After I accidentally consumed the mystical pearl meant for Ashlee, an Omega and the Alpha's first love, my world came crashing down.

The man I thought was fated mate, Alexander, the cold and ruthless Alpha, did not hesitate to order his younger brother, Roger, to retrieve the pearl from my body by any means necessary.

I laid helplessly on the cold steel table, my vision blurred from the pain of the incision as Roger mind-link echoed through, "Brother, I have found it."

While holding the precious purple pearl in his hand, he added, "I will bring her back to apologize to Ashlee immediately."

Before I could even catch my breath, Alexander's cold voice reverberated through the link, reaching me like ice. "Good. Hurry back and take care of her wound so she will not die."

His words lacked emotion, as though I were nothing more than a tool.

In that moment, the excruciating pain in my heart drowned out the agony from my wound. The truth was undeniable.

Alexander had never truly loved me. I had always been a stand-in, a placeholder for the one he truly desired, Ashlee.

Since that day, I had made a decision to break the ties that bound us and set him free to be with his lover, Ashlee, whom he clearly cherished above all else.

But before I could act on my decision, Alexander sought me out. His once cold eyes softened, his voice, which had always been a command, trembled with uncertainty.

"Stay, please," he whispered.

*

Roger Munoz, who had returned from studying abroad, had always been a figure of cold authority.

Also, as the Alpha’s younger brother and an expert healer in our Pack, he was someone whose orders I could not refuse. So, when he suddenly brought me to his clinic, I did not question him.

But deep inside, I knew something was terribly wrong.

The moment I came to my senses, I found myself lying helplessly on the cold steel table. My vision blurred as the pain from the incision surged through my body, sharp and unrelenting.

The scent of my own blood filled the air, mingling with my tears. Panic set in as I croaked, "What are you doing?"

Roger, with his devilish smirk, glanced down at me, eyes dark and soulless. "What else? Of course, cutting you open to take what you accidentally swallowed. That is Alpha’s order."

The words hit me harder than any physical wound. The Alpha, Alexander Munoz, who was my mate, was the one who had ordered that.

He cold-heartedly had commanded his brother to cut me open for the sake of a pearl that belonged to his first love, an Omega named Ashlee Parks.

Soon, the sting of betrayal seared through my heart, a far deeper wound than the one Roger had inflicted on my body.

For two years, I had been by Alexander's side as his Luna, believing in the bond that tied us together. I had thought I held a place of honor beside him, that our mate bond meant something sacred.

But for Ashlee’s pearl, he was willing to have me torn apart, without a second thought for my well-being.

As Roger continued his grotesque task, his voice broke the silence, cold and unfeeling. "Ruby, be sensible. Just divorce and get out.

“Now that Ashlee is back, my brother will marry her sooner or later. If you are smart, you should step aside."

I forced out a weak, sarcastic smile, while my heart was heavy with the undeniable truth.

I knew since then if Alexander had never truly loved me, even if I was his fated mate.

I had always been a stand-in, a shadow of the one he truly desired, Ashlee.

Even though as an outsider to the Graycrest Pack, I had not known the full extent of the relationship between Ashlee and Alexander, I had heard many whispers, the gossip that floated through the pack like wildfire.

It was not until after we were bonded that I learned how deeply he had once cared for her.

But for years, I had hoped that he would forget her, that our bond would be enough to fill the space she had once occupied in his heart.

However, those pearl events shattered my hopes. It turned out I had been living in a lie, blinded by a love that was never real.

Suddenly, Roger’s mind-link echoed through my head, intentionally letting me hear the conversation. “Brother, I have found it.”

He added while holding up the precious purple pearl slick with my blood, “I will bring her back to apologize to Ashlee immediately.”

Before I could catch my breath, Alexander's cold voice resonated through the link, freezing me to the core. “Good. Hurry back and take care of her wound so she will not die.”

His words were devoid of emotion, as though I were nothing more than a tool, something to be discarded after serving its purpose.

Before meeting Alexander, my life had been simpler, though still tied to pack politics.

I was the daughter of the Alpha of the Warcrest Pack, and my parents had never intended for me to be drawn back into my mother’s original pack.

But fate had a way of weaving intricate threads.

At Alexander’s sixteen birthday banquet, the mate bond between us flared with intensity, stronger than anything I had ever imagined. It felt like we were two souls destined to be inseparable.

Despite my father’s reluctance to let me go, Alexander and I grew closer. We courted for a year, getting to know each other, until we married on my sixteenth birthday.

The bond between us felt unbreakable then, and I was lulled into a false sense of security.

I never expected the betrayal that would follow, that I should make room for Ashlee, the Omega who had reclaimed her place in his heart.

I managed to whisper to Roger, sarcasm dripping from my voice, “Are you done admiring that insignificant pearl?”

Roger’s psycho-like grin twisted in disgust. “I think I was too kind to use painkillers on you. Next time, my brother asks me to take care of you, I will be much crueler.”

His words stung, but they were a reflection of the pack’s cruelty.

*

After finishing the operation, we went back to the Munoz family Manor.

As we arrived, Roger impatiently opened the back door of the car and sneered, “Hurry up, get out.”

I forced myself to stand, though my legs trembled under the weight of my pain. I nearly collapsed as I stepped out, the wound in my stomach throbbing with every movement.

Within moments, Richard Weaver, the loyal butler, rushed out of the manor once he saw my condition, his face filled with concern.

With his help, I managed to take small, painful steps toward the manor. Every step felt like an eternity.

Cold sweat dripped from my forehead, but the sting of betrayal hurt far worse than the physical pain.

“Thank you, Richard,” I whispered softly, my voice shaking. “But you can let me go now. I do not want you to get scolded by Alex.”

Richard, the only person in the manor who had been kind to me, nodded reluctantly. He understood the dynamics of the house far too well.

Alexander would scold him if he showed me too much kindness. And I could not bear to see someone else punished because of me.

Finally, we arrived at the bedroom where Alexander and I had once shared countless nights together, our sanctuary in the Graycrest Pack.

But that day, the room felt like a foreign place.

The moment the door creaked open; I froze in the doorway.

There, lying on the bed that once belonged to us, was Ashlee, comfortably settled into the space that was once mine.

The sight of her on the bed with Alexander was surreal, like I had stepped into a nightmare that I could not wake from.

The two of them, completely immersed in their own world, laughed softly, oblivious to the fact that I was standing right there, watching them.

They had forgotten everything about me, forgotten my existence.

Richard who stood beside me drew their attention by coughing, reminding them that they were not alone.

Their heads turned in unison, as if waking from a dream.

When Ashlee’s eyes met mine for the first time, I saw an unmistakable flash of disgust on her face.

But just as quickly as it appeared, the look faded, replaced by a faint, calculated smile that I could not quite read.

After that, Roger handed the pearl to Ashlee, who joyfully accepted it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Then, he sat casually on the plush sofa, as if waiting for the next scene.

With an unsettling smile, Ashlee began to play with the pearl, rolling it between her fingers while leaning on Alexander’s bare chest, as if to flaunt the intimacy they shared.

At first, I did not understand the significance of the pearl. Why was that ordinary-looking object worth tearing me apart for?

But Ashlee, sensing my confusion, explained without any prompting.

"Thank you for returning it to me, Ruby," she said sweetly, her voice laced with a poisonous kindness. "This pearl may mean nothing to you, but it’s very important to me."

My eyes were glued to the small, shimmering object she played with so carelessly.

Important? How could something so small hold such power over my fate?

She smiled wider, glancing at Roger as if to include him in the shared secret. "I do not know what I would have done if this pearl was lost, after all... it contains Alex's promise to marry me when I return from the academy."

My mind reeled as her words began to sink in. A promise?

I was left speechless as the truth unraveled in front of me like a cruel joke.

Actually, when Alexander's parents discovered the relationship, they were furious. An Alpha could never marry an Omega, especially not one outside of his mate bond.

As a result, his parents had taken drastic measures, sending Ashlee away under the guise of attending a prestigious academy for shifters abroad. And Roger, Alexander’s ever-loyal brother, had been sent to the same academy to ensure she stayed away.

But before Ashlee left three years ago, they had planted their promise inside the magical pearl that Ashlee had acquired from a witch.

As long as the pearl remained with Alexander, their promise would endure. Only if he threw it away would their bond be broken, signaling his choice to move on.

The fact that Alexander was willing to cut me open to retrieve the pearl meant that their relationship was far from over.

“So, you two will get married?" Roger asked casually as he bit into a cupcake sitting on the nightstand, the scene feeling more surreal by the second.

Seeing the cupcake, a wave of nausea swept over me.

How could I forget? The cupcakes, the ones Alexander had always made for me. Or at least, I thought they were for me.

But that day, it hit me like a blade, since the cupcakes had always been for Ashlee. Alexander had been baking them in preparation for her return, wanting to surprise her.

However, I innocently had eaten one, since it was my favorite treat.

I never imagined that in doing so, I had consumed something meant for her, something that set the whole horrific chain of events in motion.

Ashlee smiled, pleased with herself, as she replied to Roger, "Of course we will. Right, Lex?"

Her voice was filled with smug satisfaction, and my stomach twisted as I watched her place the pearl on Alexander’s chest.

He had been avoiding eye contact with me the entire time, but then his eyes flickered towards mine, a familiar displeased expression darkening his face.

"Sure," he replied briefly, his voice hollow.

Then, with his eyes finally locked on mine, he frowned and spoke in the stern, commanding tone I had grown all too accustomed to. "Since you now know about the pearl, apologize to Ashlee immediately."

It felt as if the room had gone silent, save for the sound of my heart breaking.

I looked at him unbelievably, until my body trembled with a mixture of pain and fury.

How could the man I had devoted myself to for years, the Alpha who was supposed to protect me, demanded me to apologize to that lowly Omega?

In stark contrast to the humiliation and rage I felt deep inside, Ashlee wore a triumphant expression on her face.

She looked at me as though I had no more self-respect, no pride left, and maybe she was right.

At that moment, I realized the bitter truth I had been avoiding for so long.

For two years, I had tried to believe that my bond with Alexander was real, that I mattered to him as his Luna.

But I was nothing more than a substitute for Ashlee. A shadow of the woman he truly loved.

I forced out a bitter, hollow "Sorry" as I turned to leave the room, my pride in tatters.

But before I could take more than a few steps, Alexander’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding, stopping me in my tracks. “Richard, take her to the guest room I asked you to prepare.”

Richard hesitated. I could see it in his eyes.

Perhaps when he had been told to prepare the room, he had thought it was meant for Ashlee, never imagining that it would be me who would be sent to occupy the room.

But when he saw the pain etched on my face and the way I could barely hold myself upright, he nodded.

“Yes, sir,” he said, his voice low.

As Richard gently helped me walk out of the room, Roger suddenly stood up, stretching as if the whole scene had been nothing more than entertainment to him.

“Well, I am off to rest too,” he said with a smirk. “See you later, brother, Ashlee.”

As he passed me in the hallway, Roger made sure to nudge me roughly, his words dripping with mockery. “Can you walk faster? You are blocking my way, you know.”

I bit my lip, swallowing the retort that threatened to escape.

My presence no longer mattered there. But with the wound in my stomach throbbing, there was nowhere else for me to go. I had no choice but to let Richard guide me to the guest room.

Once we arrived, Richard carefully helped me lie down on the bed.

“Call me if you need anything, Luna Ruby,” he said softly, his voice full of the respect that Alexander and Roger had so easily stripped from me.

I nodded slowly; my throat tight with unshed tears.

The moment Richard left and the door closed behind him, the dam broke.

Tears I had been holding back from the very beginning poured down my face uncontrollably, wracking my body with sobs so strong I could barely breathe.

I had held it together as long as I could, but in the end, it was too much. The weight of betrayal, the shattering of the life I thought I had, crushed me.

That was when Poppy, my wolf, stirred in the back of my mind. Her presence was a warm, soothing comfort, but even she could not hide the pain we both felt.

"That must have hurt you so much," she whispered, her voice laced with sadness. "Let me help you heal your wound. You need to rest, Ruby."

I shook my head, my sobs making it difficult to speak.

"How could I sleep, Poppy?" I asked through the tears. “The ache in my heart was worse than the pain in my body.”

Poppy sighed; her voice filled with the same sorrow I carried. "It hurts me too, Ruby. I do not know why he’s been so cruel to us. I cannot even feel his wolf anymore."

Her words sent a chill down my spine. Alexander’s wolf had gone? That was impossible.

But deep down, I knew Poppy was right. Something between us had been severed, and I could not deny it any longer.

My thoughts drifted back to the day we first met, the day our fates were sealed by the mate bond.

Before our bond, I never imagined I would be tied to someone as cruel as Alexander. But on that day, he had been different.

On his 16th birthday, surrounded by powerful pack members and influential allies, I had chosen to distance myself from the crowd, finding comfort near the banquet table stacked with cupcakes.

The sweetness was my escape from the overwhelming chaos of the event.

Then, out of nowhere, Alexander appeared behind me. I still remember the gentle way he had patted my shoulder, startling me.

His voice had been warm back then, so unlike the cold, emotionless tone he used with me these days.

"Do you like cupcakes that much?" he had asked, with a hint of amusement.

When I turned around, Alexander seemed surprised. His eyes widened, and he quickly apologized.

"Ah, sorry. I thought you were someone I knew." Alexander had apologized again, and back then, I had not understood what he meant by that at all.

But then, after meeting Ashlee, it all made sense.

The golden blonde hair she and I shared, the love for cupcakes, and the similar silhouette. If someone watched us from behind, we looked the same.

At that moment, Alexander had not seen me. He had seen her.

"Could that be the reason why he married me?" I whispered bitterly, the thought gnawing at me as I sobbed harder. "What if… all this time he thought I was Ashlee, not his true mate?"

Poppy shook her head, desperate to reassure me. "No, Ruby. You are his fated mate. You two married because of the mate bond, not because you reminded him of Ashlee."

But her words felt hollow. "What if it’s true, Poppy?" I asked through my tears.

"What if I was never his Luna in his heart? What if all this time, I have been living in Ashlee’s shadow?"

The weight of the thought pressed down on me.

I had always felt the distance between Alexander and me, even after two years of marriage.

There had always been secrets he kept, walls he never let me breach. Like the room he forbade me from entering in the manor, the one I was never allowed to see.

But one day, Roger kicked my puppy to death.

The pup was the gift my parents gave me, hoping it would keep me company as I adjusted to life in the Graycrest Pack.

So, I furiously confronted him, threatening to tell Alexander about what he had done.

But Roger just laughed and his sneer cut me down like a blade.

"Do you really think he loves you?" he had asked, his voice dripping with venom.

Confused, I had demanded answers. "What do you mean by that, Roger?"

By then, he grabbed my collar and dragged me down the hall, stopping in front of the room, the one Alexander had always forbidden me to enter.

It stood as a silent, locked secret at the far end of the manor, one I had never dared to cross.

"No," I protested weakly, trying to pull myself free. "Alex told me not to enter the room."

Roger’s smirk was sharp and taunting as he leaned in closer. "Are you sure? We are already here, Ruby. Don't you wonder what he has been hiding from you? Are you sure you are not the slightest bit curious about what is behind this door?"

His words sliced through my defenses like a blade.

The doubt I had buried deep inside me began to surface, and before I could stop myself, I followed him.

My curiosity betrayed me. My need to understand the truth led me into the very room Alexander had warned me about.

The door creaked open, and the sight before me stole the breath from my lungs.

The room was like something out of a fairy tale, lavish, delicate, and adorned with feminine elegance. A dreamlike princess rooms.

The walls were a soft pastel, draped in rich fabric and glowing in the dim light. But what caught my attention was the wall covered in photographs.

I approached the photos slowly, my heart pounding in my chest. A girl.

In every photo, there was a girl. The same girl, from childhood to adulthood. Her smile bright, her eyes filled with joy, and always, always beside her was Alexander.

They looked happy, so happy until it was painful to look at.

Each photo captured a moment, a memory between them.

What was more, the way Alexander smiled at her was a smile I had never seen him give to me.

In the end, the photos were overwhelming, making my head spin with the realization.

Just then, Roger snorted, his voice cold and dripping with disdain. "Take a good look, Ruby. This is the woman my brother truly loves. You are standing here because my parents took Ashlee away. If it were not for them, you’d never be in this house."

I turned to him; my brow furrowed in disbelief.

My lips trembled as I tried to form words, but Roger was not finished.

With a cruel smile, he continued. "You have no idea, do you? Ashlee was sent to the same academy as me because my parents wanted her gone, but they could never erase the bond she shared with Alexander.

“We have stayed in touch all these years. She’s more beautiful than you could ever be, and many men want her, but she’s always stayed loyal to my brother."

I swallowed hard, trying to force down the growing lump in my throat. Each word felt like a dagger, stabbing deeper into my heart.

"So do not ever consider yourself as my sister-in-law," Roger sneered. "You are not worthy. Ashlee was always meant to be by his side. She’s the one who belongs here, not you. You would be smart to move away and know your place."

His words were filled with venom, each insult hitting harder than the last.

Since that moment, I had begun to distance myself from Alexander, not because I wanted to, but because the truth had become unbearable.

Alexander must have noticed my growing coldness, but he said nothing. He did not need to explain anything to me.

After all, why would he need to explain to someone he did not love?

From that moment, the thought of breaking our mate bond lingered in my mind, tempting me to free myself from the emotional chains that bound me to a man who did not care for me.

But Poppy, my wolf, stopped me every time, her voice of reason pulling me back from the edge. "You cannot, Ruby. It will only hurt you more."

So, I decided to stay, hoping and praying that one day, Alexander would turn his love towards me.

I thought if I gave him my all, my little acts of care and attention would eventually make him fall in love with me.

But over time, I began to realize that the hope was futile. His heart would never be mine. His heart still belonged to Ashlee.

*

I must have cried myself to exhaustion because, without realizing it, I had fallen into a fitful sleep. When I woke up, it was dark and my body was drenched in sweat.

My stomach also throbbed painfully and the wound from earlier burning like fire.

In a daze, I instinctively mind-linked Alexander, just to be cut off cruelly by him.

"Stop calling me all the time. You are an adult. Can't you solve your own problems?"

Alexander’s impatient voice echoed through the mind-link, sharp and cold as soon as it connected.

His indifference was nothing new to me, it had become the norm. There was a time when I might have been hurt by it, but that time, I was too exhausted to care.

I did not have the energy to argue or plead, not when I felt like I was drowning in invisible waters, struggling to breathe as if my lungs were filling with water.

"Alex," I whispered weakly, my voice trembling, "I... I feel really uncomfortable. Can you...."

Before I could finish, another voice invaded our mind-link, pushing me out of the connection like I did not matter.

Her sly, fox-like tone dripped with mockery as Ashlee spoke, "Ruby, do not bother him anymore. He has been taking care of me all day, and he is already tired. As his current Luna, you should understand him."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. The coldness in her voice felt like icy waters engulfing me, dragging me deeper into despair.

If I had been drowning before, now it felt like I was sinking into a frozen sea. My entire body felt paralyzed, the cold seeping into my bones until I could not even fight to save myself.

Before I could muster a response, the mind-link was cut off abruptly, severing the connection as if I no longer existed.

It was in that moment that the final thread of hope snapped. There was no point in asking Alexander for help anymore.

He no longer cared. He had chosen Ashlee, and in doing so, he had abandoned me.

I was nothing but a shadow to him, someone who had outlived her purpose.

Gathering what little strength I had left, I reached for the one person I could still trust. It was Richard.

He arrived in a rush, as he always did, loyal and devoted.

The door to my room swung open, and his eyes immediately widened with shock when he saw me.

My body was drenched in sweat, the bed beneath me soaked as though I had been pulled from the depths of the ocean.

"What happened, Luna?" he asked, his voice filled with concern as he knelt beside the bed, his hands hovering over me as if afraid to touch.

I was too weak to answer, my breath shallow and labored.

He took one look at me and reached for his phone, ready to call Alexander. But I stopped him, shaking my head, my voice barely above a whisper. "No, Richard. I already told him."

His face twisted with confusion, as if he could not comprehend why Alexander had not come. "But, Luna…."

"It’s fine," I said, though my voice was far from convincing. "Can you... bring a healer for me? Please."

Without hesitation, Richard nodded. "Of course, Luna. I will bring the family healer immediately."

"No," I gasped, summoning every ounce of strength I had left. "Not the family healer. I... I do not trust them anymore. Take me... somewhere else."

His eyes softened with understanding, and he nodded again.

The Munoz family had hurt me too deeply. I could not trust any of them anymore, not even the healers who might have been loyal to Alexander’s cold command.

I feared that if I allowed them to treat me, they’d finish what Roger had started. They would let me die.

"Sure. I will prepare a car to take you to the nearest clinic. We will leave immediately," Richard promised, his voice steady and sure.

It was not long before we were at the clinic, and a healer arrived to assess my condition.

When he saw the wound on my stomach, his face paled in shock.

"Luna," he breathed, his voice trembling. "With a wound like this, why didn't you come to the clinic immediately? Why were you treated at home?"

I was too exhausted to answer, so Richard stepped in. "The wound had appeared to improve earlier, so Luna Ruby decided to stay at home," he explained.

The healer’s frown deepened as he carefully examined the wound. "This is not an ordinary injury," he said gravely. "It was caused by silver equipment. Wounds from silver are slow to heal and dangerous to werewolves."

He sighed; his voice heavy with concern. "And the wound closure is far from optimal. If it is not treated properly, the infection will spread, and it will attack your organs, Luna. You were very close to irreversible damage."

His words sent a shiver through me. If I had waited even a few more hours, it would have been too late.

So, it seemed Roger had known exactly what he was doing. He wanted to kill me.

Richard, sensing the gravity of the situation, turned to the healer, his voice filled with urgency. "Please, save her. You can do it, right?"

The healer nodded; his expression determined. "I will do my best."

Moments later, I felt the sting of anesthesia as it was injected into my bloodstream. My body grew numb, but my mind remained alert, replaying the events that had led me to that point.

Roger cut me open with no care, no hesitation. All for a pearl. The memory made my skin crawl, and I closed my eyes, willing myself not to relive it.

As the healer worked to reopen the wound, I let the darkness take me. Sleep was a welcome escape, and when I finally awoke, morning light filtered through the window.

Poppy’s soft voice was the first thing I heard. "Hi, Ruby. How are you feeling? Last night, I thought we were on the verge of death."

I managed a weak smile, both for her and for myself. "I feel better, Poppy. Much better."

Her voice was gentle but tinged with frustration. "We should have gone to the healer sooner. We underestimated what Roger did to us."

I could sense her anger simmering beneath the surface, an anger I shared.

Before I could respond, a nurse entered the room, carrying a tray of food and drink.

She greeted me warmly, her eyes kind and filled with sympathy. "Good morning, Luna. How are you feeling?"

"Good," I rasped, and she immediately helped me drink from the glass she had brought.

"Does the wound still hurt?" she asked gently, concern evident in her tone.

I shook my head slowly. "No, it is... much better now. Thank you."

The nurse nodded with a smile, placing the food on the table beside me. "I will leave this here. Please, call me if you need anything."

As she left the room, I sighed deeply, allowing myself a moment of peace. The pain had dulled, and though my heart still ached with the weight of betrayal, my body was healing.

But Poppy was right. We had underestimated Roger’s cruelty, and we had been far too trusting of the family that had nearly destroyed us.

I had given so much to them, but all I had received in return was pain. So, starting from that day I had to stand on my own.

A few days passed, and it seemed that Alexander finally remembered I still existed within his house.

His sudden presence in my room, however, was not one of concern but confusion, because I was gone.

I imagined his face twisting in frustration, his temper flaring as he yelled at Richard, demanding to know why he had not been informed of my whereabouts.

In the end, Richard could only bow his head and apologize. He explained that I had been taken to the clinic because my surgical wound had worsened.

But I knew the truth. Richard had not forgotten to tell Alexander about my condition, he had kept it from him deliberately.

After all, Alexander had not cared about me since Ashlee’s return. Perhaps, even if I had died that night, he would have been indifferent.

Richard’s mind-link came just moments before Alexander and Ashlee entered my room.

Actually, it was my last day and I had already decided to return to my Pack the next morning.

I was ready to be free from Alexander’s grasp once and for all.

But fate had a cruel sense of humor, it was not ready to release me yet.

"Ruby," Alexander said, his voice unusually soft as he approached me. "I did not know you were here."

There was a flicker of worry in his eyes, but I was not fooled.

Why was he worried? He should be happy with how things turned out, right?

After all, he had been the one to order Roger to dissect me like I was nothing more than an object, all for that damned pearl.

With indifference, I replied, "What’s the matter? We have nothing to do with each other anymore. I do not think I need to report to you wherever I am."

A brief flicker of guilt crossed his eyes, rare and fleeting, but I caught it.

Perhaps, just perhaps, a part of him regretted rejecting my mind-link that night. Maybe he realized how close I had come to death because of his indifference.

But before he could say another word, Ashlee, who had been clutching his arm the entire time, smiled at me with that sickening sweetness that only masked her true nature.

"I am sorry, Ruby," she cooed softly, her voice dripping with false sincerity. "Lex has been taking care of me these past few days, so he did not have time to check on you."

She tightened her grip on Alexander’s arm, pressing it into her chest as she continued. "But you know, we grew up together. Our bond is so strong.

“Of course, his attention was on me when I returned. If only you had let us know how you were, we would have come to see you right away. Is everything okay now?"

Her act was nauseating. She was no longer the sly fox she had been in our mind-link but played the role of the innocent, harmless white cat.

But I was not fooled, not for a second. Ashlee knew exactly what she was doing, and I refused to be taken in by her little game.

I forced a casual smile, one that did not reach my eyes. "It’s fine. From the very beginning, Alexander never loved me, and neither did I. Our marriage was simply a political arrangement between our parents."

I could feel Ashlee’s grip tighten around Alexander’s arm as I spoke, but I did not stop. I had to push her buttons, and had to remind her of her place.

"Even though Alex’s parents grew to like me and treated me like a daughter, I never really felt like part of the Munoz family. I imagine you know that feeling well, right? You must have felt like the stepchild they never acknowledged."

The words should streak her like a knife. Because right after I finished, I saw the flicker of pain in Ashlee’s eyes, and I knew I had hit a sore spot.

She had always been the outsider, the one who was never truly accepted by Alexander’s family. And then, after years of absence, she had returned, conveniently after her parents’ tragic accident.

Had they not died in that terrible crash, would Ashlee even be there, clinging to Alexander as if nothing had changed?

Ashlee’s eyes filled with fake tears as she turned to Alexander, her voice trembling with feigned sadness.

"Lex, I think Ruby is still upset about the pearl, so she’s bringing up your parents to attack me. I could not even come to their funeral because the academy would not allow me to leave before graduation."

I watched as Alexander’s face darkened, his features twisting into an expression of anger I had never seen him direct at me before.

He gently stroked Ashlee’s head with his free hand, comforting her while glaring at me with a mixture of disappointment and rage.

Facing his anger, I chose to ignore it.

When I turned around to leave, he quickly stood in front of me.