Lianne's POV:

The next morning, sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows and filled my room.

I endured the constant ache in my fractured ribs, then covered the lifeless color of my face with thick concealer before changing into a clean, tailored business suit.

Ethan wasn't only the Alpha of the Thorn Pack. He was also the CEO of Voss Group. And I was his chief secretary.

To everyone in the company, I was the person he relied on most. Calm, capable, efficient. The perfect secretary who handled every problem without hesitation.

Only a few in the pack knew I was his mate.

I knew Ethan hated the fact that I had lost my wolf. That was why he'd never acknowledged our bond in public. For a long time, I'd waited quietly, hoping one day, he'd accept me openly.

But now, none of that mattered anymore.

I walked into the company building and went straight to the HR department. Then I placed my resignation letter on the manager's desk.

"You're resigning?" The HR manager adjusted her glasses in disbelief. "Lianne, you're the person Mr. Voss trusts more than anyone. The company would fall apart without you. Does Mr. Voss know about this?"

"He won't mind," I replied calmly, keeping the same polished smile I used at work every day. "I'll finish the transition over the next few days. Nothing at the company will be affected."

The manager looked like she wanted to say more, but in the end, she only sighed and signed the resignation letter.

After leaving her office, I stopped in the hallway and took a slow breath. A sharp pain spread through my chest, reminding me that the injuries from the car crash were far worse than they looked.

I was about to return to my desk when quiet voices drifted out from the break room nearby.

"Did you hear? The one Alpha loves is back."

"You mean Ivy? No wonder Alpha spent so much at the auction. He paid fifty million for the 'Tears of Moonstone' necklace."

"Seriously? That's the necklace that represents eternal devotion. He really treats her like a queen."

I stopped walking.

Tears of Moonstone.

Three years ago, on the day Ethan and I formed our mate bond, I'd seen that necklace in a magazine.

The crystal was said to glow blue beneath moonlight, a gift blessed by the Moon Goddess for true mates.

Back then, I'd pointed at the picture shyly and whispered to Ethan, "It's beautiful."

He hadn't even looked at the picture for more than a second before answering casually, "That necklace is meant for she-wolves who've gone through the official Luna ceremony. You don't even have a wolf, Lianne. If you wore it, the pack would only complain. Stop making things harder for me."

So that was the truth. It had never been about pack traditions. I simply wasn't worthy enough in his eyes.

"Lianne, this document needs Alpha's signature right away. Could you bring it in for me?" A junior secretary hurried toward me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I accepted the document, though my fingers shook slightly around it.

Then I walked to the CEO's office and pushed the door open. The moment I stepped inside, the scene before me froze me in place.

Ethan sat behind his large desk while Ivy perched casually along the edge beside him.

She wore a flawless silk dress that made her seem delicate enough to break.

The coldness in Ethan's eyes had completely disappeared. He let her wrap her arms around his neck, and when she leaned over to kiss his cheek, he didn't pull away.

Suddenly, the document slipped from my numb fingers. Papers scattered across the floor with a sharp rustle, as though my heart had shattered along with them.

Both of them looked toward me at once.

The tenderness on Ethan's face vanished instantly, replaced by the familiar icy expression I knew too well. Irritation flickered in his eyes.

"Do you not know how to knock before entering?" he said sharply.

Ivy quickly jumped off the desk, acting startled by the situation. Then she walked over to me and took my hand, as though she was trying to comfort me. "Lianne, please don't misunderstand anything. I'm just really happy today. Ethan gave me such an amazing gift."

Her fingers tightened around mine while she tilted her head to show off the necklace resting against her throat.

The huge moonstone shimmered beneath the sunlight pouring through the windows, its glare so bright it almost hurt to look at.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" Ivy smiled sweetly, but the provocation in her eyes was meant only for me. "Ethan told me I'm the only person worthy of this symbol of eternal devotion."

A sharp pain twisted through my chest, dull and brutal, like a blunt knife dragging back and forth inside me.

Still, I forced myself to remain standing. Somehow, I even managed a steady smile. "It's beautiful. It looks perfect on you."

I crouched down slowly, pain shooting through my ribs as I gathered the scattered papers. After straightening them neatly, I placed them on Ethan's desk. "Alpha, this document needs your signature."

My composure seemed to unsettle Ethan.

A trace of discomfort crossed his face as he watched me turn toward the door. Then, almost awkwardly, he spoke up to explain himself. "Ivy just returned to the pack. The necklace was only meant as a welcome-back gift. Don't overthink it."

"Alright." I nodded lightly, said nothing else, and walked out without looking back.

That evening, I returned home and quietly began packing my things.

Everything in the house carried traces of the life Ethan and I had shared together. Now all of it felt like a cruel reminder of how foolish I'd been.

I folded my clothes carefully and placed them inside the suitcase one by one. As for the expensive jewelry Ethan had given me over the years, I left every piece behind.

I only wanted to take the things that truly belonged to me.

The moment I closed the suitcase, hurried footsteps sounded from behind me.

Then Ethan's voice rang out in panic. "Lianne! What do you think you're doing?"

Lianne's POV:

I hadn't expected Ethan to come back so early.

Before I could say anything, he crossed the room in a few quick strides and grabbed the wrist I was using to close the suitcase. His grip tightened hard enough to hurt.

Then he seemed to have realized something. Dark anger stirred in his eyes as he stared at me. "Didn't I already explain the necklace was only a gift to celebrate Ivy's return? And now you're packing your things to threaten me? Lianne, you're not a child anymore. You're the Luna of this pack. Start acting like one."

I looked at his familiar face, handsome as ever yet completely devoid of warmth, and a deep sense of bitterness rose quietly inside me.

No matter what happened, he always treated my pain like some immature attempt to gain attention.

But I didn't want to argue with him. Most of all, I couldn't let him discover the Rejection.

"I'm not threatening you," I said, lowering my eyes. "The closet's just too crowded, so I thought I'd clear some of the clothes out. Sometimes, old things should make room for new ones."

Ethan stared at me for a long moment, as though trying to determine whether I was lying to him.

But my face remained calm, without the hurt and resentment he usually expected to see. Gradually, the tension in his expression eased. "Good. I'm glad you understand."

"Ethan?" A soft voice drifted in from the doorway.

I looked up sharply. Ivy stood in the doorway wearing a thin silk nightdress, a man's jacket draped loosely over her shoulders. It carried Ethan's scent.

She leaned weakly against the doorframe, her pale face making her look like a fragile white flower ready to collapse at any moment.

"What is she doing here?" The words escaped before I could stop them, and a sharp ache pierced my chest.

"Ivy's going to stay here for a while." Ethan walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders with natural familiarity, as though he'd done it countless times before. "Some of her fans have been crossing the line lately. They even found the place she's staying at now. It isn't safe for her anymore. Until she finds somewhere suitable, staying here is the best option."

Then he looked at me, warning clear in his eyes. "Treat her properly. I don't want people spreading rumors that the Luna of the Thorn Pack is bullying another pack member. Do you understand?"

I stared at the two of them standing together, and the whole thing felt strangely unreal.

My mate had brought the woman he loved into our home. And now he expected me to welcome her with a smile.

"Alright," I replied with a bitter smile. "I'll make sure she's well taken care of."

The staff moved quickly after that. They cleaned out the room beside mine, the nursery Ethan and I had once planned to use for our future child, and turned it into Ivy's bedroom.

Ethan personally stayed with her while the servants arranged everything. He even instructed them to replace the scent diffuser oils with lavender because it was Ivy's favorite fragrance.

The laughter drifting from the room next door grated against my nerves like a blade scraping over raw skin, tearing deeper into a heart that was already falling apart.

Late that night, I forced my exhausted body into the bathroom.

Warm water poured over me, but no amount of heat could drive away the cold buried deep inside my chest.

I lifted my eyes to the mirror. My face looked pale and drained, and dark bruises spread across my chest from the crash. At that moment, the tears I had been holding back finally fell.

Just six more days.

If I could endure six more days, everything would be over.

After changing into a simple silk slip dress, I stepped out of the bathroom through the lingering steam. My vision was still hazy, so I didn't notice someone standing inside the room.

Suddenly, my foot slipped against the floor, and my body pitched backward.

But instead of crashing down, I fell into a firm, burning embrace.

One of Ethan's arms locked tightly around my waist while his other hand pressed protectively against the back of my head, pulling me hard against his chest.

The sharp cedarwood scent that always clung to him surrounded me instantly.

"Can't even stand properly anymore?" His voice came out low and rough beside my ear.

"Let me go," I insisted, struggling to steady myself. "Shouldn't you be with Ivy right now?"

His eyes darkened instantly. Instead of letting me go, Ethan pulled me tighter against him. His fingers slid slowly through my damp hair before settling at the back of my neck, right over the sensitive gland every werewolf guarded instinctively.

"Lianne, I'm your mate," he murmured against my skin. His warm breath brushed across my collarbone, sending a shiver through me. "Yesterday was our anniversary. I told you I'd make it up to you."

His hand moved slowly along my skin, rough fingertips brushing lightly against me and leaving heat in their wake.

Three years of marriage had taught him every weakness I had. He knew exactly how to break down my defenses.

"No..."

My protest was swallowed by his possessive, punishing kiss.

There was no gentleness in the kiss. It was fierce and possessive, filled with a hunger that felt more like claiming than affection.

He kissed me hard enough to steal the air from my lungs, as though he wanted to erase every thought in my mind except him.

The next moment, he pushed me down onto the bed, his body pressing heavily against mine.

During the struggle, the straps of my silk dress slipped from my shoulders, exposing bare skin beneath the dim light.

Desire burned openly in Ethan's eyes. His lips moved slowly down my neck, leaving heated marks along my collarbone.

"Ethan..." A shaky sound escaped my throat as my fingers gripped his shoulders tightly, my nails pressing into the hard muscles beneath his shirt.

For that brief moment, I let myself sink into the illusion he created. Even knowing it wasn't real, I still reached desperately for the warmth he gave me so rarely.

His hand slid beneath the hem of my dress, his touch burning against my skin.

Just as he was about to go further, a terrified scream suddenly rang out from Ivy's room next door.

"Ethan, help me!"