Alice POV

After putting on my training clothes, I went downstairs and saw Leander sitting on the sofa in the living room.

I walked up to him, my heart filled with disappointment, while deliberately stomping my shoes angrily, making loud noises.

He did not look up at me, still working on the Wolf Pack's paperwork as he asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"I am angry.”

“Rosalyn said she just wore your clothes for a moment, are you so stingy?" he asked in a calm tone.

“How can you give it to someone else?” I questioned him loudly.

Leander started to become annoyed by my temperament and said, "It's just a piece of clothing, what's the big deal? If you want, I can buy you another one."

It turned out that in his eyes, everything I cherish was just a piece of clothing.

I suddenly realized that there was an insurmountable gap between him and me.

"I recently heard that the benefits for applying for Border Warriors are very good. I know a lot of orphans who are werewolves with this intention. Do you have any inside information?"

Cautiously testing Leander, I observed his reaction.

Leander's face suddenly darkened. “Nonsense! Why are you, a warrior from Green Track Falls, joining in the fun? 

“Everything is just a gimmick, many of them didn’t come back alive. I advise you not to target them!"

Leander's voice rose a few notches and it was clear that he had misunderstood me.

"Isn't it good to stay in the wolf pack and live a stable life?"

Leander’s misunderstanding and accusations completely chilled me to the bone.

His so-called “stability” was such a cage to me. I was bullied by Rosalyn, looked down upon by the wolf pack and even could not get Leander’s love.

“That's not what I meant." I tried to explain, “I just thought this might be a way out for those orphans who have no parents. They can rely on their own strength to fight for a better life.”

“You don’t need to depend on anyone.”

Leander stood up, walked in front of me and looked down at me.

Such quarrels and misunderstandings happened between us again and again.

Last time on my birthday, I just stopped him from going to see Rosalyn, but Rosalyn sprained her ankle for unknown reasons.

When Leander came back, he slapped me in the face without asking any questions.

He roared and asked me why I could not be as gentle and sensible as Rosalyn.

That was the first time he hit me. His blue eyes were as cold as the water in the Green Track Falls’ lake in winter.

In the cold war of the next few days, it was Leander who bowed his head first. He signed a pledge not to hit me again.

It seemed that as long as the signature was given, all the harm could be treated as if it never happened.

“Alice, you can't rely on him anymore. Let him sign a letter of commitment.” My wolf gave me a good way to leave.

"Leander, I want you to sign a letter of commitment.”

I took out a piece of paper from my bag and handed it to him.

“Letter of commitment?”

“Write that I, Leander Adams, promise to no longer interfere with Alice Santoro's decisions from now on and that she will take full responsibility for everything she does.”

"Alice, do you think you are capable of living on your own? Don't be silly, you can't survive without me.”

Leander laughed; his expression full of sarcasm.

“This is my business. You don't need to worry about it.”

I would never stay living in his and Rosalyn’s shadow for the rest of my life anymore.

I did not want to live like that anymore!

"Leander, will you write?”

"Alice, you really have to play it this way, don't you?”

He seemed to think that I was playing hard to get and looked at me teasingly, not noticing my true thoughts.

“Of course,” I answered firmly.

“Okay, I'll write it.”

He finally compromised.

I took the letter of commitment, held it tightly in my hand, held my breath and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

That was my amulet and also my freedom contract.

"Alice, don't end up asking me to clean up your mess for you.”

"I will take responsibility for the decisions I make,” I directly said.

Finally, I was free.

Finally, I could leave that mutually tortuous relationship that had happened for three years.

After eating the sandwich I made for breakfast, I went downstairs to get ready for work.

The sunshine shone on my face and my mood became brighter.

I walked toward Leander’s car

In the past, he would always send me to training camp first.

When I approached, Rosalyn was sitting in the passenger seat, touching up her makeup in front of the vanity mirror.

She looked up in surprise. “Oh, Alice, you're here. I feel carsick. Let me sit in the front.”

Rosalyn was lying. She did not get carsick at all. It was me who got carsick, so Leander always told me to sit in the passenger seat.

Rosalyn was just trying to take up her place next to Leander and embarrass me.

Leander walked out of the mansion, frowning impatiently, “Why are you still here? Get in the car!”

He glanced at Rosalyn in the passenger seat and chided me, as if I were still being unreasonable.

I suppressed the sadness in my heart and said, “No, I'll go by myself.”

Alice POV

I got on my motorcycle and maybe because the wind blowing into my helmet was too cold, I suddenly cried.

Only after arriving at the training camp did my tears stop.

Owen saw me and asked with concern, "Alice, why are your eyes red?”

“I'm really sorry for not being able to keep your date last night.”

I avoided the subject, not wanting him to know what had happened to me.

“It's okay.” Owen smiled and shook his head. “I understand.”

I directly took out the letter of commitment signed by Leander from my bag and handed it to Owen.

“This is Leander’s letter of commitment. He agrees to let me do whatever I want to do. From now on, he will not interfere with my decisions.”

Owen looked at the letter of commitment carefully, then looked at me with a complicated look in his eyes.

“With this, your application will be fine.”

"Alice, congratulations, you can finally realize your dream. Help those who are in need, just like those orphans without parents and strive for a better life with your own strength.”

He took out the ink pad and stamped my application form.

“Thank you, Owen.”

As soon as I left the office, I took action.

I contacted the affairs officer of the Without Borders Organization and he booked a flight for me for the day after tomorrow.

Then I went back to where I was living with Leander and started packing.

Actually, I did not have much to bring, just a few training clothes and some necessities.

In the past three years, I felt as if I had never truly owned anything, but it turned out my relationship with Leander was like this empty suitcase.

I zipped up my suitcase and looked around at that home that I had once longed to be.

The door suddenly opened and Rosalyn came in with bags of shopping in her hands and a smug smile on her face.

The shopping bags were emblazoned with the Addams Family logo.

Leander followed closely behind, also carrying a few bags.

"Alice, you...you are at home.”

Rosalyn’s smile froze on her face, breaking the silence and Leander’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Um,” I responded calmly, watching them calmly.

“These... are the clothes Leander bought for me," Rosalyn said loudly, still showing off.

"Alice, I'll take you clothes shopping tomorrow. You can buy whatever you want.”

As if to hide his guilt, Leander’s expression began to become strange.

“No need,” I replied coldly and turned to go upstairs.

I was leaving the day after tomorrow, but I should not be discovered by Leander.

“Look at her, Leander. She dared to disobey you."

“This family is not something that a woman like Alice who doesn't know the rules can run!"

Rosalyn jumped up and down to defend him, like the hostess of the place.

Leander seemed angry and did not ask me why I was carrying the suitcase, which was exactly the effect I wanted.

So, I went back to the room and closed the door.

Leander never returned to his room.

He probably thought that I would cry and make a fuss like I did before and then apologize to him obediently.

He was wrong.

That time, I would never compromise.

I would never give up my life for a man who did not love me.

At bedtime, Leander finally entered the room and took away his pillow.

“Are you giving me the cold shoulder? Or is it because of Rosalyn?”

I did not want to answer any of his questions and pretended that I was still angry with him.

“You are becoming more and more unreasonable!”

The cold attitude seemed to irritate him and he slammed the door and walked out.

I had been busy dealing with procedures and work handover these two days.

Even when I returned home at night, I still did not make any eye contact or communicate with Leander.

Fortunately, Leander really seemed to be unaware that I was leaving, or even if he knew he had no intention of trying to keep me.

At that moment, I was sitting on the grass in the orphanage, playing with the children. I’d bought the children their favorite snacks. 

Looking at their happy smiling faces, I also smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Luna Alice, when will you come to see us next time?” The little girl named Lisa pulled the corner of my clothes and asked, blinking her big amber eyes.

“I...” I hesitated, “Maybe it will be a long, long time later.”

Leander's indifferent face and Rosalyn's smug smile appeared in my mind.

Once I left that time, I might never come back.

I touched the little girl's head, took one last look at the children, then turned and left the orphanage.

I called a car and headed straight to the airport.

In the waiting room, when I took out my mobile phone, there were more than 20 missed calls and more than a dozen text messages, all from Leander.

[Alice, where are you? I'm going to take you home now.]

Even though I knew that Leander wanted to pursue me, it was too late.

I had made up my mind and just wanted to leave that Pack.

I also placed the divorce agreement and wedding ring on the table in the living room.

I imagined Leander’s look after seeing the divorce agreement. He must be happy and relieved, after all, I made him and Rosalyn together.

That way, he would not have to choose between his destined partner and his childhood sweetheart.

The boarding reminder sounded over the radio.

“Goodbye, Leander, my love,” I said silently in my heart.

——

On the afternoon of the day I left, Beta Owen came to the Leander’s office and asked, "Alpha, did not you go see Alice off?"

Leander POV

I was talking to Rosalyn on the phone and my happy conversation was interrupted by my assistant, Beta Owen, which made me frown.

But Alice’s name still made me want to know what Owen had to say.

“Isn't Alice on a business trip?"

My tone was unkind.

"Let her be. She doesn't let me control her anyway."

I added that she always had a cold face towards me those past two days, maybe I spoiled her too much, it would be good to let her suffer a little.

“Alpha, you don't know?” Owen looked at me with a puzzled expression, "Alice is not on a business trip, she is going to join Werewolves Without Borders.”

“What?!”

I stood up suddenly and walked towards Owen, my wolf and I in disbelief.

“Why are you telling me now? Doesn't she know how dangerous it is there?”

I felt a surge of anger burning in my chest and I grabbed Owen by the collar, “Why didn't you stop her? Why did you allow her to go?!”

Owen's face turned pale. He looked at me with guilt in his eyes, “Alpha, I….”

I pushed Owen away, clenching my fists tightly and resisting the urge to hit him.

Owen retreated silently. I felt my heart beating wildly and an inexplicable sense of uneasiness surged in my heart.

Rosalyn’s voice sounded again on the other end of the phone, with a cautious tone, "Leander, are you still listening? Alice, she might be angry because of my moving in.

“She might want you to drive me away and deliberately want to get your attention.

“Don't worry about Alice. She will be like before in two days. She is not a dignified person."

“Shut up!” I interrupted her rudely. I did not want to listen to her nonsense anymore. 

At that moment, I just wanted to know what Alice wanted to do.

After hanging up the phone, I immediately called Alice, but the voice I heard was a mechanical female voice.

“Sorry, the number you dialed is currently unavailable.”