Category: English

I hid my power. I chained the wolf within. All for him. My blood-bound mate, Lord Caius. But when I went into labor and the contractions hit, I was locked away in the abandoned altar beneath the castle. Magical restraints carved with confinement runes bound me tightly. The contractions were getting worse. I cried, begging Caius. “The baby’s coming, Caius. Please, get me to the Sanctuary… It’s our child…” He just stepped forward, elegant and cruel. He forced a black pill into my mouth. “The Blood-Binding Elixir,” he said. “It will delay your labor. Be a good girl. I have to make sure you give birth after Isadora.” Instantly, invisible threads seemed to tighten around my veins, strangling them. Blood soaked my dress. The pain was so intense my wolf spirit screamed, a howl trapped in my throat. “Why…” I whispered, my voice breaking. “You are a wolf. An outsider,” Caius’s voice echoed in the cold abandoned altar. “Isadora carries the true heir. A pure-blood. My dead brother’s only legacy. Tonight is the Blood Moon’s Blessing, granted once in a thousand years. Only a child blessed tonight can become the next Lord. I won’t let you steal that from her.” Then he dissolved into black mist, leaving me behind to go to Isadora. I closed my eyes. The tiny life force thrashing inside me suddenly went still. I slipped into darkness. …… A tearing pain in my belly ripped me from the darkness. The cold stone of the magical array was hard against my back. I struggled to sit up. Another contraction slammed into me, harder than anything I’d ever felt. My wolf spirit whimpered in agony. “The baby… My baby is coming! Help me!” I screamed, biting back the pain. “Still putting on a show?” Lilith stepped into the dim light, her crimson eyes glittering with malice. Caius’s little sister. “Isadora’s potions never fail. She made that Blood-Binding Elixir herself. It will stop your labor for four hours, guaranteed.” She lifted a finger, her hand open in the air between us, aimed at my heart. She slowly made a fist. “The Ancestor’s Blessing, the title of Lord… it all belongs to Isadora!” A roar filled my ears. My own blood turned on me, boiling and surging backward through my veins until I thought they would burst. I gagged, coughing up a clot of blood that felt like ice. A deep chill settled over me. “I never wanted to be Lord!” I shook my head, desperate. “Don’t lie!” Lilith’s fingers snapped shut. Invisible magic choked me, forcing my head up to meet her gaze. “You think we’re all fools? The moment you learned the blessed child would be the next Lord, you started hurting Isadora! Your ambition is pathetic. Obvious.” She released me, and I collapsed. She stood over me, looking down. “You tricked Isadora. Lured her to the Star-Gazing Tower. You used your wolf strength to open the sun-shielding dome, didn’t you? You tried to burn her and the baby alive!” No… that’s not what happened! Isadora came to me that day. Crying. She said she missed Liam’s presence so much, and begged me to go with her to the tower, to feel closer to him. The moment we got there, she used her vampire speed to push me away, threw open the dome herself, and held her own arm in the sunlight until it burned. Then she clutched her stomach and screamed that I was trying to kill her child. … I had a thousand things to say, a thousand ways to defend myself. But the agony from the elixir intensified, and all I could do was curl into a ball. “Please… let me go… The baby is really coming…” I sobbed, reaching for her. Lilith slapped my hand away. “Why are you still acting?” “The Blood-Binding Elixir doesn’t fail,” she sneered. “You’ll wait your turn. After Isadora is finished, you can have your little mutt.” “No… please…” I struggled, but the magical restraints only bit deeper, the energy searing the skin on my wrists. “Isadora warned me you’d pull a stunt like this.” A dark red light glowed at Lilith’s fingertips. “If you try another one,” she said, her voice low and dangerous, “I’ll drain every drop of blood from your body and leave you a dried-up corpse. Understand?” She motioned to the blood-servants behind her to watch me. Then she turned and left. As the heavy door slammed shut, I felt the warm, sticky wetness spread beneath me. Blood. So much blood. My dress was soaked, my limbs bound by magic. I couldn’t move. The lock clicked. The finality of it hit me. I was completely, utterly alone. Three months ago, Caius had taken my communication crystal, claiming it was to “prevent hunters from tracking me.” Now I knew the truth. He was cutting me off from everyone. I was a lone wolf with no pack, no status. I was never truly one of them. I tried to stop crying, to focus, but the pain made it impossible to breathe. A new wave of contractions hit, stronger than the last. My head spun. I was about to pass out. I remembered the nightmare seven months ago. Caius’s brother, the Lord, was ambushed and killed on a hunt. When Isadora announced she was pregnant, the whole coven breathed a sigh of relief. The bloodline would continue. Overnight, my child and I became a threat. A sin. They all watched me, terrified the outsider would harm Isadora. Every time she accused me of something, Caius believed her without hesitation. The pain made me thrash, fighting against the magical restraints until my wrists and ankles were burned raw and bleeding. And then, a miracle. The confinement runes on one of the restraints shattered. I dragged myself across the floor, leaving a trail of blood. I pounded on the door with my free, bleeding hand. “Please! The baby’s coming!” “Shut up in there!” a guard yelled back. “Wait until Lady Isadora is done!” Then I heard voices. A magical projection. Caius and Lilith. “How is Isadora?” Lilith asked. Caius’s voice was tired. “Another two hours, at least. How is Rowan? Is she behaving?” “Don’t even ask,” Lilith scoffed. “She’s locked in the abandoned altar, and she’s still putting on a performance. Crying that she’s in labor. What an actress.” Her tone turned venomous. “Wait, Caius. Are you actually worried about her? Don’t forget she’s the one who stole the labor-inducing potion from Isadora’s room, trying to force an early birth to steal the blessing.” “No… I never stole anything…” I whispered to the empty room. “I haven’t forgotten,” Caius’s voice was laced with disgust. “Isadora promised me the elixir would only delay the birth, not harm her. Let her suffer. It’s a lesson she needs to learn. Nothing can happen to Isadora, or to Liam’s child.” The voices cut off. The abandoned altar was silent again. I collapsed on the floor, cold to the bone. I closed my eyes and surrendered to the despair.

I don’t know how long I lay there. The pool of blood beneath me grew larger. I was fading, drifting away, when the door suddenly burst open. “Gods above!” a familiar voice cried out. Healer Alistair. The Alucard family’s head healer. The only one who had treated me throughout my pregnancy. He rushed to my side, dropping to his knees in my blood. His trembling hands felt for my pulse. “Lady Rowan!” His face was white with horror. “What in the gods’ name are you doing down here?! Lady Lilith told me you were merely anxious and resting!” “Lilith—” I gasped. “She locked me in here—” “Don’t talk.” Alistair lifted my blood-soaked skirt to check me. His expression turned to one of pure terror. “Gods, you’re fully dilated! Your water has broken… and you’re hemorrhaging! We have to move. Now!” He tried to use his communication crystal. The screen flashed: NO SIGNAL. “Damn this shielding matrix!” he swore. He looked at me, his eyes wide with urgency. “My Lady, I have to get you to the Healing Sanctuary. Right now.” The vampire guards outside tried to stop him as he carried me out. “Halt! Lady Lilith said—” “Lady Lilith said WHAT?” Alistair roared, his voice filled with a healer’s authority. “To let a woman in labor bleed to death in the abandoned altar? Get out of my way!” The guards actually flinched and stepped back. Alistair stumbled through the halls with me in his arms, a gruesome trail of blood marking our path. “Hold on,” he panted. “The top floor has the best equipment. We’re almost there.” The castle stairs seemed to stretch on forever. Every step was a new wave of agony. My vision was blurring, but I could feel my baby fighting, struggling to be born. “How much longer?” I whispered. “Two minutes,” Alistair said, his eyes fixed on the top of the spiral staircase. “Just two more minutes.” We finally reached the top floor. He kicked open the door to the private, luxurious Healing Sanctuary— It was open. We burst inside, and then we both froze. The room was empty. The state-of-the-art magical medical equipment—all of it was gone. The life-monitoring arrays, the shadowless light orbs, the auto-regeneration blood pool, even the birthing bed. Gone. Nothing remained but four bare walls and a few shattered power crystals on the floor. “This is impossible,” Alistair whispered, standing stunned in the doorway. “Where is the equipment?” Footsteps echoed from the hall. Lilith appeared, flanked by her servants. “Oh, the equipment?” she said breezily. “It’s all been moved to Isadora’s suite.” Alistair’s face went even paler. “What?” “Isadora is birthing the one true heir of the Alucard line,” Lilith said, her words sharp. “A pure-blood. She gets our best resources. Obviously.” “But Lady Rowan is also in labor!” Alistair yelled. “She needs an emergency intervention!” Lilith glanced at me, then shrugged. “Stop the act, Rowan. The elixir is harmless. You’re just desperate for attention. Trying to disrupt Isadora’s moment.” I stared at her perfectly made-up face. I suddenly remembered a year ago, when I gave her a rare, ancient book from my collection to help her with her blood magic. She had hugged me, her voice filled with joy. “Rowan, you’re like a real sister to me!” How ironic.

Alistair laid me on the bare floor of the empty sanctuary and ran out to find supplies. He came back two minutes later. Empty-handed. His face was ashen. “The potion storage is empty,” he stammered. “Not even a basic hemostatic herb. No bandages. Nothing.” Lilith let out a small, cruel laugh. “Oh, those? Also sent to Isadora. Caius’s orders.” “This is murder!” Alistair shouted. “She’ll die! The child will die!” “Then that is their fate,” Lilith said with a cold shrug. “The coven comes first.” Alistair knelt beside me, taking my hand. “My Lady, I am so sorry,” he said, tears welling in his eyes. “I have no equipment, no potions, nothing.” “Then use your hands!” I screamed, grabbing his collar. “Use anything!” “I can’t risk it. Without a magical barrier, without tools to stop the bleeding—” “Enough of this pathetic drama! Take him away!” Lilith suddenly barked. Two guards entered the room, grabbed Alistair by the arms, and began to drag him out. “Listen to me!” Alistair yelled back at me. “Remember the pressure point I showed you? The one on your abdomen? Push on it! It will stimulate the contractions! You have to push with everything you have on the next one—” The door slammed shut. It was just me and Lilith again. She took out a scrying mirror made of blood-crystal and opened a channel. “Caius?” Her voice was instantly wounded and frail. “You need to see this. Your precious mate is putting on another show for us.” She turned the mirror towards me. I saw Caius’s face. He was standing in the bright hallway of another, fully equipped sanctuary. His expensive clothes were disheveled, his brow furrowed with exhaustion. When he saw me lying in a pool of my own blood, a flicker of shock and horror crossed his face before it was replaced by ice. “What is going on with her?” His voice was tight, cold. “What do you think? It’s an act,” Lilith said casually. “She’s bled a little, but Alistair is always so dramatic. I think she’s just trying to force you to come to her.” Caius’s jaw tightened as he stared at me through the mirror. Just then, a weak voice called from his side of the connection. Isadora. “Caius… who is that…? Is it Rowan? Is she… is she blaming me again?” “It’s nothing. Don’t be distracted,” Caius soothed her instantly, but his eyes on me grew colder. “Caius!” I screamed with my last bit of strength. “Help me… the baby… the baby is really coming!” “Rowan, stop it,” he said, his expression unchanged. “Isadora is struggling. The Ancestor’s Blessing… it’s causing a bloodline rejection. The healers are fighting to save her. She is the coven’s priority.” “But I—” “I’ll deal with you when I’m done here,” he cut me off coldly. Through the mirror, I saw him turn to stroke Isadora’s forehead. “You deserve to pay for what you’ve done.” The mirror went black. Lilith put it away, looking pleased. “See?” she said, squatting down in front of me, her eyes filled with triumph and cruelty. “In Caius’s heart, what are you? A pathetic lone wolf who slept her way into his bed for protection. A birthing tool. And now, you’re not even useful for that.” She stood up, her voice a final judgment. “You thought marrying into the Alucard Coven was your ticket to the top? You and your mutt are just trash that needs to be taken out.” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at her anymore. My body was soaked in blood, but my hand secretly moved to the necklace around my neck. The moonstone pendant my father gave me. My last resort. They all thought I was just a lone wolf. No pack. A nobody running a broken-down bookstore. Of course they did. They couldn’t sense the royal blood sleeping inside me. The Alpha blood I had sealed away. I loved him, so I chose to give up my birthright. What a stupid joke that turned out to be. “If you are ever in danger from which there is no escape,” my father had told me on the day I left my pack, “crush this. Every wolf of our kind will feel your call.” My fingers found the tiny trigger inside the pendant. Lilith’s voice was still droning on. “…Isadora always said you were manipulative. I actually defended you. I was such a fool. A stray wolf who married for power. Who knows what you were really plotting.” With the last of my strength, I crushed the trigger. There was no sound. No flash of light. But I knew. The signal had been sent. “In half an hour,” my father’s voice echoed in my memory, “my Royal Guard will tear this world apart to find you.” But my baby… Could my child hold on until my people arrived?

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260701KCUYu1tmGc 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni712284”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

I walked into Serena’s apartment with our wedding invitation in hand. Too hurried, so that I grabbed Damian’s phone by mistake on my way out. The second I stepped through the door, the screen lit up. Connected to Wi-Fi automatically. I froze for a moment. Damian had never been to her place. How the hell did his phone know her network? Serena glanced at the phone in my hand and smiled. “Stop guessing. Every time he told you he was on a business trip these past three years, he was sleeping here.” I stared at the invitation in my hand, ten years of my life suddenly feeling like a sick joke. She picked up an ultrasound scan from the coffee table and waved it at me. “Two months along. If you still want this wedding, perfect—you can be my free nanny.” The fingerprint lock beeped. Damian walked in carrying takeout soup. Our eyes met. His smile froze on his face. I folded the invitation and slipped it into my pocket. From this moment on, Serena Croft and Damian Sterling were dead to me. …………………………………. “Why the hell are you running around with my phone?” Damian kicked off his shoes and set the soup container on the entryway table. His eyes swept over the ultrasound in Serena’s hand, then landed on my face. After a brief pause, he loosened his tie and sat down next to her. “Since you already know, there’s no point hiding it.” He looked up at me. “The scan’s real. She’s pregnant with my kid. Almost two months.” The invitation crumpled in my pocket as my fingers tightened around it. “So?” I could barely hear my own voice. Damian frowned, clearly pissed at my reaction. “What’s with the attitude? I haven’t even called you out for snooping through my phone.” He picked up a glass of water and took a sip, his tone self-righteous. “You’ve had two miscarriages. The doctor said your uterine lining is too damaged to carry another pregnancy.” “I need an heir. Serena’s willing to have my child—she’s doing us a favor.” “The kid will call you Mom when it’s born. You’re getting a free baby. What’s the problem?” Ten years. I’d starved with him. Destroyed my stomach drinking for his business deals. Lost two unborn children for him. And now he was telling me that screwing my best friend was for my own good. Serena leaned against Damian’s shoulder, her hand resting on her flat stomach. “Sienna, I never had parents growing up. I’ve always thought of you as my sister.” “The three of us can live together. My baby will be your baby too.” She lifted her chin, her eyes gleaming with victory. “You’ve always wanted a complete family, right? Well, now you have one.” Damian stroked her hair. “See how understanding Serena is? Unlike you, walking around with that bitchy expression all the time.” He pulled a document from his briefcase and tossed it onto the coffee table. “This is a supplemental agreement. My lawyer drafted it.” “Next month’s wedding goes ahead as planned. You’ll still be Mrs. Sterling.” “But publicly, Serena will be my cousin. She’ll move into our penthouse for the pregnancy.” I stared at the document without reaching for it. “Serena moves into our home as your cousin?” “Yes.” Damian nodded. “I can’t leave her alone in this condition.” “And after the baby’s born?” I forced a bitter smile. “Registered under your name. Serena’s still young—she can’t let a kid hold her back.” Damian pulled out a pen and held it toward me. “I’ll add an extra ten grand to your monthly allowance, specifically for taking care of Serena and the baby.” “Sienna, don’t be greedy. I’ve given you the best of everything. What more do you want?” He looked into my eyes with terrifying sincerity. He genuinely believed he’d done nothing wrong. To him, I was nothing but an accessory with no income of my own, completely dependent on him. As long as he tossed me a few scraps, I should be grateful. Serena grabbed the pen and shoved it into my hand. “Just sign it, Sienna. If you don’t, those ten years will have been for nothing.” “You don’t even have a job. What are you going to do without Damian?” The pen dug painfully into my fingers. I watched them play their synchronized game, and suddenly the whole farce felt absurd. Ten years of my youth, traded for a contract to be the mistress’s free nanny. I set the pen down on the table. “I’m not signing.” Damian’s expression darkened. “Don’t push your luck, Sienna. I’ve felt guilty about those two miscarriages.” “Think of this baby as compensation. What the hell else do you want?” He stood up, looking down at me. “Last chance. Sign it.” I stood, pulled the invitation from my pocket, and threw it in the trash. “I’ll think about it.” I turned and walked toward the door. Behind me, Damian sat back down and picked up the soup container, blowing on it. “I knew you’d come around. Remember to pick out engagement rings tomorrow.” “Serena said she likes pink diamonds. Get her one too while you’re at it.”

That evening, I returned to the penthouse I shared with Damian. I entered the code. The lock beeped an error. I stood there frozen and tried again. “Incorrect password.” The robotic voice echoed through the hallway. I stared at the door I’d walked through for five years, suddenly feeling like a complete stranger. Two hours later, the elevator doors opened. Damian stepped out, helping Serena walk beside him. Seeing me still standing at the door, he frowned. “Why haven’t you gone in? Standing out here like a damn statue?” I looked at him. “The password’s wrong.” Damian slapped his forehead. “Serena said the old code had unlucky numbers, bad for the baby. I changed it.” He walked up and entered Serena’s birthday. The door opened. I followed them inside and saw my slippers were gone from the entryway. In their place sat a pair of non-slip pregnancy slippers. “Your slippers had hard soles. I was worried Serena might slip, so I had the housekeeper throw them out.” Damian tossed off the explanation casually as he helped Serena toward the master bedroom. I walked to the bedroom doorway and froze completely. All my skincare products had been swept from the vanity into the trash. The closet doors hung open, half my clothes cleared out, replaced with racks of Serena’s maternity wear. “Damian, what the hell is this?” I pointed at the empty closet space. Damian was pouring warm water for Serena, not even looking back. “Serena’s pregnant. She can’t handle the smell of your perfumes.” “I had the housekeeper move your stuff to the guest room. You’ll sleep there for the next few months.” Serena leaned against the headboard, her hand on her stomach as she sighed. “Sienna, you’re not mad at me, are you? The doctor said my pregnancy is high-risk, I need complete rest.” “The master bedroom has better light, better for the baby’s development. You care about me so much, you wouldn’t mind giving it up, right?” I stared at her sickeningly fake face with no desire to argue. The next morning, I sat at the dining table eating oatmeal. Damian walked out of the bedroom with his phone in hand. Right in front of me, he pressed the speaker button. “Hello, is this the wedding planner? Yes, this is Damian Sterling.” “Change the bride’s name on the welcome sign. Put Serena Croft instead.” My hand clenched around the spoon. The voice on the other end hesitated. “Mr. Sterling, but what about Ms. Hayes…” Damian pulled out a chair and sat down, glancing at me. “Ms. Hayes? She’ll be the maid of honor.” He hung up and took a sip of his milk. “Serena said she’s dreamed of wearing a wedding dress since she was a kid. She’s pregnant now, we can’t upset her.” “We’re practically an old married couple anyway, it’s just a formality. Let her have the bride’s spot, think of it as fulfilling her dream.” His tone was casual, like he was discussing something completely trivial. Serena came out of the bedroom wearing my nightgown and wrapped her arms around Damian’s neck. “You’re so sweet, Damian.” She turned to look at me, her smile innocent. “Sienna, will you be my maid of honor? I want you to witness my happiness with your own eyes.” Damian tapped the table, prompting me. “Serena asked you a question. Don’t be petty, it’s just a dress.” I looked down at the oatmeal in my bowl. Ten years of devotion couldn’t compete with one casual request from her, and now even my place as the bride was stolen. I set down the spoon and wiped my mouth with a napkin. “Fine.” Damian smiled with satisfaction. “That’s more like it. We’re a family, we should get along.”

“There’s a business gala tonight. Wear something plain, don’t steal Serena’s spotlight.” On the couch lay a cheap, dated dress he’d tossed at me. Behind him stood Serena in a designer maternity gown, wearing my pink diamond necklace. “Damian, do I look good in this?” Serena lifted her skirt and spun in a circle. Damian walked over and put his arm around her waist. “Beautiful. You’ll be the most stunning woman there tonight.” He turned to me, his brow furrowed. “What are you standing there for? Go change. Don’t waste time.” I picked up the gray dress and walked into the guest bedroom. By the time I came out dressed, Damian had already left with Serena. I had to take a cab to the hotel myself. When I pushed open the ballroom doors, Damian was holding a champagne flute, laughing and chatting with several business partners. Serena clung to his arm, the picture of elegance. I walked over, about to take my place behind Damian. “Mr. Sterling, who is this?” A partner gestured toward Serena. Damian raised his glass, all smiles. “Let me introduce you. This is my fiancée, Serena Croft.” A chorus of flattery rose around them. “Ms. Croft is absolutely radiant. You two make such a perfect couple.” Another partner recognized me. “Wait, then who’s Ms. Hayes over there?” The ballroom went quiet for a moment. Everyone’s eyes turned to me with curiosity and mockery. Damian paused briefly, not even turning around. “Her? My sister.” Ten years together, and I’d become his sister. He couldn’t even give me a decent explanation, casually erasing every trace of me. I stood in the corner, watching Serena accept everyone’s congratulations. Halfway through the gala, Serena walked toward me carrying a glass of red wine. “Oh no!” She suddenly stumbled, half the wine splashing across my gray dress. The red liquid dripped down the fabric, making me look pathetic. “Sienna, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Serena covered her mouth, putting on a performance of panic. Damian rushed over and shoved me aside, pulling Serena into his arms. “Are you okay? Did you hurt the baby?” He turned to glare at me, his tone harsh. “Why were you standing so close? You know she’s pregnant and you’re still crowding her!” “Go to the bathroom and clean yourself up. Don’t embarrass yourself here.” I didn’t argue, just turned and walked toward the restroom. After the gala ended, we waited in the parking garage for the driver. Serena suddenly cried out. “Damian, I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much.” Without a word, Damian crouched down. “Get on. I’ll carry you.” Serena climbed onto his back, her arms wrapped around his neck. Over Damian’s shoulder, she looked back at me following behind. Her lips moved silently. “Your ten years don’t measure up to my three months.” I stopped walking, staring at their overlapping silhouettes. Damian turned his head, impatient. “Sienna Hayes, can you walk faster? The car keys are in your bag, stop dragging your feet!” I stood still, not moving. “Hand them over!” Damian raised his voice. I unzipped my purse, pulled out the car keys, and threw them on the ground with a sharp clatter. Damian froze. I didn’t look at him. I turned and walked to the curb, flagging down a taxi. Back at the penthouse, I opened my phone. The photo album held over three thousand pictures, all of Damian and me through the years. I selected batch delete and removed them one by one until every single one was gone. I cleared our pinned chat history too. One final message popped up, from Damian. “Remember to try on the maid of honor dress tomorrow. Serena wants pink.” I didn’t reply. In the corner of the living room, three packed suitcases sat quietly against the wall.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260701yohEW4b8w9 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni936970”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

The pack has a rule. Every ten years, the pack will give birth to twin she-wolves. One will take a mate. The other must stay behind and become the Lunar Seer to guard the pack. The Lunar Seer never takes a mate, and she is never permitted to leave the pack territory. When we were kids, my older sister said she would become the Lunar Seer and let me go to the Citadel. So under my efforts I was chosen by the Citadel, which meant I could make a living in the capital, far from this isolated pack. And I made a promise with my love, Soren. When I turned twenty-two, he would claim me as his mate. We will live in the capital. The day arrived, I prepared myself and waited, my heart pounding with nervous excitement. Soren came and stopped at my family’s lodge. Pushing down the wild joy in my chest, I heard him lean against the carriage, speaking to someone. “I came here to claim Elodie as my mate. We will move to the capital.” “You do not understand. Their parents favor the older daughter. If I do not take Elodie, she will be forced to become the Luna Seer.” “Tamsin at least earned her place at the Citadel. She can leave and make her own life. Their parents definitely will not force her into anything.” I silently wiped the makeup off my face. Tomorrow is the day of the consecration ceremony, for the Luna Seer. I sat on the edge of my bed. My chest felt tight with bitterness. Because of my sister’s promise, I had to yield everything to Elodie. Our parents favored her, too. But compared to all of that, freedom was too important. All these years, I carried guilt and shame, pushing myself to the breaking point with barely any rest. Just for a position in the Citadel. But now she used my mate to play the victim. She did this on purpose. She never truly wanted to spend her life confined to the pack, just wanted to reap the benefits without sacrifice. I sat on the bed, wiping off the foundation layer by layer. The woman in the mirror slowly revealed her true face. Nothing special about it. Just an ordinary face, ordinary eyes, an ordinary nose. Identical to my sister Elodie’s face. But since childhood, everyone said she was beautiful, said she was gentle, said she looked like the Lunar Seer. They said I was wild, said I was rough, said I was improper. Outside the window came the sound of the carriage door closing, then footsteps approaching. Soren was coming but I did not move. I gripped the cloth in my hand, staring at that face in the mirror, forcing myself to see it as a stranger’s face. He knocked on the door. “Tamsin, I am here.” I said, “Come in.” He pushed open the door and froze for a moment. He probably had not expected me to have removed my makeup and not be wearing the ceremonial dress I had prepared, just an old tunic as I sat on the bed. “You…” He walked in. “Why have you not changed clothes?” I looked at him. “What are you here for?” He paused, then forced a smile onto his face and walked closer. “To claim you, of course. We made a promise, did we not? Twenty-two years old, I come to take you as my mate.” “Whose mate?” He stopped. I continued watching him. “Soren, I am asking you. Whose mate did you come to claim?” His smile slowly faded. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke. “Tamsin, let me explain—” “No need to explain.” I stood up and placed the cloth on the table. “What you said just now, I heard everything.” His expression shifted. “You said Elodie did not earn a place at the Citadel and cannot leave, so you came to take her as your mate.” I said. “You said I earned my place and can make my own life, so it does not matter for me.” “Tamsin—” “You are saying you weighed both of us,” my voice remained even, “and decided I was less deserving of your protection, so you came here to take her away instead?” He opened his mouth but could not form words. I knew it. He could not deny it because that was the truth. Soren and I have known each other for five years, been bonded for three. He has seen Elodie fewer than five times. But he still weighed us. On both sides of the scale, one side held me, the other held her. And he decided I could carry my own weight, so he did not need to help me. “Soren,” I took a step back. “Go off.” He frowned. “Calm down. I have my reasons for this—” “I am calm,” I said. “Much calmer than you think.” He looked at me, hesitating to speak. Footsteps sounded outside, then came Elodie’s voice, soft and sweet with a hint of tears. “Tamsin, I know you are angry, but you do not know, I actually…” She pushed open the door and stood in the doorway, her eyes red-rimmed with tears clinging to her lashes. She looked beautiful when she cried. It had always been this way since childhood. One tear, and everyone felt sorry for her. Even I used to feel sorry for her. But now I only looked at her and said, “Elodie, you do not need to explain to me.” She froze. “Tamsin…” “I have no right to blame you,” I said. “I was too foolish to think the promises between us meant anything.” I was speaking to both Soren and Elodie. Silence fell for a moment. Then I said, “I am going to the Sacred Cavern. You two can wait here.” “Wait,” Soren followed. “What are you going to the Sacred Cavern for?” I did not turn around. “To tell Elder Torin,” I said, “that I will participate in tomorrow’s consecration ceremony.”

The Sacred Cavern lies in the deepest part of the pack territory. Moonstone torches lined both sides of the stone path, their flames casting dancing shadows on the ground when the wind blew. I walked slowly. Not because I was reluctant. My mind was just chaotic, and I needed to sort through everything before moving forward. I was thinking about what happened five years ago. That year I was seventeen, Soren came to our valley as an emissary from the Citadel. He sat on the stone steps reading, the setting sun painting his profile in gold. I had never seen anyone like him before. Clean, graceful, like he came from another world entirely. Later he asked me where the road outside the pack territory led. I said it led down the mountain to a town, and beyond the town was a city, and beyond that city were even greater cities. He asked what I wanted to see in the future. I said I wanted to see everything. He smiled and said, then see it all. I believed him right then. After he left, we began mind link, and it went on for five years. He said when I turned twenty-two, he would come to claim me as his mate and take me away. I asked him how he knew I would be willing to accept him by then. He said I would be willing, because I cared for him. I called him shameless at the time. But I truly did care for him. Five years, and I never fall in love for anyone else. When I reached the entrance to the Sacred Cavern, Elder Torin sat on the steps smoking his pipe. When he saw me, he narrowed his eyes. “You came,” he said. “I thought you would not come tonight.” I crouched down across from him. “Elder, I want to ask you something.” “Please.” “The Lunar Seer’s duty, does she truly have to remain within pack territory?” Elder Torin drew on his pipe. “The ancient law states the Lunar Seer guards the pack and protects the wolves. She never leaves pack territory, never takes a mate, devoted until death.” I nodded. “If the Lunar Seer left the territory, what would happen?” He paused and turned his head to look at me. “Which Lunar Seer would dare leave?” “I am just asking.” He drew on his pipe again, exhaling slowly. The smoke dispersed in the torchlight. “Have you decided?” he said. “Will you accept the consecration?” “I have not decided yet,” I said. “I just want to understand the rules clearly.” He watched me for a long time, then said something that surprised me. “Tamsin, do you know that your generation is the first time I have ever misjudged?” I froze. “What do you mean?” “You two sisters,” he paused. “I always thought the one who would stay would be your older sister.” “But that child, I watched her grow up. Her eyes have never truly fallen on this pack territory.” The wind blew past, and the torch flames flickered. “But you,” he said, “every time you come down from the mountain, you always look back.” I said nothing. “Truly look, not out of reluctance, but to remember,” he said. “Remember the paths, the mountains, every blade of grass and tree here.” “People who love a place and people who want to escape a place have different eyes.” I lowered my head. Something caught in my throat. “But I am not someone who should stay here,” I said, my voice slightly hoarse. “I have my own path to walk.” “You walk your path,” Elder Torin tapped out his pipe and stood. “But Elodie cannot walk that path. You need to understand that.” With that, he pushed open the door to the Sacred Cavern and walked inside. I remained crouched on the steps, watching his back disappear into the candlelight. Of course I understood. Elodie could never become the Lunar Seer. Not because she was inadequate, but because she could not hide that restless heart that wanted to leave. And according to the ancient law, the Lunar Seer must guard not only the pack, but also her own heart. If she could not guard her own heart, she could not guard the pack. I stood up and brushed the dust off my knees. The night wind lifted my hair. Footsteps sounded behind me. I did not turn around, but I knew who it was. “Are you really going through with the consecration?” Soren’s voice. I said, “I have not decided yet.” “Then why did you come to the Sacred Cavern?” “To understand the rules clearly.” He walked up and stood beside me. After a moment of silence, he said, “Tamsin, if you accept consecration as the Lunar Seer, you will never be able to leave for the rest of your life.” “I know.” “You earned your place at the Citadel. You have so many paths you could take—” “Soren,” I interrupted him and turned to look at him. “Did you come here today to claim me as your mate, or to claim her?” He didn’t say a word. I said, “Then there is nothing more to discuss.”

When I returned home, Elodie still sat in the main hall. Our parents were there too. When they saw me, Mother spoke first. “Tamsin, where did you go?” “The Sacred Cavern.” Mother froze. “You…” “I went to ask Elder Torin about the rules for the Lunar Seer consecration.” I sat down in a chair and looked at them. “Tomorrow is the ceremony. I wanted to understand clearly.” Father drew on his pipe and said nothing. Elodie lifted her head, her eyes still red. “Tamsin…” “Sister,” I called to her. “You said in the beginning that you would volunteer to stay behind as the Lunar Seer and let me go to the Citadel. Those were your words, correct?” Elodie’s fingers tightened. “Yes, but…” “There is no but,” I said. “You said it, and I remembered. Because of those words, I yielded everything to you. Mother and Father yielded to you. Whatever you wanted, the family found a way to give it to you.” My voice remained even. “You said you would give me the way out. I was afraid of failing you.” The hall fell silent for a moment. “But Sister,” I said, “what are you trading that promise for now? Trading it so Soren would come take you away?” Elodie’s eyes reddened and tears fell. “That was not my intention. I did not scheme against you. Soren and I just…” “Just what?” She choked out, “We just got along well, and he also thought I was pitiable…” Mother wiped her eyes beside us. “Tamsin, your sister has suffered too. She has known since childhood that she might have to stay here. You should understand her situation…” I looked at Mother. “What about me?” Mother froze. “I have known since childhood that if I was the one who stayed, I would never get out,” I said. “I understand her. Who understands me?” No one spoke. Father snuffed out his pipe and spoke, his voice muffled. “Tamsin, this matter is your mother’s and my fault, not your sister’s fault.” “We were the ones who contacted Soren.” I froze. “What?” Father sighed. “Your sister’s health is weak. These past two years it has gotten worse. We were afraid if she stayed in the pack territory…” He could not continue and paused. “We contacted Soren and begged him to come take your sister away.” “If we were going to beg him to come, we had to give him a reason.” “So we told him Elodie was pitiable and asked him to claim her as his mate.” Mother lowered her head. “You had been bonded with him for three years. He is someone who values bonds, so it was difficult to ask him directly. We told him you earned your place at the Citadel, that you could make your own way out, and only your sister had no way to leave…” I sat there and went through these words from beginning to end in my mind. Then I laughed once. “So,” I said, “the three of you schemed against me alone.” Father raised his head. “Tamsin—” “It was not scheming,” Mother rushed to explain. “We truly had no other choice. If your sister stayed here, she…” “What if I stayed here instead?” Mother stopped. “Mother,” I said. “If I were the one staying behind, would you work so hard to find a way out for me?” When I asked that question, the hall became as silent as stagnant water. No one answered me. I did not need an answer anymore. Some things, the moment you ask them aloud, you already know the answer. I stood up. “I will participate in tomorrow’s consecration ceremony.” Mother shot to her feet. “You cannot go! You earned your place at the Citadel. You have your future—” “My future is not something you need to worry about,” I said. “I fulfilled the promise with my sister. Now that she has taken back that promise, I should give her this way out.” “Tamsin!” I said nothing more and turned toward my room. Behind me, Elodie suddenly said, “Tamsin, I am sorry.” My steps paused. I did not turn around. “You are not sorry to me,” I said. “You just regret that this plan did not stay hidden from me.” I pushed open my door and closed it behind me, leaned my back against the door, and tilted my head to look at the ceiling in the darkness. My mind was chaotic yet clear. Chaotic with all the emotions accumulated over these years that had nowhere to go. Clear that starting today, some things could finally be let go.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260701VzBD9ppNKC 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni552110”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

Because I knew my husband, Victor Harlan, would bring his widowed sister-in-law back to live with us, I quietly moved out of base family housing after I was given my second chance at life. Because I knew he would hand over his entire service allowance to Sandra, I raised Tina alone — never asking him for a single dollar. When Tina’s fever spiked and her life hung by a thread, the hospital called Victor because the bill had gone unpaid. He arrived breathless, his face tight with fury. “No money for treatment and you didn’t think to tell me? She nearly died, Ellie!” I watched his jaw work and looked away. “It was nothing. Didn’t want to trouble you.” Because in my first life, trying to stop Victor and Sandra from destroying everything, we spent ten years tearing each other apart. Sandra had racked up crushing gambling debts, and when I told Victor, he called me a liar. He kicked me hard enough to crack two of my ribs. To protect his brother’s fragile, sickly wife, he turned my parents into enemies of the household and drove them to their graves. In despair, I walked into the river. My child was left behind and starved to death. In that life, fighting for his love cost me everyone I had. In this life, I want nothing from him — not his love, not his attention, not even his pity. … Victor’s voice was barely controlled. “Ellie Gould. Our daughter almost died. And you call that nothing?” I kept my mouth shut. He stepped closer, jaw clenched. “Talk to me.” I laughed, low and quiet. “What would you like me to say, Victor? That you’ve been sending your entire allowance to Sandra every month without keeping a cent?” “Or that you used your last leave to spend three days with her instead of coming home for Tina’s birthday?” He took a half-step back. The look on his face was one I had never seen there before — something close to disbelief. Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, followed by a familiar cough. “Ellie, please don’t blame Vic. It’s all my fault. I never should have taken that money—” Sandra braced herself against the doorframe, pale-faced and frail. Victor’s throat moved. When he turned toward her, his voice had already softened. “Sandra, what are you doing here? The ward is full of germs — your lungs can’t take it.” Sandra pushed herself to the observation window and pressed her hands to the glass, eyes red. “It’s my fault. The money that should have gone to Tina’s care — it went to my prescriptions.” Victor caught her elbow gently, his voice full of a tenderness I had not heard in years. “Tina’s going to be fine. You need to go back and rest. I’ll handle things here.” I watched them move away together, then turned and held Tina tightly against my chest. “Ma’am.” The nurse stopped me at the desk. “I’m sorry, but without payment—” “Give me a little more time. I’ll have the money.” She looked at me the way people look at someone they feel sorry for. “She can’t wait much longer.” I squeezed the few coins in my pocket and walked out of the hospital. In my first life, I had carried Tina through a winter just like this one — burning with fever — and knelt on the hospital floor in front of Victor, begging him to save our daughter. He had looked down at me with disgust. “Get up. Have you no dignity? Look at yourself.” Sandra had stood behind him, her voice small and careful, driving every word like a nail. “Vic, Ellie’s just scared. It’s my fault really. But my leg has started hurting again—” She beat at her own bad leg, and Victor turned to her without hesitation. I had grabbed his arm. He shook me off and walked out. The cold had gone all the way into my bones, but I did not stop walking. This time, I would not hand my life or Tina’s to a man who could not see what was right in front of him. I went to the pawnshop and left my mother’s silver brooch on the counter. Then I ran back to the hospital and paid the bill. Past midnight, Tina’s fever finally began to break. I folded my arms on the edge of her bed and drifted off. I woke to a familiar presence standing over me. Victor spoke first, his voice rough. “Did you pay?” “Yes.” “Where did you get the money?” “Pawned the brooch.” I kept my voice flat, as if I had given away something worthless rather than the last thing my mother had left me. He was quiet for a long time. “That brooch belonged to your mother, Ellie. How could you just—” “What else was I supposed to do?” I turned and looked him in the eye. “Wait for you to save a little from Sandra’s prescriptions and grocery runs?” His face flushed dark. “Watch your mouth! Sandra is sick! My brother died young and she’s been alone ever since — of course I look after her. Is that a crime?” Again. That sentence. I had heard it so many times in my first life I could recite it in my sleep. “She’s fragile,” I repeated, slowly, and let the irony carry itself. “So Tina and I are supposed to be the durable ones?”

Victor’s face went gray. “Tina is my daughter. You think I don’t care? Ellie, stop keeping score.” I closed my eyes. I was too tired to keep looking at that face — the one I had once loved, obsessed over, and then learned to hate. “Victor. From this day on, I’m done making allowances for you two. I’m also done fighting. And I am done hoping.” “What does that mean?” “It means you can take care of Sandra however you like. But Tina and I — that’s no longer your concern.” “Ellie!” His hand closed around my wrist. “Is this about money? Fine. I’ll draw next month’s allowance tomorrow. Every cent. Just stop talking about separating.” His fingers were warm. The touch turned my stomach. I pulled my arm free and rubbed the red mark on my wrist. “Keep it. Sandra will need it for her next round of prescriptions.” His chest heaved. “Fine. See how long you last on your own. And don’t forget you’re still living in base housing.” I smiled, reached into my coat pocket, and held out a folded sheet of paper. “Actually. This is for you.” It was a handwritten Voluntary Waiver of Base Family Housing, signed and dated in my own hand. “When did you—” His mouth opened and closed. “The day I moved out. I’ve been carrying it since then.” I kept my voice even. “Sign it. Tina and I are done taking up space that belongs to someone else.” Down the hall, Sandra’s voice drifted toward us, soft and trembling. “Vic? You’ve been in there so long. I can’t stop worrying—” She appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame, wearing her suffering like something carefully arranged. “Ellie, please don’t do anything rash. I’ll go back home. I’ll leave you both alone—” Her eyes filled. Victor stepped toward her at once. “Sandra. Stop that. I made a promise to my brother. You’re not going anywhere.” He looked at me over his shoulder — and in that look was the same disappointment I had seen a thousand times before, as if I were the one who had done something wrong. “Ellie, look what you’re doing to her.” He signed the form. “But Tina is my daughter. That doesn’t change. When she’s better, I’m coming to get her.” I took the paper, folded it carefully, and tucked it away. “Safe travels.” He guided Sandra out without looking back. At the hospital entrance, under the yellow glow of a streetlamp, he took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. He never once glanced back at the window where Tina lay. In my first life, I had drowned myself in the river over this man. Tina was left alone. Sandra forgot her. By the time anyone thought to look, she was gone. I had heard — much later, in the version of events that haunts me still — that Tina’s last words were whispered into an empty room. “Mommy, I’m so cold. I’m so hungry. Where are you?” The tears came before I could stop them, sliding down in silence. “Tina. Not in this life. No one is going to hurt you again.” I dried my face. My eyes went cold. Victor Harlan. This time, you take nothing from me.

After leaving base housing, I rented a small room on a side street near town. During the day, I picked up alterations and mending work — hemming, patching, whatever people brought to the door. In the evenings, by lamplight, I sewed rag dolls and cloth animals for Tina. Word got around now and then that Victor handed over most of his allowance to Sandra each month — imported vitamins, new clothes, specialist appointments. That information passed through me like wind through a screen door. One evening, I was returning from dropping off a batch of finished alterations when I saw a crowd gathered outside my door. My stomach dropped. I pushed through. Inside, the room was destroyed. My sewing things were scattered everywhere; three garment orders I had taken from base families lay in pieces on the floor. Sandra stood in the middle of it all, composed and faintly pleased. “I saw Ellie hiding subversive pamphlets in her sewing basket. She’s been working against the base community. Against all of us.” She held up a few crumpled slips of paper. Two MPs stood near the door, arms folded. “Ms. Gould. Sandra Harlan has filed a report claiming you concealed prohibited materials on premises. Do you have anything to say?” The neighbors murmured. “Can’t believe it. She was doing alterations for military families. What was she hiding in there?” “No wonder Victor Harlan put her out—” I recognized the play. It was the same one Sandra had run on my parents in my first life — a quiet accusation, a ransacked room, a crowd already half-convinced. This time I would not freeze. “What proof do you have?” Sandra’s satisfaction sharpened. “The room. The papers. What more do you need?” “Victor Harlan is here!” Someone called it from the back of the crowd. Victor pushed through and walked in. His gaze moved across the ruined garments, and then he turned it on me. “Ellie. Do you understand what you’ve done?” Sandra moved quickly to his side, her voice dropping to something wounded. “Vic, I only came to check on her. I never imagined I’d find — this.” He put a hand briefly on her arm. When he looked back at me, there was no warmth in it. “Evidence is right in front of us. What is there to argue?” In my first life, he had looked at me exactly this way. No question. No pause. Sandra had accused my parents and he had believed her instantly, led the search himself, watched my father’s head split on a doorframe and my mother collapse. “You have no case,” I said. “These garments belong to base families. Every order has a receipt with a date, a description, and the customer’s signature. The paper trail is complete.” “As for those slips of paper — I’m requesting a handwriting analysis.” Sandra’s color shifted. “That’s enough!” Victor cut across me. “Ellie, making this official helps no one. Apologize to Sandra, and I’ll make this go away.” He had done this before, too. Used my humiliation as currency to keep Sandra calm. I pulled my arm back and looked at him steadily. “I have done nothing wrong. I will not apologize for something I didn’t do. And I don’t need you to make anything go away.” His patience ran out. He pointed at the MPs. “This is a failure of household conduct and it reflects on my command. Whatever the investigation requires, we’ll cooperate fully.”

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/202607016mgylT8qqs 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni418452”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

The morning school resumed after winter break, my stepmother, Donna, pressed a dented case of off-brand protein shakes into my duffel bag. “Take these. Drink them at school.” They were the ones people brought as hostess gifts over the holidays — the kind nobody actually wanted. They’d been sitting in the pantry for weeks. Dad was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed. “I’m not sending you money this semester. You worked that winter job, didn’t you? Made two thousand, right? That’s five hundred a month — four months, perfect.” “You’re eighteen now. Time to learn what independence looks like.” My hands went still inside the duffel bag, hovering over nothing. Across the room, my half-sister Madison was glued to her phone. Suddenly she shrieked with excitement. “Yes! I got the floor seats! Dad, I need you to book the flights — and I want to stay at a five-star hotel!” Dad pulled her into a hug and agreed to everything before she’d even finished the sentence. Donna glanced at me from the corner of her eye. The diamond studs in her ears caught the light. The three of them huddled together, laughing, scrolling through hotel options on Dad’s phone. I had watched this kind of warmth directed at everyone else in this house for ten years. It still knocked the air out of me every time. My phone buzzed. A text from my bank. 【Chase Bank: Dear Ms. Rachel Holt, your Certificate of Deposit ending in 1234 has matured. Principal: $800,000. To renew, reply 1.】 A certificate of deposit? I counted the zeros twice. Eight hundred thousand dollars. I assumed it was a phishing scam. I didn’t reply. “Dad.” I kept my voice flat. “I earned that two thousand to finally get this mole removed.” I touched the corner of my mouth — a raised, dark mole, nearly the size of a pea, that had been drawing stares my whole life. Dad, Gary Holt, squinted at it with undisguised contempt. “College and suddenly you think you’re a socialite. Stop wasting money chasing vanity.” “Just like your mother. Born under a bad sign.” Donna — Linda Holt — wore a thick layer of foundation and batted her false lashes. “Oh, sweetheart, once you graduate, I’ll personally take you to get that taken care of.” That was the promise on rotation. After middle school. After high school. After you start college. Now: after you graduate. The mole had only gotten larger. The deadline kept moving. I’d already called a dermatologist before break. Two thousand dollars. Gone now. The entire winter holiday I hadn’t taken a single day off, working doubles at a fried chicken shack — on my feet from open to close, grease burns freckling my forearms. I looked at Madison humming to herself as she swiped through the concert seating chart. Something tightened in my chest. “Dad, you dropped two grand on her floor seats without blinking. You won’t give me five hundred a month for groceries. And I’m your biological daughter.” Dad’s face went red. “Watch your mouth with me.” “Fine. Your mother has been dead for ten years. You want the truth? Here it is.” “Madison is my daughter — mine and Linda’s.” Donna turned her face to the wall. Said nothing. Mom died ten years ago. I’m eighteen. Madison is fourteen. Dad started sleeping with Linda when I was four years old. Back then, Mom was still healthy. She was the top accountant at her firm — brilliant, always busy. She spent long days at the office, sometimes never making it home for dinner. I remember the look on her face during those years. A kind of grief she couldn’t quite wash off. But every time she saw me, she’d erase it. She’d pull me close and smile like I was the only good thing left. When I was seven, she got sick. She spent a year in the hospital. Near the end, Dad held her hand by the bedside. “Susan, are there any savings in your name? You’re leaving, but the rest of us still have to live.” Mom’s cheeks were hollowed out. She was colorless. She asked him to lean in closer. Then she spat in his face. Dad had carried a grudge against her ever since. I reached into my duffel bag and yanked out the protein shakes. Set them on the floor. Linda’s expression tightened, but she kept it hidden under a thin smile. Dad clamped his hand over mine. “Linda went out of her way to get those for you. Show some gratitude.” “She specifically asked us not to drink them — she saved every last one for you.” I pulled away. He grabbed my arm. A sharp, searing pain shot up to my shoulder. The burn blisters from the fryer were still healing, still weeping under the skin. Tears blurred my vision. “Saved them for me, or just didn’t want them for anyone else?” “If they’re such a gift — keep them for Madison.” The slap came fast. It wasn’t the first time. I pressed my fingers to my cheek and looked at him — forty-five years old, breathing hard, eyes burning. For ten years, I had waited for him to love me differently. He was my father. I was his blood. I waited ten years. Nothing changed. Now I understood why. I lowered my head and went back to packing. School started soon. I just had to leave. But I thought of the mole, and something in me went dull and aching again. I was so tired of watching people’s eyes catch on it. If only I had the money. If only.

I zipped the duffel bag and retreated to my room. First thing: turn on the light. My room had no window. Without the light, it was a cave. There were five bedrooms in this house. Dad and Linda had the master suite. Madison’s room was right next door — painted lilac, with a gallery wall of her favorite artists. The remaining three rooms: Dad’s tea and whiskey lounge, Linda’s walk-in closet, and a dedicated fan merchandise room for Madison’s celebrity obsession. I lived in the storage room under the stairs. I hadn’t even been worth a north-facing bedroom. Linda nudged the door open a crack. “Rachel, honey, I washed some grapes for you. Come have some.” The cluster she held out had dry, shriveled stems. The skin was puckering. I’d seen Madison pick one off earlier, chew it, and spit it into the trash. “Ugh. Sour. Disgusting.” What Madison wanted, I never got a taste of. What Madison rejected, Linda packaged up for me with a smile. Mom had been gone one month when Dad brought Linda into the house. He told me to call her Mom. I couldn’t make the word come out. Linda set the grapes on my nightstand, then dipped into her pocket and produced two hundred dollars. “Here, Rachel. I don’t have a lot on me right now, but take this — for when you get to campus.” Her nails were freshly done. A deep, aggressive red. I stared at her. “Drop the act.” Dad appeared behind her and snatched the money. “See what coddling her gets you? She’s completely insufferable.” “From this point on, she gets nothing from this house. Not one cent. Let’s see how that mouth of hers does without our support.” He threw the grapes on the floor and ground them under his shoe. “And she’s not eating tonight. One day without food. Maybe she’ll reflect on what she has.” “She needs to understand who runs this house.” In high school, my monthly allowance was three hundred dollars. When I started college, it went up to five hundred. My first month of freshman year, I spent nearly all of it on the cheapest train ticket I could find — a hard seat, eight hours each way. I arrived on campus with three hundred and eighty dollars left. By the last week of that month, I was surviving on discount bread and canned beans. When I called Dad to ask for next month’s money, he tore into me before I could finish the sentence. “Already? It’s been barely three weeks. Do you think I’m an ATM?” “I work myself half to death and you’re up there living it up at my expense.” “Keep spending like this and you can forget about school. Go find a factory job.” He wired the five hundred dollars two weeks later. I slid Mom’s photo out from under my mattress. Stared at it until my eyes blurred. If she were still here. The smell of dinner drifted under my door. Madison’s voice carried from the kitchen. “Oh my god, Mom, you made so much! This is amazing!” Nobody called me. My stomach felt like it was folding in on itself. I used to go hungry so often that my stomach had developed a Pavlovian response — any sign of an empty afternoon and the cramping would start. Madison’s voice again, bright and easy. “Mom, your ribs are literally my favorite thing in the entire world. You’re the best.” Linda’s voice, warm and unhurried: “Eat as much as you want.” I crouched on the floor and made myself as small as possible, trying to wait out the pain. My phone rang. The bank. “Hello, is this Rachel Holt? A Certificate of Deposit opened ten years ago in your name has matured. Would you like to roll it over or withdraw?” “I think you have the wrong person. I don’t have a savings account like that. Ten years ago I was eight.” “Ten years ago, a Ms. Susan Holt deposited $800,000 into an account registered in your name.” “Can I ask — what is your relationship to Susan Holt?” Susan Holt. My mother. I pressed the phone tight against my ear and lowered my voice to barely a whisper. “Can I take the money out?”

I tucked Mom’s photo inside my jacket, grabbed my ID, and walked out the door. Linda looked up and nudged Dad. “Don’t stay angry at the kid. She lost her mother young — it makes a person difficult. That’s all.” “Rachel, come eat with us. The food’s getting cold.” I looked at the picked-over dishes on the table — the scraps and bones that remained — and gave her a smile that said everything. “What exactly am I supposed to eat?” Dad was already at the sideboard, arranging his whiskey glasses, satisfied and full. “There’s plenty left. Ungrateful to your core. And when you’re done eating, wash the dishes and wipe down the table.” I turned and walked out. Behind me, Dad’s voice rose. “She’s completely out of control. If she’s got so much nerve, she can walk out that door and never come back.” Then Linda’s voice, measured and smooth. “Where do you think she’s going? Maybe follow her, just in case. Kids this age can be so fragile. If she does something rash — ” “Good riddance. She’s an adult. I don’t owe her a thing.” I walked faster until their voices fell away entirely. The bank branch was fifteen minutes on foot. The teller who received me was cheerful and professional. She laid it out clearly: the principal was eight hundred thousand dollars. Ten years of compounding interest added approximately one hundred and twenty-eight thousand. My account — the one ending in 1234 — currently held nine hundred and twenty-eight thousand dollars. I stood at the window and couldn’t speak. She slid a sealed envelope across the counter. “Ms. Susan Holt stored this with us ten years ago. She asked that it be given to you when the account matured.” My hands were shaking. Inside: a letter, a key, and a property deed. I unfolded the letter. The paper had gone soft and yellow at the edges. *To my Rachel at eighteen — are you doing okay?* *I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there to watch you grow up.* *Before I go, you are the only thing I cannot let go of.* *The money in this account, and the apartment that goes with this deed — these are your eighteenth birthday gifts from me.* *If life has been kind to you, then this is just something extra, a little more sunshine. If life has been hard — don’t be afraid. I’m still here, standing behind you.* *About your father — I think you already know. I won’t say more.* *Loving you always,* *Mom* *2016* Those few short lines. I read them again and again until the paper was wet. She knew. She had always known about Dad and Linda. Ten years later, standing in this bank, I finally understood the grief that never left her face. Why she refused to tell Dad what she had saved. Why, with the last strength she had, she spat at the man holding her hand. She had known everything. And she had spent the time she had left making sure I would be alright. I folded the letter and pressed it inside my jacket, next to her photo. I stared at the balance on the screen. Nine hundred and twenty-eight thousand dollars. I thought about Dad — the way he’d turned the house upside down after the funeral looking for anything she might have left. How he’d found nothing and decided she must have hidden it from him out of spite. How he’d convinced himself she was reckless with money, or worse. How he’d punished me for it for ten years. The healed-over burn blisters on my arm itched. I pressed my fingernails against them. Then I made a fist. This money was hers, and she gave it to me. No one was going to touch it.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260701DsnUZuNEmT 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni632409”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

The door opened. I started undressing. Three years of this had taught me not to think. Not to fight. Just comply. But tonight, instead of heavy breathing and the stench of feral musk, I heard a voice. “Elara, would you like to return to your mother’s side?” I had four fathers once. Four SSS-level Alpha Kings who ruled the four kingdoms. The Dragon King. The Bear Emperor. The Nine-Tailed Fox. The Phoenix Lord. I grew up beloved by all of them. I inherited my mother’s S-level calming power. I was the most envied female in the realm. Until Giselle arrived. The daughter of their former fated female. She whispered lies, and my fathers believed every one. She said I cursed her. The Dragon King stitched my mouth shut. She said I poisoned her. The Nine-Tailed Fox threw me into the Shadow-Spider Cavern, where insects devoured my face and ate my left eye. She said I defiled her. The Bear Emperor threw me into the Feral Dens. I became a rut slave. Mounted, clawed, bitten bloody by berserk shifters. And through it all, I was forced to use my calming power to soothe their savage minds. Three years of that. And now, a voice in the dark was offering me a way out. …… I jerked my head up. The room was empty. The voice came again, echoing inside my skull. It said it was Mother’s guardian spirit. That Mother was a traveler from another realm who’d left in a hurry, not knowing I’d survived. Now she knew. And she wanted me back. All I had to do was die. “Elara,” it murmured, “your mother has been desperate since learning you exist. Are you willing—” I didn’t let it finish. I grabbed a rusted blade and pressed it to my throat. Yes! Mother was alive! I’d see her soon! Pure joy drowned my fear of death. Just as I pulled back to slash— —something massive slammed into my wrist. Pain shot through my hand. The blade clattered to the floor. A taloned foot stomped down on it. “Elara. You trying to kill yourself?” I looked up. My mouth opened instinctively. “Fourth Dad.” I regretted it immediately. His expression darkened. “Don’t call me that. I severed our bond years ago.” The man before me was Rowan, the Phoenix Lord. When I was small, a feral warlord kidnapped me. Rowan tracked my scent alone to the warlord’s lair. He knelt before his sworn enemy in full shift, bared his throat three times, and let the warlord tear six gashes through his wings. All just to get me back unharmed. After I was rescued, I cried over his wounds. He just nuzzled my hair and said those gashes didn’t hurt at all. But watching me cry hurt so much he wanted to die. Of the four fathers, Fourth Dad loved me most. Too bad that love vanished four years ago when Second Dad brought injured Giselle back from the borderlands. I’d always known the four fathers shared an obsession—a female they’d never gotten over. I just didn’t know it wasn’t my mother. It was Giselle’s mother. They say the four fathers were once outcasts, each exiled from their own kind. Young Mother found them and helped each one reclaim their territory and rise as Alpha. They say Mother was their fated female—all four of them. But just before the bonding ceremony, Giselle’s mother Genevieve appeared. The moment she appeared, all four fathers shifted to her. After that, Mother supposedly grew jealous and tormented Genevieve. Finally, consumed by despair, Mother drowned herself in the river. After Mother died, Genevieve vanished too. Only when Giselle returned did the fathers learn the truth. Genevieve left because she felt responsible for Mother’s death. I never believed it. My instincts screamed Mother was innocent and Genevieve was poison. But fathers didn’t trust me. They said I was jealous like Mother, competing for mates. So whenever Giselle and I clashed, they chose her. Before long, I went from the most treasured female in the realm to a Feral Den slave. Fourth Dad picked up the fallen blade and studied the cut on my throat. Then he flipped it and drove the edge toward me. I jerked back. The blade kissed my skin, opening a fresh wound. Fourth Dad smiled coldly. “If you want to die so badly, why dodge?” “You’re just like your mother, Elara. Pathetic. Both of you hurt yourselves for attention.” “She was smarter though—she did it in front of all four of us.” “You picked this shithole. Stupid.”

I started to explain I wasn’t acting. Then I remembered—they never listened anyway. So I lowered my head. “You’re right, my lord. May I ask—did you come all this way just to watch me perform?” Fourth Dad blinked. “Don’t flatter yourself. Today is Giselle’s birthday and her Naming Rite. She’s being declared Sacred Female. She says she’s willing to forgive you. I’m here to bring you to her.” Three days ago I’d heard: First Dad was naming Giselle the Sacred Female. A title the four fathers had promised me since I was ten. Before, if someone took what was mine, I’d tear the whole territory apart. Now I just said, “I don’t want to go.” Fourth Dad stared. “That’s not your choice.” He grabbed me and dragged me out. Then brought me back to his nest, had me washed and groomed. He summoned his sky carriage, a gilded chariot drawn by two winged serpents. On the way, Fourth Dad wouldn’t stop talking. Bare your throat when you see Giselle, don’t provoke her, submit. My chest ached. The higher we flew, the louder Mother’s voice called in my head. So I stood, pushed open the carriage door, and jumped. I heard Fourth Dad’s scream behind me. At this height, I’d surely die. But the impact never came. I landed in warm arms instead. Fourth Dad had caught me. His wings folded around us as we crashed and rolled twice on the ground. His furious roar shook the air. “Elara! Have you lost your mind!” I looked up. Blood from a gash on his forehead dripped onto my face. I reached up to wipe it away. His expression turned vicious. “Stop these games. You just want to see if I still care. I don’t. I’d catch any falling creature. If I’d known you’d pull this, I never would’ve dove after you.” “Next time you want to die, go ahead. I won’t bother.” My hand froze. I caught the shimmer of the river below us. I smiled bitterly. “Good. Remember that, Rowan.” Before he could react, I sprang up and dove straight into the river. Fourth Dad nearly drowned as a cub. Deep water terrified him more than anything. And after what he’d just said? He wouldn’t save me. So when the icy current flooded my lungs, I was happy. Finally. I was going home to Mother.

I don’t know how long the darkness lasted. When it lifted, I sat up—desperate to find Mother. Then someone’s hand cracked across my face. “Selfish bitch! We only had you doing chores at the dens, and the second you see Rowan you throw yourself in the river? You know he almost drowned saving you!” Third Dad’s voice rang overhead, his face twisted with fury. Of the four fathers, I’d been closest to him. The others were too busy ruling their clans, so raising me fell to Third Dad. He taught me to read scent trails, identify healing herbs, mix remedies. He was always gentle. No matter what I did wrong, he never punished me. He only guided me with soft words. But the day Giselle returned, this male who’d never even bared his fangs at me struck me for the first time. Giselle touched one of his venomous spirit beasts and got stung. She swore I was the one who put it on her. Third Dad’s tails lashed the air. He struck me across the back so hard my skin split open. “This is my fault, Elara. I didn’t raise you properly. That’s why you’ve become so rotten, treating lives like toys.” Later when Giselle was poisoned again, Third Dad fed me a pill that attracted shadow-spiders. Then he threw me into the Venom Pit. Thousands of creatures burrowed into my flesh, laid eggs under my skin, burst out in sprays of blood. Even after Third Dad healed me, I’d lost my left eye. Seeing my silence now, he took it as admission. His fury deepened. He raised his hand to strike again. Fourth Dad caught his wrist. “Brother, calm down. Today is Giselle’s Naming Rite. Elara probably can’t handle it. She tried killing herself three times in front of me.” I glanced at Fourth Dad. He’d shifted back to human form. His wounds were bandaged. But his face was deathly pale. Third Dad snorted. “You’ve been away from court too long. She’s pulled this stunt dozens of times over four years. Just another grab for attention.” Fourth Dad paused—then exhaled in relief. “So that’s what this is.” Third Dad turned back to me. “Elara, today is Giselle’s birthday. Throw your tantrum here if you must—but don’t you dare make a scene in front of First Dad and Second Dad. You know how they are…” Before he finished, I lunged for the medicine chest behind him. I’d lived with Third Dad long enough to know exactly where he kept his deadliest poisons. I grabbed the worst one and swallowed it. Third Dad’s face went white.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260701ZfUs7nHokc 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni045069”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

I spent fourteen months on the port project. No weekends. No holidays. Three straight weeks sleeping on a cot in the control room. At the celebration ceremony, Sofia, the Caporegime, scratched my name off the contributor list in front of everyone. “Marlena, you’re young. There will be other opportunities.” She took the million-dollar bonus and the Underboss nomination for herself. I didn’t fight back. Instead, I handed her the lifetime liability charter and watched her sign it. Three days later, in front of the Council, the system collapsed. Trial version expired. My little gift buried deep in the code had detonated. She screamed that I set her up. I smiled. “That signature on the liability charter? It says your name. Embezzlement. Fraud. Five million in losses. All yours.” …… End of year. The Gambino Family Celebration Ceremony. The port project was finally complete. I had poured fourteen months of my life into it, no weekends, no holidays. During the hardest stretch, I had slept on a cot in the control room for three weeks straight just to push it through final inspection. The ceremony hall blazed with light. Everyone was clapping, toasting, slapping my shoulder. “Marlena, hell of a job. Couldn’t have pulled this off without you.” I smiled and started toward the podium to give my speech. But Sofia, the Caporegime, snatched the microphone from my hand. She took a pen and, in front of the entire room, scratched my name off the contributor list. “Don’t misunderstand, everyone. Marlena was just running errands for me. The core of this project was all my sweat, all my late nights.” “Marlena, you’re still young. There will be other opportunities. As for the million dollar bonus and the Underboss nomination this time, I won’t be modest about taking them.” She held my gaze, daring me to push back. Around us, my colleagues cast sympathetic glances my way. Someone whispered, “Sofia’s being way too blatant.” Another voice said, “She deserves it. If you don’t fight for yourself, you’re just asking to be walked on. Who can you blame?” I didn’t argue. Sofia had shown up to this project exactly three times. The first time was the groundbreaking ceremony, where she stood in the front row for a photo. The second time was a progress meeting. She arrived forty minutes late, sat down for a cup of coffee, and left. The third time was tonight. Everyone waited to see how I would react. Instead of fighting back, I handed her the project’s lifetime liability charter with both hands. “Sofia, you’re absolutely right. More responsibility for the more capable. That means the final approval signature on the project should be yours as well.” Sofia paused for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction and signed her name without hesitation. As soon as the celebration ended, she stormed into my office with her people. “Marlena, you’re just a runner. You don’t deserve this office anymore.” She had them stuff my belongings into cardboard boxes. Papers scattered across the floor. Picture frames shattered. “The supply closet at the end of the hall has decent Wi-Fi. You can work there.” She looked down at me. “Not like you’re useful anymore.” I watched my things get tossed into the trash. My hands tightened. “Sofia, was that really necessary?” She laughed, her crimson nail pressing into the center of my chest. “Too far? This is just how the game works. No connections, no protection. You’re nobody. And nobodies get stepped on. That’s not cruelty, that’s the rules.” Just then, the wide announcement blared through the speakers. A commendation from the Don. All credit for the port project had been awarded to Sofia alone. The million dollar bonus. The Underboss nomination. All hers. The same colleagues who had pitied me moments ago switched sides instantly. “Congratulations! Well deserved!” “See? A project like this needs a Capo at the helm. Marlena never had what it takes.” They swarmed around her, handing her drinks and lighting her cigarettes, trampling me to lift her higher. Sofia shot me a triumphant look. She announced that drinks were on her tonight. Then she walked right up to me and slammed a scalding hot espresso onto the corner of my desk. Coffee splashed across my hand, leaving a red burn. “Marlena, stick to this. Cool yourself down. Don’t let jealousy eat you up.” Laughter erupted around me. I said nothing. I quietly wiped the coffee from my skin. I pulled out my phone and wired a generous cut straight into the Family group chat. The message read: Congratulations to Sofia on her promotion to Underboss! The group went silent for a moment, then exploded with people grabbing the money. Sofia glanced at her phone and smirked. “At least you know your place.” She warned me: “Keep your mouth shut, do what you’re told, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.” I immediately bowed my head, my face full of respect. “Of course, Sofia. You have my word. Oh, and here is the final project transfer document. All the accounts and details are inside. Just need your signature.” I handed her a thick stack of papers, dense with financial records and progress logs for the dock project. Sofia didn’t even glance at it. She was too drunk on her own rise. She took the pen and signed her name without a second thought. “Don’t bother me with this small stuff anymore. I’m the Gambino Family’s second in command now.” I looked down at her signature. The corners of my mouth curled upward. That wasn’t just a transfer document. That was a death warrant confirming her as the project’s sole responsible party. With her name on that page, any problem that came out of this project would fall on her and her alone.

Sofia’s celebration barely lasted two days before trouble hit. A partner family sent an encrypted dispatch demanding that the project’s lead personally present the results. Sofia stared at the red error codes on her screen, her eyes practically bulging out of her head. She knew nothing about the project. She did not even know how to launch the program. All she could do was read from someone else’s slides. She came running to the supply closet, her heels clacking frantically against the floor. “Marlena, write me an automated presentation script.” Her voice was still sharp, still commanding, as if this was my duty. She had already forgotten how she had humiliated me just days ago. I kept typing, not looking up, my fingers flying across the keyboard. “Sofia, I’m just a runner now. You pulled my core team access. I want to help, but I can’t.” She slammed her hand down on my keyboard. “Cut the crap. I’ll give you temporary access. Can’t handle something this simple? I’ll have you disappeared from this Family before midnight.” People around us turned to stare, their eyes gleaming with anticipation, waiting to see me fall flat on my face. I put on a show of trembling, shrinking my shoulders and stammering. “Please. Don’t cast me out.” Seeing her intimidation work, Sofia softened slightly. She pulled two stacks of cash from her bag and tossed them on the table. “Twenty thousand dollars. Make this work, and the money is yours. Fail, and you’re gone.” I stared at the money, putting on a greedy, desperate look. “Deal. Thank you, Sofia. I’ll get it done right away.” I took the temporary access and wrote the script as fast as I could. But deep in the code, buried in the backend logic she would never understand, I planted a small gift. A gift set to trigger at a very specific time. When Sofia presented the script at the Family meeting, it was a massive success. The Don nodded approvingly and called her a rare talent. She beamed, her smile so wide her makeup nearly cracked. After the meeting, she came back with her crew and took the twenty thousand dollars back. She also had my computer smashed, citing “project security.” “Marlena, it’s not that I don’t trust you. Family rules. You can’t be too careful.” She looked down at me like I was a spent piece of trash. “As for the twenty grand, we’ll put it on your tab. We’ll sort it out at year end.” With that, she turned and walked away on her heels, not giving me a second glance. I looked at the shattered screen. Instead of anger, I nearly laughed out loud. She had just destroyed the only evidence that could prove her innocence. Now, not even the Don himself could save her.

The day the million dollar bonus hit her account, Sofia bought herself a red Porsche. She parked it right in front of the Family compound, in the most visible spot, and spent half an hour taking photos. Her social media filled with shots of the steering wheel and her limited edition watch. The cover of the lifetime liability charter was in the background of the shot. Caption: All the hard work is finally being seen. Beneath it, a flood of likes and groveling comments. I saw the post while I was eating pastries in the break room. A woman next to me was touching up her makeup and making snide remarks, loud enough to make sure I heard every word. “Some people are just born to run errands. Look at the Underboss. Now that’s a queen.” “Exactly. No nerve to fight for what’s yours, then crying when someone takes it. What a waste.” When the wall falls, everyone swings. Everyone who used to call me sister was now practically stepping on my face to kiss Sofia’s feet. Then one of the Don’s aides came rushing in with news that stopped the room cold. “Next Monday, the Council is coming for an inspection. They want to see the port project contract signing in person.” The entire Family erupted. The Council. The men who held true power over life and death in the Family. One word from them could decide anyone’s fate. Sofia’s face flushed with excitement at the news. To show off her hands-on leadership, she refused all offers of help on the spot. “No one needs to touch this. This project is like my own child. I know it better than anyone. I’ll handle it myself.” “I will personally present to the Council. Let them see what I can do.” She ran into me in the break room. She stopped and fanned the air in front of her nose like I was carrying something contagious. “God, you reek of desperation. See that, Marlena? The project runs just fine without you. You were always disposable.” I speared the last piece of pastry and ate it clean. Then I looked up with an eager, fawning smile. “You’re absolutely right, Sofia. You’re the queen, I’m just a spare part. Knock them dead next week. Maybe throw a little glory my way while you’re at it.” Sofia snorted and walked away. “At least you know your place.” Late that night, my phone buzzed. A voice message from Sofia, still barking orders. “Write me a speech before morning. Focus on my creative thinking and all those late nights I put into the project. Don’t bore me with technical details. Make it sound powerful.” “Mess this up, and you’re out.” I listened to her voice, a cold smile creeping across my face. I tapped out a reply on the screen. One word: Okay.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/2026070150IsdBSY8e 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni995173”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

My sister and I found our mates on the same night. I was born with a crescent mark on my collarbone. My wolf was white. The pack elders said I was the fated mate of Alpha King’s son Kaelen. Lyra’s wolf never came. She was never supposed to set foot in that ballroom. But the night before the Ball, my stepmother Selene drugged my wine. She sent Lyra in my place. In my last life, I ran to the ballroom to tell the truth. Lyra threw herself against a pillar. Kaelen caught her. But she still lost the pup. Kaelen said I faked my birthmark. He said I tried to kill his heir. His guards shaved my head and clawed my face open. They sealed my wolf with a hex and threw me out of the territory. I became the most hated wolf in the land. Lyra took my mark, my scent, and my place. She became Kaelen’s Luna and gave him twin pups. The whole pack called her the blessed white wolf. I died past the border. Rogues tore me apart. When I opened my eyes again, the door swung open. A shewolf stepped in. She froze. “Miss Elara? Why are you still here?” The courtyard got loud. Several she-wolves ran in. “Who got into the carriage? Was that Lyra?” “If Elara is still here, the Alpha King will kill us!” Selene pushed through the door. She was already crying. “Elara, are you crazy? You were supposed to be Kaelen’s mate! How can you force your sister to go in your place! The Alpha King will have our heads!” Everyone looked at me. Suddenly I was the villain. The selfish older sister shoved her sibling into the fire. I looked at Selene. That panicked face she wore so well. She was doing it again. This time I was not going to let her finish. I stepped back. My eyes filled with tears. “Mother, what are you talking about? Last night you asked me to share a drink with Lyra. I took one sip and blacked out. When I woke up, Lyra was gone. My gown was gone.” The room went quiet. “Elara!” My aunt Rowena shoved her way to the front. She grabbed my arm. She turned on Selene. “You poisoned her! You drugged Elara and sent your own daughter in her place!” Selene went white.

“I organized this entire ceremony. Now I am the criminal? I raised Elara as my own. Why would I hurt her?” I pulled back. My sleeve slipped down. A strip of dark red stained the fabric. Rowena grabbed my wrist. “Why is this fabric discolored?” One of the she-wolves spoke up. “That is a reaction to poison. The fabric changes color when it touches sedatives.” Rowena stared at Selene. “Get Healer Aldwin. Now.” Healer Aldwin came running. He looked at the stain on my sleeve. He sniffed. His face went dark. “Wolfsbane extract. Heavy sedative. It damages the wolf core.” “A full dose would have killed her in her sleep. She is lucky to be alive.” The room went silent. I looked up at Selene. Tears ran down my face. “Why would you do this? If you wanted Lyra to go to the Ball instead of me, why not talk to Father first?” “He is an Alpha. One word to the Alpha King and he could have arranged something for Lyra. It did not have to be like this.” “Now Lyra is out there pretending to be me. If the Alpha King finds out, she is dead.” “And Father loses everything. Our whole family goes down with her.” I choked on the words. “You did not just drug me. You put a target on all of us.” Selene dropped to her knees. Tears ran down her cheeks. “Elara, I was foolish. Lyra was terrified. She panicked and the carriage already left. If we drag this into the open now, she will be killed.” She grabbed the hem of my dress. “You have always been generous. Just say you gave her your spot. Save your sister’s life.” Rowena slapped her across the face. “Save her life? Your daughter drugs my niece, steals her place, and now Elara should cover for her? You climbed into my brother’s bed and got his true mate killed. Now your daughter is stealing Elara’s future. You think this family has no one left to protect her?” Selene held her cheek. Her eyes went cold. “Your brother left me in charge of this pack. Both girls are mine to manage. You mated out, Rowena. You are not part of this family anymore. Mind your own business.” I stared at her. “Then where is my birthmark record? The pack elders confirmed my crescent mark when I was a child. That record belongs to me.” Her eyes shifted. “Yours, hers, what is the difference? You are both daughters of this house. You are the older sister. Let her have this one.” In my last life, she said the same thing. Lyra took my mark, my identity, and every piece of my mother’s things. Not this time. Everything they took, I was taking back. I held Rowena’s arm. I turned to the she-wolf at the door. “Is there still a carriage outside?” She nodded. “Tell them to take me to the Ball.”

The ballroom was packed. Kaelen stood at the center of the floor with Lyra on his arm. She wore my gown, had my crescent mark painted on her collarbone. She smelled like me. He was about announce her as his mate in front of every wolf that mattered. “Stop.” My voice cut through the music. The violins died. Every head turned toward the door. I walked in with Rowena at my side. The crowd parted. Kaelen’s hand froze on Lyra’s waist. Wolves closest to the front gasped. “Is that Elara?” “Then who is that on his arm?” Alpha King Theron rose from his seat. “Elara. What is the meaning of this?” Lyra shrank behind Kaelen. Her face went white. I stopped in the center of the ballroom. Kept my voice steady. “Alpha King, I came to take back what is mine. Last night my stepmother drugged me. When I woke up, everything was gone. I came as fast as I could.” Theron’s gaze cut to Kaelen. “You did not notice anything wrong?” Kaelen stiffened. “This is my mate. She smells right. She has the mark.” I looked up. Let the shock show on my face. “I have had this mark since birth. I am willing to be checked.” Theron’s eyes moved to Kaelen’s hand on Lyra’s waist. His expression went cold. Lyra dropped to her knees. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “My sister kept saying she did not want to be mated to the Alpha Heir. She drank too much last night and would not wake up this morning. The carriage was already at the door. I did not know what else to do.” I tilted my head. “That is funny. Because the way I remember it, you were the one clinging to Mother and crying all night about how scared you were. You insisted on sleeping in my room. Now I am starting to think that was so you could swap my gown and my documents while I was drugged.”

Lyra’s face crumbled. “How can you say that? I was trying to protect you! I was going to switch back with you later. Everything I did was for you, Elara. You can hit me. You can punish me. But please do not say I stole from you.” Kaelen pulled her behind him. His eyes locked on me with disgust. “You rejected me, Elara. Lyra stepped up when you would not. She saved you from embarrassing yourself and your family. I have made my choice. Lyra is my mate.” I looked at them quietly. They had done the same thing in my last life. One playing the victim, one playing the hero. They pinned the blame on me and made themselves look like lovers. Not this time. I sighed. Let the sadness fill my voice. “Lyra, you really did all this just for me?” Lyra looked up with wet eyes. “We are sisters. I would never let you suffer. Kaelen is perfect. I did not want him to be shamed. I did this for you.” Kaelen softened. He pulled Lyra closer. I reached into my sleeve and pulled out a folded letter. “I love you. I have always loved you. Make me yours. I will be whatever you need me to be.” I read the last few words slowly. They landed like thunder in the dead-silent room. “This is dated six months ago. Lyra has been writing to Kaelen in secret for half a year.” The crowd erupted. Kaelen went white as a sheet. Lyra lunged for the letter. “That is fake! You forged it!” I pulled out more letters. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty. “All fake? All forged?” I held up a small vial. “And these herbs? The ones used to ensure pregnancy? Also fake?” Theron’s voice rang through the ballroom. “Healer. Examine her. Now.” The healer stepped forward. He examined her belly. His face changed. “Alpha King. She is one month pregnant.”

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/202607012Txa36naD6 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni031929”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

“Chloe, keep an eye out for me. I’m going to shift.” “Spending all day with male wolves, suppressing my pheromones, my wolf is going crazy.” I suddenly open my eyes and hear Selena say the same words as in my past life. In my past life, I followed Princess Selene, disguised as a man wolf, into Lycan King’s Academy. On one night of the full moon, Selene was discovered when she secretly shift into her wolf form. According to werewolf law, a female wolf entering Lycan King’s Academy must be punished. But this time, I don’t want to take the blame for Selena like I did in my past life. And I don’t want to provoke Rayne again just to stay alive. In my past life, after passing the academy’s tests, Selena fulfilled her dream of becoming a King’s warrior, and the moment she returned home, she put on a dress. That was when Rayne finally learnt that Selena was a female wolf. He resented me for taking Selena’s place, saying that if not for me, the one he would have marked should have been Selena. “I train with Selena in the academy for three years. We work perfectly together. We should have been mates.” “If there is another life, I don’t want to meet you again.” Even Selena regretted letting me take her place back then. That’s true. How can anyone live a whole life without regrets? I have mine too. Seeing that she is about to shift, I grab her wrist and press it down. “What about another day? This spot isn’t hidden enough. If we get caught, it’ll be trouble.” That is exactly what happens in my past life. Not long after Selena shifted, her scent was picked up by the patrolling wolves. Even though they didn’t see her face clearly, the news that a female wolf has slipped into the academy spreads. Selena forced me to take the blame. “Chloe, I’m begging you. I haven’t passed the tests yet. I can’t be exposed as a female at a time like this.” I was an Omega. When I was nine, I was attacked by Rogues, and Selena’s mother saved me. From that day on, I became Selena’s servant, bound to her by a Blood Bond. Selena was the princess of the Black Moon Pack, yet she always wanted to enter the Lycan King’s Army like a male wolf and became a warrior. So three years ago, I accompanied her to the Academy, disguised as a male wolf. As long as wolves passed the academy’s tests, they can become warriors. But I didn’t want to die either. So I went to Rayne, the youngest commander in the academy, and begged him for help. Just to stay alive, I even took off my robe to please him. The academy was full of male wolves. The moment he catched my scent, something dark stirred in his eyes. He dragged me onto the bed, and the restraint he has held back for so long collapses in that instant. I didn’t know how Rayne handled the situation, but from that day on, I stayed in his room. Later, Rayne and Selena passed the tests together and became King’s warriors. On the day we left the academy, Rayne promised that he would take me as his mate. But what I got instead was at the Lycan King’s banquet, Rayne stared at Selena in her dress, completely lost. When he heard Selena said what happened in the academy, he crushed his wine glass with his bare hand. I went to him and asked if he would still mark me as his mate. He looked at my face and said, “I keep my word.” He marked me as his mate as promised, but on the night of our Mating Ceremony, he left me behind and went off to drown himself in drink. That was when I finally understood. He resented me for taking Selena’s place. He said that if not for me, the one he would have marked should have been Selena. From that day on, he never stepped into my room again. Later, Selena became Prince Theron’s mate. But not long after, Prince Theron failed in his bid for the Lycan heir, and Selena was dragged down with him. On the day she was exiled from the pack, I went to see her off. The way she looked at me was full of hatred. “You are just an Omega. What gives you the right to live better than me?” “I regret it. If I had known, back in the academy, I would never have let you take my place.” She suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed it into my heart. I could have dodged, but I couldn’t, because I was filled with regret. Before I closed my eyes, I saw Rayne standing beside me, watching me, motionless.

Selena doesn’t listen to me. Within seconds, she completes the shift. Strangely, until she turns back into human form, none of the patrolling wolves show up. Could it be that Rayne is reborn too? With a heavy mind, I return to my room. Students like us all sleep in shared dorms. Selena and I are not assigned together. She only comes to me when she needs something. That day, I wait from noon until sunset, and still, there is no news in the academy about a female wolf sneaking in. If Rayne is reborn as well, he will definitely find a way to protect Selena. Now I can do what I want to do. Lost in thought, I suddenly feel two pieces of dried meat tossed into my arms. I look up, and Lucian is staring at me, his gaze intense. “You didn’t come to eat. I thought it was like before again. You scared me.” “Like before?” I don’t quite understand what he means. Lucian raises a brow and lies down beside me. “It’s nothing. Just eat. Going to sleep hungry doesn’t feel good.” Lucian is a friend I meet in the academy. When I first arrive, maybe because I am small and good-looking, everyone wants to sleep next to me. I am terrified and don’t know what to do. After all, I am a female wolf, and on both sides of me are male wolves. If this goes on, sooner or later I will be exposed. In the end, it is Lucian who drives those male wolves away with his fists and moves me to the spot at the very edge. In these three years, as long as he is around, no one dares to come close again. If I have to choose a mate, I would rather choose someone like him. I don’t need him to be powerful. I just want him to care for me and love me. I chew on the dried meat in my hand and see that Lucian has already closed his eyes. He looks no worse than Rayne. His features are sharp and defined, his build tall and strong. When he doesn’t smile, there is a natural edge to him that keeps others at a distance. If he had a better background, would have become a King’s warrior long ago. It’s a pity… in my past life, he was killed by Rogues.

That night, I barely sleep at all. After that, Selena comes to see me a few times. She says Rayne suddenly arranges a private room for her, but to avoid suspicion, she doesn’t plan to let me stay with her. “Chloe, just hold on a little longer. Once the tests are over, I’ll take you back and pick a good mate for you.” From her words, I am certain that Rayne is reborn too. “I’m your Omega. Whatever you say, I’ll do.” I lower my gaze. In this life, I don’t want to get involved in anything between her and Rayne ever again. Selena adds, “In a few days, I’ll follow Rayne to infiltrate the Rogue army. If it works, I’ll pass the tests early, and the whole academy will know my name.” “Three years… I’ve finally waited for this day.” My heart tightens all of a sudden. Right. This is the day. To make sure Rayne’s mission succeeds, Lucian went alone to lure the Rogues away. In the end, outnumbered, he died in battle. In my past life, when I heard the news, I was washing clothes for Rayne. When he came back and saw me in tears, he was clearly displeased. “I come back after passing the tests, and you were crying?” I didn’t say a word. I just felt like this world was unfair. We are like side characters in a story. From the very beginning, our fate is in someone else’s hands. Even when we die, no one cares. But I don’t want to live like this anymore. I find Lucian and try to get him to come up with an excuse, to not follow Rayne in the attack on the Rogues. He looks at me, lifts a hand to ruffle my hair, and a smile curves on his lips. “Chloe, I’m going to become the King’s warrior. How can I run from a fight?” My eyes sting as I say, word by word, “Then what if… you die?” Lucian answers me with words that hit like thunder. “I fight for the pack. I die with no regrets.” Seeing that I can’t change his mind, I decide to go with him. When I first enter the academy, I am too weak, so I am assigned to learn cooking. In these three years, I have never fought an enemy. But after Lucian dies in my past life, I replay his escape route countless times. I am sure I can save him.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260701WTfACYH8fJ 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni548593”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

When he came to, Grandfather told him we shared no blood—and ordered him to marry me. Lucian wasn’t having it. He said an arranged marriage would kill any chance at real love. So he got blackout drunk and stumbled onto the train tracks. Saving him cost me both my legs. He still showed up to our wedding—red-eyed, jaw locked, hating every second of it. And on our wedding night, he threw me into an underground club. They tied me to a bed. He sat in the corner and watched. Smoking. Smiling. Like he was at a goddamn show. After more nights than I could count, I got hold of a lighter and set the curtains on fire. The whole place went up. He burned with me. Then I opened my eyes. And I was back—back on the night someone drugged him. Fine, my stepfather. This time you can have your great love. I won’t be the one paying for it. …… A hand clamped around my waist, hard enough to bruise. My eyes flew open and met Lucian Ashford’s bloodshot stare. There was raw hunger churning in those eyes—dark, unhinged, barely leashed. I jerked my head sideways, scanning the room. No leather restraints. No bed bolted to the floor. No stench of bleach and other people’s sweat clinging to the walls. Just my apartment. Just him. His grip tightened. “Strip. Now.” He was too close. The heat of him bled straight through my dress, and his breath rasped against my throat. My vision blurred. And just like that, I wasn’t here anymore. I was back under those men—too many of them, foul mouths on my neck, fingers tearing my clothes off in pieces. I shoved the memory down and bit into Lucian’s arm hard enough to taste blood. “Get the hell off me!” The pain snapped him out of it. His eyes dropped to my torn collar, and something flickered there—something I couldn’t name—before disgust wiped it clean. “Elara Ashford, you’re disgusting.” His voice came out flat and lethal. “Don’t flatter yourself. Spreading your legs won’t make me love you.” Something twisted in my chest, sharp and deep. I remembered the way I’d died. And for one ugly second, all I wanted was a knife from the kitchen, to end him right there. But I couldn’t. Grandfather loved him. And I wasn’t going to burn for this man twice. I swallowed the bile crawling up my throat. “Where’s your girlfriend? I’ll go get her.” Lucian went still. “How do you know I have a girlfriend?” “Is this really the time?” He stared at me for two long seconds, eyes sharp with suspicion. Then he rattled off an address. “Thirty minutes. Get her here.” I didn’t waste another word. I floored it the whole way and made it back with her in twenty. In the car, Serena Cross had been a different person—sharp-tongued, smug, daring me to say a single word about her and Lucian. The moment she stepped out of the car, all of that vanished. Her legs were shaking. Her eyes went red on cue, her voice trembling at exactly the right pitch. “Lucian—I don’t know what I did to upset her. She drove so fast the whole way. I was terrified.” The shock on her face when she saw Lucian’s flushed skin was a masterclass. Not a beat too much, not a beat too little. “Lucian, are you okay? You don’t look well. Let me take you to the hospital—” He pulled her inside before she could finish. I stood there as the door slammed shut in my face. And let myself remember everything. Serena had been my classmate—on a hardship scholarship, couldn’t afford a hot meal most days. I used to lie about ordering too much food just so she’d eat with me. When she said she spent the holidays alone, I brought her home with me. We had a butler. Mrs. Clark cooked for us. But Serena got up at dawn every morning to help in the kitchen, asking everyone’s preferences and making dinner herself. I thought I’d found a friend for life. Until the necklace Lucian gave me went missing. I tore the house apart looking for it, and found it shattered on the kitchen floor. Only Serena knew where I kept it. And only she knew what it meant to me—because she was the only person I’d ever told about the way I felt for him. When I confronted her, she dropped to her knees outside the front gate in thin clothes, trembling, swearing it was an accident, saying she had nowhere else to go. I had her things thrown out anyway. She rose and limped toward the gate—and ran straight into Lucian. He saw her shaking, barely able to stand, and his pity won. I was furious. But more than that, I was terrified. Terrified he’d find out how I felt about him. Terrified he’d pull away forever. So I let her play me. I just never thought they’d end up in bed. She made sure I knew. Photo after photo. Every detail. When I told Lucian what she’d done, he didn’t believe a word. “People like you—bought and traded like cattle—wouldn’t know real love if it hit you.” The fight got ugly. He moved out the same week. The only reason I’d ended up at his apartment tonight was because Grandfather asked me to drop off documents. But the look Serena gave me before she walked through his door— I understood now. She’d planned all of it. A girl from nothing. Scheming her way into a wealthy family. Drugging him was the most direct route. In my last life, I’d ruined her plan. This time, I was going to stand back and watch my stepfather walk straight into it. I stared at the closed door for a long moment. Then, slowly, my lips curved.

I left the documents on the entry table and walked away. After my parents died, I grew up in Grandfather’s house. Most of my memories were of the estate—and of Lucian. He was the one who helped me with my homework. Taught me how to carry myself. He tore up the love letters boys slipped into my bag and warned me not to fall for any of them. When I got my first period, he was eighteen. His ears went red as he bought pads for me at the drugstore. Watching the sunset catch on the flush of his face, I learned what it meant for a heart to race. Later, that racing turned into something else. And he drifted further and further away. It was past midnight when I got home. The living room light was still on. Grandfather was half-asleep on the couch. He let out a long breath when he saw me. “Another few minutes and I would have called the police.” I buried my face in his arms. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. Grandfather had always loved me most. In my last life, Lucian pushed him down the stairs because of me. After Grandfather lost the use of his legs, Lucian dumped him in the cheapest nursing home he could find. Left him there to rot. He sent me to a place just like it. “I lost my phone,” I said quietly. “I’ll get a new one tomorrow.” It took a long while to coax him back to his room. When I finally reached mine, everything looked unfamiliar—but safe. So this was how easy it was to stop loving someone. The next morning, I came downstairs to find Lucian and Serena sitting in the dining room. Grandfather sat across from them, his face dark as a storm. On the table was my favorite—seafood porridge. Serena beamed at me. “Elara, did you sleep well last night?” I noticed the red marks on her neck right away. “Fine.” She didn’t touch her food. “Serena, why aren’t you eating?” Lucian’s voice was so gentle it almost made me drop my spoon. She gave him a weak smile. “I’m allergic. It’s okay—I’ll grab something at the dining hall once we get to campus.” Lucian’s expression darkened. He told Mrs. Clark to make her something else. Grandfather slammed his chopsticks down. “Allergic? A farm girl?” Lucian’s jaw locked. “Father, everything here is what Elara likes—” “She’s my granddaughter. She eats whatever the hell she wants.” Serena scrambled to smooth it over. “Lucian, really, I can eat it. Don’t upset your father over me.” The meal ended cold. The moment Grandfather left the table, Lucian blocked my way. “Keep your mouth shut. I don’t want him knowing what happened last night. And—” He tossed my phone at me. “Try something like this again, and I’ll make sure the whole family knows what you really are.” So he thought I was the one who’d drugged him. No wonder he’d hated me so deeply in my last life. Throwing me into that club hadn’t been enough. He’d had his men feed me pills every day—asleep or awake, I was never lucid. I’d stripped off my own clothes in front of strangers. Begged them. Lost every last shred of shame. The pain ripped through my chest so hard I doubled over and crouched on the floor. My head felt like it had been split open with a hammer. “Lucian Ashford—whether you believe me or not, I had nothing to do with last night.” He just stared at me, eyes cold. “You were the only one who came to my apartment yesterday. If not you, then who?” “Unless you’re going to tell me you don’t have feelings for me?” Being humiliated like that in front of Serena—my face went up in flames. I lifted my chin. “You’re not that important to me anymore. Lucian Ashford—I feel sick for ever being attracted to you.” His face went rigid. “What did you say?” I pointed at the door and told them both to get out. “The person I cared about was the Lucian Ashford from years ago. Kind. Decent. Knew right from wrong.” I met his eyes. “Not you.” I walked past him without looking back.

I thought that was the end of it. Let him have his love story. I’d wash my hands of Lucian for good. Two or three days later, the rumors started at school. “Did you hear? Elara Ashford’s in love with her own stepfather. That’s basically incest.” “I heard she tried to drug him too. Didn’t work. He kicked her out. The Ashfords must be mortified.” “I never liked her anyway. That holier-than-thou look on her face. Take away the Ashford name, and what’s left?” I walked up behind them. “I have top grades. And a shelf full of competition trophies.” They spun around. That was when I recognized them—Serena’s roommates. I didn’t bother softening my voice. “I recorded everything you just said. Expect a letter from my lawyer. You’re right about one thing—I have the Ashford family behind me. What do you have? Your lying mouths? Or just your shamelessness?” “We’re not lying. Go check the forum. There’s a video.” I opened the site. Someone had posted security footage from outside Lucian’s apartment. You could see him through the open door, his face flushed. But the clip ended the second he shoved me out. Everything after—Serena’s arrival—had been cut. It was obvious who’d done it. Before I could find Serena, Lucian found me. He was waiting outside my classroom, his face like thunder. Mindful of the Ashford name, he didn’t go off in public. He steered me to his car instead. He threw his phone into my lap. “Delete the post. I’ll handle the rest of the gossip.” So he thought I was the one who’d posted it. I stared at him. “You’re wrong. Serena—” He cut me off. “Don’t bother lying. I traced the IP. It came from your laptop. The account was registered with your number. You own a unit in that building. Pulling the security footage would have been easy for you.” His eyes went colder. “Should I keep going?” Every excuse I could have offered was already walled off before I opened my mouth. Even knowing he felt nothing for me, being accused like this still cut. This man had taken up my entire youth. I used my phone number to recover the forum password right in front of him. Deleted the post. He let out a cold scoff, ready to say something— Then watched as I opened my messages and deleted his contact. Looking back, the chat had mostly been me, talking to myself. Lucian, the ribs at the dining hall today were good. But not as good as yours. Lucian, Grandfather wants us home for dinner. Says he wants to introduce me to someone. What do I do? His replies had been almost identical every time. Ya. I wiped him off my phone. His number. His photos. Every last trace of him. As he watched me do it, the composure drained from his face. “Elara Ashford. What do you think you’re doing?” My voice came out flat. “You think I’m annoying. You think being associated with me is humiliating. So let’s just stop all contact.” His hand shot out, catching my arm as I reached for the door handle. “Elara Ashford—I told you to delete the post. I never said I wanted to cut ties.” “Behave. Stay out of Serena’s way. And we can go back to normal.” I almost laughed. “I make things difficult for her?” Lucian frowned. “Of course. You had her kicked out of the student clubs. You reported her for cheating so she’d lose her scholarship. You’ve been making her life miserable.” “But I can fix all of that. I won’t hold it against you.” I pried his fingers off my wrist, one by one. “Father—you’ve misunderstood.” He hadn’t heard me call him that—so solemnly, so deliberately—in a long time. It stopped him cold. “It’s me who doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore.” I opened the car door. “Not at all.” The door clicked shut between us. Through the window, I watched the color drain from his face.

When I got home, I told Grandfather I’d accept the arranged marriage he had suggested before. But he didn’t look as pleased as I expected. “My girl,” he said carefully, “tell me the truth. Why the sudden change of heart?” My pulse quickened, but I kept my voice even. “I used to think I was still young. But a classmate just had a baby. I’m twenty-five. If I get engaged now, we can date for two years—and I’ll still be young enough to give you a great-grandchild before my best years are gone.” I knew exactly what he wanted to hear. My answer raised no suspicion. The next day, I met the man who controlled the Wesson Group—Caspian Wesson. They called him The Cold Man in Northgate City. Cold likes ice. Unapproachable. Never linked to a single woman. The moment I saw him, I froze. In my last life, after Lucian locked me in that club, someone had burst through the flames the night I set the place on fire. The man leading the rescue was Caspian. He’d run through the burning building without hesitation, dragging out everyone who’d been trapped like me. When he reached out his hand, I’d pushed it away. “I’m tired,” I’d said. “I don’t want to keep going.” He let me go. But the look in his eyes wasn’t cold at all. It was full of sorrow. A man that good—getting close to him was the easiest thing in the world. For the next two weeks, whenever I didn’t have class, he came to pick me up. Dinners. Movies. Shopping. Walking through the city. Every plan he made hit me in exactly the right spot. So perfectly matched to my taste it was almost suspicious. I started to wonder if he was secretly a player. How else would he know so many ways to win a woman over? Until I caught a glimpse of his browser history. Best places for a first date. Romantic movies for couples. What do women in their twenties like. I burst out laughing. His face went red. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. A long moment passed before he spoke, resigned. “Stop laughing. I just… I don’t know how to act around you.” I still couldn’t stop. “You can ask me next time.” “Can I?” “Of course. What if the internet recommends something I don’t even like? Aren’t you worried I’d be upset?” The resignation on his face faded into something serious. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.” No one had ever called me sweetheart before. Not in this life. Not in the last. One month was enough. I knew he was the man I wanted to marry. It wasn’t a grand, sweeping love. But he answered every message I sent. He made me feel like I mattered. I asked him once—he was so busy. Why did he always reply to me instantly? “Nothing in my life comes before you. Nothing.” I admitted I was confused. Why did he care about me? Where did his feelings even come from? “Sweetheart. Give it time. Don’t shut me out. Let’s give each other a chance.” I said yes. The next day, I formally brought Caspian home.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260701bgoaQXgNAF 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni035394”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix