No Reply Is My Reply

After breaking up with my fated mate, I left the pack lands alone, hiding my shattered soul from everyone. For five years, I changed my name, severed all my mental links, and made a clean break with my past. Every wolf in my old pack thought I was dead. They thought I died on the day my fated mate held a mating ceremony with my stepsister behind my back. For five whole years, moonlight roses were placed on my empty grave, every single day without fail. Five years later, I returned to lay flowers on my mother's grave. My ex-mate, Asher Blackwood, was there again, holding a bouquet of moonlight roses to mourn me. After a moment of shock and awkwardness, I managed a greeting. “Long time no see, Asher.” He flinched, hiding the roses behind his back. “Long time no see, Lily… I thought… you were dead.” I smiled, pretending not to notice his wolf eyes instantly turning blood-red. He wasn’t wrong. Lily Vance was dead. She died five years ago, on the day he betrayed me and mated with his mysterious stepsister, Bella.

After breaking up with my fated mate, I left the pack lands alone, hiding my shattered soul from everyone. For five years, I changed my name, severed all my mental links, and made a clean break with my past. Every wolf in my old pack thought I was dead. They thought I died on the day my fated mate held a mating ceremony with my stepsister behind my back. For five whole years, moonlight roses were placed on my empty grave, every single day without fail. Five years later, I returned to lay flowers on my mother's grave. My ex-mate, Asher Blackwood, was there again, holding a bouquet of moonlight roses to mourn me. After a moment of shock and awkwardness, I managed a greeting. “Long time no see, Asher.” He flinched, hiding the roses behind his back. “Long time no see, Lily… I thought… you were dead.” I smiled, pretending not to notice his wolf eyes instantly turning blood-red. He wasn’t wrong. Lily Vance was dead. She died five years ago, on the day he betrayed me and mated with his mysterious stepsister, Bella.

On our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband, Marco Falcone, sent me 99 deep red roses. I had just finished a ten-hour heart surgery. After peeling off my scrubs, I called him and, with a calmness that surprised even me, told him we were done. On the other end of the line, I heard his secretary, Isabella, her voice choked with fake tears. "Mrs. Falcone, it's all my fault, I acted on my own… Please don't be mad at Marco." Marco spent a long time soothing her before finally speaking to me, his voice ice-cold. "As you wish." The next time I saw him was two weeks later. "Make me something to eat."

On graduation trip night, Logan, the event organizer, suggested drawing lots to assign rooms. "Let fate decide! Boys and girls who draw the same number room together—how thrilling!" Four years of college, three years dating Mason. No one knew. I drew a ball from the cardboard box, waiting to be paired. When Mason's turn came, he pulled out "Room 7." Logan's voice shot up instantly: "The other person in Room 7 is—Ava!" The girl he'd once pursued so passionately immediately blushed. The whole group erupted, saying it was destiny. Only I stayed silent. What no one knew was that before the game started, I'd heard Logan whisper to him: "Find the one with the round bump—I specially saved that for you and Ava." Watching Mason's gentle smile as he walked over to Ava and picked up her suitcase for her. I smiled too. So three years of waiting couldn't earn me even one public acknowledgment. This time, I decided to be the one who walked away first.

On graduation trip night, Logan, the event organizer, suggested drawing lots to assign rooms. "Let fate decide! Boys and girls who draw the same number room together—how thrilling!" Four years of college, three years dating Mason. No one knew. I drew a ball from the cardboard box, waiting to be paired. When Mason's turn came, he pulled out "Room 7." Logan's voice shot up instantly: "The other person in Room 7 is—Ava!" The girl he'd once pursued so passionately immediately blushed. The whole group erupted, saying it was destiny. Only I stayed silent. What no one knew was that before the game started, I'd heard Logan whisper to him: "Find the one with the round bump—I specially saved that for you and Ava." Watching Mason's gentle smile as he walked over to Ava and picked up her suitcase for her. I smiled too. So three years of waiting couldn't earn me even one public acknowledgment. This time, I decided to be the one who walked away first.

On graduation trip night, Logan, the event organizer, suggested drawing lots to assign rooms. "Let fate decide! Boys and girls who draw the same number room together—how thrilling!" Four years of college, three years dating Mason. No one knew. I drew a ball from the cardboard box, waiting to be paired. When Mason's turn came, he pulled out "Room 7." Logan's voice shot up instantly: "The other person in Room 7 is—Ava!" The girl he'd once pursued so passionately immediately blushed. The whole group erupted, saying it was destiny. Only I stayed silent. What no one knew was that before the game started, I'd heard Logan whisper to him: "Find the one with the round bump—I specially saved that for you and Ava." Watching Mason's gentle smile as he walked over to Ava and picked up her suitcase for her. I smiled too. So three years of waiting couldn't earn me even one public acknowledgment. This time, I decided to be the one who walked away first.

After breaking up with my fated mate, I left the pack lands alone, hiding my shattered soul from everyone. For five years, I changed my name, severed all my mental links, and made a clean break with my past. Every wolf in my old pack thought I was dead. They thought I died on the day my fated mate held a mating ceremony with my stepsister behind my back. For five whole years, moonlight roses were placed on my empty grave, every single day without fail. Five years later, I returned to lay flowers on my mother's grave. My ex-mate, Asher Blackwood, was there again, holding a bouquet of moonlight roses to mourn me. After a moment of shock and awkwardness, I managed a greeting. “Long time no see, Asher.” He flinched, hiding the roses behind his back. “Long time no see, Lily… I thought… you were dead.” I smiled, pretending not to notice his wolf eyes instantly turning blood-red. He wasn’t wrong. Lily Vance was dead. She died five years ago, on the day he betrayed me and mated with his mysterious stepsister, Bella.

I hadn't spoken to my parents in ten years. Not since the day they screamed at me to get lost and never come back. So when my business partner told me the Britt Group — my father's company — had requested me personally as their wedding photographer, I almost laughed. Then I saw the groom's name. Geoffrey Beasley. The boy who used to climb over my backyard fence with candy in his pocket. The one who promised, "When we grow up, I'll take you away from here. We'll see the world." He's marrying my sister. At the reception, my mother marched into my dressing room with tears in her eyes. "Eileen! We raised you for eighteen years! How can you be so heartless?" I looked up at her, calm as ice. "Mrs. Britt, please release me. I have work to do." Her face went ghost-white. Good. Let her feel a fraction of what I felt at twelve years old — when they packed my bags and sent me to live alone in an old house while my "sister" took my bedroom, my piano, my parents' love. But what they don't know yet... What none of them know... is that I'm not adopted at all. I'm their biological daughter. And today, I'm bringing the DNA proof to destroy a wedding.