I set aside my thoughts. Arguing with them was pointless and a waste of time.

I turned to August and said calmly, "Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's go, then."

The air was tense, and silence filled the hall. They exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

Hailey let out a sharp scoff and said coldly, "Pick you up? In your dreams."

She pointed at the sign. "Take a good look. We're here for a VIP guest from the Lymerian pack. Do you have any idea who that is?"

My mate was Ryder, the lycan chairman. Of course, I knew exactly who they were waiting for.

"We're waiting for the lycan chairman's mate, Mrs. Weyland. Mr. Weyland's known for being ruthless and decisive, but when it comes to love, he's a romantic at heart. Word is, he stayed single all these years just to wait for his current Luna to bond with him."

"Everyone knows the fastest way through Ryder Weyland is through his Luna. She's the one he treasures most."

As I listened to their chatter, a gentle, satisfied smile graced the corners of my lips.

In the three years of our mate bond, Ryder had led his territory to strength and stability, and he had done so while never once wavering his devotion as a devoted Alpha to his mate.

Hailey was always desperate to one-up me. Hence, she never missed a chance to show off. "I heard Mr. Weyland once bought a bracelet at auction just to impress his mate.

"It was a symbol of eternal love and sincerity. And it's worth two million dollars. That gift made his mate the envy of every she-wolf in the pack."

She paused mid-sentence. Then her voice suddenly shot up in pitch as she pointed at my wrist. "Hold on. That's the one!"

Everyone fell silent. They held their breaths, staring at the bracelet on my wrist.

August suddenly grabbed my hand and gave it a once-over. He sneered. "Not a bad imitation. Who gave it to you? Some broke loser trying way too hard?"

I pulled my hand away and smiled a bit as I ran my fingers over the bracelet. Ryder gifted it to me for our first mate bond anniversary; although it was one of the cheaper pieces in the collection he had given, it was still a thoughtful gift.

But what mattered wasn't the price; it was the meaning behind it. To me, it meant love.

Yet, to them, it was inconceivable that I could own such a bracelet.

Seeing that I wasn't flustered or embarrassed in the slightest, August's pupils narrowed. Without warning, he yanked my wrist and tore the bracelet off with force.

I didn't expect him to go that far, but he succeeded.

Hailey stepped forward, eyeing the bracelet before casually taking it from August's hand and turning it over in her fingers. "It's definitely more refined than the replica I bought online.

"But I have self-respect. I wouldn't dare wear a knockoff in public and let people laugh at me.

"Or… Sophia, are you saying you're the VIP from the Lymerian pack? The one who's supposedly the mate of the legendary lycan chairman?"

Instantly, the others burst into laughter. To them, it was ridiculous.

Ryder was a legendary Alpha, renowned throughout all the packs for his keen instincts and formidable clarity. He was a cold, ruthless leader who acted decisively when necessary.

On the contrary, I was the pathetic ex-girlfriend August had discarded three years ago—the foolish she-wolf who once begged for scraps of affection.

To them, there was no universe in which I could belong beside Ryder.

Hailey twirled the bracelet around her finger and said with a smug smile, "Sophia, I actually like this. Sell it to me. Whatever you paid for it, I'll give you double."

I hurried forward, concerned she might damage it. "Give it back. That bracelet was a gift from Ryder..."

Before I could finish, August slapped me hard across the face, snapping my head to the side. I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.

"Shut up!" He glared at me. "Sophia, who do you think you are? How dare you mention Mr. Weyland's name? Are you trying to get me killed by spreading lies about having ties to him?"

His pack of sycophants echoed his outrage, their eyes burning with hostility.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing, Sophia?

"This is our one shot at making a good impression on Mrs. Weyland. Mr. Weyland is in the middle of alliance talks with our pack. Do you want to ruin it?

"August finally earned a spot among our Alpha's trusted circle. You're just a broke, cast-off ex. Do you believe you can just waltz in and act like you're Ryder's mate?"

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and slowly turned my head, locking eyes with August.

Probably something in my calm, cold gaze seemed to make him uneasy, causing his brow to furrow and a flicker of worry to cross his eyes.

Hailey noticed it too. Her voice turned shrill with resentment. "Sophia, you ungrateful traitor! August was willing to take you in, and this is how you repay him? Don't push your luck! Even if you still resent August, this isn't the way to get back at him."

Her words made me feel as if I were back in the past, three years ago. No matter what I did, Hailey would always twist my intentions to make me look bad in front of August.

Initially, August would reprimand her for her remarks. However, over time, he began to mimic her words and use them against me.

Just like before, August gave me a look of disappointment and muttered, "You're just a bitter, jealous woman."

But this time, he didn't keep scolding me like he used to. After a pause, August pulled out a check of 200,000 dollars and held it up in front of my eyes.

"For old times' sake, I'll let it slide this once. Use the money to buy yourself some decent clothes. If you're not into babysitting, I'll find you a more respectable job in a few days.

"Don't worry. Now that I've earned our Alpha's favor, this kind of money means nothing to me."

I looked at the check. Then I looked at him.

That smug expression. The arrogance in his voice. The rot behind his words.

In the stunned silence of the crowd, I slowly pushed away the hand holding the check and calmly took my bracelet back from Hailey.

I replied indifferently, "Keep your money. I don't accept charity from strangers."

I ignored August, whose face had turned beet red, and turned to leave.

But I hadn't gotten far when he grabbed me. Then, he questioned me coldly, "Sophia, you don't want my money? What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to cut all ties with me?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "Since we've already broken up, it's better not to have any further entanglements to avoid misunderstandings."

My thoughts drifted to Ryder, who was always jealous.

He wasn't prone to unreasonable jealousy, but he had a fierce sense of territory. If he caught another werewolf attempting to touch me in public, that poor werewolf would certainly be in for a serious reckoning.

But August glanced at Hailey, clearly thinking he'd figured everything out.

"Our Alpha is throwing a welcome party for the Lymerian pack's Alpha in three days. I'm planning to take you to experience the high life. But first, you'll need to change out of that ugly outfit. I don't want you embarrassing me—"

Before he could finish, I cut him off firmly."No thanks."

Hearing me turn him down again, August's expression darkened. The hand holding the check froze mid-air, and his jaw clenched so hard I could hear his teeth grinding.

"Sophia, I see your temper has certainly grown, but you still can't seem to shed that somewhat cheap demeanor. If you don't want to go, fine. I'll take Hailey instead."

Hailey's eyes lit up when she heard August was taking her to the party. She quickly chimed in, "August, I'll make sure to behave. I won't embarrass you, I promise."

I had no interest in getting dragged into their drama any further. I turned and walked away briskly, leaving them with one parting line. "Let's hope you're both still this confident three days from now."

I rushed out of the arrival hall, and only after taking a breath of fresh air did my nausea ease a bit.

Three years ago, my parents arranged a mate bond for me in another pack. Under pressure from my parents, I begged my boyfriend of seven years, August, to become my mate. I was hoping to go through with it first and explain later.

August agreed. Yet, outside the Pack Affairs Department, I was surprised to see not only August but also his first love, Hailey.

"Hailey's pup needs to be registered with the Aurelis pack. I need to officially become her mate first. I'll form a mate bond with you as soon as her pup gets legal status, which is expected in about a month. It's just for the pup, so don't overthink it."

Watching August walk into the office hand in hand with Hailey, I gave up on him completely. That very night, I agreed to the mate bond my parents had arranged.

A month later, I went through with the ceremony and formed a mate bond with Ryder. A year later, we welcomed our first pup.

I recently found out I was pregnant with our second pup. If it weren't for wanting to visit my parents, I wouldn't have come back to the Aurelis pack at all, and I definitely wouldn't have run into August.

…

Three days later, I showed up at the party alone, wearing light makeup and a casual outfit.

The moment August saw me, his eyes lit up, and a smug smile tugged at his lips. "You said you weren't coming, but your body's telling a different story.

"But if you're trying to win me back, you'll need to at least please me. At an event like this, you should be dressed properly, something worthy of my status."

I ignored his sudden bout of narcissism and tried to walk past him to my seat.

But I barely took two steps before August grabbed my arm in irritation. "Sophia, I'm talking to you. Didn't you hear me? Our seats are over here. Where do you think you're going?"

I shook off his hand and replied calmly, "That's your seat. Mine is over there."

Following my gaze, August looked toward the seats reserved for the most esteemed guests. His expression turned sour in an instant.

Hailey shot me a venomous glare, then pointed at my bracelet and shouted, "Sophia, how did you sneak in here? You're here to cause trouble, aren't you? And how dare you show up wearing that fake bracelet?"

Her voice was so loud that it immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Is that bracelet the same model as the 'Timeless Love' limited edition that Mr. Weyland spent a fortune to buy for his mate? Today is Mr. Weyland's Luna's first public appearance, and she shows up wearing a knockoff? Is she trying to embarrass our pack on purpose?"

"August, is this your friend?" another subordinate frowned and asked.

Noticing I hadn't once looked directly at him, August adjusted his tie and calmly replied, "No."

Hailey's expression lit up at his words, and she looked at me with smug superiority. "Take off that bracelet and get out!"

I looked at her indifferently and asked, "Are you sure you want me to leave?"

My calm expression only made her angrier. In her mind, I was supposed to be sobbing and apologizing, begging her not to kick me out.

Her eyes narrowed sharply, and she shouted, "Quit pretending! Take that bracelet off! Now!"

The next second, she lunged at me and tried to yank it off herself.

I slapped her hand away and instinctively stepped back to avoid her. But someone suddenly stuck out a foot. I was caught off guard and fell to the ground.

I was completely stunned.

Hailey stomped on my hand and ripped the bracelet straight off my wrist. "Only trash like you would treat this junk like it's something precious."

Pain shot up my arm, her heel grinding into my hand. My skin was torn open, blood mixing with dirt.

Yet, I just stared blankly at the broken bracelet and the scattered gemstones glittering across the floor.

"Pick her up and throw her out!" Hailey ordered arrogantly.

People immediately started to crowd around. As someone reached for my arms and legs, I quickly said, "Stop! I'm Mr. Weyland's…"

Before I could finish, Hailey slapped me hard across the face. "Oh, let me guess. You're about to spread that lie again? Claiming to be Mr. Weyland's Luna? Someone like you? Seriously?"

As if one slap wasn't enough, she slapped me again.

My wolf inside me let out a low, threatening growl, aching to come out and tear her apart.

Initially, I hadn't planned on settling any old scores when I came back this time, because I was truly happy now. She simply wasn't worth my time.

But now, I swore she would face the consequences of her actions.

August crouched in front of me, reaching for the wound on my wrist. I instinctively pulled away.

He looked at me icily. "Sophia, have you caused enough of a scene? You came here wearing a fake bracelet, dressed like that for the party.

"Wasn't it just to catch my attention after seeing how successful I've become? Trying to win me back, hoping I'd keep you by my side?

"If you beg me now, I'll get you out of this mess. I'll even let you stay with me."

I sneered and replied, "August, you really do think too highly of yourself."

August frowned and was just about to speak when he noticed the room suddenly growing quiet. People around us began straightening their clothes and fixing their posture, all eyes locked on the entrance to the party.

He quickly pulled me to my feet and muttered under his breath, "The Alpha and the esteemed guests will be here any minute. You'd better behave yourself.

"But don't worry. I've already severed my mate bond with Hailey. I could give you another chance."

I gave him a puzzled look. I hadn't cared about his relationship with Hailey in a long time.

As I rubbed my still-throbbing wrist, I realized just how repulsive August truly was.

Just then, Ryder entered the room, holding our pup, Darren Weyland, surrounded by a crowd that treated him like royalty. As they reached the main hall, Darren started squirming, wanting to get down.

The moment the adorable child appeared, every eye in the room was drawn to him. Two attendants closely followed him, ready to catch him if he stumbled.

August suddenly turned to me and said, "Sophia, if you stop acting jealous and picking fights with Hailey, I'm willing to forgive you for disappearing for the past three years. And I'll offer you a chance to give me a pup, one that belongs to us."

I ignored him. My gaze drifted past him and met the eyes of Ryder, standing among the crowd beside Darren. Both of their expressions lit up the moment our eyes met.

Moments later, Ryder followed Darren's lead and walked straight toward me.