Lianne's POV:

Ethan's words struck hard, leaving me unable to catch my breath.

Not once had he ever thought about having a child with me.

I had been foolish to believe he might one day return my feelings.

I steadied myself with a slow breath, forcing down the bitterness that rose in my throat.

No matter what, I wouldn't let him see me fall apart.

"You already signed off on Sparkle's proposal," I said, though my voice still wavered. "Then why change Sia at the last minute? She matches the brand perfectly."

"Ivy is coming back to develop her career here," Ethan replied, his tone steady, as if this was nothing worth arguing over. "She needs an opportunity to establish herself. Since Sparkle is a new launch under Voss Group, she'll be its first endorser."

So it all came back to Ivy. The moment she returned, everything else became secondary.

"And if I don't agree?" I retorted.

"I'm speaking as the Alpha of the Thorn Pack," he replied, his tone leaving no room for defiance.

No one in the pack could go against an Alpha's order.

My throat tightened, each word scraping painfully as I forced them out. "Alright. Since you've decided, I'll handle it."

Without waiting, I turned and left his office. The second the door closed behind me, the strength I had been holding onto slipped away.

I hurried down the hall and locked myself inside the restroom, bending over the sink as the nausea hit.

My stomach twisted violently, but there was nothing inside. All that came up was bitterness.

When I looked up, the reflection staring back at me felt unfamiliar. Pale skin, red eyes, someone I barely recognized.

My hand moved to my stomach, still flat beneath my palm. The tears I had been holding back finally fell, hitting the cold surface of the sink.

"I'm sorry, baby," I whispered. "He doesn't want you, but I do. Don't be scared. I'll protect you, no matter what it takes."

After composing myself, I returned to my office and called Mary back, promising that I would do everything I could to secure another endorsement for Sia.

Once the call ended, I leaned back in my chair and pressed my fingers against my temples.

My eyes drifted to the Rejection. A bitter laugh escaped me as I picked it up and read it.

Ethan was indeed generous.

The terms were generous. Three hundred million in cash, along with several properties in the heart of the city.

Even so, I felt nothing.

Later that afternoon, I had to bring an urgent document to Ethan, which forced me to return to his office.

Before I even reached the door, a sharp scent hit me. It was the scent of another she-wolf, strong and unmistakable.

The door hadn't been fully closed.

Through the narrow opening, I caught sight of what was inside.

Ethan sat on the couch, and a woman leaned against him, her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed close into his chest.

There was no doubt. It was Ivy.

Her long hair fell over his shoulders, and the two of them looked as though they belonged together.

"Ivy, I've already secured the Sparkle endorsement for you," Ethan said.

"Ethan, you're so sweet," Ivy responded with a soft laugh as she leaned in and brushed her lips against his cheek.

The folder slipped from my grasp. Papers scattered across the floor.

At that moment, something inside me broke apart, and I felt as though I couldn't even stay on my feet.

The sound drew their attention, and both of them turned toward me.

Ivy saw me standing there, yet instead of pulling away, she smiled even more brilliantly.

She let go of Ethan and walked toward me, her steps slow as she approached with a gentle sway. Reaching out, she took my hand as if we were already familiar.

"So you're Lianne? I've seen your photo before," she said with a soft smile that carried both innocence and quiet pride. "I hope we didn't startle you earlier. Ethan and I haven't seen each other in a long time, so we got a little close. You don't mind, do you?"

She had a pretty face, but it made something churn in my stomach.

"It doesn't bother me," I replied, forcing a faint smile as I slipped my hand out of hers.

"I'm glad," Ivy answered, lowering her gaze slightly as she touched her neck.

That was when I saw it.

My breath caught.

Resting against her skin was the Moonstone Necklace, clear and radiant.

That wasn't just any piece of jewelry. It was the heirloom of the Thorn Pack, a symbol meant only for the Luna.

Three years ago, on the day Ethan and I first came together, I had seen that necklace displayed in the family cabinet.

Back then, I had imagined wearing it more times than I could count. To me, it meant recognition. It meant I belonged at his side.

But when I reached for it, what had he said?

He had stopped me without hesitation. "Lianne, we haven't completed the mating ceremony. Wearing this necklace is against the rules."

I had believed him. I had waited, hoping that one day, he would place it around my neck himself.

And now, he had given it to Ivy.

Rules?

So that was what those rules meant—an excuse to stop me from wearing the necklace.

"Do you like it?" Ivy asked when she noticed where I was looking, her voice carrying a quiet sense of pride. "Ethan put it on me himself. He said I'm the only one who should have it."

At that moment, everything became clear.

Those three years had been nothing more than something I played alone.

"It's beautiful," I muttered, my voice steady in a way that surprised even me. "It suits you well."

I bent down and gathered the papers scattered on the floor, each movement feeling distant as my heart grew colder.

Ethan didn't say a word. He remained where he was, silent.

After placing the documents neatly on his desk, I turned and walked out without looking back.

This time, no tears came.

When something inside truly breaks, even tears stop falling.

Lianne's POV:

There was no way I could finish my shift.

I could not get the necklace on Ivy's neck out of my head. Its harsh glow stayed in my thoughts and would not disappear.

I quickly came up with an excuse, then left Voss Group without looking back.

I headed straight to Moon Bar, the most crowded club in the city.

I just wanted to let everything out and numb those damn feelings with alcohol.

As soon as I stepped inside, loud music filled the space and matched the rapid beat of my heart. The air felt heavy, mixed with cheap perfume, cigarette smoke, and the raw tension from male werewolves.

I took a seat at the bar.

"Miss, drinking alone tonight? Want to try our best-selling tequila?" The bartender moved with ease as he shook the mixer, and his gaze stayed on my bare collarbone.

"Just give me the whole bottle," I said with a faint smirk, my voice rough.

For three years, I stayed away from alcohol and followed a strict routine. I did it to maintain the image of a Luna, to satisfy Ethan's picky demands, and to handle the complicated matters of the Thorn Pack.

But in the end, what did I even get?

Nothing at all.

A hint of surprise crossed the bartender's face, yet he still placed several shot glasses in front of me and filled each one with tequila.

I grabbed one and swallowed it in a single motion.

The alcohol burned down my throat and made me cough hard.

I reached for the next glass, then another. I kept drinking faster each time, as if I was taking it out on myself.

Soon, everything in front of me turned hazy, and the noise around me began to fade.

My hands shook as I pulled out the wrinkled ultrasound report from my bag.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant." The doctor's voice repeated in my head, overlapping with Ethan's cold words. "Even if there were a child, I wouldn't allow it to be born."

My eyes stayed on the faint shape on the paper, the tiny sign of life, and a bitter feeling settled deep inside me.

The child I looked forward to meant nothing to Ethan. In his eyes, it was only something unwanted.

A quiet laugh slipped out of me while tears kept falling.

The report crumpled in my grip before I shoved it back into my bag, then I lifted the bottle and drank again.

"Drinking here all by yourself? Feeling lonely?"

Someone spoke right beside my ear, his tone careless.

When I looked over, a young man stood there, probably in his early twenties.

His blond hair was flashy, and his eyes carried that familiar greedy look of a werewolf.

He moved in closer, and the way he looked at me turned intense. "Your scent is driving me crazy."

Female hormone changes never escaped a werewolf's senses.

Because of the pregnancy, my scent had become more tempting.

"Stay away from me." I swung my purse straight at his face, but he caught it with ease and tossed it aside.

Closing the distance, he pulled me into his arms. His grip tightened, and his other hand slid up along my waist toward my chest.

"Relax a little. Spend some time with me, and I promise you will not forget it."

I fought back with everything I had and shoved against him. In my head, I called out in panic, "Anna! Please help me!"

But no answer came.

Five years had passed since that rogue wolves' attack, the moment my wolf disappeared after saving Ethan.

Back then, I stood out as one of the most promising students at Pack Academy. Everyone believed I would become a strong Gamma warrior.

Now, even a low-ranking werewolf was too much for me to handle.

Hopelessness took over as my body was forced against the bar.

His breath brushed against my neck, making me feel sick.

Right when his hand was about to go further, the temperature around us suddenly dropped.

An overwhelming wave of Alpha pressure swept across the entire bar.

"Let her go."

A deep voice cut through the music, heavy like thunder.

The blond man went completely still.

Out of nowhere, someone seized his wrist with crushing force. A sharp crack rang out, followed by his scream, and he was thrown across the room before slamming into a booth.

My strength vanished, and I dropped straight into a firm, cold embrace.

A mix of sandalwood and a winter-like chill surrounded me, wrapping me completely.

It was Ethan.

He pulled me close without hesitation, his grip tight and unyielding, as if he wanted to hold me inside his own body.

From above, his gaze locked onto me, dark and unreadable like a raging sea.

"We're going home," he said, his voice strained through clenched teeth.

My body felt weak from the alcohol, so I leaned into him and breathed in what little of his scent remained.

"Sir, her purse..." the bartender said nervously while pointing down.

Without a word, Ethan bent over and picked up my purse, his expression cold.

As he lifted it, a wrinkled sheet of paper slipped out from the open zipper and fell near his feet.

The haze of alcohol faded at once, and my heart missed a beat.

That paper was my ultrasound report.

Lianne's POV:

My breath caught the moment that wrinkled ultrasound report dropped near Ethan's feet.

If he saw it, what would he do?

His cold words from earlier replayed in my head. "Even if there were a child, I wouldn't allow it to be born." The memory sent a chill through my body.

I gathered what little strength I had and shoved him away. Before he could move, I grabbed the paper and stuffed it deep into my coat pocket.

"What was that?" Ethan paused mid-motion, his eyes narrowing as suspicion crept in.

My chest pounded hard, but I still forced a smile. "It's nothing... Just an old draft for a project."

He kept his eyes on me for a while, studying my face, yet he chose not to question me further. With a quiet scoff, he pulled me out of Moon Bar, his hand gripping my shoulder without easing up.

Silence filled the villa the moment we stepped inside.

"Why were you drinking there?" Ethan asked in a cold tone as he loosened his tie.

"I wasn't feeling well." I stayed near the door and met his distant gaze. "What about you? Why did you go there?"

"I couldn't reach you, so I tracked your location," he said while turning to look at me, his eyes sharp. "Lianne, when did you start drinking?"

Instead of giving him a reply, I retorted, "Is that really why you went looking for me?"

"Three hundred million. That should be enough for a settlement," he said as he sat down and crossed his legs, sounding like he was discussing business. "If it is not, I can raise it."

Three hundred million.

The same number again.

My stomach twisted, and nausea rose all the way to my throat.

No words came out. I rushed toward the bathroom, covering my mouth as I dropped beside the toilet and started throwing up uncontrollably.

"Ugh..."

Tears slipped down my face while I puked.

After cleaning myself up, I turned around and saw Ethan standing behind me. I had not even noticed when he got there.

He rested against the doorframe, his eyes fixed on my stomach. "What is wrong with you?"

I flinched and moved back, pressing myself against the sink as a reflex. "It's nothing... I just drank too much, and now my stomach feels off."

Ethan showed no sign of suspicion and stepped closer instead.

In the tight space, his height closed the distance between us, and his breath carried a faint trace of sandalwood, the kind of presence only an Alpha had.

Slowly, he lifted his hand, and his fingers grazed my pale cheek.

"Take better care of yourself. No more drinking." His voice stayed low, with a firm edge that sounded like both concern and an order.

His face was right in front of me, yet all I felt was a deep bitterness rising inside.

Maybe this concern was only because he needed me healthy enough to sign the Rejection.

"Understood," I replied quietly and slipped past him.

Morning came, and the constant buzzing of my phone dragged me out of sleep.

As soon as I unlocked it, a headline filled the screen. "Thorn Pack Alpha seen with an unknown she-wolf late at night, rumored first love."

The image showed Ethan walking beside Ivy under the moonlight.

Ivy smiled brightly, and the way Ethan looked at her was soft enough to make anyone believe in love.

Coldness spread through me while I scrolled down with unsteady hands.

"They look amazing together! The Thorn Pack's perfect couple for sure!"

"So it is true—that Ivy is the Alpha's real love."

"That necklace is stunning!"

No one had any idea that Ethan already had a mate.

For three years, he kept me hidden away like I did not belong in the light.

I forced myself to go to work, and Mary was already standing outside the elevator waiting.

She walked toward me in her heels, her expression filled with mockery.

"Well, look who it is. Lianne, why do you look so drained?" Mary leaned closer and lowered her voice. "You don't need to pretend. Ethan released that trending topic himself and even told the PR team to spread those articles. He publicly acknowledged that Ivy is the only one he accepts as his mate."

Those words hit me hard, and I returned to my office with a drained expression.

When I opened the trending topic again, I saw countless people praising Ivy. They were already calling her the future Luna of the Thorn Pack, while I, the one who was actually Ethan's mate, was not even mentioned.

A deep sense of despair settled inside me.

Without thinking twice, I got to my feet and headed straight for the CEO's office, pushing the door open.

Behind his desk, Ethan remained seated with a document in hand, his face calm and unchanged.

"What is this about the trending topic?" I threw my phone onto the desk, and my voice shook with anger.

Lifting his gaze, Ethan responded coldly, "I should be asking you that. Lianne, those photos were taken at a very close range. Only someone from the inside could have done that. Did you arrange it? Are you so bothered by Ivy that you'd go this far just to damage her name?"

I let out a bitter laugh as tears filled my eyes. "Ethan, did you forget that I'm your mate? You dumped me just to make room for her, and now you're blaming me for this?"

"What we had was a mistake. I've already given you compensation," he said as he stood up, his voice turning colder. "Ivy just came back, and she needs attention. What you're doing now only makes me dislike you more."

"Dislike me?" I stared at him, the man I had loved for three years, and everything I had held back finally burst out.

I stepped forward, met his gaze, and spoke with force, stressing every word. "Listen carefully! In this situation, I'm the one who's been wronged. Ivy is the one stepping into someone else's marriage."