Cecilia's pov

Xavier stood behind me, his face ice-cold with rage.

My wolf mate-no, soon-to-be ex-mate-was watching this whole scene go down.

I turned back to face the group, my eyes landing on the pixie-cut girl sitting in the corner of the sofa. Just moments ago, she'd been crossing her legs confidently, twirling her hair around her finger with a smug expression. Now her face had completely soured, looking at me like she wanted to rip my head off.

So this was where they'd been having their little meetups. From the casual way these men spoke, this wasn't the first time. They were already showing up in public together without any attempt to hide their relationship.

Xavier stepped forward, his Alpha presence taking over the room.

Suddenly, like puppets yanked by their strings, everyone sprang into motion.

"Luna Cecilia, we're so sorry, we were just talking trash," one of them stammered, the title 'Luna' ringing hollow now.

"Luna Cecilia, there's nothing going on between Xavier and Miss White," another added desperately.

"Luna Cecilia, please don't read into any of this."

Xavier grabbed my wrist, his grip firm as he tried to drag me toward the exit. Our partial bond sparked painfully at his touch, a cruel reminder of what we once had.

I spun around and threw my drink directly into his face.

The room went dead silent.

Everyone watched with bulging eyes, their shock obvious. How dare a human challenge an Alpha wolf in public?

My wolf instincts should be screaming at me to submit if I had any-but I didn't. I was just a human who had finally hit her limit.

The next moment, I smiled sweetly and said, "Go ahead and keep partying with your little sweetheart. I won't crash your fun anymore."

I tried to pry his fingers from my wrist, our bond crackling with each touch.

Xavier's face turned dangerous, his wolf clearly going nuts beneath the surface. Without warning, he hoisted me up and threw me over his shoulder.

Everyone in the room: "..."

In the hallway, I fought like hell against his grip, dangling over his shoulder.

The elevator doors opened right on time.

As Xavier hauled me into the elevator and turned around, I saw a man-his tall frame took up half the damn elevator. The tailored black suit showed off broad shoulders and a powerful silhouette, and expensive leather shoes complemented his long, lean legs. Even his casual stance showed the power contained within, and his presence was overwhelming.

The elevator instantly felt suffocating.

I couldn't help but look up at him as we prepared to leave. What hit my eyes was a handsome, angular face with deep-set eyes beneath steel-gray werewolf eyes that radiated danger. He surveyed me with obvious disdain, his thin lips slightly pursed, his jawline sharp as a blade. Such an intensely aggressive face, but with an aristocratic elegance and cold detachment.

I quickly covered my face and looked down again. My human senses might be weak compared to a wolf's, but even I could feel the power radiating from that stranger. An Alpha, definitely-and not just any Alpha.

Outside the club, Xavier tossed me into the back seat of his car before climbing in himself.

I struggled to sit up, dizzy from being carried upside down and then thrown around. My head was spinning, and I felt like I might have a concussion.

Xavier grabbed wet wipes from the car's glove compartment and started cleaning his face.

My sharp eyes caught sight of what looked like a condom package behind the tissue box. Evidence of his cheating was literally everywhere. His accusatory voice filled the car, "What were you doing there? Trying to catch me red-handed?"

I opened the car door, intending to get out. This car felt toxic.

"Cecilia!" Xavier growled, yanking me back inside. "Where do you think you're going? Don't you know when to quit?"

My breathing quickened as I pressed my fingertips together to calm myself. "I want to go home," I managed to say.

Xavier called Beta Henry, who had been waiting outside the club, to drive us.

The entire ride home, neither of us spoke. I sat as far away from him as possible, my face pale as if I might puke any moment. The scent of alcohol clung to him-sharp, heady, and laced with a perfume that definitely wasn't mine.

At home, I immediately got out of the car.

In the kitchen, I chugged an entire glass of ice water before I felt somewhat better.

When I came out, Xavier was sitting in the living room. I went over and sat down.

Another crushing silence fell between us until Xavier finally spoke. "I was there for business. You storming into the club and causing a scene like that-you've really embarrassed me. Don't you realize how stupid and pathetic you look right now, making a scene like that?"

"That it?" I responded calmly, my emotions locked away behind walls of ice.

"If you still want us to have a future together, drop these paranoid suspicions. I don't have time to deal with your drama."

"Got it. That it?" My voice remained steady.

"..." Xavier scowled deeply. "Cecilia, do you know how irritating you're being right now?"

I stood up with a slight smile curving my lips.

Soon enough, you won't have to deal with me anymore.

I went upstairs.

After showering, Xavier slid under the covers beside me. In the darkness, I lay on my side facing away from him, shifting further toward the edge of the bed to avoid any physical contact. Among wolves, touch was sacred-it strengthened the bond between mates. But we weren't true mates, were we? Our bond was never real, and now it was falling apart completely.

Xavier turned and pulled me forcefully into his arms, dragging me from the edge of the bed into his embrace with barely controlled anger.

His tall, strong body easily overpowered mine. Once he tightened his grip, I couldn't move at all.

I spent the entire night stiff as a board in his arms, imagining the same arms wrapped around Cici White.

In the morning, I made breakfast just for myself.

Xavier came downstairs and saw me sitting alone eating toast. He was about to leave but turned around and approached the dining area, leaning down to whisper in my ear with a gentler voice, as if trying to sweet-talk me: "This weekend, let's go out on the boat for a couple of days. Just the two of us."

I continued drinking my milk and gave a noncommittal "Mmm" under my breath.

Not surprisingly, by the day before the weekend, he canceled again, saying he needed to fly to Hong Kong.

I felt nothing. Not even a hint of disappointment.

Perhaps he hadn't even realized how long it had been since we'd shared a meal together or truly spent time with each other. His words warned me against thinking of divorce, but in reality, he treated me like I was invisible. If I disappeared one day, he probably wouldn't even notice.

That weekend, I removed my books from our shared bookshelf and packed them in a suitcase to take to my new place.

While sorting through them, I received a rare call from Dora.

I answered politely, "Hello, Luna Dora."

Dora responded with cold arrogance, "Get over here. About what we discussed before-let's make it official."

"Is that really necessary?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"I say it is, so it is," she snapped, her authority as Elder Luna evident in her tone.

"Fine, I'll come by this afternoon."

"Be here at noon."

"Fine."

Hanging up, I could almost imagine Dora's nasty face. I bet she'd cooked up some petty scheme to mess with me, nothing more than a sick display of Xavier and that little homewrecker getting intimate. She was probably hoping for me to see those two scumbags going at it, wasn't she? After all, in her eyes, only a pureblood werewolf was worthy of her precious son. But sadly, that wouldn't break me.

I didn't care what kind of game she was playing. Bring it on, my dear mother-in-law Dora!

Cecilia's pov

At 11:40 a.m.

My silhouette appeared in front of the Grimm family mansion, the territory of the Blood Moon Clan. The scent of pine and earth hit my nostrils, uncomfortably familiar.

This had been a second home, and now every visit made me feel like a stranger. The pack's werewolf steward's pupils went wide when he saw me at the door.

"Lu...Luna Cecilia." He stammered out, his eyes darting around nervously. Obviously he knew someone was coming today, but didn't think it would be me. He was already sweating bullets.

In the social circle of the wolves, our civil marriage was like a dirty little secret.

The marriage certificate was hidden away, as if it were some kind of embarrassing liability, known only to both parents, Beta Henry and a few inner circle members.

In the world of the wolves, one is never truly accepted without a formal mate ceremony. For the past eight years, I've been nothing more than an oddity, a barely tolerated human woman. Every time I attended a wolf gathering, the dirty looks reminded me: you're just an outsider, someone who could get tossed aside at any time.

"Please... Follow me." The butler approached reluctantly, as if he was about to walk to his execution.

Before we could reach the living room foyer, a sickeningly sweet flirtation pierced the air: "I win again! Xavier, are you going easy on me?"

My footsteps stopped cold. My brain went blank for three seconds before all the clues clicked into place. This was why he bailed on our weekend date - the so-called "business trip".

"Ha." A cold laugh escaped my lips as I continued to walk forward.

Xavier's eyes went huge when he looked up and saw me, "What are you doing here?" His tone sharp as a blade. "Your mother invited me." I said coldly, sarcasm dripping from my voice, "That's rich, shouldn't you be in Hong Kong right now? Since when did you develop teleportation powers?"

His eyelashes fluttered rapidly - a telltale sign of guilt I knew by heart after our years together.

The Shadow Pack she-wolf on the couch - Cici White - deliberately sauntered over to extend her hand.

The room reeked of her mingling with Xavier, and the nausea made my stomach lurch. "Hi~ I'm Cici!" She flashed a fake smile, clearly trying to get under my skin.

I didn't even look at the outstretched hand. In the pack hierarchy, even as a human, I'm still nominally the Luna of the Blood Moon Pack - even if it's just a title.

No point in stooping to her level. Dora Green, The Blood Moon Pack' elder Luna, appeared at the door right on cue.

She gave Cici an affectionate, warm greeting before looking me up and down with trash-can eyes: "Having fun dear? Just make yourself comfortable." her voice to Cici was sweet as honey.

Turning to me, her tone immediately turned to ice, "This is a manager from our company, Cecilia, here on work stuff." Everyone in the room knew my identity perfectly well, but she deliberately demoted me to a regular employee.

This was her way of announcing to everyone that for Xavier and Cici's possible marriage, I, a human wife, wasn't even a speed bump.

Cici lifted her chin smugly, "Oh~ so she's just an employee." Every word carried the attitude of a wolf marking territory.

I ignored their stares, locking my gaze straight onto Xavier's face. I wanted to see how he would react-would he stick up for me? Would he acknowledge my position?

But his face was cold and hard as marble, he didn't even flinch. He didn't care that his mother had publicly humiliated me.

"Luna Dora," I looked directly at Dora, keeping my voice level, "Since you brought me here on purpose, why don't you just say what you want to talk about?"

"Some other time." She dismissed me arrogantly, as if shooing away a servant, "Since you're here, stay here for lunch." She didn't even look at me when she said this, as if I only deserved this kind of brush-off.

"Thanks, but I have plans." I felt a dull ache in my chest as I turned, but I still kept my spine straight. For eight years, I had gotten used to pretending not to see their contempt in this house.

"When an elder tells you to stay and eat, what's with the attitude? No manners whatsoever." Dora Green snapped behind me, her voice loaded with contempt and disdain.

I stopped. Twenty days, I silently calculated to myself. Twenty days left to file the divorce papers. What was another twenty days of humiliation?

"Fine, I'll stay." I turned to meet her eyes and sneered. I walked straight to the table and sat down off to the side.

But Dora clearly had no intention of letting me off the hook. She looked around proudly and suddenly said, "Why don't you make yourself useful and pour tea for everyone."

A few snickers went around the dinner table. I balled my fists - that's what she really wanted me to stay for, to serve tea like a servant was a deliberate demotion, a public stripping of my status.

"What, you won't even do that much?" She scoffed, "Humans really can't be trusted, they don't even know the most basic etiquette."

I slowly stood up, picked up the teapot, and walked over to her with a sweet smile. To everyone's shock, I poured hot tea over her perfectly styled hair.

"I'm sorry, Luna Dora," I said, setting down the teapot in the sweetest voice, "my human hands are just so clumsy. Hope you enjoyed this cup of 'tea'?"

The dining room went dead silent, save for the sound of tea dripping down Dora's frozen cheeks.

Cecilia's pov

The rain had stopped by the time I drove off the property.

In the rearview mirror, the gates of Blood Moon Pack disappeared.

For the first time in eight years, I felt true relief.

Pulling out my cell phone, I sent Dora a message, "Dear Dora, I assume you've received that little surprise. Remember our agreement - the five million must be transferred into my account by noon tomorrow. Otherwise, I don't mind letting everyone know how the Luna of Blood Moon Pack pulled dirty tricks against a human daughter-in-law."

The phone quickly vibrated. Dora's reply came surprisingly fast, "You bitch!"

I laughed softly and sent another message, "Is the tea hot enough? If it needs more heat, I can always come back and add some fuel to the fire."

Turning off my cell phone, I took a deep breath. I might be destined to be the underdog in this game with the wolves, but I would never make it easy for them. Xavier betrayed me, Dora humiliated me, so in return, I would make them pay what they owe.

Money? It was pocket change to them. But it was worth the deal to make that arrogant Luna suffer, and to show the man who betrayed me what his mother really was.

"Goodbye, Blood Moon Pack," I said, hitting the gas.

...

The road stretched before me as I drove through the increasingly heavy rain. My thoughts scattered like the droplets hitting my windshield, memories of eight years flashing through my mind-eight years of being treated like garbage, eight years of hoping for a mating ceremony that would never come.

Suddenly, a flash caught my eye as a yellow motorcycle cut dangerously in front of my car. My heart jumped into my throat as I slammed on the brakes.

BANG--

The impact came from behind, sending me flying forward. My forehead connected with the steering wheel hard. Sharp pain radiated from my temple, and when I looked up, everything was blurred red.

I grabbed a tissue and frantically wiped the blood from my eyes. The yellow motorcycle was long gone, vanished into the downpour like a ghost.

"Tap, tap-"

Someone was at my window. I lowered it, raindrops immediately splashing onto my lap.

Outside stood a classy-looking man in his early fifties, wearing glasses and holding a sleek black umbrella. His expression conveyed genuine regret-something I hadn't seen from a wolf in forever.

"Miss, I'm terribly sorry. We're totally at fault for rear-ending you," he said with unexpected politeness. "My employer is in a rush. Would you consider exchanging contact information? You can send us a list of damages, and I assure you we'll take care of everything."

"I'd prefer to call the cops," I replied, my voice strained.

The day's events had pushed me past my breaking point-the confrontation at Xavier's, discovering his betrayal, and now this accident.

I was done playing nice today and didn't have the extra energy to accommodate anyone.

I stepped out into the rain, wincing as droplets hit my wound. The back of my car had a huge dent where the Bentley had smashed into it.

Annoyed, I took photos for evidence and called the police.

The man accepted my decision without argument and returned to the Bentley to report to whoever waited inside.

The rain got worse, pounding against the pavement. My white blouse clung to my skin as I stood exposed to the elements, one hand pressed against my bleeding temple while I spoke with 911.

I returned to my car to escape the downpour, but my clothes were already completely soaked. Within minutes, police arrived, followed by a silver Maybach that pulled up at the same time.

Stepping out again into the rain, I noticed another person exiting the Bentley besides the older man-a tall, lean figure with a silhouette like a Greek god. With aristocratic indifference, his eyes were sharp and deep, in which something wild underneath.

When he caught me staring, he returned my gaze with an intensity that made me shiver, awakening something primal within me.

A weird sense of déjà vu washed over me...

"Give it to her," his deep voice commanded, removing the suit jacket from his arm and handing it to the older man. Without another glance in my direction, he strode to the Maybach and disappeared inside.

The older gentleman hurried over with the jacket. "Miss, you're drenched. Please take this."

Looking down, I realized with horror that my blouse had become see-through. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I gratefully accepted the jacket and slipped it on. "Thank you."

The older gentleman spoke quietly with the police officer while the Maybach drove off, cutting through the curtain of rain. I caught only a fleeting glimpse of the stranger's refined profile, but it stuck with me.

The jacket still held his body heat and carried a distinct scent-sandalwood mixed with something wild and untamed that instantly calmed my frayed nerves.

After the police finished their report and we exchanged information, the older gentleman offered to take me to the hospital for my head wound.

I declined politely, my initial anger having subsided. "I apologize for being such a pain earlier. I've had the worst day, and I took it out on you. It wasn't even your fault." I gestured to the jacket. "I'll have this cleaned and returned to you."

The older gentleman nodded graciously.

...

As I drove myself to the hospital, Xavier was blowing up my phone.

I laughed coldly - this man was always like that, vanishing when I needed him, and then showing up when I didn't want to see him. Just like now, knowing that I hated his "white knight" attitude, he had to play hero at a time like this.

After eight years, he never learned to understand me, or rather, he couldn't be bothered to understand the feelings of a human being. When he should have been by my side, he chose someone else; when I had already decided to let go, he acted like he cared.

What a clueless idiot.