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“Smile for the crowd, Ophelia,” he whispered, “You’re my Luna, remember?” Everyone thought our wedding would be the fairytale ending. But behind the vows, there were lies, betrayal, and another woman wearing my dream gown as a ‘bridesmaid.’ I learned too late that my Alpha’s love had always been a performance—one meant to make his first love shine. Now I’m walking down the aisle not as a bride, but as a ghost of the woman I used to be. Because by tomorrow morning, they’ll all realize... The Luna they tried to destroy has already disappeared. Just because I refused to let my Alpha mate’s first love be my bridesmaid at my bonding ceremony, that night, I was drgged and placed unc0nscious, half-n@ked, on a pool table. His friends laughed, measuring my 1egs with cue sticks, some even pouring cold liquor over my body. “One sh0t in!” Someone whistled. “With a beauty as company, my skills are improving!” My mate’s first love, Daphne, held up a phone, maliciously laughing in my ear. “A subst1tute is just a subst1tute. Like now, you're lying there, letting them do as they please—this is your true role!” My Alpha mate, Asher, thought that under the influence of the drg, I wouldn’t remember anything. He spent the whole night humiliating me, all to please his first love. What he didn’t know was that I had a natural resistance to ether-based drgs. When I woke up, I wiped away my tears and scheduled a surgery to get rid of the child. Back then, on the pool table, I gr0aned in pain, and Daphne playfully pouted, “I just wanna live the dream of walking the red carpet with Asher. How dare you, a subst1tute mate, say no!” Asher pulled her closer and rolled his eyes, casually saying, “She made Daphne unhappy, so of course, I had to punish her.” His friends laughed uproariously. “Don’t worry, we’ll make Ophelia beg for mercy! We’re all curious how Asher tames her to be so obedient.” Asher answered lazily, “I bought some toys to spice things up. She thought I cared for her, so she gladly accepted.” “True Alpha, staying so loyal to your true love! But… aren’t you worried Ophelia will find out about you severing the mate bond?” Asher smirked, clearing the last ball with a swift strike. “She dares? She’s just an orphan Omega who signed a bond-sealing deal with me and got pregn@nt. Now, she’s playing around like this. Who else would want her?” “To be honest, a pregn@nt Omega she-wolf smells bad. Every night, I almost puke.” “I disciplined her to make clear that being my Luna doesn’t give her the right to trample Daphne.” Somebody asked, “Alpha, those packages you had delivered to Ophelia... you specifically told the shop not to ship them anonymously, right? That’s why she lost her sh0t at the Top Warrior title. That was for Daphne too, wasn’t it?” Asher ran his hand over Daphne’s waist, smiling faintly. “Although the spot was already decided, if I didn’t ruin her reputation, how could I ensure Daphne wouldn’t be gossiped about after she was granted the top warrior?” Daphne looked embarrassed. “She said I demonstrated the move wrong. That embarrassed me. Asher was just giving her a little lesson!” My heart clenched. A scene in my memory suddenly struck me—dozens of transparent packages had piled up at the pack training ground entrance, and the pack members’ eyes were full of disgust. I felt heartbroken as I watched my beloved students drop my training classes. But I never expected this was all part of his scheme. The laughter continued in the pool hall as my heart sank. Asher seemed to remember something. He pulled a stack of photos from his pocket, and scattered them across my b0dy. “Callen, post these photos in the parent group. I want Ophelia to resign and go home, completely out of Daphne’s way.” “Wow, these were taken in the training field, full-body sh0ts, no face blurred!” “If those parents see this, they’ll go ballistic!” The laughter and shrieks grew louder and louder, and my tears fell without stop. Asher wasn’t like this before. Two years ago, his mother, our pack’s Luna, asked me to assist him before she fell into a coma from a car accident. I gave up my chance to become an Alpha king’s warrior, training our pack’s underage werewolves day and night, hoping they could become excellent warriors too. Asher was kind to me as well, always handing me electrolyte drinks before training. It wasn’t until the night we signed the bond-sealing deal that I learned Asher wasn’t just good in bed, his desires were just as strong. He bought plenty of toys and liked taking me to the training field after school and mak1ng 1ove there. I thought the wilderness excited him, but the real reason was to slander me in favor of Daphne… “Alpha, if Ophelia apologizes to Daphne tonight, should I still post them?” Asher didn’t hesitate. “Of course. You don’t know how upset Daphne was when she got kicked out of the bridesmaid group. She saved my mom from the accident, and I can’t let her be upset!” Daphne lowered her eyes, a faint, forced smile on her lips. Callen’s expression hardened, and he s1ammed the cue stick on the table. “B, how dare you bully the Alpha’s precious! You deserve to suffer!” Pain sh0t through me, and I passed out. The next morning, I woke up in my bed, my pajamas intact. Asher had already gone to the pack meeting. On the nightstand, as it had been for three unbroken years, sat a warm cup of electrolyte water. I hid under the covers and cried, then shakily called Mia, the pack member in charge of the ceremony. “Keep what Daphne ordered, and cancel my segment.” Mia paused for a moment. “Are you sure, Ophelia?” No wonder she was surprised. The bridesmaid dress Daphne ordered was larger than mine, decorated with rhinestones. The so-called bridesmaid even insisted on a 14-carat Oppenheimer pink diamond. At first, I didn’t know who she was. I asked Asher’s friends and learned she was his childhood sweetheart and first love. When I rushed to the pack’s planning room, I coincidentally walked in on Daphne proposing a “memorial for the first love” during the ceremony. Mia looked at me with hesitation. “Asher said our memories are too precious to not share at the ceremony. He’ll regret it for life if we don’t.” Daphne intentionally emphasized “for life,” ‘accidentally’ slipping a faded photograph from her bag. In the photo, young Asher was kissing the top of her head. While in these three years, he rarely kissed me. I stared at it, my chest tight, and gritted my teeth. “This isn’t appropriate. There’s no need for Daphne to be a bridesmaid.” Daphne didn’t get angry; instead, she smiled. “No worries, there will always be ‘surprises’ at the bonding ceremony, right?” As I left the planning room, my hands shook. That night, Asher comforted me, “You are right, the ceremony should go as you wish.” But when he thought I was asleep, he lowered his voice and made a call. “Go along with her. I’ll make her regret it. Daphne, don’t cry.” I froze. But if Asher liked Daphne so much, why did he keep saying that he loved me? That he only wanted to mark me and seal the mate bond with me for life? I suddenly recalled a conversation at a pack gathering when Gamma Leo had been drvnk. “Ophelia? If not for her assistance in securing Asher’s Alpha position, an Omega like her would never be a warrior trainer in our pack.” “Exactly, if Luna Isla hadn’t stopped Daphne from becoming our Luna, Ophelia wouldn’t have had a chance.” My heart twisted, aching so badly I could barely breathe. No wonder I was always the one handling the daily training, and Asher and Daphne were sent to visit with other packs. The public lessons I spent nights preparing were given to Daphne to showcase, becoming her capital for fame. I fled home and dialed a number. “Is the Lycan joint training program still looking for warriors? Tristan, I want to sign up.” Tristan’s voice sounded surprised. “Ophelia, you were always the best warrior in training camp. We’ve been hoping to recruit you!” After paused, his tone turning cautious. “But this program is in the Lycan region of Europe, requiring at least six months of residency. Are you sure about this?” I clenched the phone tightly, glancing at the bonding ceremony invitation Asher had casually thrown on the coffee table—Daphne’s name had been added back to the bridesmaid list. The scums who had humiliated me were also in the groomsmen group. The embossed letters burned into my eyes. “I’ve made up my mind. The sooner, the better.” After hanging up, I began packing my bags. When my collection of silk scarves spilled out, I realized, they were just the matching items Asher bought for Daphne’s bags. I snorted, throwing them all into the trash. When Asher returned home, he saw me curled up on the couch and frowned slightly. “What are you doing here? Are you feeling sick?” The sting on my body reminded me that what happened in the pool hall wasn’t a dream. I lowered my head, exhausted. “Asher, cancel all the orders online. I don’t want them anymore.” Asher paused, then realized, looking at the trash can filled with the little gifts he bought for me. “Honey, didn’t you say you liked how thoughtful I am?” His voice was soft, placating. I finally lifted my gaze to look at him. “I didn’t sleep well last night. My whole body hurts. Do you know why?” With three years of relationship, our mate bond, and the little life inside me, I’m giving him one last chance. Asher’s eyes flickered, and then he cooed, “Maybe it’s just pregn@ncy fatigue, honey. I’ll have the pack doctor come check on you.” I laughed hysterically, smashing the anniversary couple clay sculpture he made with my hands. Asher stared at a broken piece for a long time before hesitantly speaking, “Is it the pregn@ncy... making you feel this way?” I shook my head and slid the bond-breaking deal into a pile of training plans, pushing them toward him. He signed without looking, then gently massaged my head with his thumb. “Would you like me to run you a warm bath to relax?” A wave of nausea rose in my st0mach. It was those very hands, the ones that spread my indecent photos in the pool hall. It was that very mouth that spat out mean words and called me a used Omega. “I agreed to let Daphne be the bridesmaid.” When Asher heard this, he froze. “Why the sudden change of heart?” “I thought about it. Maybe I was too petty.” I forced a smile. “Besides, she’s your mom’s savior. I shouldn’t be so selfish.” Mentioning Luna Isla, Asher hesitated no more, holding me tightly and saying, “Ophelia, you’re so considerate! If Daphne hadn’t walked ten kilometers to get help for my mom, she might have been gone, instead of being in a vegetative state now…” I furrowed my brow, silent. After the accident, Luna Isla had been in a coma, and the details of that day were still unclear. “Don’t worry. I’ll take time off to be with you for the birth, take care of you and the pup.” Just then, Asher’s phone buzzed twice. He let go of me and quickly walked to the balcony. On the balcony’s monitor, Asher whispered, “Daphne, I told you I’d make your wish come true. No need to post those photos now.” A syrupy voice came from the speaker. “I don’t think so, Asher. You promised to make me the only excellent warrior trainer. Besides, if those photos go out, Ophelia will quit and stay in the pack house, focusing on you and the pup. It’s better for your little family, and it makes me feel better, isn’t it?” After a long pause, Asher sighed and agreed, “Okay.” Two minutes later, my phone rang like a death knell. I flinched, and the phone, along with my heart, dropped to the floor. [Daphne: Ophelia, what’s going on? Why did you take those disgusting photos?] [Hayden’s father: This is sick! How could someone like this teach our kids? How could she be our future Luna?!] [Mira’s mother: I’m going to Alpha tomorrow! Such unscrupulous trainer needs to be thrown out of the pack!] My teaching career, my reputation, was destroyed in minutes. When Asher returned to the living room, he glanced at the group chat and sighed. “Ophelia, I believe you. Tomorrow happens to be Daphne’s award ceremony. I’ll go with you to explain, okay?” I kept explaining, but the insults kept growing. A wave of exhaustion overtook me. “I don’t want to go.” Asher was surprised by my refusal, looking at me in disbelief. Then his gaze shifted to the mate ring on the coffee table, and he smiled knowingly. “You don’t have to worry about our bonding ceremony. The invitations have been sent, and it will be held as planned the day after tomorrow.” “You’re the Luna. If you don’t show up, the pack will talk. What will they think of Daphne? She’ll face suspicion because of you.” The next day, Asher dragged me to Daphne’s ceremony. As soon as we entered the pack hall, whispers filled the air. “There she is, sh@meless!” Asher’s friends ogled me, their eyes lingering on my waist and hips. My face flushed as I tried to turn and flee. “Ophelia, pregn@nt ones have bigger 1ust, I hear! If Alpha’s too busy, come find me, I’ll make sure you enjoy it.” “Ophelia, those photos were so creative. Teaching with a pup? You should be teaching performance art!” Asher seemed to ignore it all, staying silent. Daphne linked her arm through Asher’s, deliberately raising her voice. “I’m so glad Ophelia could come! I was worried that after those photos, she’d be too embarrassed to show up.” Gamma Leo immediately jumped in, “Hey, Ophelia, why bother wearing clothes when going out? That’s way too formal! It’s not like we haven’t seen it!” Laughter erupted around the room. Suddenly, a sharp female voice cu//t through, “It’s her! This sh@meless b seduced my son!” Before I could react, the she-wolf s1apped a diary page across my face. [The teacher let me touch her while giving private lessons... I couldn’t sleep at night.] Daphne gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh my goddess! Isn’t this Finn’s handwriting? He’s Ophelia’s student!” The she-wolf grabbed my hair and y@nked me toward her. “My son is only 16! You’re so desperate?” I trembled, staring at Asher, “It wasn’t me!” He knew I would never give private lessons to kids. All he had to do was speak up... But he glanced away, not even attempting to defend me. My heart died in silence. Daphne looked at Callen, who nodded slightly. In the banquet hall, a distorted m0an suddenly blasted out! My voice was processed by AI, twisted into an obscene mess, mixed with Asher’s friends’ whistles. I rushed toward the speakers as Asher stood up and walked toward me. “I don’t believe Ophelia would do something so indecent!” Just as Daphne shouted, she suddenly staggered back as if something had shocked her. “Ophelia, why did you push me?” Without hesitation, Asher turned and caught Daphne. When he looked back at me, all the guilt had disappeared from his eyes. “Daphne’s award ceremony has been ruined by the disgusting things you’ve done!” “Do you know she has heart problems? When she wakes up, you should apologize to her immediately!” Asher picked up Daphne and, before leaving, gritted his teeth at Callen, “Handle this.” Callen grinned, blocking my path and making a gesture to the female parent. My hair was y@nked painfully, and tears flowed uncontrollably. As they dragged me away, the bvttons on my clothes popped off. “The Alpha said to give Ophelia some dignity.” Callen fiddled with his lighter, the flame licking at my skirt. “Dignity… for a public shaming.” “I heard she even ordered sx toys for the pack’s training field. She doesn’t deserve to be a teacher, nor a future Luna!” Asher’s friends egged him on, “Str1p it off and let us see. She’s played around so many times, why pretend to be a v1rg//n?” I was violently touched and rubbed by the thugs, claws digging into my f1esh. I struggled with all my might when someone pushed me hard from behind, and my abd0men s1ammed into a metal flower stand. The sharp pain spread through my body, and warm liquid began to trail down my th1gh. “Asher!” I instinctively called out, but despair filled me when I realized he was already gone. “She’s b1eeding!” Amidst the screams, my c0nsciousness began to blur. When I woke up, the nurse told me the pup was gone. I felt a wave of sorrow. The surgery was scheduled for today. It seemed the pup also refused to be born into such a tragic family. My phone buzzed with dozens of messages from Asher. [Ophelia, where are you? I heard you made a fuss and broke a cup. You’re carrying a child, you should control your emotions! Daphne’s not feeling well, and I need to take care of her. The bonding ceremony will go on as planned. You should come to the venue.] The last message was half an hour ago. [How dare you not answer my calls? Know your place. You should be grateful I’m willing to hold a bonding ceremony for you, so stop acting up!] I deleted all the messages and called Tristan. “Tristan, I’ll be on time for the flight tomorrow.” On the day of the bonding ceremony, Daphne walked around in her rhinestone-encrusted bridesmaid dress, acting like the hostess. Asher kept glancing at his watch, his face growing darker. Guests began to whisper, wondering where his future mate was. His friends exchanged knowing glances. “Alpha, after the ceremony, can we have some fun? Ophelia in a mate dress would be great.” Asher’s face darkened. He roared, “Enough! After today, she’s my mate, your Luna. Don’t bring up the past.” Seeing some guests starting to leave, Daphne’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Asher, Ophelia’s late. She clearly doesn’t want to be your Luna. Why not let me take her place as your mate?” She quickly walked toward the Luna’s waiting room. Asher opened his mouth to stop her but was interrupted by the sudden ring of his phone. It was the pack doctor calling. After picking up the phone, Asher eagerly asked, “What? My mother woke up? After three years in a coma?”

“Smile for the crowd, Ophelia,” he whispered, “You’re my Luna, remember?” Everyone thought our wedding would be the fairytale ending. But behind the vows, there were lies, betrayal, and another woman wearing my dream gown as a ‘bridesmaid.’ I learned too late that my Alpha’s love had always been a performance—one meant to make his first love shine. Now I’m walking down the aisle not as a bride, but as a ghost of the woman I used to be. Because by tomorrow morning, they’ll all realize... The Luna they tried to destroy has already disappeared. Just because I refused to let my Alpha mate’s first love be my bridesmaid at my bonding ceremony, that night, I was drgged and placed unc0nscious, half-n@ked, on a pool table. His friends laughed, measuring my 1egs with cue sticks, some even pouring cold liquor over my body. “One sh0t in!” Someone whistled. “With a beauty as company, my skills are improving!” My mate’s first love, Daphne, held up a phone, maliciously laughing in my ear. “A subst1tute is just a subst1tute. Like now, you're lying there, letting them do as they please—this is your true role!” My Alpha mate, Asher, thought that under the influence of the drg, I wouldn’t remember anything. He spent the whole night humiliating me, all to please his first love. What he didn’t know was that I had a natural resistance to ether-based drgs. When I woke up, I wiped away my tears and scheduled a surgery to get rid of the child. Back then, on the pool table, I gr0aned in pain, and Daphne playfully pouted, “I just wanna live the dream of walking the red carpet with Asher. How dare you, a subst1tute mate, say no!” Asher pulled her closer and rolled his eyes, casually saying, “She made Daphne unhappy, so of course, I had to punish her.” His friends laughed uproariously. “Don’t worry, we’ll make Ophelia beg for mercy! We’re all curious how Asher tames her to be so obedient.” Asher answered lazily, “I bought some toys to spice things up. She thought I cared for her, so she gladly accepted.” “True Alpha, staying so loyal to your true love! But… aren’t you worried Ophelia will find out about you severing the mate bond?” Asher smirked, clearing the last ball with a swift strike. “She dares? She’s just an orphan Omega who signed a bond-sealing deal with me and got pregn@nt. Now, she’s playing around like this. Who else would want her?” “To be honest, a pregn@nt Omega she-wolf smells bad. Every night, I almost puke.” “I disciplined her to make clear that being my Luna doesn’t give her the right to trample Daphne.” Somebody asked, “Alpha, those packages you had delivered to Ophelia... you specifically told the shop not to ship them anonymously, right? That’s why she lost her sh0t at the Top Warrior title. That was for Daphne too, wasn’t it?” Asher ran his hand over Daphne’s waist, smiling faintly. “Although the spot was already decided, if I didn’t ruin her reputation, how could I ensure Daphne wouldn’t be gossiped about after she was granted the top warrior?” Daphne looked embarrassed. “She said I demonstrated the move wrong. That embarrassed me. Asher was just giving her a little lesson!” My heart clenched. A scene in my memory suddenly struck me—dozens of transparent packages had piled up at the pack training ground entrance, and the pack members’ eyes were full of disgust. I felt heartbroken as I watched my beloved students drop my training classes. But I never expected this was all part of his scheme. The laughter continued in the pool hall as my heart sank. Asher seemed to remember something. He pulled a stack of photos from his pocket, and scattered them across my b0dy. “Callen, post these photos in the parent group. I want Ophelia to resign and go home, completely out of Daphne’s way.” “Wow, these were taken in the training field, full-body sh0ts, no face blurred!” “If those parents see this, they’ll go ballistic!” The laughter and shrieks grew louder and louder, and my tears fell without stop. Asher wasn’t like this before. Two years ago, his mother, our pack’s Luna, asked me to assist him before she fell into a coma from a car accident. I gave up my chance to become an Alpha king’s warrior, training our pack’s underage werewolves day and night, hoping they could become excellent warriors too. Asher was kind to me as well, always handing me electrolyte drinks before training. It wasn’t until the night we signed the bond-sealing deal that I learned Asher wasn’t just good in bed, his desires were just as strong. He bought plenty of toys and liked taking me to the training field after school and mak1ng 1ove there. I thought the wilderness excited him, but the real reason was to slander me in favor of Daphne… “Alpha, if Ophelia apologizes to Daphne tonight, should I still post them?” Asher didn’t hesitate. “Of course. You don’t know how upset Daphne was when she got kicked out of the bridesmaid group. She saved my mom from the accident, and I can’t let her be upset!” Daphne lowered her eyes, a faint, forced smile on her lips. Callen’s expression hardened, and he s1ammed the cue stick on the table. “B, how dare you bully the Alpha’s precious! You deserve to suffer!” Pain sh0t through me, and I passed out. The next morning, I woke up in my bed, my pajamas intact. Asher had already gone to the pack meeting. On the nightstand, as it had been for three unbroken years, sat a warm cup of electrolyte water. I hid under the covers and cried, then shakily called Mia, the pack member in charge of the ceremony. “Keep what Daphne ordered, and cancel my segment.” Mia paused for a moment. “Are you sure, Ophelia?” No wonder she was surprised. The bridesmaid dress Daphne ordered was larger than mine, decorated with rhinestones. The so-called bridesmaid even insisted on a 14-carat Oppenheimer pink diamond. At first, I didn’t know who she was. I asked Asher’s friends and learned she was his childhood sweetheart and first love. When I rushed to the pack’s planning room, I coincidentally walked in on Daphne proposing a “memorial for the first love” during the ceremony. Mia looked at me with hesitation. “Asher said our memories are too precious to not share at the ceremony. He’ll regret it for life if we don’t.” Daphne intentionally emphasized “for life,” ‘accidentally’ slipping a faded photograph from her bag. In the photo, young Asher was kissing the top of her head. While in these three years, he rarely kissed me. I stared at it, my chest tight, and gritted my teeth. “This isn’t appropriate. There’s no need for Daphne to be a bridesmaid.” Daphne didn’t get angry; instead, she smiled. “No worries, there will always be ‘surprises’ at the bonding ceremony, right?” As I left the planning room, my hands shook. That night, Asher comforted me, “You are right, the ceremony should go as you wish.” But when he thought I was asleep, he lowered his voice and made a call. “Go along with her. I’ll make her regret it. Daphne, don’t cry.” I froze. But if Asher liked Daphne so much, why did he keep saying that he loved me? That he only wanted to mark me and seal the mate bond with me for life? I suddenly recalled a conversation at a pack gathering when Gamma Leo had been drvnk. “Ophelia? If not for her assistance in securing Asher’s Alpha position, an Omega like her would never be a warrior trainer in our pack.” “Exactly, if Luna Isla hadn’t stopped Daphne from becoming our Luna, Ophelia wouldn’t have had a chance.” My heart twisted, aching so badly I could barely breathe. No wonder I was always the one handling the daily training, and Asher and Daphne were sent to visit with other packs. The public lessons I spent nights preparing were given to Daphne to showcase, becoming her capital for fame. I fled home and dialed a number. “Is the Lycan joint training program still looking for warriors? Tristan, I want to sign up.” Tristan’s voice sounded surprised. “Ophelia, you were always the best warrior in training camp. We’ve been hoping to recruit you!” After paused, his tone turning cautious. “But this program is in the Lycan region of Europe, requiring at least six months of residency. Are you sure about this?” I clenched the phone tightly, glancing at the bonding ceremony invitation Asher had casually thrown on the coffee table—Daphne’s name had been added back to the bridesmaid list. The scums who had humiliated me were also in the groomsmen group. The embossed letters burned into my eyes. “I’ve made up my mind. The sooner, the better.” After hanging up, I began packing my bags. When my collection of silk scarves spilled out, I realized, they were just the matching items Asher bought for Daphne’s bags. I snorted, throwing them all into the trash. When Asher returned home, he saw me curled up on the couch and frowned slightly. “What are you doing here? Are you feeling sick?” The sting on my body reminded me that what happened in the pool hall wasn’t a dream. I lowered my head, exhausted. “Asher, cancel all the orders online. I don’t want them anymore.” Asher paused, then realized, looking at the trash can filled with the little gifts he bought for me. “Honey, didn’t you say you liked how thoughtful I am?” His voice was soft, placating. I finally lifted my gaze to look at him. “I didn’t sleep well last night. My whole body hurts. Do you know why?” With three years of relationship, our mate bond, and the little life inside me, I’m giving him one last chance. Asher’s eyes flickered, and then he cooed, “Maybe it’s just pregn@ncy fatigue, honey. I’ll have the pack doctor come check on you.” I laughed hysterically, smashing the anniversary couple clay sculpture he made with my hands. Asher stared at a broken piece for a long time before hesitantly speaking, “Is it the pregn@ncy... making you feel this way?” I shook my head and slid the bond-breaking deal into a pile of training plans, pushing them toward him. He signed without looking, then gently massaged my head with his thumb. “Would you like me to run you a warm bath to relax?” A wave of nausea rose in my st0mach. It was those very hands, the ones that spread my indecent photos in the pool hall. It was that very mouth that spat out mean words and called me a used Omega. “I agreed to let Daphne be the bridesmaid.” When Asher heard this, he froze. “Why the sudden change of heart?” “I thought about it. Maybe I was too petty.” I forced a smile. “Besides, she’s your mom’s savior. I shouldn’t be so selfish.” Mentioning Luna Isla, Asher hesitated no more, holding me tightly and saying, “Ophelia, you’re so considerate! If Daphne hadn’t walked ten kilometers to get help for my mom, she might have been gone, instead of being in a vegetative state now…” I furrowed my brow, silent. After the accident, Luna Isla had been in a coma, and the details of that day were still unclear. “Don’t worry. I’ll take time off to be with you for the birth, take care of you and the pup.” Just then, Asher’s phone buzzed twice. He let go of me and quickly walked to the balcony. On the balcony’s monitor, Asher whispered, “Daphne, I told you I’d make your wish come true. No need to post those photos now.” A syrupy voice came from the speaker. “I don’t think so, Asher. You promised to make me the only excellent warrior trainer. Besides, if those photos go out, Ophelia will quit and stay in the pack house, focusing on you and the pup. It’s better for your little family, and it makes me feel better, isn’t it?” After a long pause, Asher sighed and agreed, “Okay.” Two minutes later, my phone rang like a death knell. I flinched, and the phone, along with my heart, dropped to the floor. [Daphne: Ophelia, what’s going on? Why did you take those disgusting photos?] [Hayden’s father: This is sick! How could someone like this teach our kids? How could she be our future Luna?!] [Mira’s mother: I’m going to Alpha tomorrow! Such unscrupulous trainer needs to be thrown out of the pack!] My teaching career, my reputation, was destroyed in minutes. When Asher returned to the living room, he glanced at the group chat and sighed. “Ophelia, I believe you. Tomorrow happens to be Daphne’s award ceremony. I’ll go with you to explain, okay?” I kept explaining, but the insults kept growing. A wave of exhaustion overtook me. “I don’t want to go.” Asher was surprised by my refusal, looking at me in disbelief. Then his gaze shifted to the mate ring on the coffee table, and he smiled knowingly. “You don’t have to worry about our bonding ceremony. The invitations have been sent, and it will be held as planned the day after tomorrow.” “You’re the Luna. If you don’t show up, the pack will talk. What will they think of Daphne? She’ll face suspicion because of you.” The next day, Asher dragged me to Daphne’s ceremony. As soon as we entered the pack hall, whispers filled the air. “There she is, sh@meless!” Asher’s friends ogled me, their eyes lingering on my waist and hips. My face flushed as I tried to turn and flee. “Ophelia, pregn@nt ones have bigger 1ust, I hear! If Alpha’s too busy, come find me, I’ll make sure you enjoy it.” “Ophelia, those photos were so creative. Teaching with a pup? You should be teaching performance art!” Asher seemed to ignore it all, staying silent. Daphne linked her arm through Asher’s, deliberately raising her voice. “I’m so glad Ophelia could come! I was worried that after those photos, she’d be too embarrassed to show up.” Gamma Leo immediately jumped in, “Hey, Ophelia, why bother wearing clothes when going out? That’s way too formal! It’s not like we haven’t seen it!” Laughter erupted around the room. Suddenly, a sharp female voice cu//t through, “It’s her! This sh@meless b seduced my son!” Before I could react, the she-wolf s1apped a diary page across my face. [The teacher let me touch her while giving private lessons... I couldn’t sleep at night.] Daphne gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh my goddess! Isn’t this Finn’s handwriting? He’s Ophelia’s student!” The she-wolf grabbed my hair and y@nked me toward her. “My son is only 16! You’re so desperate?” I trembled, staring at Asher, “It wasn’t me!” He knew I would never give private lessons to kids. All he had to do was speak up... But he glanced away, not even attempting to defend me. My heart died in silence. Daphne looked at Callen, who nodded slightly. In the banquet hall, a distorted m0an suddenly blasted out! My voice was processed by AI, twisted into an obscene mess, mixed with Asher’s friends’ whistles. I rushed toward the speakers as Asher stood up and walked toward me. “I don’t believe Ophelia would do something so indecent!” Just as Daphne shouted, she suddenly staggered back as if something had shocked her. “Ophelia, why did you push me?” Without hesitation, Asher turned and caught Daphne. When he looked back at me, all the guilt had disappeared from his eyes. “Daphne’s award ceremony has been ruined by the disgusting things you’ve done!” “Do you know she has heart problems? When she wakes up, you should apologize to her immediately!” Asher picked up Daphne and, before leaving, gritted his teeth at Callen, “Handle this.” Callen grinned, blocking my path and making a gesture to the female parent. My hair was y@nked painfully, and tears flowed uncontrollably. As they dragged me away, the bvttons on my clothes popped off. “The Alpha said to give Ophelia some dignity.” Callen fiddled with his lighter, the flame licking at my skirt. “Dignity… for a public shaming.” “I heard she even ordered sx toys for the pack’s training field. She doesn’t deserve to be a teacher, nor a future Luna!” Asher’s friends egged him on, “Str1p it off and let us see. She’s played around so many times, why pretend to be a v1rg//n?” I was violently touched and rubbed by the thugs, claws digging into my f1esh. I struggled with all my might when someone pushed me hard from behind, and my abd0men s1ammed into a metal flower stand. The sharp pain spread through my body, and warm liquid began to trail down my th1gh. “Asher!” I instinctively called out, but despair filled me when I realized he was already gone. “She’s b1eeding!” Amidst the screams, my c0nsciousness began to blur. When I woke up, the nurse told me the pup was gone. I felt a wave of sorrow. The surgery was scheduled for today. It seemed the pup also refused to be born into such a tragic family. My phone buzzed with dozens of messages from Asher. [Ophelia, where are you? I heard you made a fuss and broke a cup. You’re carrying a child, you should control your emotions! Daphne’s not feeling well, and I need to take care of her. The bonding ceremony will go on as planned. You should come to the venue.] The last message was half an hour ago. [How dare you not answer my calls? Know your place. You should be grateful I’m willing to hold a bonding ceremony for you, so stop acting up!] I deleted all the messages and called Tristan. “Tristan, I’ll be on time for the flight tomorrow.” On the day of the bonding ceremony, Daphne walked around in her rhinestone-encrusted bridesmaid dress, acting like the hostess. Asher kept glancing at his watch, his face growing darker. Guests began to whisper, wondering where his future mate was. His friends exchanged knowing glances. “Alpha, after the ceremony, can we have some fun? Ophelia in a mate dress would be great.” Asher’s face darkened. He roared, “Enough! After today, she’s my mate, your Luna. Don’t bring up the past.” Seeing some guests starting to leave, Daphne’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Asher, Ophelia’s late. She clearly doesn’t want to be your Luna. Why not let me take her place as your mate?” She quickly walked toward the Luna’s waiting room. Asher opened his mouth to stop her but was interrupted by the sudden ring of his phone. It was the pack doctor calling. After picking up the phone, Asher eagerly asked, “What? My mother woke up? After three years in a coma?”

Second I got assaulted, I called the cops. But the lawyer defending that piece of sh!t? My husband, Sullivan Evans. Trial started and he played a video of me. "So, Ms. Croft—no bra that night, red dress slit up to here. You telling me you weren't trying to get my client's attention?" "You know you can't handle your liquor. But you knocked back ten shots anyway. That sound right to you?" "You slept around so much you can't even have kids now. So what is this—you're gonna frame some innocent twenty-year-old kid to feel better about yourself?" The whole courtroom lost it. In the gallery, Sullivan's first love— Celine Whitmore—was sobbing. "Vivian, Eden's my baby brother! I know you hate me. But you stripped down, threw yourself at him, then screamed violate? That's disgusting." Sullivan's hand went to her shoulder. Soft. Protective. I sat in that witness stand. Couldn't feel my hands. Seven years ago he stood in a courtroom and said: "SO A WOMAN DRINKS, WEARS A DRESS, STAYS OUT LATE—AND SHE DESERVES TO GET RAPED?" He was defending me then. Now? He used those same words to destroy me. I called the cops immediately after I was assaulted. Yet on the day of the trial, the man standing in court to defend my assailant was my husband, Sullivan Evans. He was the most feared criminal defense lawyer in the state. The moment court opened, he played a video. The footage was vile and deeply humiliating. Every gaze in the courtroom pierced me like a sharp needle. He didn't even look at me when he spoke. "Ms. Croft, on the night in question, did you intentionally wear an unlined crimson slip dress with a plunging neckline and a high thigh slit, with the sole intent of seducing my client?" "Did you knowingly drink ten shots of top-shelf whiskey, despite knowing your own tolerance?" "And is it true that your infertility stemming from a history of indiscriminate relationships has left you emotionally unhinged—so much so that you decided to ruin a twenty-year-old college boy's future with a false rape accusation?" A storm of uproar swept through the gallery. In the front row, Sullivan's first love, Celine Whitmore, sat crying. Her eyes were rimmed red, glistening with delicate, fragile tears. Like I was the one who'd hurt her. "Vivian, Eden is my brother! I know you're jealous of me, but you cannot throw yourself at him out of spite, then falsely claim you were raped!" Sullivan pressed a hand to her trembling shoulder. I sat in the witness box, ice-cold. Seven years ago, he'd asked the same kind of question, but for my sake. "Does a woman deserve to be assaulted merely for drinking alcohol, wearing a dress, and walking alone at night?" He once spoke those words to defend me; now he has honed them into a sharp blade, pointed straight at my throat. ... The courtroom monitor flared to life, and a cold dread saturated my veins. It’s the hotel hallway footage. Frozen frame. There I was. Crimson dress, skin bare, stumbling. Half my weight slumped against Eden Whitmore's body. From that angle, my hand looked like it was clinging to his shoulder. A collective gasp rippled across the audience gallery. Sullivan pointed to the screen. "Notice, ladies and gentlemen. Ms. Croft never screamed. Her body moved with my client's." "This is not resistance. This is a deliberate performance." My throat tightened shut, a metallic taste of blood flooding my tongue from grinding my teeth in agony. "I wasn't! I was dru//gged. I was completely incapacitated and unable to speak a word!" "I said no." Sullivan finally looked at me, then quickly looked away. His voice went arctic, like he was choking something back. "dru//gged?" "Ms. Croft, a woman who wears a provocative midnight slip dress, gets heavily inebriated, and enters a hotel with a strange young man..." "What makes you think anyone should believe you were forced?" The room spun. I felt nak//ed in front of everyone. Sullivan's body went rigid for a split second. His eyes caught my pale face. I saw his throat move. Like he'd just heard himself. But then he looked away. Back to being the coldest knife in the courtroom. I sank my teeth harshly into my lower lip until the sharp metallic tang of blood bloomed in my mouth. That da//mning red dress had been a gift from Celine all along. "Vivian, you always dress so plain. Tonight's Sullivan's big celebration. You should make him look." I didn't want to wear it. Sullivan zipped it up for me. Smiled low against my ear. "My wife in red... you’re the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." "Don't be scared of people staring, Vivi." "You're not shameless. You're stunning." Now he called me a streetwalker. I stared at him and felt the world tilt. Like someone had shoved me back into the nightmare from seven years ago. Back then I was a junior associate. My boss nearly raped me. Everyone asked if I'd "slept my way up." Sullivan was the one who told me: you didn't do anything wrong. The opposing counsel had once pointed directly at me in court, sneering, "Why did you not scream? Why did you not run? Were you not partially willing?” He stood up. "Objection! You cannot deny my client's trauma simply because she didn't fight the way you imagine she should have." I broke down in court that day. Because someone finally said it out loud. I wasn't guilty. I was just terrified. But today, the monster was his first love's little brother. And Sullivan jammed those words straight into my ches//t: You had brought this ruin upon yourself. I lifted my eyes to meet his, my voice thinning to a fragile, breathless whisper. "Sullivan. You didn't used to say things like that." His fingers stilled abruptly against the case file. For a single heartbeat, there was silence. Then he pulled out another document. [Psychiatric Intervention Records] My heart stopped. My therapy notes. From seven years ago. The one wound I'd never wanted anyone to see. I remembered those endless nights: trembling and screaming through panic attacks, scrubbing my skin raw until it bled in a compulsive urge to cleanse myself. I couldn't let men near me. Couldn't walk into a closed room. Sullivan took me to every session. After each one, he'd hold me. Kiss my forehead over and over. "Don't be scared, Vivi. I'll protect you for the rest of my life." I had handed him every broken, bleeding fragment of my shattered self back then. Now he was ripping open every scar, for the whole world to watch. He flipped the file open flat on the counsel table, his tone deadly calm and unyielding, "Your Honor, Ms. Croft underwent long-term psychiatric intervention seven years ago." "Including documented stress responses to male contact, and severe persecutory ideation." My veins turned to ice. "Liar..." My voice cracked. "That's private. How could you..." He didn't look at me. "Ms. Croft’s medical records document a consistent pattern of misinterpreting ordinary male interactions as violent assaults, even in the absence of any genuine threat." "We therefore submit that on the night in question. Under the influence of alcohol, old trauma, and marital strain, she experienced a cognitive distortion." The gallery exploded. "Cognitive distortion? So she's crazy?" "Oh my God, she's done this before!" "Textbook victim complex." I started shaking. Sullivan glanced at me then. His knuckles went white around the file. But Celine let out a tiny sob. He turned back to the judge. "Furthermore, the defense has evidence of a long-standing conflict between Ms. Croft and Ms. Whitmore." He pulled out more exhibits. "Ms. Whitmore has been subjected to repeated verbal attacks from Ms. Croft, who believes Ms. Whitmore is destroying her marriage." "Especially after learning of Ms. Whitmore's pregnancy, Ms. Croft's emotional state deteriorated sharply." On the big screen, there were screenshots of my texts with Celine. They were deliberately cropped, stripped of all context, curated to display only my sharpest, most confrontational lines. [Stay away from Sullivan.] [You know he's married.] [What do you actually want, Celine?] Sullivan read them aloud and flat. "These clearly establish Ms. Croft's deep hostility toward Ms. Whitmore." I stared at the screen, freezing from the inside out. "That's not..." "She sent me photos of them watching fireworks at midnight." "She told me her baby needed a father." "She said Sullivan would leave me eventually." Celine burst into tears, shaking her head frantically in feigned grievance. "I never! Vivian, why are you lying about me?" She clutched her pregnan//t belly tightly, hot tears streaming down her cheeks in a carefully crafted display of vulnerability. "I only said the baby was innocent. I never wanted to take Sullivan from you!" "Eden and I lost our parents young. He's all I have. And now I'm pregnan//t and alone and I was just scared..." Sullivan kept going. "Did you, in the hospital maternity wing, publicly curse Ms. Whitmore's unborn child?" My hands clenched. That day, Celine called saying Sullivan was in trouble. I rushed to the hospital, and found him holding her hand during her ultrasound. She leaned into his shoulder. Touched her stomach. "Sullivan, do you think the baby will look more like you, or me?" I stood there like a punchline. All I said was, "Celine. Is this fun for you?" Now that was "proof" of my jealousy. I looked at the gallery. My mother, Eleanor, sat there. Her face drained of all color, her eyes blazing red with suppressed tears and fury. She was the toughest woman I knew. After my first case, she held me and sobbed so hard she couldn't stand. Then Sullivan came. He swore to God in front of her. "Mrs. Croft, I'll protect Vivian. No one will ever hurt her again." Today she watched that same man strip me nak//ed for everyone. She stood up suddenly. "Sullivan Evans! Have you lost every ounce of your humanity??" "Seven years ago, what did you promise me?" "Now you're using her medical records, her wounds, her pain about not having children, to get a rapist off?" "How dare you. How dare you!" Sullivan went pale. He stood there, unable to utter a single word in his defense. I watched my mother's back and felt something crack in my ches//t. After the first hearing, my mother held me tight and walked me out. Reporters swarmed the stone courthouse steps in a chaotic mob.Blinding flashbulbs burst relentlessly in my eyes, and microphones were thrust rudely inches from my face, one after another. "Ms. Croft, were you jealous that Celine was carrying Sullivan's baby, so you threw yourself at her brother?" "Word is you went commando that night. Do you suffer from sexual addiction?" "You pulled this stunt seven years ago. Now you're shaking down a twenty-year-old young man. A classic honey trap?" "Is that your mother? Does she know about your reckless lifestyle?" I stumbled. Someone grabbed my sleeve in the crush. The fabric tore. My shoulder and half my ches//t hit the air. Cameras flashed wildly, capturing every exposed inch. Male onlookers laughed and whistled, "da//mn, no wonder the kid couldn't keep his hands off!" My stomach turned inside out. Mom lunged in front of me. Covered me with her own body. "Back off! You animals! Have you no shame?" In the chaos, someone shoved her hard. Her forehead cracked against the courthouse pillar's sharp edge. Blood poured down her face. It took bailiffs to clear the way. That night, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Sullivan and Celine standing on our porch. Mom's face went murderous. "What do you want?" Celine looked at me, wet-eyed. "Vivian, I came to apologize for my brother. But he is only twenty. He's never even had a girlfriend. He genuinely thought you were lonely and seeking attention in that dress..." "He said the second he touched you, you responded. You didn't fight him at all. So why call the police after and try to destroy his whole life?" My brain detonated. I locked eyes on her. "Say that again. I was dru//gged. Convulsing. And you're telling me I wanted it?" Celine flinched into Sullivan's ches//t. "Vivian, please... Is she having another breakdown?" Mom's palm cracked across Celine's cheek. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Sullivan pulled Celine behind him, his jaw tightening into a hard, unforgiving line. "She's pregnan//t. You had no right to do so." Then he turned to me. "Vivian. Drop the charges." Every word sliced into me like a fresh blade. "I can make this go away. Sign the withdrawal. We won't pursue the false-report angle." "If you keep pushing, you'll lose. You can't handle what's coming." I stared fixedly at the man standing in my doorway—a complete stranger. "Are you warning me because you care, Sullivan?" "Or threatening me that if I don't fold, you'll bury me in the press?" His face flickered. "That's not what I meant." Mom pointed at the door with her shaking hands. "Get out. Both of you!" She suddenly clutched tightly at her ches//t, her body staggering weakly to the side. I screamed and caught her. Sullivan stepped forward instinctively to help. I shoved him back. "Don't touch her!" He froze. Mom slumped against me. Pale. Sweating. I fumbled for my phone. Dialed 911. Sullivan stood at the threshold. For the first time, he looked lost. "Vivi, I..." I held my mother. My whole body trembling so violently I could barely form words. "Take Celine and get out of my house! If something happens to my mom, I will never forgive you." His lips moved. Nothing came out. Mom's hand went cold in mine. And I realized Sullivan hadn't come to talk me into dropping charges. He'd come to finish off the last person who still stood between me and the edge.

He ripped my only family photo apart—right in front of my face. I watched the pieces float down like snow. "That's all I had left." He didn't flinch. "Good," he said. "I hate you, Silas." He yanked my hair. "Funny. I hate you too." Then he leaned in close to my right ear. "But I'm still in love with you." He didn't know my left ear was already dead. I didn't hear a thing. They made me drink. Bottle after bottle. I puked b10od. He watched. "Stop faking," he said. Then the truth came out. "She's been in a juveni1e correct!0nal school for three years," Celia smiled. The video showed my sister ju.mping. Off a ro0ftop. Br.u!ses covering her tiny b0dy. "She said she didn't want to be your weakness anymore." I grabbed a rock. I swung. But his arms caught me. "Still haven't learned?" he snarled. He threw me to a blind begg@r. "Stay here. Never come back." I crawled to the pavement. V0mited b10od into the gutter. And smiled. Because I'm dying anyway. St@ge IV. Six months left. Let him think he won. Let him believe he broke me. But here's what he'll never know— My sister didn't jump alone. And I have proof. That video Celia showed me? It's already saved. To twenty different emails. Set to send. The moment my he@rt st0ps. Margaret Voss, the matriarch of the prestigious Voss family, had been in a vegetative state for ten years after being pushed down the stairs by an unidentified attacker. Now, she'd woken at last. Every prominent figure within Havenbrook Elite Circle flocked to the private medical wing of Havenbrook Premier Private Medical Center to pay their respects. They lined up to heap praise on Silas Voss, gushing over his unwavering devotion to his mother, and the ten years of relentless punishment he'd inflicted on the girl responsible for her fall. No one cared that the perpetrator had once been Silas's high school sweetheart. He'd shown zero mercy from day one. But once the crowd fell silent, Margaret stared blankly at all of them. "What culprit?" she murmured. "No one pushed me. I slipped and fell all on my own." A sharp clatter cv#t through the room. Silas's fruit knife slipped from his grasp and clattered against the marble tile. He stared at his mother, stunned rigid. "What did you just say, M0m?" The woman who'd left his mother bedridden wasn't Elowen? Panic crashed over Silas in a brutal, suffocating wave. He'd spent every single year of her coma hunting Elowen down, torturing her without pause. And now he was being told she'd never done a single thing wrong? "Where's Elowen?" Margaret asked, voice sharp with urgency. "I disapproved of you dating her back then, she came from a single-parent household, after all. I never imagined she'd dive straight into the lake to save my life when I fell in. Are you two still together? Married? Do you have kids yet?" Three simple questions hit Silas like three heavy sledgehammers to the ch3#&st. His throat bv/rned dry, and he couldn't force a single word out. Because three years prior, he'd forced Elowen to move in and live with a blind beggar out in Westside Slum Flats. *** Three years earlier. The Siren Lounge. Elowen scrubbed a grimy toilet, her oversized staff uniform swallowing her thin frame whole. When she finished, she sank to the cold tile floor, exhausted, and pulled a crumpled vintage Polaroid portrait from her pocket. The photo held Dr. Elias Hale, herself, and Lila, her little sister. "Elowen, one of the private booths has a mess of vomit. Go clean it up at once." Elowen tucked the Polaroid away carefully and stood fast. She'd been released on full parole three months prior. Her first plan had been to head straight to the State Youth Foster Facility to collect Lila. Staff there required proof of steady employment before releasing minors to former felons, though. Jobs were nearly impossible for her to land. She only held a high school diploma, paired with a felony record. Even diners refused to hire her as a line server. The Siren Lounge asked no questions about past mistakes, so she'd taken the janitor position without hesitation. A dozen young socialites laughed and shouted inside the private booth, playing cards and singing along to loud music. None spared the janitor a glance. Elowen dropped to her knees and mopped up the thick puddle of regurgitation. A male voice sneered out of nowhere. "Well look who it is—Havenbrook Private Preparatory's valedictorian, our campus sweetheart. Remember how she'd wipe any pen someone borrowed off her desk with rubbing alc0#&h0l? Now she's on her knees mopping up other people's puke without a word of complaint." Elowen recognized him instantly. Jasper Cole had once begged her to date him. When she'd turned him down, he'd smiled and claimed they could still be friends. After the incident with Margaret, he'd become her cruelest tormentor of all. The mess reeked, and Elowen quickened her scrubbing without a sound. Jasper kicked her hard square into the puddle of slop from behind. "Are you deaf when people talk to you?" "Ah!" Elowen bit back screams of pain and disgust, a bitter taste flooding her mouth. Deaf, wasn't she? Silas had locked her away on false charges, and within her first month in prison, a "workplace accident" orchestrated by his men had blown out her left eardrum entirely. Jasper raised his fist to strike again, but another old classmate pulled him back. "Quit wasting your energy on tr4#&sh like her." "Elowen used to be untouchable. Her mother passed young, but Dr. Hale was the most renowned cardiac surgeon in the whole city. She was gorgeous, top of every class, and Silas's whole world." "Now look at her—she takes every beating and insult without fighting back." He spat straight onto the top of Elowen's head. Once upon a time, she would've fought back without hesitation. Three years of relentless bullying at prep school, three more years of torment after graduation, and three full years locked behind bars had crushed every ounce of her pride to dust. If she'd had no one left to live for, she would've died fighting long ago. But she had Lila. Every time she dared stand up for herself, Silas sent word that Lila would pay the price instead. "Serves her right!" another voice shouted. "Silas nearly died rushing into the School Athletic Storage Wing fire to save her. He barely escaped with his life, and ran straight back in the second he heard she was still trapped inside. He's left a massive, raised scar across his entire back, and lost half his voice for six months after the sm0#&k3 inhalation." "And how did she repay him? Held a grudge over Mrs. Voss disapproving their relationship, and shoved her down the stairs while Silas recovered from surgery!" The group seethed with righteous anger as they recounted the story. Hv#&nd=r3ds of harsh stares bore into Elowen, dragging her back to the nightmare of her senior year. Everyone had pointed their fingers and screamed that she'd hurt Margaret Voss. Silas had believed every word, and hated her with every fiber of his being. With one single command, he'd destroyed Dr. Hale's reputation overnight, branding him a violent criminal until he took his own life behind prison walls. He'd turned Havenbrook Private Preparatory into a living h3#&11 for her, orchestrating daily beatings and harassment. She'd fought back at first, even tried to transfer schools to escape. Every time she resisted, news arrived from the prison that her father had been assaulted. The day she'd attempted to switch campuses, word came that he was dead. Silas had shown up to Elias's funeral with a single white larkspur bouquet, bowing respectfully to the casket. His polite gesture clashed violently with his ice-cold tone. "Behave yourself inside the cage I've built for you, and Lila stays safe. Do you want to watch her end up in a casket too?" She'd aced the SAT, scoring in the nation's top fifty students. Silas had erased every Ivy League Acceptance Letter sent to her address, blocking all avenues to higher education. He'd banned her from every respectable career path, forcing her to wander the streets busking, scavenging tr4#&sh, begging for spare change. He'd stripped every chance of a dignified life away from her, turning her into a pariah everyone spat on. One small, fabricated charge later, and she'd spent three years locked up. Elowen finished cleaning the booth as fast as she could, rushing to flee the room. She rounded the corner straight into another woman's body. "I'm so sorry," Elowen babbled, bowing low. "Get off me!" the woman shrieked. "You've ruined my Vianne Designer Handbag! Get away from me, you filthy thing!" Elowen's b1#00&d ran cold. She knew this woman—Celia Mercer, Silas's college girlfriend. Elowen had waited tables at their university café once, and watched Silas kiss Celia over and over, soft and tender. He'd truly loved Celia. So much so that when Elowen accidentally scuffed one of her leather heels, Silas had thrown her in prison just to cheer Celia up. "I'll leave right now," Elowen whispered. If Celia was here, Silas couldn't be far behind. She couldn't let him spot her. She hunched low, trying to slip past Celia unnoticed. A voice that sent ice crawling down her spine stopped her dead. "Elowen." A cold, mocking laugh followed the single name. "Long time no see." The man's voice sounded like a snarl rising straight out of h3#&11, leaving Elowen trembling from head to toe. She turned to run. A warm, firm hand clamped tight around her neck before she could take a single step. "Can't hear me, huh? Deaf now?" His breath fanned over her skin, suffocating her like a demon clinging close. Elowen's h34rt split open. The prison accident that blew out her left ear hadn't been random at all—Silas had arranged it himself. He felt her body shaking against his grip, and his tone turned sickly sweet, layered with malice. "Why are you trembling? We're former prep school peers. Can't even greet me? This job's mine to offer, after all. Aren't you going to thank me?" Elowen's lips parted, overwhelmed by crushing despair. She'd busted her back to earn early parole, found a quiet, obscure lounge to work at, convinced she could live hidden from his gaze forever. She'd walked out of prison straight into his trap. She lifted her head, eyes wide with terror. Three years had carved away all boyish softness from Silas, leaving him sharp, aristocratic, towering over her. She stared at the boy she'd once loved more than anything. "I served three years in prison, Silas. Let me go." "I've lost my father, gone to jail, lost hearing in one ear. Whatever d3#&bt you think I owe you is paid ten times over." Silas ignored every word she spoke, looping an arm around Celia's waist. He stared down at Elowen, every line of his face twisted with cruelty. "I went out of my way to get you steady work, and this is how you repay me? How about a transfer to the cabaret stage instead of janitorial duty? Sounds far more fitting." Elowen's mouth opened and closed, unable to find a single word to reply. "Not interested?" No. Never. Elowen spun on her heel. "I quit. I'm leaving right now." Two large security guards blocked the exit the second she reached the doorway. Her mind reeled at all the new horrors Silas would dream up if she stayed. Then Silas spoke, sharp and unconcerned. "Let her walk." Elowen's relief crashed over her. Before she crossed the threshold, his low murmur drifted to her ears. "Don't come crawling back when you regret this." She stepped outside without hesitation. If it meant escaping him, she'd find another job no matter how hard it got. But even without Silas meddling behind the scenes, employment proved impossible to track down. She picked up odd jobs for two weeks straight, lowering her standards more each day, until she landed work at the Downtown Salvage Yard hauling scrap metal. The foreman was gruff and unpolished. "These metal scraps get sold for cash. Don't crack or damage a single piece, or you pay full restitution. Wages get weighed out and paid cash daily once your shift's done." The metal chunks were heavy, and Elowen's frame slight. She hauled back and forth nonstop, careful with every load. The pile she'd carried sat perfectly intact on the transport truck when her shift ended. She called the foreman over to weigh her haul, only to find every piece shattered across the asphalt. "You broke the whole load, you convict!" he roared, kicking her hard to the ground. "I never should've hired a felon like you." "Pay me back every cent this wreck's worth!" Elowen froze, numb with shock. The scrap had been whole minutes prior—she had no idea how it'd broken so suddenly. A tall, broad silhouette stepped between them before she could beg for mercy. Silas tossed a thick stack of hv#&nd=r3d-d0%11#ar bills at the foreman's feet. "Ten grand. Disappear." The foreman grabbed the cash instantly and hurried off, grinning from ear to ear. Elowen collapsed on the pavement, staring blankly up at Silas, drowning in hopelessness. "You did this." He still wouldn't leave her alone. Silas knelt beside her, a cruel, lazy smile tugging his lips. I'm not wasting my time sabotaging scrap metal foremen. That man wrecked the load himself to scam you out of m0&n3#y." Silly Elowen. That nickname pulled her back to their teenage years. He'd tap the tip of her nose, grinning. "Silly, stop staring at the guys on the basketball court. I'll get jealous as your boyfriend." She'd giggled back then, bright and carefree. "You're the silly one. Beat my SAT score first if you wanna talk." After Margaret's fall, when the other students locked her in a bathroom to beat her, he'd purred the same nickname with poison in his voice. "Silly, enjoying the h3#&11 I built just for you? The law can't touch you, so I will." Elowen's mind snapped back to the salvage yard. "Look around you. No one else will give you a single d0%11#ar to feed yourself besides me." His tone dripped with condescension, contrasting sharply with Elowen's broken despair. "Head back to The Siren Lounge. If scrubbing toilets's all you're good for, that's what you'll do. Don't try running again—you know exactly what I'm capable of." Silas turned and walked away without another glance. Elowen watched his broad retreating back, and a bitter laugh bubbled up from her ch3#&st. She laughed until her face crumpled, and a mouthful of dark b1#00&d welled up at her lips. Tears mixed with the crimson liquid streaming down her chin. She tilted her head back, hollow laughter echoing out. You're so powerful, Silas. How can you not see I'm already dying? Elowen was dying. Doctors had diagnosed Stage IV Gastric Carcinoma while she was still locked in prison. She had less than six months left to live. She'd chased steady employment solely to earn proof for the foster facility—not to build a new life for herself, just to see Lila one last time. She planned to save every penny she could leave behind for Lila before her time ran out. Elowen returned to The Siren Lounge without argument, accepting every filthiest, most exhausting chore the manager assigned her. She never complained, never fought for better hours. st4#&bbing abdominal pain flared constantly, and she popped over-the-counter generic pain capsules to numb the agony when it grew unbearable. She bowed her head and took every harsh word tossed her way without pushing back. Even the manager began to pity her. When she begged once more for official employment paperwork, he shook his head sadly. "I can't stamp that for you without the owner's approval, Elowen. It's out of my hands." Elowen nodded silently and wandered toward the stairwell for a moment of peace. She pushed open the emergency exit door, and froze on the spot. Silas stood half-undressed, holding Celia tight in his arms. Celia curled against his ch3#&st like a tiny, fragile bird. Silas's hands glided gently across her skin, every touch soft and tender. "Darling, I need the new limited-edition Vianne handbag. It's only available overseas, and you have to drop a m!11&#ion-d0%11#ar purchase minimum to reserve one." "It'll be delivered to your penthouse tomorrow morning." Celia shivered against him, voice breathy. "What if someone walks in and sees us?" Silas's cold gaze locked straight onto Elowen hiding on the stairs. "If anyone dares peek, I'll dig their eyes out for you." The glare sent a sharp jolt of terror through Elowen. She spun to run. "Stop." Her feet froze mid-step. Her h34rt hammered against her ribs, dreading whatever new t0#&rtur3 Silas would dream up next. "Grab two boxes of protection supplies and bring them to the private booth upstairs." Elowen's shoulders sagged in quiet relief. Only a trivial errand, for now. She dropped the supplies off and fled the room as fast as she could. It wasn't long before the manager tracked her down again. "Head up to The Siren's VIP booth and scrub it spotless." Elowen set down the half-eaten sourdough roll she'd been eating and hurried upstairs. The booth was wrecked, covered in lingerie and adult toys, stained with proof of their night together. Elowen's cheeks bv/rned hot. Back when she'd dated Silas, the furthest they'd gone was soft, chaste kissing. The mess around her filled her with shame and sorrow alike. She knelt to start cleaning, carefully gathering Celia's expensive jewelry set to set it aside safely. Silas's voice cv#t through the quiet without warning. "Do you regret it?" Elowen yelped, nearly slipping on the w3t floor. He caught her by the waist before she crashed down. She pulled away instantly, brushing messy hair out of her face in a panic. "Regret what?" "All of this could've been yours, if you hadn't ruined everything." Silas's Adam's apple bobbed thickly. "If you hadn't hurt my mother, we'd have a toddler running around our estate by now." Silas's father had approved their romance once, but Margaret had never approved of Elowen's background. Everyone had sworn Elowen sought revenge for Margaret's disapproval, attacking her while still too young to face full criminal charges. "You destroyed me. Destroyed the life we were supposed to share." Elowen stayed silent, kneeling to keep wiping the floor. Silas lit a c!#g4&r3=tte, watching her cough violently at the thick sm0#&k3 without a flicker of sympathy. "You don't have to suffer like this. All you need's that employment paper you crave so badly—beg me for it, and I'll hand it over." The sm0#&k3 worsened her stomach cramps, dragging painful memories crashing back. She'd begged him once before. After they'd locked her father away on fabricated charges, she'd knelt on the Voss Manor front steps for three full days and nights. She'd confessed to crimes she never committed, banging her forehead raw against the stone pavement, lowering herself to complete humiliation. It had earned her zero mercy from Silas. Her father, the surgeon who'd saved hv#&nd=r3ds of lives, had died disgraced behind prison bars regardless. Silas finally stubbed the c!#g4&r3=tte out when he noticed how violently she trembled in agony. He'd assumed she'd never stoop to begging, and only meant to taunt her with the offer. As he turned to leave, Elowen's thin hand wrapped tight around the hem of his slacks. He glanced down in shock. She'd dropped to her knees at his feet, every line of her frame screaming submission. "Mr. Voss, I'm begging you. Let me see Lila just once." Her stomach screamed in unrelenting agony. She didn't have much time left. She couldn't hold on any longer.

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