"I refuse!" I answered flatly, which only made him laugh.

"You really are a unique hybrid. Not only do you dare challenge the future Alpha, but you also have the nerve to insult and reject me," he chuckled.

"This isn't entertainment, Young Master. I don't want to get involved in such a troublesome matter, so I am firmly declining. And please, stop playing games with me. Give the pendant back."

Kael stopped laughing. The remaining sparks of amusement vanished from his golden eyes, replaced by an intense, piercing gaze that felt as though it could see right through my mind. He casually weighed the withered rose silver pendant in his long fingers, its chain catching the dim lights of the hockey rink in a rhythmic glint.

"Do you honestly think I’m offering you a choice to negotiate, sweetheart?" He leaned down slightly, bringing his face level with mine. "In this academy, defying the student council president constitutes a disciplinary violation. And as a hybrid without the backing of a powerful pack, what do you think will happen if I decide to hand down a sanction?"

I clenched my fists inside my oversized sleeve, feeling the raw whip wounds on my back throb again from the tension. "Are you threatening me?" I hissed sharply.

"I’m simply stating facts," Kael replied, a faint smirk returning to his lips.

He straightened his posture and closed his fingers tightly over the pendant, hiding it within his palm. "I know how precious this item is to you. Serve as my assistant for one semester, or you will never see this heirloom again. Make your choice, sweetheart."

I stood frozen, staring at the powerful hand that held the last remaining memory of my mother. This man truly knew how to weaponize a situation and corner me into the tightest spot possible.

If I accepted, I would have to face the wrath of his fan club every single day, including Victoria. But if I refused, the only anchor to my past would be gone forever.

"Fine," I said at last, breaking the silence with a voice as cold as ice. "I accept. But don't you dare expect me to be submissive like the rest of your servants."

Hearing my answer, Kael’s smirk widened, looking thoroughly satisfied with his victory.

"Deal. You can't go back on your word," he said, opening his palm and dropping the pendant into my hand. "Take it."

Finally, my property was back in my hands, even if it meant dealing with a massive headache moving forward.

"I'll start working tomorrow." Without another word, I turned on my heel to leave.

"Hey, I'm the boss here! Since when do you get to decide when to start working?" he yelled after me, but I completely ignored him.

"Iris."

The voice successfully halted my steps toward my bedroom. I turned to look at Julius with my usual expressionless face. For some reason, I noticed a flicker of strain in his eyes under my flat gaze.

"How long are you going to keep glaring at your own father as if I'm your enemy?" he snapped.

"And what should I do? Am I supposed to offer a loving gaze to a father who has never once fulfilled his duties?" I countered mockingly.

"You—!" He clearly choked back his rage. "Listen, Iris, I am not in the mood to scold you right now. Tonight, a guest will be arriving, so I expect you to get ready," he commanded.

"A guest?" I arched an eyebrow, staring at him with deep suspicion. "Since when do I have to meet a guest in this estate? Haven't you all always considered my very existence a disgrace that must be hidden away?"

Julius clenched his fists tightly, his jaw tightening as he fought back the volatile fury threatened by my sarcasm. Remarkably, however, he took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. This highly unusual shift in his demeanor only caused my sense of dread to worsen.

"Watch your mouth, Iris! Tonight's guest is extremely important, so prepare yourself," Julius said in a low, forced tone, trying to salvage his authority as the pack leader. "The maids will come to your room. Put on the dress I've prepared for you."

After delivering his orders, he left. This was incredibly suspicious. Who was this guest, and why on earth was I being forced to meet them?

A few moments later, two maids pushed my bedroom door open without bothering to knock. They carried a deep green satin gown that looked far too formal, along with a cosmetic box.

Without uttering a word, completely ignoring the icy glares I shot their way, they began to force me into the dress and apply makeup. Heavy powder was patted onto my skin to mask my pale complexion, while a high-collared gown was intentionally selected—undoubtedly to conceal the fresh whip wounds covering my back.

Once they finished, I was escorted down to the grand dining hall.

The room, which was usually dead silent, was now illuminated by a magnificent crystal chandelier. The air was thick with the scent of an unfamiliar, dominant pheromone. As I stepped inside, I realized everyone had already gathered. The venomous glares thrown by my stepmother and Victoria welcomed me instantly.

At the head of the long table, Julius sat with a stiff, forced smile. However, my attention was immediately drawn to the middle-aged man seated directly across from him.

The man had neatly trimmed silver hair and wore an expensive velvet suit. Lines of age were etched deeply into his stern face, radiating the cold, ruthless aura of a ruler from the pureblood borderlands. He was Count Radcliff.

"Ah, here she is, my eldest daughter, Iris," Julius announced, his tone sounding so sickeningly warm it made me want to vomit. "Iris, greet Count Radcliff."

I didn't take a single step forward. I remained standing right by the entrance. "Why did you call me here, Mr. Julius?" I asked bluntly, deliberately ignoring Count Radcliff and addressing my father without any familial title.

Julius’s face hardened instantly, but before he could bark a reprimand, Count Radcliff raised a single hand, cutting him off.

His cold, gray eyes swept over me from head to toe, assessing my worth as if I were a racehorse up for auction.

"She has quite a fascinating spark of defiance for a hybrid, Lord Julius," Count Radcliff remarked, his voice heavy and raspy. "That kind of stubbornness will be remarkably easy to tame once she resides in my castle."

"Of course, Lord Count. Iris only needs a little guidance once she is married to you," my stepmother chimed in eagerly.

"What do you mean, marriage? I am still a student at the academy," I stated firmly, my voice cutting through their negotiation.

"Iris, I believe there is no need for you to continue your education," Julius interjected coldly. "It would be best for you to marry immediately and start building your future. You will have a much better life in Count Radcliff’s territory."

***

"I refuse!"

"Iris!" snapped the man I called Father. "Watch your tone and do not be disrespectful!"

"Calm yourself, Lord Julius. Young people are always like this. She may rebel at first, but she will yield eventually," Count Radcliff chuckled casually.

I glared at Count Radcliff with the coldest gaze I could muster. His nonchalant laughter sounded sickening to my ears, as if my rejection—and my entire life—were merely a trivial joke he could purchase with his power.

"Dream on, Lord Count," I hissed without a single shred of fear. "I will never become your wife, let alone a stepmother to your three children who are older than I am!"

The relaxed expression on Count Radcliff's face vanished instantly. His jaw hardened, and an oppressive aura began to leak subtly into the air, pressing down on me to force me to my knees in submission. Yet, I stood tall, locking my gaze onto his cold gray eyes.

I was not afraid at all.

"Little girl," Count Radcliff's voice dropped, laced with a thick threat. "Do you think you have the right to choose? This decision has already been agreed upon by your father."

"The head of the family sold me to save his failing business, didn't he?" I sneered bitterly, casting a glance at Julius, whose face had turned flushed crimson from accumulated shame and rage.

"Shut your mouth, you ungrateful brat!" Julius bellowed, slamming his hand onto the dining table so hard the cutlery clattered loudly. "Who do you think fed you and gave you a roof over your head all these years?! You are nothing but a useless hybrid! Count Radcliff is being generous enough to accept you!"

"Generous?" I let out a cynical chuckle. "Unfortunately, I don't need his generosity!"

My stepmother and Victoria gasped, their eyes wide with shock at my blatant nerve in challenging a Count in the family dining room.

Without waiting for anyone to respond, I turned on my heel and walked out of the grand dining room, my fists clenching tight beneath the green satin gown.

I was sick of being blamed and remaining silent, only to be punished and tortured anyway. Now, I decided I would never stay silent again. I would keep fighting back, even if I knew it might end with me being whipped to death.

"Forgive her, Lord Count. I will continue to persuade her," I could faintly hear Julius pleading to the old man in the background.

Crash!

Two burly guards burst into my room. Without a word, they grabbed me and dragged me out.

"Let me go!" I struggled violently, but my physical strength was no match for theirs.

"Let me go!" I hissed sharply, trying to wrench myself free, but my body—still far from recovered—was completely overpowered.

"Take her downstairs!" Julius's voice echoed from behind as his hurried footsteps caught up to us.

His flushed face was now consumed by an uncontrollable fury. In his eyes, my defiance tonight was not merely disobedience; it was a devastating blow that humiliated him in front of Count Radcliff.

The guards dragged me mercilessly down the stairs, redirecting our path toward a dark, suffocating subterranean hallway. A foul stench instantly greeted my senses, dominated by the thick, sickening smell of stale blood.

This was the Gamma pack dungeon—the place reserved for locking up traitors.

"Throw her in!" Julius commanded coldly as we reached the bottom of the cell block.

The heavy iron door swung open, and my body was violently hurled onto the damp stone floor. The green satin gown I wore was instantly soiled by dust and puddles of murky water.

Before I could even attempt to push myself up, Julius stepped inside. Without warning, the tip of his leather boot slammed into my stomach with full force.

Thud!

"Ugh!" I coughed violently, curling into a ball as I clutched my abdomen, which twisted in agonizing pain as if my internal organs had been crushed.

The air was sucked completely out of my lungs.

"How dare you humiliate me in front of Count Radcliff!" Julius roared, his eyes burning with absolute hatred.

He grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking my head back forcefully to compel me to look at his face. "Who do you think you are, Iris?! You're just a piece of half-blood trash who only survives because of my charity! If Count Radcliff hadn't been willing to buy you, you wouldn't be worth a single coin!"

I whimpered from the agonizing pull on my scalp, yet amidst the burning pain, a cynical smirk formed on my lips.

"If I'm so worthless," I whispered hoarsely, staring directly into his eyes with what little strength I had left, "why don't you just kill me and get it over with?"

Honestly, I was sick of living like this.

Slap!

A heavy backhand struck my cheek, snapping my head to the side as spots danced across my vision. Julius released his grip on my hair.

"Beat her until she remembers her place!" Julius ordered the two guards behind him. "Lock her in here without food or water until tomorrow night. Let's see how stubborn you are when you're forced to beg me for mercy!"

Crack!

The sharp crack of a leather whip—retrieved from the cell wall—echoed through the air, tearing into my back over my old wounds. A deafening wave of pain exploded through my body, turning my vision completely white.

Lash after lash landed without mercy, shredding the satin dress and the bandages beneath, mixing fresh blood with yesterday's injuries.

I bit my lower lip hard until the metallic taste of blood flowed into my mouth. I forced myself to remain silent, refusing to cry out or whimper. I was used to this kind of pain. This wasn't the first time I had endured his torture.

I truly wished I could just die and leave this sickening life behind.

Once his cruel satisfaction was fulfilled, the sharp clanging of the iron bars being locked shut echoed loudly in the pitch-black dungeon. The footsteps of Julius and his guards gradually faded away, leaving behind the foul stench of rot, the metallic smell of blood, and a terrifying silence.

I lay helplessly on the cold, damp stone floor. My vision swam as I clung to the fading remnants of my consciousness.

My back felt as though it were on fire, my breathing ragged and shallow, while the sharp throbbing in my stomach forced cold tears to stream silently down my cheeks, washing away the bloodstains.

It was completely dark in the cell. In this darkest corner of the house, no one cared whether I would still be breathing come morning.

My trembling fingers moved slowly beneath my torn clothes, reaching up to touch my neck with what little strength remained. The cool touch of the silver chain and my mother's withered rose pendant met my skin.

It was still there. I clutched it tightly against my chest, seeking a tiny sliver of warmth from the memory of the one person who had loved me unconditionally.

Mother... why did you leave me all alone in this hell?

Perhaps the sun would never rise for me again. My frail hybrid body had surely reached its limit. If tonight were to be my last, at least I would die without ever bowing my head to Julius.

Yet, amid the deepening darkness and fading consciousness, the image of Kael's sharp golden eyes suddenly flashed across my mind. His infuriatingly handsome face, his sarcastic smirk, and the absolute decree he had uttered in the middle of the hockey rink earlier today...

'Starting tomorrow, you are the personal assistant to the student council president of this academy...'

A faint, hollow, and resigned smile formed at the corner of my bloody lips.

"Well... at least I'll be spared from the prince's antics."

***