wound, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “I will never let you get hurt again. Today really was just a freak accident. When I saw my employee being bullied, I just jumped in without thinking.” “I mean, an attack on my employee is a direct slap in my face. How could I stand for that? You understand, right, baby?” Benedict’s explanation sounded reasonable and well-founded. If Vanessa hadn’t already known about their relationship, and hadn’t clearly seen the possessive fury blazing in his eyes, she might have actually believed him. She offered no words of understanding. She just said she was tired and wanted to sleep. Benedict immediately moved to do what he always did. He brought her a warm glass of milk and gently patted her back, coaxing her to sleep. Late in the night, a loud clap of thunder woke Vanessa. Disoriented and half-asleep, she instinctively reached to snuggle up to the person beside her. Her arms closed around nothing but empty space. The cold touch of the sheets jolted her fully awake. She got up and went downstairs. Just as she reached the top of the staircase on the second floor, she heard a woman’s suppressed moans. She halted, forced down the bitter ache rising in her heart, and moved one step at a time toward the guest bedroom door. The guest bedroom door was wide open. In the warm yellow light of the bedside lamp, two completely bare bodies were entangled together.

Sabrina had both hands locked around the back of Benedict’s neck. Her face was flushed with the heat of arousal, and she was panting out desperate, helpless breaths. “Benedict… no more… I can’t…” Benedict buried his head against her chest, his voice thick and husky. “A man put his hands on you today. I’m going to leave my mark all over you. Don’t even think about resting until I say it’s over.” Sabrina tilted her head back, gasping for air as she spoke. “Tell me… what if Ms. Hayes saw…” Before she could finish, Benedict stopped moving. His face cold, he cut her off. “She can’t hear. She’ll never find out. You are not to bring our affairs to her.” Sabrina pouted pitifully, trailing her fingers in little circles over his solid chest. “I know… it’s just… the thought of her becoming your wife soon, while I’m nothing but a dirty secret… it makes me sad.” Seeing her act so pitiful softened something in Benedict. He pinched her cheek. “You jealous little thing. I’ve already brought you into my home. What more do you want?” “Rest assured, even after I’m married, I won’t leave you. I’ll give you whatever you want. Whatever Vanessa has, I’ll make sure you get one, too.” Only then did a smile bloom back onto Sabrina’s face. “Then I want you to stay with me until the wedding.” Benedict hesitated for a couple of seconds, but seeing the pleading, dewy look in the woman’s eyes, he agreed. “Fine.” Sabrina’s eyes lit up. She leaned in close to his ear, her breath warm and suggestive. “And… I want to devour you right now.” The look in Benedict’s eyes instantly darkened. He grabbed her by the waist, and the two of them tangled together once more. A flash of lightning from outside the window illuminated Vanessa’s pale face in the doorway. Her hand was clamped so tightly over her mouth to stop herself from sobbing that her whole body shook. Tears had long since blurred her vision. She had seen the taunting videos Sabrina sent. But the pain they caused was nothing, not even a fraction, compared to what she was witnessing with her own two eyes right now. Every moan, every single suggestive whisper, was like a poison-dipped blade, stabbing her heart into a bloody, shredded mess. The sounds from inside the room grew louder. Unable to listen for another second, Vanessa turned and fled. Back in the bedroom, she curled up on the bed, hugging herself with all her might. But she felt no warmth at all. The piercing moans echoed in her ears without end. She pressed her hands desperately against her ears, but it was useless. Barefoot, she went downstairs and ran out without looking back, disappearing into the pouring rain. Outside, thunder roared and lightning cracked. But it was as if she felt none of it. The only thing in her mind was that the luxury penthouse behind her looked like a monster with a gaping, bloodthirsty mouth. She needed to get as far away as possible. She walked numbly down the empty Fifth Avenue. The rain soaked her to the bone. She could barely keep her eyes open. In her daze, the rain seemed to stop. She looked up. It was as if she saw a younger Benedict, holding an umbrella over her. His eyes were filled with an intense, almost palpable sense of regret. “Vanessa, leave him. Leave the version of me who no longer loves you. Don’t forgive him.” Red-eyed, she looked at the man who had once loved her so sincerely. Fine. I will definitely leave him. I will never forgive. It was almost dawn by the time Vanessa returned home in a trance. She had just peeled off her wet clothes and collapsed into bed when Benedict carefully opened the bedroom door. As he always did, he gently tucked the covers in around her and pulled her tenderly into his arms. Then, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, he whispered. “Vanessa, I really do love you so much. In three days, you’ll finally be my wife. We’ll grow old together.” He spoke the words to himself, completely missing the single tear that slipped silently from Vanessa’s eye. She had read something online once. A man’s sudden tenderness is usually just guilt after cheating. She never understood what that meant before. Now, she was living it, feeling it in her bones. All she wanted now was for time to move faster. For the day she could leave to come sooner.

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In my past life, during my Silvermoon Pack’s Mating Ceremony, I saved a wolf who had been brutally defeated in a territorial dispute. He turned out to be Julian, the Alpha heir of the Crimson Sun Pack. To repay my kindness, Julian returned to his pack and immediately declared me his future Luna. Within a year, I gave birth to a pure-blooded Alpha, a miracle not seen in a century. Julian was ecstatic. When his father stepped down, he officially made me his Luna. I had a mate who was outwardly loyal and a status that was second to none. Meanwhile, my sister, Rosalie, chose Jacob, the fierce Alpha of the Stone Ridge Pack. But she was cast out for her betrayal, tortured and broken, and sent back to us in shame. Our pack believed she had disgraced our name and drove her away. I pitied her, alone and helpless, and brought her to live with me in the Crimson Sun territory. But she grew jealous of my life. She murdered me with silver-laced poison and threw our child from the highest tower to his death. When I open my eyes again, I’m back at the Mating Ceremony. I watch my sister run without hesitation toward the wolf lying half-dead in the woods—Julian. I know instantly. She’s been reborn, too. But she doesn’t know the truth. Saving an Alpha is one thing, but carrying his pure-blooded heir is a living hell. The title of Luna of the Crimson Sun Pack is not so easily won. … To ensure the strength and future of our pack, all young women of the Silvermoon Pack must choose a mate upon coming of age. My sister Rosalie and I were known as the beauties of our pack, and the news of our ceremony drew nearly every eligible male from the neighboring territories to our camp. My mind is a chaotic mess, my head splitting with a pain so intense I want to curl up on the ground and scream. Rosalie is standing beside me, her face glowing with excitement, while one of the pack elders drones on and on. Seeing this familiar scene, my fists clench. I’ve been reborn. I’m back on the day we were meant to choose our mates. Looking at Rosalie’s sweet smile, I can’t stop myself from trembling. If I hadn’t lived through her betrayal, I never would have known the venomous heart that hid behind that beautiful face. In my last life, on our way to the ceremony hall, we found a wolf grievously wounded, his skin seared by silver. My sister, desperate to pick the strongest mate before I could, ran ahead to the hall while I stayed to heal the injured wolf. After she chose Jacob, the Stone Ridge Alpha, she lied, telling everyone I had scorned the ceremony. She dismissed all the remaining males. When I finally arrived, the hall was empty. The elder scolded me for my willfulness and sentenced me to the confinement chamber for reflection. Rosalie was thrilled. I was born with more of the Moon Goddess’s favor, my wolf form more beautiful than hers. I had always outshone her, and the pack members had always preferred me. Now, I was mateless and had angered several packs. It was exactly what she had wanted. Just as our people worried for my future, an envoy from the Crimson Sun Pack arrived with a lavish bride price, asking for my hand on behalf of their Alpha heir. The dying wolf I had saved was Julian. When Rosalie heard the news, her face twisted with rage. Less than a year after my union with Julian, I gave him the pack’s first pure-blooded Alpha in a hundred years. Julian was overjoyed. After his father abdicated, he immediately made me his Luna. The entire Crimson Sun Pack was grateful to me for giving them such a powerful heir. The elders constantly warned Julian to be faithful and never betray me. My glory was infinite. My sister’s fate, however, was tragic. After marrying Jacob, she was exposed for infidelity and sent back to our pack, her body covered in scars. Our people, ashamed of her, exiled her. She wandered the wilds, fighting with rogue Omegas for scraps of food, even suffering their assaults. I took pity on her lonely state. Remembering we were sisters, I brought her to the Crimson Sun Pack. But seeing my noble status, Rosalie’s heart filled with jealousy. She poisoned me when my guard was down and dashed my child to his death. She hated me to the core. The poison she used was an agonizing toxin designed to inflict maximum pain on a werewolf. The memory of my death sends a shiver down my spine, and I subtly edge away from her. My sister glances around anxiously. As we approach the same patch of woods where I saved Julian last time, I don’t make a move. She shoves me aside. “This poor wolf,” she says with a smile. “I have to save him. Clara, you go on to the ceremony hall.” Without a second thought, she begins tending to Julian’s wounds. Seeing this, I understand everything. My sister has been reborn, too. I wait for her, but she impatiently urges me to leave. I turn and walk away without hesitation, leaving her to bask in her dream of becoming the supreme Luna. Rosalie, saving a life is easy. Being a Luna is hard. In your last life, you only saw the power and glory that surrounded me. You never saw the thorns that tore my flesh to ribbons.

I arrive at the ceremony hall to find it packed with males from various packs. Their muscles are bulging, and the air is thick with the scent of testosterone. I don’t try to sabotage Rosalie like she did to me in our last life. Instead, I offer them a graceful curtsy and explain that my sister was delayed but will be along shortly, asking for their patience. They smile and tell me they understand. These male wolves are all eager to find a mate, each one trying desperately to show off their charm. The naive girl I was in my past life would have been swept off her feet. But now, my heart is filled with a bitterness that makes it impossible to smile. My eyes immediately find my sister’s former mate, the Alpha of the Stone Ridge Pack—Jacob. He stands out in the crowd, his presence calm and steady. Jacob isn’t fawning over me like the other males. In fact, he’s standing at a distance. If it weren’t for the flicker of admiration in his eyes when he looks at me, I might have thought he wasn’t interested at all. Just then, my sister Rosalie rushes into the hall, beads of sweat on her forehead. A look of surprise flashes in her eyes when she sees the room is still full. Did she really think I would stoop to her level and seek revenge? Rosalie announces, “I’m sorry, everyone, but I have already given my heart to another. I have decided to be his mate.” A wave of disappointment ripples through the males, but they quickly turn their attention back to me, their enthusiasm renewed. A spark of jealousy flashes in my sister’s eyes. She points to Jacob in the distance. “I think that one looks good enough for my sister. Our mother is gone, so as the elder sister, I’ll make the decision for Clara. I betroth you to him.” Seeing her smug, meaningful smile, I lower my gaze to hide the complex emotions swirling within me. My sister wants me to suffer the same fate she did in her last life. And just like that, with Rosalie’s silver tongue, my marriage to Jacob is decided. The elder is annoyed that she participated in the ceremony despite already having a mate, but he only sentences her to confinement for a few days of reflection. I count the hours, knowing the envoy from the Crimson Sun Pack should be arriving soon. What I don’t expect is that this time, Julian comes to ask for her hand himself. The elder is stunned by the news. Our Silvermoon Pack’s status has long since faded. Even in our prime, we never managed to attract a suitor from a noble bloodline like the Crimson Sun Pack, let alone their direct heir, Julian. The elder bows low, speaking to Julian with the utmost respect. My sister has already been released and now stands beside the elder, gazing at Julian adoringly. “I’ve been waiting for you. The elder even locked me up.” Her words make both the elder and Julian flinch. Julian’s face darkens with anger. “Why would you lock up my future Luna?” Julian has always been domineering. He sees the elder’s action as a direct insult. Seeing Julian’s displeasure, beads of cold sweat form on the elder’s forehead. His lips move, but in the end, he bows his head in defeat. “I accept any punishment, Alpha Heir.” I can’t bear to see this old man who raised us treated so humbly. I step forward. “Your Highness, you misunderstand. My sister participated in the Mating Ceremony even though her heart was already promised to you. The elder was only trying to protect her reputation. Otherwise, the other packs would surely hold it against her.” Julian’s eyes fall on me, and a flicker of surprise and admiration crosses his face. Sensing his interest, Rosalie becomes defensive, quickly linking her arm with his and whining for his attention. Watching my sister’s frivolous display, the elder looks as if he might faint.

At Julian’s forceful insistence, the date for my sister’s union ceremony is set. Then, with a glint in her eye, Rosalie maliciously suggests that I should have my ceremony on the same day. She claims that as sisters, we are very close. Now that she is to become Julian’s Luna, she wants me to share in her good fortune, to let Jacob know that I have a powerful pack backing me. Her words sound so sincere that even Julian’s gaze softens. The elder is hesitant. A union ceremony is the most important day in a wolf’s life. The bride is meant to be the sole focus of attention. It’s unheard of for two brides from the same pack to be wed on the same day. Besides, Rosalie is marrying the noble heir of the Crimson Sun Pack. Her procession and dowry will far outshine mine. He is about to protest, but I place a hand on his arm and smile at my sister. “You’re so good to me, sister.” I feel Julian’s undisguised stare on me, and my smile tightens. Rosalie glares at me and steps in front of him, blocking his view. Jacob arrives with the bride price. Following an ancient tradition, he has personally hunted a rare white stag as a gift. My wedding in the last life was rushed, so I never saw Jacob’s courtship of my sister. But I imagine she must have received this same magnificent gift. Rosalie’s face darkens slightly, annoyed that Jacob would value me so highly. I have to stifle a laugh. She isn’t even his mate in this life, yet she’s still angry over this. What a strange person she is… The elder, weary from the day’s events, retires to rest. The days leading up to the ceremony are pure bliss for me. In my past life, I was married in a hurry and immediately shackled by the endless rules of the Crimson Sun Pack. This time, I get to enjoy the freedom and anticipation a bride-to-be deserves. I take Jacob for walks through the Silvermoon territory, while my sister spends her days clinging to Julian, constantly in his quarters. The day before our ceremonies, the elder summons us both to his room. He first presents a list of parting gifts. “Rosalie,” he says, “your union is a matter of pack honor, but Clara is our child, too. I would like to give her a larger share of the pack’s blessing. Do you think…” Rosalie’s face hardens. She snatches the list from his hand. “No! I’m marrying the heir of the Crimson Sun Pack. I represent the face of the Silvermoon Pack. My parting gift must be bigger, not smaller. My sister is just marrying into the Stone Ridge Pack. She doesn’t need such extravagance.” She scans the list, pulls out the most meager one, and tosses it in front of me. The elder is furious, but I simply thank my sister and pick up the paper. Swallowing his anger, the elder looks at Rosalie with concern. “Our pack hasn’t had a union with the Crimson Sun Pack for a very long time. Though it is a marriage, our status is not equal to theirs. I worry you will be mistreated when you go there, and we will not be able to help you. You must be careful.” Rosalie looks down on him with a sneer. “I know you’re useless. Useless and obsessed with saving face! Of course I won’t be mistreated. You, on the other hand, Clara…” Her eyes are filled with mockery, as if she can already see the miserable fate awaiting me with Jacob. But I want to laugh, too. Does she really think that just because she saved Julian, she can safely birth a pure-blooded heir and become the supreme Luna? An ancient bloodline like the Crimson Sun Pack struggles with heirs for a reason. Their Alpha blood is so potent, so aggressive, that an ordinary female body cannot withstand it. Carrying a pure-blooded heir is the highest honor, but for every day that child is in the womb, it drains the mother’s life force, torturing her day and night. If the mother weakens, the Crimson Sun Pack will sacrifice her without a second thought to save their precious heir. They only show concern for the mother if she herself possesses an equally powerful bloodline. I was lucky in my past life. I stumbled upon a Moonpetal Flower before I knew I was pregnant. Without it, I would have been sacrificed, too. But Rosalie doesn’t know that. She’s still lost in her beautiful dream, and I have no intention of waking her. She looks at me and says, “Clara, Jacob is a violent man. Don’t expect the pack to stand up for you. You’ll just have to endure it. I was going to help you, but you shouldn’t have tried to seduce my Julian.” The moment the words leave her mouth, Jacob kicks the door open, his eyes blazing with fury as he stares at my sister. Rosalie flinches. Then she sees Julian standing behind Jacob, and her face lights up. She runs to Julian’s side and clings to his arm. Julian ignores her. He looks at me, a playful glint in his eyes. “The Alpha of Stone Ridge is violent? Why don’t you marry me too, Clara? I can give you and Rosalie equal status. You two sisters can serve me together.” At his words, my sister’s face turns deathly pale.

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“Luna, are you certain you wish to proceed with the Bond Severance rite? Once it begins, the sacred connection between you and the Alpha will be permanently severed. Your power, your station, everything you hold within the pack—it will all be forfeit.” The aged she-wolf priestess held Faye’s hands, her ancient eyes clouded with worry. Faye nodded. Her voice was calm. Absolute. “I’m certain.” The priestess tried once more. “This will bring you unimaginable pain. And the Alpha will suffer a crippling blow as well. You are the Moon’s Heart of this pack, our very pulse. Please, reconsider.” “No need.” Faye took up a silver stylus, sliced open her fingertip, and pressed a blood print onto a consent form written in the Old Tongue. “Begin.” “Very well. After the rite, you will relinquish the name Faye. In return, the Moon Goddess will bestow upon you a new identity. You’ve chosen… Fern, is that correct?” “Yes.” Fern. Fern, flying far away. A new life, reborn in the forest. That was the future she had mapped out for herself. She was going to leave this place for good. Leave this pack drowning in lies. When the rite concluded, the priestess handed her a new set of human documents and a passport. “May I leave the territory now?” “You may. The receipt slip carries the Moon Goddess’s blessing. It will temporarily mask your scent, making it impossible for the Alpha to track you. But the effect lasts only one week.” Faye had prepared everything at top speed. But the rest—the Luna’s scepter, her name on the ancestral scrolls—she took none of it. In a week, she would be gone, new passport in hand. The Luna’s identity could be buried here forever. She didn’t need it anymore. She stepped out of the sanctuary, new passport in hand. Across from her stood Silvermoon City’s landmark—the Apex Group tower. The massive screen on the building’s facade was broadcasting an interview with Alpha Kael. The host, sharp enough to catch his small movements, smiled and asked, “Mr. Kael, I notice you keep touching your ring. But it seems to be just a very ordinary moonlace silver band. Is there something special about it?” Kael’s smile softened. He raised his hand for the camera. “This is my bond token. Moonlace silver is a special metal blessed by the Moon Goddess. Exceptionally pure. It causes us wolves no harm—on the contrary, it holds the power of the bond.” “Oh, forgive me. I assumed someone of your status would have a token set with ancient gemstones. Something far more ornate.” Kael said, “I made this myself the first time I successfully shifted. I forged it with my own hands for my Luna, using moonlace silver. I shaped it, polished it, and engraved our initials inside the band.” “Oh, there really are two sets of letters. K and…” “S,” Kael said. “My Luna’s name is Faye.” “Goodness. Your Luna is a lucky woman. She must have saved the entire wolf race in a past life to be your fated mate.” Kael simply said, “Truthfully, I was the one who saved an entire galaxy in a past life. The Moon Goddess blessed me by making her my Luna.” Almost every voice in the passing crowd was full of envy. All except the one person who actually mattered. Faye. A thin, sardonic smile touched her lips. Her bond with Kael had been real once. From their first meeting under the moonlight as juveniles to becoming Alpha and Luna, they had walked fifteen years together. In the eyes of every pack member, they were the Moon-blessed perfect pair. Until two months ago. Through the fated bond, she felt something. A violent surge of pleasure that came from Kael’s body, but did not belong to her. It was a strange, feral scent. And then, moments later, an anonymous magic-image arrived. The young she-wolf in the image was Lila. She wore a seductive nightgown. From her neck to her chest, she was covered in bite marks and deep scratches—the unmistakable evidence of a brutal, recent coupling. No guesswork required. She had just come from a “session.” She threw up a V-sign at the viewer. And on her index finger, she wore a silver ring. It was a size too large, clearly a man’s band. Engraved on the ring was a line of letters: K & S. Later, Faye met Lila in Kael’s office. Lila was Kael’s newly promoted assistant. In that moment, Faye’s mind went somewhat blank. She truly wanted to storm into Kael’s office and ask him one question: “Does the Alpha’s assistant’s job description also cover satisfying his primal urges?” But later, she let it go. That image. The marks all over Lila’s body. The raw sense of betrayal bleeding through the bond. The answers were already written there. Faye turned and walked away from the gasps and envious murmurs of the crowd. She walked into an old jewelry workshop. When she pulled the ring off her left ring finger, she felt as if a piece of her own soul had been ripped away. “Ma’am, what work do you need done?” “This ring. I want it melted down.” “This is a moonlace silver bond token. It has engravings on it. It must hold sacred meaning. Are you really sure you want it melted?” “Yes. As quickly as possible, please.” Half an hour later, Faye returned home carrying a small box carved from obsidian, designed to seal away aura and scent. It was deep into the night when Kael came back. He held a bouquet of moonlace blossoms in his hand. “Sorry, Sera. Pack business has been overwhelming lately. I haven’t had time for you. I brought your favorite moonlace flowers. Do you like them?” He leaned in close. Faye caught a scent clinging to his body—a cloying, cheap sweetness that belonged to Lila. She turned her head slightly and saw a small patch of teeth marks on his Adam’s apple. And on his shirt collar, a woman’s lipstick stain. Bright red. Unmistakable. Faye let out a cold laugh to herself. Pack business? Or were you just busy plowing Lila’s field? “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Faye pushed him away. “Just a little tired.” “Let me carry you to bed to rest?” He crouched down, ready to scoop her up. Faye pushed him away again. “You’re tired too. Take a shower and get some rest.” Kael reached for her hand, then suddenly froze. “Sera, where’s your bond token?”

“I took it off.” “I made that with my own hands. It’s the proof of our bond. Why would you take it off?” Faye brushed him off. “I haven’t been feeling well lately. The size doesn’t fit anymore.” Kael’s expression eased slightly. He smiled again. “I’ll take it to the sanctuary one of these days and have it resized and blessed again.” “We’ll see.” “By the way, what’s that on the table?” Kael pointed at the obsidian jewelry box sitting on the desk. A hint of pleasant surprise crossed his face. “Sera, is that a gift for me?” Faye nodded. “Yes.” Inside that box sat a small, cold lump of silver. Stripped of all spiritual essence. Dead metal. She had melted their bond token. And placed it inside. Kael, however, was delighted. “What’s the occasion? My Luna voluntarily prepared a gift for me?” Another vast stretch of Faye’s heart went cold. “Today… is the anniversary of our bond rite.” Kael’s face crumpled into an ugly expression. He scrambled to placate her, almost fawning. “I’m sorry, Sera. Work has been genuinely insane lately. How about we go out tonight? To the Moonlace Lake…” “No need. I don’t have an appetite.” “Then let me take you to the mountaintop to see the stars?” “I’m tired. I want to sleep.” Kael wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, his voice a plea. “Come on, Sera. We haven’t gone on a walk together in so long. Lately, I feel like your bond response has been so cold. Keep this up and I’ll start suspecting my Luna’s heart has strayed.” My heart has strayed? Your soul betrayed our bond first. Your heart left me first. And this time, I’m permanently withdrawing my bond. And myself. Both. All of it. On the drive out, Kael took the wheel, talking and laughing the whole way, telling her amusing little stories from the pack. Faye sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window, tuning him out completely. Because earlier, while fastening her seatbelt, her hand had brushed the crevice of the passenger seat. She had pulled out a woman’s stocking. It still carried the thick, musky scent of another she-wolf. She had shoved it right back into the gap. And acted as if nothing had happened. She had already decided to leave. She had no desire to argue with him anymore. Nothing to be gained from it, except a fresh load of useless lies. If she couldn’t get anything, then she didn’t want anything. They reached the lake. Kael got out first and opened her door. “Sera, we’re here.” Faye hadn’t really wanted to come. But this lake—Moonlace Lake—was where they used to go constantly when their bond was newly forged. It started here. So it could end here. “Wow, isn’t that Alpha Kael? The one who handcrafted his own bond token!” “I remember, I remember! The most devoted Alpha in our entire race!” “He’s even shielding his Luna from the car roof so she doesn’t bump her head. Oh my god, that’s so attentive!” As they spoke, Kael’s phone rang. He gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, Sera. Give me a second. Pack business. I’ll take this call and be right back.” “Go ahead.” “Wait for me right here. Don’t wander off.” The surrounding crowd, naturally, erupted in another wave of sighs. “The Alpha treats his Luna like a daughter. He’s actually afraid she’ll get lost.” “Too doting!” Faye alone stood there, face utterly blank, standing at the lake’s edge, gazing out at the moonlit ripples on the dark water. Just now, when Kael saw the caller ID, the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips had been impossible to suppress. Doting. Sweet. Laced with a hint of mischief. Pack business? She couldn’t even be bothered to expose him anymore. The lakefront was chilly. She decided to head back to the car and wait. The in-car screen was still on. Kael’s social account hadn’t been logged out. It was synced with his phone. Messages were scrolling up, one by one. The contact on the other end was named [Your Little Wildcat Lila]. Kael: Miss me? Little Wildcat Lila: Nights without my Alpha feel so empty. Kael: Little wildcat, I had you seven times today. Still not enough? Little Wildcat Lila: Not enough. Alpha, I want more. Kael: Fine. Tomorrow. My office. I’ll satisfy you. Little Wildcat Lila: Heehee. I’ll wear black stockings to work tomorrow then. The chat history that followed was even more revolting. Filthy words. Graphic flirtation. Faye felt a wave of cold sweep through her entire body. She shut off the screen. Her whole body was trembling. She couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or from pure rage. Her nails bit deep into her own palms. Kael returned quickly. About fifteen minutes. He slid back into the driver’s seat, clutching his chest, letting out a heavy breath of relief. “After I hung up the phone, I turned around and you were gone. Scared me to death. Thank the Goddess. You’re okay.” Faye couldn’t bear to look at his hypocritical face anymore. She stared down at her own hands. “It was cold outside. I came back to the car.” “Of course, of course. Wherever you like, that’s where you should be.” Faye’s head snapped up. After reading their chat history, that phrase hit her with a second, much darker meaning. Wherever you like. That’s where you should be. The stocking. In the crevice of the passenger seat… Could it be… they had done it in this seat too? A violent wave of nausea hit Faye. She shoved the car door open and threw up.

Kael panicked, rushing over. “Sera, what’s wrong?” Faye vomited until she was completely wrecked, unable to pull herself together for a long while. She didn’t understand. Why? Why would the Alpha who once swore before the Moon Goddess to remain loyal to her forever betray their bond? Did he not fear the Goddess’s punishment? Or did he think he was clever enough, perfectly capable of keeping her in the dark forever? A night breeze blew past. Faye’s thoughts cleared considerably. Kael asked her, “Are you okay, Sera? If you’re not feeling well, I’ll take you to the pack healers right now.” “No. It’s probably just something I ate at dinner.” “Then come find me at Apex tomorrow. We’ll eat together.” Faye let out a cold, silent laugh. Go to Apex and watch you and Lila tumble around your office? A sudden impulse for mischief seized her. “Alright. I’ll go with you to Apex tomorrow morning. Keep you company while you work. Then we’ll have lunch together. Then we’ll come home together at night.” Kael clearly hadn’t expected her to agree. His expression stiffened, strained. “But… my schedule’s packed. I might not be able to stay with you the whole time.” “You do your work. I’ll just wait in your office for you to come back.” “…Alright.” Back at their villa, Kael offered to run a bath for her. He went into the bathroom and, unusually, shut the door behind him. Faye, meanwhile, went back downstairs alone and got back into the car. The moment she started the engine, the screen lit up, displaying the latest messages. Kael: Change of plans. Tomorrow, we can’t use my office. Little Wildcat Lila: Aww, that’s disappointing. Kael: Don’t be disappointed, little wildcat. I’ll take you to the rooftop terrace instead. Even more thrilling. Little Wildcat Lila: Heehee. Alpha is the best. By the time Faye returned to the bedroom, Kael was just stepping out of the bathroom. “Sera, your bath’s ready. Go take a nice soak.” “No. I want to rest.” “Alright. If you’re tired, sleep. By the way, that gift you put on the desk… can I open it now?” Faye said, “Open it in one week.” “Why wait a week? I want to see right now what my Luna has prepared for me.” “Because…” Because in one week, I will have permanently severed our bond. “Because in one week, this gift will have meaning.” Kael pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Fine. As you wish.” The next morning, Kael’s phone started ringing just past six. He silenced it, then turned and wrapped his arms around Faye. “Ignore it. Sleep a little longer.” The phone rang again. Insistent. Kael frowned, irritable. “It’s not even time for work yet. Pestering me this early. Sooner or later, I’ll make every last one of those useless Council elders disappear.” He silenced it again. When the phone rang a third time, Kael got up in a huff. “Sera, sleep a while longer. I’m going to go find out what kind of earth-shattering emergency they’ve got.” Faye gave a soft “Mm.” She turned over. Her back to him. Kael took his phone and left the bedroom. But moments later, his figure appeared at the front gate, one floor below. A human delivery driver in a yellow uniform stood outside. He handed Kael a package. Kael took it. But when he came back inside, his hands were empty. Faye asked him, “Is the pack situation serious?” Kael said, “It’s manageable. Sera, don’t worry. Just rest. I’ll go make you breakfast.” Whether it was guilt or genuine concern about her upset stomach, Kael made an elaborate breakfast. Milk. Eggs. Toast. Jam. And her favorite oatmeal. “From now on, no more eating random things. I’m going to hire a private chef for you. Someone to come cook for you at home every day.” “No.” “Be a good girl. My Luna needs to listen. Otherwise, I’ll be worried sick about you while I’m at Apex.” “Kael, can I ask you a question?” “Ask.” Faye set down her fork and knife. Her voice was flat. “Among our kind… the curse for betraying a bond. Do you think it actually comes true?” Kael instantly put on a deeply righteous, disgusted expression. “That’s a punishment for the weak-willed. The faithless. I’m different. I will be loyal to my Luna for life. I love only you.” “Love only me. For life.” “Yes.” “And what if you fell in love with another she-wolf?” “Then may the Moon Goddess forsake me. Strip my power. May I howl in solitude for eternity.” Faye’s smile was pure mockery. “Such a heavy vow. Aren’t you afraid it might actually be fulfilled?” “What I speak is the truth. Why should I be afraid?” Kael said, “Sera, you need to trust our bond.” Faye simply said, “Eat your breakfast.” “You still don’t believe me? Do I need to carve out my heart and show it to you before you’ll trust me?” “People are waiting for you at Apex. Don’t be late.” Kael finally relaxed, sitting down across from her. “Let them wait. A bunch of worthless creatures. I’ll replace them all eventually.” “Replace *her*. Could you bear to?” Faye had said “her.” Not “them.” She didn’t know whether Kael caught it or not. All she heard was him say, “Besides you, there’s no one I couldn’t bear to lose.”

After breakfast, the two of them headed to Apex together. But Faye was utterly repulsed by the passenger seat. She insisted on sitting in the back. “I’m feeling a little carsick. The back’s more comfortable. I can get some air.” Kael didn’t press further. “Alright. I’ll drive as smoothly as I can.” At the entrance of Apex Tower, Kael jogged around to open her door. The moment Faye stepped out of the car, she was once again swarmed by pack members in the thick of the morning rush. Two of them strode up quickly, faces glowing with eager warmth. “Luna, it’s so good to see you!” one of them said, grinning. “Alpha’s always talking about how much you love caramel lattes. I’m heading out on an errand anyway. I can grab one for you.” The other chimed in immediately. “Then I’ll go get pastries. Still those red velvet cupcakes you like?” Kael let out a soft laugh, pulling Faye closer, his arm protectively wrapped around her. “Alright, you two. You’ll spoil her at this rate. Her appetite’s been so good lately, she can barely fit her bond token anymore.” “Hey, Alpha, you can’t pin that on us,” the first one shot back, joking. “Luna looks as radiant as ever. Must be the token’s fault. Maybe it shrank in the wash!” “Get out of here,” Kael said, slapping him good-naturedly on the arm. “Shrank in the wash? Moonlace silver doesn’t shrink, you idiot. But fine, go on. Just a small latte.” “You just don’t get it. Alpha loves Luna so much. If Luna’s happy, Alpha’s happy. And if Alpha’s happy, we all get an easier life, right?” Kael laughed, his tone good-humored. “Fine, fine. You’ve all got me figured out. You know exactly where to press.” The group burst into laughter. Faye was practically escorted into Kael’s office. Fruit. Snacks. Bubble tea. Everything imaginable. Kael even pulled up a drama series on his computer for her. “Sera, I’ve got to get to work. Just hang out here. If you need anything, tell the assistants outside.” Faye asked him, deliberately casual, “What about that new assistant of yours, Lila? I didn’t see her today.” Kael said, “I don’t know. I’ll have HR call her later to check in.” On his way out, Kael gave her hair an affectionate stroke, murmuring softly, “Wait for me to come back. We’ll have lunch together.” Kael left. The Council elders left too. Faye spotted his phone lying on the desk. She hurried out to catch him, but as she reached the door, she caught the tail end of the elders’ conversation. “…Rooftop terrace? Alpha and Lila are getting more adventurous by the day.” “What can you do? Who knew Luna would suddenly show up at Apex today? They had to relocate.” “So, are we still supposed to deliver condoms to Alpha today?” “No need. I saw him heading up earlier. He had several boxes stuffed in his pockets.” “Heh heh heh. Alpha’s something else, isn’t he? Ordering condoms right under Luna’s nose?” “Human courier service. Those apps are so damn convenient now. You can get anything delivered.” A cold, sudden clarity washed over Faye. So that’s what it was. Those insistent, unrelenting calls this morning. They were from the human courier. He had placed the order first thing in the morning. Had the courier buy him condoms. Clearly, he had been very much looking forward to today’s rooftop rendezvous. Preparing since dawn. “…Wonder if a few boxes will even be enough. Remember that time Alpha and Lila went at it in the car for a whole day and night? The next day, when Lila came to work, the way she walked was… off.” “If it’s not enough, we’ll just deliver more! Isn’t it our job as subordinates to serve the Alpha well?” “Didn’t you just say we should serve the Luna well too?” “Tch. What does she know? A cup of coffee, a couple pastries, and she’s pacified. A man with Alpha’s status and power… who doesn’t have a few lovers on the side? He’s got power and money. Playing around with women is perfectly normal. Just gotta keep it from Luna.” “True. She seems so naive. Keeping her in the dark shouldn’t be hard.” Just then, Kael appeared. “Don’t any of you go running your mouths in front of Sera. Understood?” The elders nodded frantically. “Understood, Alpha. We know how to handle it.” One of them asked, “Alpha, why did you bring Luna today? Now you and Lila have to hide out on the rooftop, and we all have to watch every word we say.” Kael shot him a hard glare. “Faye is the pack’s Luna. She comes and goes as she pleases. Do you have a problem with that?” “No, no, no…” Kael’s face hardened into a warning snarl. “Take good care of Sera. She wasn’t feeling well yesterday. No cold or raw food. And one more thing: if a single word about me and Lila gets out, you’ll be exiled from the pack immediately. Do I make myself clear?” The elders nodded, their smiles fawning. “Crystal clear, Alpha. Crystal clear…” Faye didn’t hear the rest. She had already slipped back into Kael’s office at full speed. She buried his phone amidst the pile of snacks. A moment later, Kael walked in. He was wearing that same gentle, gentlemanly mask. “Little glutton. What’s got you eating so happily?” The words “little glutton” sent a violent shudder of revulsion through Faye. Suppressing her full-body discomfort, she asked, “Weren’t you going to a meeting? Why are you back?” “Left my phone here. Have you seen it?” Faye shook her head. “No.” Kael rummaged through the pile of snacks and fished his phone out. “Buried in the snacks. Well, take your time eating. I’m off.” Brrrring— This time, it was Faye’s phone that rang. She picked it up. “Hello, may I speak to Ms. Fern?” “Yes, speaking.” “Ms. Fern, this is a confirmation call regarding your flight to Norway, booked for one week from today. Your ticket has been successfully issued. You may proceed directly to the airport with your passport on the day of departure.” “Do I need any other documents besides my passport?” “No. Just your passport will suffice.” “Thank you.” She hung up. Kael’s expression was puzzled. “Passport? Sera, what do you need a passport for?”

Faye said, “A human friend of mine. She lost her passport. She was asking me how to get it replaced.” Kael strode forward and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “You scared me to death. I thought you were planning to go abroad without me.” Faye turned her head away and retched. He reeked. The thick, cloying, post-coital scent of Lila was all over him. Kael’s face creased with concern as he rubbed her back. “What did they give you to eat this time? I specifically told them your stomach’s been fragile. They needed to take care of you… Just wait. I’ll fire every last one of them!” This time, Faye shoved him away with every ounce of strength she had. “Fire whoever you want! Just stop using me as your excuse!” Kael was momentarily stunned by her sudden outburst. “Sera, are you angry with me? Because I was busy with pack business all day and couldn’t be with you?” He said, “Alright, then. Tomorrow, I’ll push everything aside. I’ll spend the entire day with you. Just you. Okay?” Faye let out a humorless laugh. “Just me?” “Yes. Just you.” Faye drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Let’s hope you mean that.” That evening, out of nowhere, a downpour began. Faye had been vomiting nonstop from the moment she got home. Kael tried to get close to her. Faye rejected him harshly. “Don’t come near me. The smell on you makes me vomit even worse.” Kael sniffed his sleeve and said, “Maybe you’ve developed an aversion to my cologne. I’ll switch to a different scent next time.” “Kael, you know perfectly well. Cologne has nothing to do with it.” “Alright, alright. Don’t be upset. I won’t wear any cologne from now on. Is that better?” Faye splashed cold water on her face and looked up, staring at her reflection in the mirror. And behind her, just outside the bathroom, Kael stood holding a glass of hot water, his face etched with frantic worry. She just didn’t understand. Why, when he was drenched in the scent of his intimacy with Lila, could he still put on this flawless performance of loving her? She didn’t understand. Kael clearly seemed to care about her, yet he still brazenly, recklessly betrayed their bond. Was it really true, what those elders said? A powerful Alpha playing around with women on the side was nothing, as long as he kept his Luna at home in the dark? He had misjudged her. She wasn’t that naive. She wasn’t that easy to fool. And she would never abandon her bottom line. Since the bond was no longer wholehearted, she didn’t want a single shred of it. The next morning, Kael took her to see the pack healers. After a series of examinations, the healer concluded, “The Luna appears to be suffering from extreme emotional turbulence. It’s destabilizing the bond, which in turn is manifesting as physical distress.” Kael asked, “Extreme emotional turbulence?” “Yes. The Luna has recently undergone a severe emotional shock. A massive impact. That’s what triggered the vomiting.” Kael turned to Faye. “Sera, have you been dealing with something upsetting lately? Tell me. Maybe I can help fix it.” Faye turned her face away, dodging his proximity. “You can’t fix it.” “Just try me. There’s very little in this pack that I can’t fix.” Right. And this was one thing that only he could fix. For a split second, Faye almost wanted to ask him. If she and Lila fell into the water at the same time, who would he save first? But then she thought— A person shouldn’t place her fate in someone else’s hands. Lean on a mountain, the mountain crumbles. Lean on a man, the man runs. She knew how to swim. She could save herself. She no longer needed Kael. In Norway, she had applied to an art school under the name Fern. Years ago, to become a worthy Luna, to support Kael, she had abandoned her dream of painting. From now on, she was going to live for herself. “Sera, how about I take you to a movie this afternoon? There’s a new comedy out. It might cheer you up.” “This afternoon? Don’t you have pack business to handle?” “Didn’t we agree? The whole day today, I’m all yours. I’m a man of my word. I never go back on a promise I’ve made.” The next second, his phone rang. He moved to silence it, but after staring at the caller ID for a beat, he hesitated. Faye watched his expression shift in real time. From irritation. To conflict. She smiled. “Take it. Pack business is important.” Kael said, “It’ll be quick. Just give me five minutes.” “Mm.” Kael moved to take the call outside. Faye stopped him. “Take it here. It’s not like I’d understand your pack business anyway. No need to worry about me eavesdropping.” Kael froze, a flicker of awkwardness crossing his face. After a two-second hesitation, he answered. Irritation gathered between his brows. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me today? What the hell is it?” She couldn’t make out what the other party said. But she faintly heard the sound of a she-wolf crying. Kael, conscious of her presence, spoke carefully. “Fine. I understand. Hold on.” He hung up. Facing Faye, his voice was apologetic. “Sera, there’s a very important document at Apex that needs my signature. A Council elder brought it over. He’s downstairs at the medical center. I’ll sign it and come right back. Half an hour at most.” Faye nodded. Kael practically ran out of the examination room. The healer smiled. “Luna, the Alpha truly adores you. He’s even throwing aside pack business for your sake.” “Is that so.” Faye’s lips twitched. “Excuse me, I need the restroom.” She stepped out of the room and saw Kael, too impatient for the elevator, bolting down the stairwell. He had indeed gone downstairs. But the next floor down— Was the pack’s maternity and fertility ward. Buzz— Her phone vibrated. Lila: Luna, I’m so sorry. I’m afraid Alpha won’t be able to keep you company today after all. One phone call from me, and he’ll come running to my side. 😉

Lila’s messages kept flooding in, one after another. Lila: Oh, and here. Take a look at this. [Image] My ultrasound report. I’m pregnant. Faye enlarged the image. She finally made out the top line of the report. Wolf pup, 8 weeks. Signs of threatened miscarriage. Lila: Yesterday, we did it countless times on the rooftop. Tried every position. Maybe Alpha was a little too… vigorous. The baby’s showing signs of distress. Ugh, it’s his fault. He said being with you at home is like being with a block of wood. Boring. With me, he wants to do exciting things. Lila: The healer said whether it’s to save the pregnancy or terminate it, it requires the father’s signature. So I had to call him down. After all, between your little stomach bug and the continuation of his bloodline, the baby is a little more important, don’t you think? Faye took a cab from the hospital. Alone. She went to a law firm run by human attorneys. “Hello. I’d like to retain your firm to draft a divorce agreement.” She asked for nothing. The lawyer was competent. Within half an hour, she held the completed divorce papers in her hands. The lawyer explained, “Under human law, his signature isn’t required. As long as you live separately for two years, this divorce agreement automatically goes into effect.” Faye was walking out with the divorce papers when her phone rang. Kael. “Sera, where are you? I’ve searched the entire hospital. I can’t find you.” Faye said, “Waited for you for ages. You didn’t come back. So I came home.” “Good. As long as you got home safe. I’m sorry, Sera. Some pack matters really did require my personal attention. I might have to travel to another territory for a few days. You take good care of yourself at home. Next week. Next week I’ll push everything aside, I promise. Just for you.” Faye let out a long, heavy sigh. A lie, told ten thousand times, convinces no one. She felt no emotional fluctuation now. None at all. “Mm. Go ahead.” “My Sera. So understanding. Be good. Tomorrow, your husband will be back with moonlace flowers for you.” “Understanding?” Faye asked. “Kael, is that what you like? Women who pout and cling and act helpless? Am I too understanding? Too boring?” Kael paused. “Of course not. I love you the most. Whatever you are, that’s what I love.” “Kael, could you ever fall in love with another she-wolf?” “Of course not.” “If you ever betray our bond… I will leave you forever.” Kael let out a soft, amused chuckle. “Go ahead and run. I’ll lock down the entire territory. Every human airport and train station. As long as your scent still reads as Faye, I will never allow you to leave me.” But my passport no longer says Faye. It says Fern. And the Moon Goddess’s blessing will mask my scent. Faye’s voice hardened. “I’m serious. I have a way to leave you. I have a way to make sure you can’t find me.” Kael was still laughing, like he was indulging a playful kitten. “Fine. Run, then. I’ll give you a three-day head start. Then I’ll come find you. I told you. As long as you’re still Faye, no matter where you run, I will find you. You can’t shake me off.” Can’t shake you off? Faye smiled. Let’s put that to the test, then.

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Every wolf in the territory knew the rule: to become Cassian’s Luna, you had to survive his bloody Trials. He’d round up ten she-wolves, run them through a Trial, and cut the weak ones. Survive, you moved on. Win all hundred rounds, and he’d mark you as his mate. Out of all of them, I was the only one who’d made it to round ninety-nine. I’d taken every cruel thing he threw at me without a sound. He’d started looking at me like I was something rare. He even paraded me past the other Alphas and made them call me his Luna. Then, right before tonight’s Trial, I saw him. He had Aria backed into the VIP room, kissing her like he was starving for it. “There’s a bullet in the fifth chamber,” he murmured against her mouth. “Don’t fire it.” “Got it.” My chest went tight. I couldn’t breathe. No time to think. The Trial had already started. I watched Aria pull the rigged draw—second to fire, the safe spot. My stomach dropped. If I kept going, this round was already lost. I breathed in and looked dead into Cassian’s calm, empty eyes. “Wren.” He swirled the wine in his glass, his voice all warmth and favor. “Still want to play? You know I’d never let you lose.” The room broke into knowing jeers the second he finished. His packmates whistled, eyes flicking between us, mocking. “Alpha’s always soft on his Luna. This round’s already over.” “New wolf’s got some nerve, going up against the Luna. Doesn’t she know who he’s actually got eyes for?” “Be smart. Just forfeit. At least walk out with your head up.” Across the table, Aria was shaking, but she set her jaw. “I’m not forfeiting. I’m playing.” I caught the flicker in Cassian’s eyes—something almost impressed. “Interesting. Then let’s make it quick.” His mouth curved, lazy and indulgent. “Wren. I’ve got plans for you tonight.” Pathetic. He’d already stacked it for Aria, and here he was, still running the lovesick act. My heart felt like it was going under in ice water. Numb. I breathed in and met his eyes. “Start it.” I wanted to see for myself—whether the male who kept swearing he’d never let me lose could really sit there and watch me take the fall. The Trial started. I drew first. I lifted the revolver, pressed the muzzle to my chest, and squeezed. Click. Empty. The room let out a breath. Someone even laughed and started taking bets. Cassian’s eyes dropped, and he gave a soft chuckle. “Wren. Don’t worry. I always bet on you.” Aria’s turn. Her hand shook, but she pulled the trigger without stalling. Empty again. Then me. Third chamber. Empty. But my heart only slammed harder, because he’d said the bullet was in the fifth. I was shaking all over. My eyes stung, my vision swimming. The draw that put me first—he’d rigged that too. He wanted me to lose. Aria fired the fourth. She knew she was safe, but she let out a scared little whimper anyway. The jeering picked up. “Just quit! Get on your knees, grovel to the Luna, beg—maybe the Alpha lets you off!” “Come on, little wolf, a rubber slug still stings!” Aria didn’t flinch. She just slid the revolver across to me. My heart shot into my throat. I stared at Cassian, waiting for him to call it off. He just watched. There was even a faint smile on his mouth. He didn’t lift a finger to stop it. The seconds dragged. Cassian frowned. “Wren. Don’t be scared. You always come out on top.” My mouth twisted, bitter, and with a shaking hand I pressed the muzzle to my chest. Bang. The slug slammed into me. Rubber. Not deadly. But it hurt so bad I almost couldn’t breathe. Aria screamed. “I—I’m so sorry, Wren, I didn’t know it’d—” The whole room had gone white, every eye snapping to Cassian. By the rules, whoever took the shot lost. The winner became his mate. “Cassian, I—” He stood slowly and looked down at Aria, his voice cold as ice. “It’s fine. She bet, and she lost.” Then he bent and scooped the shaken Aria up into his arms. The move was smooth, dripping with that flat, unquestionable dominance. His eyes swept the room, his voice frigid. “Wren. You lost. I’m disappointed. But there’s only one Luna in my heart, and it’s you.” Aria flinched against him, but the look she shot me was pure dare. It hurt, bad, deep in my chest. I sneered anyway. He carried Aria toward the door and didn’t break stride. He didn’t look back at me once. Only when his back disappeared through the door did the tears I’d been holding finally break and pour down. This Trial was never fair. Whoever he wanted won. That was it. I wiped my face, picked up the wine glass, and drained it in one swallow. Outside, I held my throbbing chest and dialed a number with a shaking hand. “You want a Luna—fine. I’m in. Seven days. I’ll see you at the ceremony.”

Back home, I knocked back a handful of painkillers. After ninety-nine rounds, my body had gone numb to pain a long time ago. But tonight, somehow, it hurt worse than any of them. I sat staring at the portrait of us that had gone up on the wall not long ago. When the Trials hit round ninety-nine, Cassian had taken me to have it done. I’d laughed and asked if that broke his own rules. He’d scoffed. “My Trials. I’m the rule. And you’ll always be the reason I break it.” Now, for someone else, he’d broken that rule for good. And he’d sat there and watched me go down like a clown. That night, Cassian didn’t come home. Aria sent me a video of him going at her like an animal. He had her in his most lavish den, taking her in every corner of it. The whole place reeked of them. That black pearl he’d burned a fortune on for me last month—it was in his mouth now, dragging over her skin while she moaned under him. I’d never seen him that wild. That far gone. [Miss Wren, you saw how hooked Cassian is on me. Be smart. Walk away.] I stared at the message, fingers gone white, holding the tears back. When I first met Cassian, my grandmother was dying—wolfsbane in her blood, and not a coin for the cleansing she needed. Cassian came down on us like a god. He paid for her treatment. Then, like it was nothing, he handed me a token into his Trials. He looked at me the way a predator looks at prey, a smile pulling at his mouth. “It’s just a game. Play it right, and you’ve got nothing to lose.” Even outside the Alpha circles, everyone had heard Cassian was twisted. He ran the Trials because someone he’d loved once betrayed him. After that, he stopped believing in love. He made a game out of it—seeing how low a she-wolf would crawl to mate him. I took the token anyway. I needed the coin. I needed to save my grandmother. In the Trials, he called himself King, lounging on his throne, watching she-wolves tear each other apart for the Luna’s place. His twisted Trials—I gritted my teeth through ninety-nine of them. Diving off cliffs. Locked in a box with vipers. Seven minutes underwater. Eating live roaches. The ones that made everyone else scream and crack—I took them all without a sound. One Trial was a jump from way up high. A rival, eyes wild, slashed my arm and ripped away the only thing that would’ve slowed my fall. Bleeding, dropping toward the sea, I heard his voice crackle through the link in my ear, amused. “Over forty rounds in. Didn’t think you’d die here, did you? Any last words?” I closed my eyes. “Just make sure my grandmother gets her cleansing.” His low laugh came through the link, and I let go. They fished me out, and I woke up in the healer’s den, half dead. Later he came to see me, his eyes dark and heavy. “This one’s yours. I changed my mind—the winner’s whoever’s bolder.” “Wren, you won. Not the round. You won me.” “Still want to keep going? Walk now, and you leave with a fortune.” He said it with a self-mocking smile, his eyes strangely hollow. Something in me gave. I didn’t say a word. I just put my arms around him. The next second his whole face lit up, wild with it. He cupped the back of my head and kissed me deep. “Wren. From now on, you’re mine. I’ll give you everything—the best of it all.” He bought me a mansion. He signed over a tenth of the pack’s wealth to my name. He paraded me through the Alphas and made them call me his Luna. And when the she-wolf he’d once wanted came crawling back—the one who’d betrayed him, the love he never got to have—and tore into me in front of everyone, crying, begging him to take her back— He didn’t blink. He cracked a bottle over her head, then had her dragged off and torn apart. Then he left them with one line: “Anyone else want to insult my Luna? Step up.” He favored me so openly that everyone was sure I was the special one. They had me believing it too—that I was the one who could make him believe in love again. Until tonight. Tonight I finally got it. The whole thing was just a story I’d told myself.

I shut off my phone and sat alone in the empty mansion all night. By morning, the lock turned. Cassian was back. His suit reeked of another she-wolf, and the marks down his neck were impossible to miss. He froze when he saw me sitting stiff on the couch. Then he rubbed his head, annoyed. “Wren. Don’t tell me you sat here all night waiting on me.” I opened my mouth. My voice came out rough. “You gonna shower?” He went still, taking in my pale face and bloodshot eyes. His brow pulled tight, and he threw his coat aside. But there was a flicker of pleasure he couldn’t hide as he came over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I get it. You’re like this because you lost the Trial.” “Winner takes all—that’s the rule. By the rules, that was the hundredth round, and Aria won. I should be marking her.” He paused, then pulled a massive pink diamond ring out of his pocket and pressed a kiss to my neck. “But you’re mine. So I’ll let you run one more round to win the Luna’s place back. Call it a privilege. Just for you.” “So next time—win.” Win? It was almost funny. I’d had a fair shot. He was the one who pulled the crown off my head and handed it to Aria. I remembered the rule plain as day: the winner of the final round becomes his mate. Aria won. This ring was just a scrap thrown my way. Something moved in his eyes—a flicker of a dare. His mouth curved. “What, Wren? Not happy? You used to fight like your life was on the line to win me.” He was sure I’d cry. That I’d rage, demand answers, like every she-wolf he’d cut before me. But I just lifted my eyes, my voice flat, like I was talking about a stranger. “No. I don’t care.” “Cassian. From now on, I’m out.” His face froze. The smile stayed put, but something murderous flashed under it. “Out? Say that again.” I raised my head and held his stare, calm. “Cassian. Your Trials. I’m done.” “I’ll leave. I won’t cling. You’re free to have Aria.” His breath caught. His hands shot out and gripped my arms—and right then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered. Whatever they said set him off. “You lay a hand on her and I’ll have your lives!” He hung up, eyes gone black, and clamped down on my wrist hard enough to crush bone. “That hurts! Cassian, what—” He hauled me to the car without a word, his voice cold as ice. “You’re coming with me. Look at what you’ve done.” I stumbled as he dragged me, shoved into the car before I could get a word out. He drove fast, jaw tight the whole way, not explaining a thing. The car stopped at an abandoned outpost near the pack border. I stared, dazed, at Aria—tied hand and foot, blood at the corner of her mouth. Cassian rushed over, cut her loose, and crushed her against him, his eyes red with worry. “Aria. Don’t be scared. I won’t let anything happen to you.” She sobbed into him, then turned a timid little look on me. “Miss Wren, if you want me to stay away from Cassian, I will. But why’d you have somebody jump me?” I breathed in and looked only at him. “Cassian, I didn’t send anyone after her. Do you believe me?” He lifted Aria into his arms, holding her like he was shielding her from the whole world. But the look he turned on me was full of open disgust and disappointment. “She’s an orphan. She never starts anything. Who else would touch her, except the one who’s sore about losing?” “You bet and you lost, Wren. Pulling dirty tricks just means you can’t take it.” I clenched my fists till my nails cut into my palms. “Cassian, I told you—I didn’t!” “Cassian.” Aria’s voice was barely above a whisper, broken with sobs. “It’s okay. I don’t blame Wren. She just loves you too much.” He gave a cold laugh and turned to go with Aria in his arms—then called over a few pack warriors. “Tell me. A disobedient old Luna—how should we deal with her?”

The pack warriors knew exactly what to do. They wrenched my arms back in a heartbeat. “Alpha. How do you want her punished?” Cassian gave me a long, heavy look, then bent his head and asked Aria, soft, “The punishment’s up to my new Luna.” It cut into me all over again. Back when each Trial ended, he’d always handed me the right to punish the loser. I was soft. Every time, I just told them to stay away from Cassian and let them go. No punishment. But now Aria put on that sweet, harmless face, while her mouth curled into something cruel. “Cassian, I don’t really know your rules. However it was done before—do it that way now.” He got it instantly. He turned to me, searching my eyes for some reaction, and found nothing but dead silence. It made him angry. He pulled Aria in tighter and ground the words out. “You heard your Luna. Move.” They dragged me into the mansion, pinned me to the floor, and went at me with a whip soaked in saltwater. In the next room, the two of them tangled all night. Their moaning and my screaming wound together and filled the whole place. The whip tore me open. But my heart hurt worse. I thought about the day I went into the healer’s den after that fall, the two of us kissing deep, sure of each other. Cassian had wanted to stop the Trials right then. He didn’t want me hurt again. But every rich young wolf in the pack had bets riding on it—billions on the line. The Trials weren’t his alone anymore. They wouldn’t let him stop until the final round. He’d held me, eyes red, like he wanted to fold me into his bones. “Wren. I swear it. From now on, every round—I won’t let you lose.” And I didn’t let him down. Every Trial, I gave everything, outsmarting and outlasting every rival. Plenty of them came to hate me. Some teamed up and cheated, trying to get me killed. But I loved him. So I clawed my way out every time and won, and he’d pull me into his arms. The ones who’d screamed at me in those Trials, who’d played dirty to hurt me—they ended up tied down just like this, taking the whip, listening to him and me all night. Now, finally, it was my turn. In the end, Cassian had let me get hurt after all. They had each other all night. By the time the sky went pale, Cassian came out in a robe. I heard him say, “Send for my healer. Patch her up. Don’t let her die.” Then I blacked out. When I came to, I was on the couch, his coat thrown over me. “You’re awake? The Alpha took Miss Aria ahead to the party—celebrating her win. He says clean yourself up and come.” His Beta passed it on, face flat. My voice was wrecked. I grabbed my bag to leave. “I’m sorry. I have to get to the healer’s. My grandmother’s cleansing is today. Cassian knows about it.” It was Cassian who’d found the cleansing for her—my reward for surviving round ninety-nine. But the next second, his Beta had them grab me. “What are you doing? I said I’m not going! Cassian knows—my grandmother gets her cleansing today!” I fought with everything I had. My bones screamed. The warriors shoved me into a dress, didn’t even let me take my phone, and stuffed me into the car. I could barely breathe through it. Cassian used to take me to see her every month. But today, of all days, he broke his word—to celebrate a stolen win for another she-wolf. At the hall, Cassian and Aria and the whole pack of rich young wolves were already there. I came in a backless dress, the whip marks plain on my skin. People started to murmur. Cassian’s eyes dimmed. He came toward me with his arm around Aria’s waist. “Wren. Today’s the day we celebrate Aria’s win. As her elder, you should pay your respects. But you show up empty-handed—you trying to embarrass her?” Aria bit her lip, all wounded. “Maybe she thinks I shouldn’t have won. After all, she took the first ninety-nine.” I cut through her sweet little act and looked dead at Cassian. “I’m out of the Trials. I don’t owe her a celebration. Cassian, my grandmother’s cleansing is today. I’m going to her. Let me go.” Something startled flashed in his eyes, then went cold. “It’s a good day. You really have to bring up something this grim?” I pushed down the ache in my chest. “Then what’ll it take for you to let me go?” “What’ll it take?” His eyes glinted. He kissed Aria right in front of me. “Let my new Luna name her terms.” Aria pretended to think, then grinned wide. “Then strip down, crawl to me on all fours, lick my shoes, and howl three times like the bitch you are.” My breath stopped. I couldn’t believe my ears. The next second, I heard Cassian let out a soft scoff. “Done.”

I stared at him. “Cassian. And if I won’t?” He gave a cold laugh, his eyes mocking and ice cold. “Since when do you get a say?” He flicked a glance at the crowd behind him, and they all started baying. “You heard the Luna! Strip! Down on the floor!” “Yeah, lost the shirt off your back and still trying to bargain with the Alpha.” The same rich wolves who used to call me Luna had turned on me, every one of them Aria’s now. My chest seized, the pain going numb. A wall of pack warriors stood behind me. There was no running. Cassian was unpredictable. Fight it, and he’d only drag it out. I had to get to my grandmother. My pride didn’t matter anymore. “You’d better keep your word. Let me go when it’s done.” I choked it back, slowly stripped, and dropped to the floor. The whole room sucked in a breath. A howl tore out of me—the first one—and the place exploded with laughter. I swallowed the shame and the tears and howled again. Then someone in the crowd kicked me. When the last howl came out, Cassian spoke, cold. “Enough.” “Get her out of here!” I choked back a sob, grabbed my clothes, yanked them on, and stumbled out. It had started pouring while I was inside. I finally flagged a car and made it to the healer’s den. I ran into the room—and she wasn’t there. I tore the place apart looking for her. Then the doors to the treatment room opened, and the healers wheeled out someone under a white sheet. A hand hung off the edge, and on the wrist was the carved bone band I’d given my grandmother. Every drop of blood in me froze. “Grandma!” I screamed and threw myself onto her body. The healer let out a long breath. “I’m sorry. We did everything we could. At the end she wanted to see you one last time. We tried to reach you—your line was dead, every time. We had no choice but to start.” I couldn’t hear the rest. The room spun, and I went down. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a bed. A nurse came in to adjust my drip, worry on her face. “Miss, I know you just lost someone close to you. But you have to take care of yourself, especially now that you’re carrying.” It hit me like a slap. “What did you say?” I repeated it back, shaking. “I’m pregnant?” “Yes. Two months along. You really hadn’t noticed?” A shiver ran under my belly. I laid a hand over it and went cold all over. There was a time I’d dreamed of having his pup. A pup made out of love. And now, of all times—when Cassian didn’t love me anymore—the pup had come. The door opened. Cassian walked in, half a cake in his hand. “Wren, you embarrassed me today.” His voice was cold, edged with blame. “Aria’s got a good heart. She figured you hadn’t eaten, so she saved you some cake.” The hate rose up in me. That cake, picked apart past recognition, was a slap across the face. “You’re not sitting with your grandmother. You’re in here faking sick to get my attention?” “Get out!” I grabbed the cup off the nightstand and threw it at his face. He tipped his head and dodged. Something vicious crossed his eyes. “You don’t know a good thing when you’ve got it. Not even close to Aria.” His face went hard. He turned and slammed the door behind him. And right then, everything I’d held in broke loose, and I sobbed until I couldn’t breathe. For days, Cassian paraded Aria around, spoiling her rotten. And I buried my grandmother alone. The day I put her in the ground, the sky was black with clouds, and soon it was pouring. While I stood there, Cassian was making a show of buying Aria a diamond nobody else in the world could get. I went back to his mansion, packed everything that was mine, and moved into a small place out near the pack border. Cassian realized I was gone and called, demanding to know where I was. I didn’t answer that. I just said, “Cassian, the Trials are over. There’s nothing between us.” A day later, he showed up. He looked at the little room and wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Wren, you’re living in a dump like this now? You want out of my life this bad—you’re playing hard to get.” My face went cold. “It’s none of your business. Get out.” The next second his eyes flashed, and he had his warriors grab me. “Let’s go. Aria wants to take you to an auction.”

I fought as hard as I could, but I was no match for the warriors. They took me to a huge private estate. There was an underground arena down below, and the owner kept a massive serpent—he liked to gather rich, powerful wolves to watch it feed. Aria was already there, decked out in a gorgeous gown. “Wren. They’re doing a feeding show. But honestly? It’s so boring.” In the cage on the platform, a golden serpent, thirteen feet long, was tearing into a slab of bloody meat. Her eyes were wide and innocent, but the smile on her was cruel. “You won the first ninety-nine Trials, so a snake’s nothing to you, right? Cassian, I want to watch her tame it.” The second she said it, my whole body went cold. The little life inside me seemed to feel it too. It trembled. “Are you insane? This’ll kill someone!” Cassian looked at my white face, and something flickered—almost like he didn’t want to. He leaned close to my ear, his voice low and coaxing. “Wren, you know what I hate most about you? You’re too stubborn. Show me a little weakness, just once, and I’ll let you win.” “Here’s your chance. Beg me, and the last Trial—I’ll make sure you win.” But I just looked at her, numb to the bone, and dragged out a hollow smile. “Cassian, the thing I regret most is ever stepping into your Trials.” His face finally twisted. Right on cue, Aria stoked it. “How can you not know what’s good for you? Cassian’s giving you a chance. If I were you, I’d be thanking him on my knees. You won’t play—that proves you never loved him at all!” Something murderous crossed Cassian’s eyes. He shoved me hard and ground out three words. “Throw her in.” The word dropped, and they shoved me into the giant cage. The serpent saw me and went still, like it had spotted prey. Then it slid toward me, tongue flicking. “Ah!” I scrambled back, but it caught my leg and coiled around it. “Cassian, please, let me out!” My scream came out raw. “I’m pregnant!” The crowd was too loud. No one could make out a word I said. Cassian frowned a little, like he was trying to read my lips. But Aria hooked her arms around his neck and breathed in his ear, “Cassian, she’s having so much fun. I want to play too. Why don’t we go to the back?” His throat moved. He scooped Aria up without another thought and carried her toward the back. The serpent had bitten me a dozen times. It wound around my body and started to squeeze. I couldn’t break free. I couldn’t breathe. My face was going purple. “Ahh!” It wasn’t until I let out one last raw, ripping scream that the crowd finally caught on. “God—the snake’s actually gone wild!” “There’s blood everywhere under her—somebody call for help!” When I came to again, I was in a bed at the healer’s den. A tearing pain ripped through my lower belly. I threw the blanket back, and my stomach had already gone flat. The pup was gone. Every drop of blood in me froze, and the grief slammed through me all at once. I screamed until my voice broke. I’d already lost my grandmother. That pup had been the only family I had left in the world. Why? Why did Cassian have to kill my child, take the last thing I had to hold onto? “No!” The door opened, and Cassian walked in, his face still flushed from sex, the marks on his neck loud and ugly. He gave me a flat look, a trace of mockery in it. “Heard you got your monthly and that’s why they hauled you in here?” “This isn’t like you, Wren. The hardest Trial, ninety-nine of them, and you never once got this dramatic.” I sucked in a breath, fought through the pain, and stood. Then I put everything I had left into my arm and slapped him across the face. “Cassian. I hope you rot.”

The crazed look in my eyes caught Cassian off guard. He ran his tongue over his cheek, something dark crossing his face, and grabbed my wrist. “Have I gone too easy on you lately? Hm?” Then his phone rang. He picked up, and his face changed in an instant. “Aria, I’m coming. Don’t be scared.” “Aria’s hurting. I’m going to her. That new place of yours—I had it torn down. Stay put.” And he walked out without looking back. I sat there, frozen, for a long time. Then I lifted my hand and dialed that number, my voice shaking. “Before you come for me—help me put on a show first.” I hung up, and a taunting message came through. Aria was curled against Cassian, drawing circles on his chest. [Wren, look—even bitten up by a snake, one word from me and Cassian leaves you flat to come running to me. He doesn’t love you. You almost died for him, and he still only wants me. Pathetic.] I gripped the phone, tears hitting the screen, my vision blurring. There were warriors posted outside the ward. Nowhere to go. I had to stay in the bed. The second I closed my eyes, the nightmares came. Ninety-nine brutal Trials. Cassian’s cold, final stare. My grandmother, hopeless in her bed. The pup that vanished before I ever got to meet it. Another day passed, and Cassian brought Aria to see me. “Wren, are you okay?” Aria said, all wounded. “Cassian really does care about you. Even now, he still wants to give you one more fair shot against me.” “If you won’t play, it means you don’t really love him. You don’t want him at all.” This time I turned and looked dead at the two of them. “Fine. I’ll play.” His eyes lit up for a second. Aria froze, like she hadn’t expected me to fold so fast. Something venomous flickered, but her voice stayed soft. “Of course I want a fair fight too. But this time, I’m setting the rules.” Cassian stroked her hair, indulgent. “Of course. You won last time.” Where he couldn’t see, the corner of her mouth twisted up, cruel. “Last time you lost the gun game. That must’ve stung.” “So let’s bet on the gun again. What do you say?” My eyes were strangely calm. I nodded. “Fine.” “Then it’s settled.” Aria smiled, scheming. “Cassian, let’s go get ready. Let her rest.” The next night. They brought us both to the top of a cliff. A table had been set up there, two chairs. A black revolver lay in the middle, the barrel cold in the moonlight. The warriors walked me and Aria to opposite sides of the table. Then Cassian’s car rolled up beside us. He stepped out and lowered himself into a lavish throne of a chair. A warrior beside him held a bottle of champagne. “When the game’s done,” he said softly, his gaze drifting between us, “I’ll announce it on the spot—and the winner gets the name of Luna.” “Now. Begin.” Aria played humble. “You roll first, sis. Fair’s fair. Odd number, you shoot first.” I rolled without hesitating. Odd. I’d go first. I heard Cassian’s breath catch, his fist cracking. His nerves gave it away. The bullet had to be in an even chamber. Aria’s face went pale too. “No, no—best two out of three!” I gave a cold little laugh and didn’t argue. Somehow Aria rolled odd twice, and now she went first. “I’m first. So I’ll start.” Cassian didn’t stop it. He just said, flat, “Get on with it.” Aria gave him a coy smile, gripped the gun backward, pressed it to her own chest, and pulled. Click. A faint tap of metal. Empty. Then the gun came to me. I weighed it in my hand for a second and laughed under my breath. This wasn’t the fake from last time. The weight was real. So was the bullet.

“What are you waiting for, Wren?” Something smug flashed in Aria’s eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re scared? Or were you just humoring Cassian when you said you’d play?” Cassian’s face darkened, his voice low. “Wren. It’s your turn.” I didn’t move. The warrior beside me spoke up. “Miss Wren, the rule is, once it starts, it can’t stop. Refuse to play, and you take the punishment.” “And this is the hundred-and-first Trial. The punishment is every punishment from the last hundred, combined. You sure you can take that?” I twisted my mouth into a smile. There was nothing left inside me. What a load of garbage. Cassian and Aria had cooked that rule up on the spot. All he wanted was to watch me suffer. I looked at him, mockery in my eyes, my lips barely moving, my voice so soft the wind could’ve carried it off. “Cassian. I’ll ask you one last time. You really want me to finish this?” His body went stiff, his pupils flickering. He was quiet a moment, then: “Wren. A game’s a game.” The last thread in me snapped. The sea wind lifted my hair across my pale face. I gripped the gun and pressed it to my chest. “Cassian. This shot pays you back for the cleansing you gave my grandmother—for the three more years she got with me.” Click. Empty. Cassian frowned, lost on why I’d bring that up now. The gun went back to Aria. She had it in the bag, but she still played it up, all fear and grit. “Cassian, I love you. As long as I win, I’m not afraid to die!” Another empty chamber. Something moved in Cassian’s eyes—almost touched. Then he looked back at me. I didn’t hesitate. But before I pulled, I spoke again. “This shot pays you back for the three years you spoiled me.” Empty. The gun went back to Aria. Cassian’s face got darker, the unease building. He bit out, “Wren. Just play. Quit saying these things.” By then Aria had fired her fifth and let out a breath, looking at me with mock pity. “Oh, Wren. What now? I won again.” Then it was the sixth. I took the gun and stood. I walked slowly to the edge of the cliff, facing Cassian. The warriors didn’t know what I was doing. They moved in front of him, on guard. But I just pressed the gun to my own chest. “This shot—now you and I are even. For good.” Bang. The shot cracked across the cliff, and a mist of blood burst from my chest. I let go, threw the gun, and I went down backward, weightless. In that last second, I saw Cassian tear toward me, out of his mind, screaming my name. “Wren!”

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Eight years ago, my brother Rowan dropped Rohypnol into my champagne so Damien could put his ring on my sister at the engagement gala instead of me. I woke up handcuffed to a bed in a New Mexico motel — Boyd’s filthy hands on my throat. I cracked a whiskey bottle across his skull and walked twenty miles barefoot across the desert before sunrise. Now I’m a wreck — desert dust caked on my jeans. Eight feral kids tearing around my legs. A strip of beef jerky between my teeth. So, when eight years after I was thrown out of New York, my brother Rowan finally tracked me down to a dust-blown desert town on the outskirts of Vegas? So funny. “Eva—” Rowan’s eyes went red. “You hated kids. You were going to be the first female Underboss in Marchetti history. What the hell happened to you?” I kept chewing. I just chewed on a piece of beef jerky, reached into a pile of mud, and hauled out two filthy toddlers. Then I waved for the rest to head inside. Then Serena stepped in front of me. Tears already brimming, right on cue. “Eva—” Her voice cracked sweet and broken. “It was Rowan who talked Father and Mother into the Rohypnol that night. It was Damien who switched us at the altar.” Damien Marchetti just stood there, holding her hand. Calm. Waiting for me to fall apart. But I didn’t. Rowan’s voice turned cold. “Boyd was ugly, sure. But he took Serena in when she was on the streets. He wasn’t all bad. You just had a rough patch. Don’t make this ugly.” Eight years ago, Serena had shown up at the Ashford estate, claiming to be the real daughter. She told everyone I was the fake—that I wouldn’t let her through the door. And my family believed her. These eight years had been my lesson. “Eva, Boyd is dead now. We’re here to take you home.” Serena’s voice was soft, almost kind. “But these little strays are filthy. Low-blood. You can’t bring them. If they’ve made you suffer this much—let’s just get rid of them.” My head snapped up. Get rid of them? The child swinging from the rafters was Consigliere DeLuca’s only daughter. The one glaring daggers at them was Don Harlan’s daughter. In the corner, throwing dice like they didn’t have a care in the world, were the Volkov family’s two heirs. These kids weren’t strays. They were the future of every empire that mattered between the East River and the Pacific. “You’d be relieved to be rid of them, wouldn’t you, Eva?” Serena smiled, dabbing at her tears. Then her bodyguards raised their guns and formed a ring around us. I pulled the farthest child into my arms and let out a long, quiet breath. This one I couldn’t let get hurt. Don Calder’s only daughter. Fifth‑generation single heir. The whole Calder family were unhinged madmen, and they would burn the world down if anything happened to this little girl. “What? You don’t want them dead?” Damien’s voice dropped low. The heir to the Marchetti family radiated cold authority. “Eva Ashford, you want to drag eight little bastards into Marchetti territory?” I frowned and clamped my hand over Harlan’s daughter’s mouth. That girl had the sharpest tongue in the West. “Is Eva embarrassed?” Serena tilted her head, feigning concern. “But Damien doesn’t mind that you’ve been living like a whore. Come back with us. He’s willing to take you in—his woman, at least in name.” Serena said it like she was offering me a crown. Like it wasn’t a leash. “I’m not going back.” Three heads snapped toward me at once. Rowan’s face darkened. “You give Serena attitude the second you see her? Did you forget every single thing they taught you in the Ashford house?” I’d forgotten more than that. I’d forgotten the snowy night Rowan had walked Serena home with his arm around her, leaving me bleeding in the courtyard. I had forgotten the sound of my engagement ring shattering under Serena’s heel, and the way Damien barely glanced at me when it happened. Eight years was enough time to bury all of it. “Do it, Eva. Don’t tell me you’re never going to marry again because of that punk. You want to be a widow forever? Or maybe you just liked being a whore.” Damien’s smile was cruel. His eyes dragged over the kids like they were vermin. “They’re not mine. You also can’t touch them. You can’t afford to touch them.” Heir to the Marchetti throne or not—didn’t he see that these children weren’t afraid of him?They were doing their own thing. Like he wasn’t worth the breath. “You won’t even admit they’re yours?” Damien sneered, drawing his Glock and aiming at the youngest child. “I wouldn’t dare?” My stomach dropped. I lunged to block him—and Rowan’s hand cracked across my face hard enough to whip my head sideways. “I thought you were forced to have children. Now I see you spread your legs for him willingly. You disgrace every drop of Ashford blood.” The slap echoed through the dusty yard. The children finally looked up. My ears rang. I took a slow breath, my heart sinking into my stomach. “Damien. Look at him. Really look. He’s your father’s grandson.” I’d jerked Marco back fast, but not fast enough. A long, shallow cut had opened up his arm. Blood dripped down into the dust. He buried his face against my chest, white-faced and shaking. I tugged his collar back and bared his collarbone. “Look closely.” The Marchetti family crest. A black obsidian serpent, crowned in thorns. Inked in surgical-grade ink across an eight-year-old’s skin. The mark only direct blood of Don Salvatore himself was ever permitted to wear. Serena’s eyes blew wide as poker chips. But Damien didn’t lower the gun. “My father has no grandson.” “You can’t even recognize the Marchetti crest when it’s bleeding right in front of you?” Lucia ripped free of my hand, fury crackling in every inch of her ten-year-old body. “My father is Don Vincent Harlan! Marchetti runs Manhattan, sure—but Harlan owns Chicago, you idiot! You touch us and my dad puts your whole family in the East River by Sunday!” This time, Serena slapped her. Hard. The desert went silent. Even the wind died. In our world, you don’t lay a hand on a Don’s daughter. You don’t even raise your voice at one. It’s a declaration of war. Serena lifted her chin. Smiled. “Are these all the little kids you prepared for this performance, Eva?”

I tore a strip from my own robe and pressed it against Marco’s bleeding arm. My hands were steady, but my voice was hard. “Serena, harming Marchetti blood is a death sentence.” Rowan laughed. “Marchetti blood? Eva—your acting’s getting sloppy.” Serena lifted her chin, smug and satisfied, and looped her arm through Damien’s. I stared at Damien across the space, my gaze heavy. Waiting. He met my eyes for a long moment. Then he shrugged. “Eva, you’ve learned to lie.” His voice was flat, dismissive. “You almost had me.” Serena pouted, faking worry. “If word got back to Don Salvatore that Eva had some random kid pretending to be Marchetti blood, the Ashford family will suffer. She still hates me.” Damien and Rowan frowned. “I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” Damien pulled Serena close and kissed her forehead—slow, deliberate, like he wanted me to see. But Rowan was blind with rage. “Eight years and you still haven’t learned. What do you want? Serena is my real sister. You’re just a fake. What right do you have to compete with her? To resent her?” His words were knives. Every one of them found its mark. A small warm hand wrapped around my freezing fingers. “You had it bad before, didn’t you?” Harlan’s daughter was looking up at me, Lucia. My tiny demon. My tiny mercy. I forced a smile down at her, then turned back to Rowan. “Fifteen more minutes. Then you’ll know if I’m lying.” Just fifteen minutes. That was when the pickup would arrive—the rotating security details from each of the Four Families, here to collect their precious little charges. Same time every evening. Same time I usually kicked off my boots and went home to crash on the couch with the TV on. “How long are you going to stall!” Rowan was shouting now. Serena stepped in, all false sweetness. “The Ashford family can afford eight children. If Eva insists on keeping them alive, then… fine. Fine. Let her keep them.” Damien’s face flickered—annoyed. But he sighed and looked down at Serena like she’d hung the moon. “Whatever you want, Serena. I’m with you.” Rowan nodded. Even he relented. I pulled Marco closer, my knuckles bone-white where I gripped him. “We’ll tell people they’re orphans,” Serena said, voice dripping honey. “But Eva—you’re going into the Marchetti family. You can’t be tangled up with these kids. Not one inch out of line.” She drifted closer slowly. Her eyes glittered with something ugly underneath. “So just let you remember fresh. For every life you save tonight, you take a bullet for them.” The kids closed ranks around me before her words even finished. “You three are out of your minds!” “Eva is brilliant! My father says she’s smarter than half the Capos in his crew! And you—you Marchettis—treat her like this?! I’m telling my dad the second I get home and she’s coming with me! Nobody can kill her!” “My mom is still waiting for Eva to teach her piano! Don’t you dare hurt her!” “You wanna play? Just wait fifteen minutes. You’re cowards, threatening us to get to Eva. When my father comes, none of you will dare touch her!” They were brave, but they were children. In a heartbeat, all of them were pinned with Serena’s men. Mouths gagged. Forced down into the dirt. Then the clock ran out. “Miss Eva!” Tires screamed. A black SUV slammed to a stop on the edge of the clearing and Garrick threw himself out, eyes blown wide with fury. “Stand down! Who the hell are you people?!” I looked past his shoulder. No one else. My stomach dropped. “You came alone?” His voice went rough and guarded. “Trouble at the docks. Don Calder rolled out with the rest of the crew to handle it. He’s not back yet.” Trouble at the docks. Which meant the Volkov detail coming for the twins couldn’t get through either. “Stop pretending.” Damien’s eyes had gone dark. His voice dropped, scraping rough at the edges. “Eva, are those children really so precious to you? You’d risk your life for them?”

The smile froze on Serena’s face. She dug her fingers into Damien’s arm, silently urging him to react. But he didn’t move. His eyes stayed fixed on me, dark and unreadable. She shot me a glare — then her free hand flew to her mouth and she gasped at Garrick. “Boyd?! I thought you were dead. No wonder Eva won’t come back with us.” Damien’s eyes went bottomless cold suddenly. “Don’t stay here,” I told Garrick, my voice low and urgent. “Go find Don Calder. Or Consigliere DeLuca. Now.” Both names carried weight in all four families. Every made man between New York and Vegas knew them on sight. Damien would recognize them. Garrick hesitated, then turned to leave. But Damien moved faster. He lunged before anyone could react. His gun cracked once—Garrick’s shoulder burst red. Then he slammed an elbow into Garrick’s skull, dropping him to the dirt. “Damien, stop! He’s Calder family!” My chest seized. I screamed it. He didn’t listen. Garrick rolled, dodging the worst of it. But he was alone. Serena’s bodyguards swarmed him — and round after round punched into him at point-blank range. Hot blood sprayed across my face. My mouth fell open. “Don’t hurt him! He doesn’t deserve this!” No one heard me. Or if they did, they didn’t care. They kept firing. Garrick dropped to one knee in the dust, bleeding from a dozen wounds, still trying to hold himself up. One of Serena’s men stomped his boot down on the back of Garrick’s neck and ground his forehead into the dirt. Damien holstered his gun, disgust curling his lip. “Calder’s man? Eva, please. He pulled a weapon on me. That makes him an assassin.” Serena laughed, bright and relieved. She stepped closer, her voice honeyed poison. “Eva, maybe you should think about the children. Are you going to save them or not?” “I save.” Eight bullets wouldn’t kill me. These kids’ parents had kept me alive these eight years. I owed them. Four shots. The iron stink of blood hit the air thick enough to taste. Every kid in the clearing flinched. Rowan ripped a Beretta from one of the bodyguards’ hands, veins standing out at his temple. “Eva! You’re still going to save them?!” Somewhere behind me, a tiny voice choked on a sob. I was soaked in sweat and blood, trembling with every breath. “I’ll save them. And I’m not going back to the Marchetti family.” Rowan exploded. He fired again—four more rounds, each one precise. Non‑lethal. Shoulder. Hip. Thigh. Forearm. He was trained to hurt without killing. He knew exactly where to shoot. “That’s not your call. You haven’t paid what you owe Serena. You haven’t paid what you owe the Ashford name.” I swallowed the scream. Planted my palms in the dirt. Slowly — slowly — pushed myself back upright. Serena watched me struggle, her smile growing. “Rowan, look—Eva’s bleeding so much. Do you think she’s pregnant? Coming home with a baby she can’t hide… Oh, this is my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed her so hard.” I looked down. It was Marco’s blood. Pooled on my lap from where I’d been pressing against his arm. Damien’s head whipped around. The words ground out between his teeth. “Get rid of it.” The bodyguards seized my arms, wrenched them behind me, dragged me back — forcing my stomach exposed. Fists slammed into my abdomen. I doubled over, choking on air. Every organ inside me felt knocked out of place. “Lies — all of it — Miss Eva lives alone, there’s no family brand on her skin anywhere—There’s no child!” Garrick spat the words through a mouthful of blood. Still defending me. Serena slowly laid a hand on the neck of the kid closest to her. Her fingers gradually tightened. “Am I?” She caught the panic flaring in Garrick’s eyes and let out a soft, mournful sigh. “If they’re not Eva’s kids… then why do you care so much?”

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