On the third evening, Kael came back with the two children.

As soon as he walked in, he unusually took the initiative to explain. "Sage has been sensitive to pain since she was little. That's why we took her to the hospital first."

River mumbled quietly, "Yeah, Mom, you're way tougher than Aunt Sage. You don't need us..."

Stone nodded. "Aunt Sage is an Omega. She's too fragile and needs our protection."

"Enough." I cut them off. "You don't need to explain."

I understood too well.

All their explanations boiled down to one thing—they loved Sage, not me.

Once, this realization would have destroyed me. But not anymore.

Because I... didn't love them anymore either.

Seeing how calm I was, Kael felt a strange flutter of panic. He seemed to want to make up for something and spoke again. "There's a meteor shower tonight. I'll take you to the mountaintop to watch it."

"No need."

"Don't be stubborn." Kael glanced at the two children. "Help your mom get changed."

River and Stone immediately grabbed my arms from both sides. "Come on, Mom!"

I was forcibly stuffed into the car, only to discover Sage was there too.

"Don't mind me, Aria," Sage said softly. "I've been afraid of the dark since I was little. Kael didn't want to leave me alone at home..."

Kael immediately chimed in. "Sage has night blindness. She gets scared being alone at night."

The two children also chattered supportively. "Poor Aunt Sage!"

I closed my eyes wearily, not wanting to hear another word.

Throughout the drive, Kael and the two children fussed over Sage.

Adjusting her seat, handing her blankets, feeding her fruit—terrified she might be even slightly uncomfortable.

Sage kept glancing at me, trying to catch jealousy or anger on my face, but found me just quietly looking out the window as if none of this concerned me.

Halfway up the mountain, everyone got out to walk.

Suddenly, Sage slipped and cried out, grabbing my wrist—

We both tumbled down the slope together!

"Aria! Sage!"

Kael and the two children rushed down frantically, only to see that Sage had just scraped her palm and was pitifully holding back tears.

Meanwhile, I had hit a rock. My calf was sliced open by a sharp stone, blood instantly soaking through my pants, and my face was ghostly pale.

"I'll take Sage back first." Kael made a quick decision. "Aria, hang in there a bit longer. I'll call the pack warriors to rescue you."

After saying this, he scooped up Sage and left without looking back.

River and Stone hesitated, looking at my bleeding leg, then at Sage in their father's arms, before ultimately following them.

I lay on the cold mountainside, watching their figures disappear into the night.

I waited all night.

No one came back.

At dawn, I gritted my teeth and dragged my injured leg, crawling bit by bit up to the road.

I flagged down a car, went to the hospital to bandage my wound myself, then headed straight to the Alpha Council.

When the mate bond severance certificate was handed to me, I looked at the gold lettering and actually felt relieved.

When I returned to the mansion, it was empty. Kael and the others were still at the hospital with Sage for her "comprehensive examination."

I placed Kael's copy of the severance certificate on the coffee table, next to a note:

【I'm gone. Don't bother looking for me. I don't want any of you anymore.】

Then I picked up my pre-packed suitcase and left without looking back—escaping the cage that had trapped me for five years.

Behind me, the morning sun was rising, and ahead of me—

Was a brand new life without Kael, River, or Stone.

Three days later, Kael finally came back with Sage and the children.

"Mom! I'm starving! Hurry up and cook something!"

"Yeah, and Aunt Sage needs to get her nutrition back too."

River and Stone burst through the door, shouting up at the bedroom. Their voices carried that particular whining tone children used when they were tired and hungry.

They dropped their backpacks carelessly by the entrance, already expecting me to appear and take care of everything.

Kael chuckled helplessly, following behind them with his arm supporting Sage. She was moving slowly, still weak from her hospital stay.

"Let Sage sit down first. She must be uncomfortable after lying in the hospital for so long."

His voice was gentle as he guided her toward the living room. Every movement was careful, protective. He treated her like she might break if he wasn't careful enough.

Sage nodded shyly, her arm wrapped tightly around Kael's shoulder. "I feel bad troubling Aria as soon as we get back."

"What's the big deal? She's got nothing else to do at home anyway. If something had happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

Kael's words cut through the air without him realizing how dismissive they sounded. To him, I was just part of the household, someone whose job it was to take care of everyone else's needs.

He carefully set her down on the sofa, making sure she was comfortable before stepping back.

When he looked up to call for me again, he spotted something unexpected on the coffee table.

Official documents. An envelope. My handwriting on a note beside them.

The smile slowly froze on his face. His eyes narrowed as he tried to process what he was seeing. His strange expression caught everyone else's attention.

River muttered, "A severance certificate? That's gotta be fake."

Stone nodded vigorously, but his voice sounded less certain than his words. "Definitely fake. Why would Mom break the mate bond with Dad?"

Both children kept nodding, but their eyes kept darting to the coffee table. They were trying to convince themselves as much as anyone else.

Kael had lost all his earlier composure. His hands shook slightly as he reached for the certificate. The paper felt real enough. Heavy. Official.

He frowned in disbelief at the contents. Legal language filled the page. My signature at the bottom, clear and unmistakable.

The moment his gaze fell upon the validated stamp at the bottom, something inside him snapped like a severed chain.

A howl of agony erupted from deep within his chest—not from his human throat, but from his wolf. The sound was raw, animalistic, filled with a pain he'd never experienced before.

The mate bond, that sacred tether that had connected us for years, shattered like glass.

The pain was instantaneous and overwhelming. It felt like someone had reached into his chest and ripped out a vital organ. His knees buckled and he grabbed the edge of the coffee table to keep from falling.

"Kael!" Sage was beside him in an instant, her hands on his shoulders as he gasped for breath. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

The children rushed over, their earlier bravado forgotten. "Dad? Dad, are you okay?"

River's voice cracked with fear. Stone grabbed onto Kael's arm, his small hands shaking.

After several long minutes, Kael slowly straightened. His breathing was still ragged but more controlled. The worst of the pain had passed, leaving behind a hollow emptiness where the bond used to be.

He wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His shirt was damp, clinging to his skin.

He frowned in disbelief as fragments of memory began to surface. When had this certificate even been issued? The date on the document was from a week ago.

He couldn't remember ever signing any severance agreement.

He gripped the thin document tightly, and suddenly a memory flashed through his mind. After forcing me to give up reporting to the pack authorities, I had handed him a piece of paper.

He'd been angry, distracted by everything happening with Sage. He'd thought it was some other transfer agreement and hadn't looked closely. He'd just signed where I pointed, eager to end the conversation and get back to more important matters.

Could it have been the severance papers? Was this all because he hadn't let me report the incident?

The realization hit him like a physical blow. I had tricked him into signing his own mate bond severance.

Kael angrily slammed the coffee table with his fist. The sound made everyone jump. "This is ridiculous! You don't joke about stuff like this! Where's Aria? Go find her and bring her back!"

Just as he was about to tell the butler to search every room, Sage stopped him.

"Forget it, Kael." Her voice was calm, soothing. "She's probably doing this because she expects you to come after her. If we just ignore her, she'll definitely come back on her own in a few days."

She moved closer to him, her hand gentle on his arm.

She soothed his anger while pulling the two children close to her sides. "Besides, you still have me. If Aria's gone, then she's gone. I can take care of you all during this time—be your temporary mom, okay?"

She looked down at the boys with a gentle smile. Her voice was sweet, maternal in a way that made the children light up.

River and Stone immediately cheered, their earlier worry forgotten.

"Yes! Aunt Sage can be our mom!"

"Yeah! We don't want that mean mom anymore. She doesn't want us, so we don't want her either. Aunt Sage is all we need!"

Their words stung, but Kael barely registered them. He was still processing the reality of what had happened.

Faced with his sons' expectant eyes, Kael had to suppress his unease. Something felt wrong about this whole situation, but he couldn't put his finger on what.

"That's a lot of work for you, Sage. Just bear with it for a while. When Aria comes back, I'll definitely have a serious talk with her."

He forced a smile and leaned over to kiss Sage's forehead.

Sage blushed prettily and headed to the kitchen to cook for them. "I'll make something simple for now. I'm still not at full strength."

River and Stone followed behind her eagerly, chattering about what they wanted to eat.

When only Kael remained in the living room, he picked up the note I had left.

【I'm gone. Don't bother looking for me. I don't want any of you anymore.】

His grip tightened involuntarily. The paper crumpled slightly under his fingers.

This was just another one of my attention-seeking stunts. I'd done plenty of similar things before to make him notice me.

Threatening to leave, making dramatic gestures, creating scenes. This time had to be the same.

Finally he threw both the certificate and note into the trash without another glance. If I wanted to play games, he wouldn't give me the satisfaction of reacting.

Kael got up and walked toward the kitchen. The sound of cooking and conversation drifted toward him. He could hear his sons' delighted voices.

"Sage-mom is amazing!"

"Yeah! We're so lucky to eat food made by Sage-mom!"

River and Stone were already helping carry plates to the table. They moved around Sage like she had always been their mother, eager to please and be useful.

"Thanks for all this, Sage." He went to help serve the food.

The three of them sat around the dining table like a real family. Happy and harmonious.

No one woke River and Stone up for school or reminded them about homework. The two children did whatever they wanted at home, staying up late playing video games and sleeping until noon.

Their school bags sat untouched in the corner. Homework assignments piled up on their desks, forgotten. The house felt different without my constant reminders and structure.

Sage and Kael slept in the same bed, holding each other every night. The master bedroom had become their shared space, with Sage's belongings scattered across the dresser and her clothes filling half the closet.

If they slept in too late, the boys would burst into their room without knocking.

"Dad! Sage-mom! You're still sleeping?" River would jump on the bed, bouncing between them.

"Yeah! It's already past ten!" Stone would add, crawling under the covers with them.

Each time, Sage would blush and hide in Kael's arms like a fragile little bird. She would pull the blanket up to her chin, acting shy and embarrassed.

"You two are such troublemakers," she would giggle, triggering Kael's protective instincts.

He would wrap his arms around her more tightly, shielding her from the children's playful attacks. "Leave Sage alone. She needs her rest."

The domestic scene felt natural to him. This was what a real family looked like. Warm, affectionate, uncomplicated.

Soon enough though, reality intruded. Kael had to return to work, and River and Stone had to go back to school. The vacation period was over, and responsibilities couldn't be ignored forever.

"Don't worry, leave it to me. I've got this." Sage stood in front of the mirror, adjusting Kael's tie with careful precision. She smoothed down his collar and brushed imaginary lint from his shoulders.

When she finished, she rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, just like a real married couple would do.

After seeing Kael off at the front door, Sage closed it behind him and leaned against it for a moment.

She hadn't even reached River and Stone's room when both children came running out, already dressed in their school uniforms.

"Sage-mom! Sage-mom!" They had gotten themselves ready without any prompting, something that had never happened when I was in charge.

They hugged her legs tightly, one on each side. "We got up by ourselves! Sage-mom, we saw you kiss Dad. We want kisses too!"

Their faces were bright with excitement, looking up at her with adoring eyes.

Sage crouched down helplessly, her expression soft with affection. She gave each of them a gentle peck on the forehead. "There, happy now?"

River nodded with a wide grin. "Yes! Thanks, Sage-mom!"

Stone hugged her back and planted a wet kiss on her cheek. "Let's go to school! I want all the kids in my class to know I have a better mom now!"

The two children took Sage's hands eagerly as they headed toward the car. They chattered excitedly about their plans for the day, about how they would show off their new mother to their friends.

They walked around the campus when they arrived, introducing Sage as their new mom to everyone they met. Teachers, other parents, classmates - everyone got the same enthusiastic announcement.

"This is our Sage-mom! Isn't she beautiful?"

"She's so much better than our old mom!"

"Look how pretty she is!"

Only when the school bell rang did they reluctantly say goodbye, waving enthusiastically as Sage drove away.

Sage finally returned to the mansion. The moment she walked through the front door and confirmed she was alone, her gentle smile completely disappeared.

Her face twisted into irritation, all pretense of maternal warmth vanishing instantly.

"School starts so damn early, and I have to drive them there. I've been running around all morning and haven't even had a bite to eat!"

She threw her purse down on the entrance table with unnecessary force.

"And I have to pick them up this afternoon too. Can't we just hire a nanny to do this crap?"

Sage kicked the coffee table and shouted impatiently toward the kitchen, "Get me some food now! I'm starving!"

A maid rushed out of the kitchen, looking startled by the sudden change in Sage's demeanor. She had been expecting the sweet, gentle woman who had left with the children.

"What would you like to eat, Miss Sage?" the maid asked carefully.

"I don't care! Just make it fast!" Sage snapped, collapsing onto the sofa.

The maid hurried back to the kitchen and immediately got to work. Within twenty minutes, she had prepared a full breakfast spread - eggs, bacon, toast, fresh fruit, and coffee.

Sage finally took her first bite, but before she could finish chewing, the maid quietly approached again.

"Miss Sage, I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time to pick up the young masters. They come home for lunch and a nap before going back to school in the afternoon."

Sage's fork stopped halfway to her mouth. "What? Already?"

"Yes, miss. Their lunch break starts in fifteen minutes."

Sage frowned deeply. "Doesn't the school have a cafeteria?"

"Well, yes, but the young masters are used to coming home for lunch. Luna Aria always-"

"Then that's settled! I just got back, and now I have to run out again. Don't I deserve a break?" Sage slammed down her utensils, sending them clattering against the plate.

Her face was flushed with anger. "I'm not their servant! They can eat at school like normal kids!"

The maid didn't dare say another word.

She quietly picked up the dishes and retreated to the kitchen, leaving Sage to fume alone.

Sage lounged around the house all day, watching television and taking a long bath. She painted her nails and tried on different outfits, enjoying the luxury of having nothing to do.

When the afternoon came, the maid approached her again, this time even more hesitantly.

Sage looked up from the magazine she was reading. "What now?"

"Miss Sage, the young masters' regular school day is ending. Time to pick them up," the maid reminded her.

The woman's voice was barely above a whisper, clearly afraid of another outburst.

"Fine, I know. Such a pain." Sage got up with obvious reluctance. "Make sure dinner's ready when we get back, and tell them I cooked it myself. Got that?"

Sage headed out to the school, checking her appearance in the car mirror multiple times during the drive. She wanted to make sure she looked perfect for any other parents who might see her.

River and Stone had been waiting by the school entrance for over an hour. Their teacher had stayed with them, growing increasingly concerned as other children were picked up one by one.

When they finally spotted Sage's car pulling up, their faces lit up with relief and excitement.

"Sage-mom!" They waved and shouted, running toward her. "Look, teacher! That's our new mom. We call her Sage-mom."

The teacher looked surprised, glancing between the children and Sage. "What about your previous mom? Luna Aria?"

River and Stone's expressions immediately darkened at the mention of my name. "That old mom didn't want us anymore. Actually, we didn't want her! Sage-mom is way better."

"Yeah! She's prettier and nicer and she doesn't make us eat gross vegetables!" Stone added.

Sage had walked over and heard what the boys said. She smiled sweetly at the teacher, slipping back into her gentle persona. "The children are just playing around. Aria has some things to handle out of town, so I'm helping take care of them for now."

"I see." The teacher nodded, though she still looked confused. "Luna Aria was always so responsible with little River and Stone. She never missed a pickup. I was wondering how she could possibly not want them."

The teacher's innocent comment hit exactly where it hurt. Sage's smile tightened almost imperceptibly.

"Yes, well, sometimes life gets complicated," Sage said with forced cheerfulness.

She made an excuse about traffic and quickly ushered the children to the car. The drive home was filled with their excited chatter about their day, oblivious to Sage's irritation.

When they arrived at the mansion, the maid had already prepared an elaborate dinner spread. Multiple dishes covered the dining table, making it look like a feast.

Both children's eyes widened in amazement as they entered the dining room.

"Sage-mom, did you make all this? That's incredible!" River exclaimed, his mouth dropping open.

"Our old mom only knew how to make gross health food," he added, climbing into his chair.

"Yeah, Sage-mom is the best!" Stone nodded enthusiastically and couldn't wait to sit at the table.

They threw their backpacks, shoes, and jackets all over the entrance hall floor without a second thought. Sage glanced at the mess they had created and her jaw tightened.

She turned toward the maid and barked orders in a low voice, "Are you blind? Don't you know how to clean up?"

Her tone was cold and sharp, completely different from the sweet voice she used with the children.

The children didn't notice the change in her demeanor and laughed along. "Dad pays you to serve us, so can you work faster? Sage-mom shouldn't have to remind you!"

The maid knelt down immediately to pick up River and Stone's scattered belongings without a word of complaint.

Just as she was gathering the last of their things, the front door opened and Kael's voice carried into the house.

"I can smell something amazing the moment I walk in. Did you make such a feast today?"