Fredrik’s pupils shrank sharply.

Zora took the earrings and went still, too shocked to even continue her act.

I looked at Fredrik. My eyes were empty.

"I have apologized. I gave everything to her. Can I leave now?"

His lips tightened, and a deep line formed between his brows. He was about to speak when Zora let out a weak cry and leaned into him.

"When Caylin pushed me earlier, I twisted my ankle. It feels swollen now."

Fredrik lifted her at once, placing her gently onto a chair as if she were fragile.

Then he knelt before her, those same hands that ruled over powerful pack deals now carefully rubbing her ankle.

He moved with ease, as though this was something he had done many times before.

The music rose again. Laughter and voices filled the hall, and the feast continued as if nothing had happened.

I turned and walked away, heading upstairs, leaving behind the shining hall that no longer belonged to me.

Fredrik’s gaze followed my back, lingering until I disappeared beyond the stairs.

Back in my room, I searched for the medicine the healer had given me and swallowed it with cold water.

As soon as it settled, a sharp pain gripped my stomach.

I clenched my teeth and forced myself to the washroom, pressing a cloth soaked in alcohol against my bleeding ears.

In the mirror, my face looked pale and lifeless.

It was the face of someone who had finally let go of all strength and found nothing left inside.

Love, no matter how deep, still had an end. Even a love that lasted ten winters.

Exhaustion pulled me down, and I fell into a heavy sleep.

But it was not empty.

In my dream, I returned to nine winters ago, when Fredrik and I still loved each other.

Back then, the Graywolf pack was close to ruin. Fredrik, seen as a rejected son, was constantly suppressed by Layne, barely allowed freedom, forced to endure each day.

It was my nineteenth birthday. He had climbed over the walls in the dead of night, risking punishment just to see me.

He carried a small cake against his chest, the skin beneath it burned red.

When he placed it in my hands, it was still warm.

Tears filled my eyes. "Why would you do something like this? If I wanted one, I could have it made."

"And you should not have come out for me either. If Layne finds out, he will make things worse for you."

He held my hands tightly, his eyes red.

"Caylin, this is all I can give you now. But I promise, one day I will make every day of your life full of happiness."

I ate that cake through my tears.

It was soft and sweet. The best thing I had ever tasted.

Between sleep and waking, I felt fingers brushing lightly across my forehead.

I curled closer, whispering weakly, "Fredrik, I want that cake..."

I thought I was still dreaming. But when I opened my eyes, a tray sat beside the bed.

On it was a delicate cake.

Chocolate, my favorite. Soft and light.

Fredrik sat at the edge of the bed.

"You are awake? How did you become this thin? Others might think I have been neglecting you."

He had not, not in a physical way.

I looked at the cake, but I felt no hunger.

It was not what I wanted anymore. Just like him.

Why did he come now? After everything? Pain first, then kindness?

"My stomach hurts. I cannot eat."

Fredrik reached out and pulled me into his arms.

My body stiffened. I tried to move away, but his hold tightened.

His other hand rested over me, warmth spreading from his palm. "Do not move. Let me help. Before, when you were unwell, this always worked."

The pain made it hard to resist. I leaned weakly against him.

"At the feast earlier, why did you not argue?"

His voice broke the silence suddenly.

I lowered my eyes, my tone calm and empty.

"You always tell me to remember my place. I gave her the bracelet and the earrings. Shouldn’t that please you?"

Something unreadable passed through his eyes.

He lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him.

A strong scent reached me at once. It was not mine. It was sweet and heavy, making my stomach turn.

"Zora and her father helped me greatly. I must repay that debt. But as long as you stay obedient, I will not deny you wealth or comfort. You have behaved well, so I will stay tonight. Take it as your reward."

His tone was careless, like tossing something insignificant.

Before I could react, his breath came close.

Then a weak voice sounded from outside.

"Fredrik, I feel dizzy. Are you there?"

The door opened before the words faded.

Zora froze when she saw us together. "What are you doing?"

Fredrik released me instantly.

Without hesitation, he pushed me away.

I fell to the ground, the impact making my head spin.

"Caylin was feeling unwell. I was only helping her."

The excuse came quickly. As if we had been caught in something wrong.

Zora’s eyes filled with tears as she stepped closer, looking down at me.

"But Caylin has always been healthy. I have never heard of her being sick."

Fredrik’s eyes darkened.

When he looked at me again, suspicion filled his face.

"Caylin. Are you truly unwell, or is this another act?"

I stood up slowly. My lips parted, but before I could speak, his voice cut through.

"You are the same as always. Never changing. You are skilled at pretending. It is unpleasant."

I had stopped hoping for anything from him long ago.

Yet hearing those words, my heart still tightened in pain.

Five winters ago, when Fredrik brought me back to his side within the Graywolf territory, I tried to explain why I had ended our bond.

He shook his head. "No need to explain. It does not matter."

Back then, I believed he understood me.

Now I knew he had never believed a single word.

"Fredrik, forget it. Caylin has always been skilled at pretending in front of men. Otherwise, how do you think she made your uncle fall so deeply for her?"

Zora slipped her fingers into his, her eyes flicking toward me with clear triumph.

Fredrik looked at me, his gaze filled with disappointment so deep it almost turned to disgust.

"There is a music gathering tomorrow night. I will take Zora. She has been learning the violin." He looked down at me, his tone firm. "Give her the Mooncrest violin."

I stared at him, unable to believe what I heard.

That Mooncrest violin. Five winters ago, when I returned, he had spent an enormous fortune at auction to claim it. It was a rare relic, the only one of its kind.

I had treated it as the symbol of our new beginning. No one was allowed to touch it.

Once, one of his relatives secretly took it to play. She was expelled from the Graywolf estate that same day.

Back then, Fredrik had protected me without hesitation, warning the entire pack that anything belonging to me could not be touched.

And now, he wanted me to place it into Zora’s hands myself.

My chest tightened as if something heavy was crushing it.

I looked at his face. There was no space to refuse.

Slowly, I nodded.

"Fine. I will give it to her."

Fredrik held my gaze for a moment, then wrapped his arm around Zora and left.

The villa was well sealed, yet it could not fully block the soft cries and broken breaths from the room next door.

I was not sad. The pain in my stomach had only grown worse.

Lying curled on the bed, I saw my crystal communicator light up. A message from Dante.

[Caylin, everything is prepared. I will come for you in two days.]

I held the cold crystal communicator tightly and closed my eyes.

Two days until the mating ceremony.

The next morning, I handed the violin to Zora.

She opened the case right away and lifted the bow.

A harsh sound cut through the air, sharp enough to make anyone uneasy.

Then she took out a pair of scissors and, without hesitation, cut the strings one by one. The strings I had specially commissioned from a master craftsman.

"These strings are terrible. I cannot even play a proper note."

Zora looked at me, a mocking smile on her lips.

I did not respond. I turned and walked away.

As I passed the study, I heard Fredrik speaking with a relative.

"I heard you gave Zora the Bloodmoon Bracelet and the earrings. Now you even made Caylin give up that violin?"

"Caylin lost her pup trying to save you. Her parents died pulling you out of that fire. You treat her like this. Are you not afraid she will leave?"

I stopped walking.

Fredrik’s voice came out calm and careless.

"Leave? She has no pack. Where can she go?"

"Besides, she needs to let go of that useless pride and understand who holds power here. Once she behaves and stops troubling Zora, I will allow her to stay."

His relative sighed.

"Are you not worried she will truly give up on you?"

Fredrik let out a short laugh, full of disdain.

"She was raised to chase wealth. Whoever holds power, she follows."

"Why else would she leave me back then and go to Layne?"

"Now that the Graywolf power is mine, she clings to me like a shadow. Do you really think she would walk away?"

The other voice pressed again. "But what happened back then... will you not at least hear her side?"

Fredrik answered with a faint smile, his voice cold.

"She’s not worth it."

Cold spread through my entire body. I could not stop trembling.

So he had never understood.

All this time, he believed I left him for power, and returned for the same reason. So he kept me by his side while slowly crushing my dignity.

Five winters ago, Fredrik buried my parents, set aside hatred, and told me he would give me a home.

But my parents had died in the flames saving him. And I had spent two winters beside Layne, secretly gathering proof of his crimes, then sending it all to Fredrik.

That was why Fredrik could defeat Layne and rise as heir.

The one not worth anything was not me.

It was Fredrik Graywolf.

My nails pressed into my palms. Blood fell slowly, one drop after another. I felt nothing.

I stepped back quietly and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.

"Lady Celviere!"

An old voice called out from deep within the hallway.

It was Edgar, the old steward who had served the Graywolf Pack for forty winters.

He had watched Fredrik grow from a young wolf into an Alpha and had seen everything that happened between us.

Edgar stepped closer, shaking his head. "Lady, why don’t you explain to Alpha Graywolf? You gave up so much for him back then."

I smiled faintly. "Do you think words would change anything? What was between him and me should have ended seven winters ago."

Edgar frowned deeply.

"I fear that one day he will regret this, Lady."

"He has nothing to regret. He has the pack, the power, and the woman he loves. He already has everything he ever wanted."

I smiled softly.

Back then, I had no choice. For Fredrik’s sake, I agreed to form a bond with Layne, who was obsessed with me.

I never thought things would connect again between me and Fredrik.

But when he fought his way to the top of the Graywolf pack and came to take me back himself, hope still rose in my heart.

I told myself that the bond we formed when we were eighteen would not break. That even if misunderstandings grew between us, our feelings would remain.

But Fredrik never gave me the chance to speak.

I returned to the bedroom and took out the old album I had hidden.

Every page held memories of us.

His smile under the sunlight. His hand slipping into mine. His jacket resting over my shoulders when I fell asleep.

I removed the framed portrait from the wall.

Two weeks ago, I had stood beside him, smiling, believing I held the whole world.

I threw both the album and the portrait into the trash.

Ten winters of misplaced love. It was time to let go.

Footsteps came from behind. Zora entered.

Her eyes drifted to the trash, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

"Caylin, I told Fredrik I fear the dark, and he said this room is the brightest in the house. He wants me to stay here." She tilted her head slightly. "So pack your things quickly. I need the space."

This room filled with sunlight carried too many memories of my life with Fredrik.

I once believed I would give birth to his pups here and remain for the rest of my life.

I looked at Zora’s satisfied expression and lowered my gaze.

"Alright. It is yours, Luna."

I packed quickly. I did not take anything Fredrik had given me. Everything I owned fit into a single case.

I moved into a storage room near the entrance. It would be easier to leave when the time came.

As I opened the door, dust filled the air, making me cough. The room was messy, the bed covered in old items.

But it was enough for one night.

One night was all that remained.

Past four in the morning, the temperature dropped sharply. Cold wind howled outside like a wounded beast.

Fredrik returned, carrying the chill of the night with him.

Edgar stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Alpha, Lady Celviere has moved to the storage room. Her health is not good. Perhaps you could..."

Fredrik’s face darkened. He walked straight to the storage room and pushed the door open with force.

I sat on the edge of the bed, taking my medicine. He stood at the door, his jaw tight, his eyes burning.

"Caylin, what are you trying to prove? Who are you acting for now?"

I looked at him, confused. "Didn’t you tell me to leave the room?"

"Zora only wanted the main room. She didn’t ask you to live in a place like this. Are you trying to make others think I mistreat you?"

I smiled calmly. "It doesn’t matter where I sleep."

He grabbed my wrist, took the medicine from my hand, and pushed me onto the dusty bed. Before I could react, he pressed his lips against mine.

I could not avoid it, so I bit down hard.

Fredrik pulled back at once. I wiped my lips again and again.

His touch felt unbearable.

His eyes turned cold and sharp. "Don’t wipe it away. Who do you think you are to feel disgusted? I have not even spoken about your past."

His words cut deeply. He always knew how to hurt me the most.

As I struggled, he tore open my clothes, revealing the scar on my lower abdomen. I got that scar before he left, when I stepped into danger to protect him and our unborn pup. The impact broke my ribs and took my five-month pup from me. I almost died that day.

Fredrik stared at the scar. For a brief moment, something like regret appeared in his eyes, but it disappeared quickly.

"You keep this scar as a reminder. Is this how you make me feel guilty?"

"Caylin, I owe you nothing. The most shameful person here is you. Do not forget what you did before."

I held back my tears and laughed.

"You are right, Alpha. I am shameful. I have never seen it so clearly before, how rotten I truly am."