When I opened my eyes again, I was staring at the stark white ceiling of a hospital room.

I turned my head slightly and saw Luna standing by the window, her slender figure gilded by morning light.

"Awake?"

she turned, her voice cold.

"Andrew Parker, do you think your beast's life is worth throwing away?"

I tried to speak, but my dry lips stung.

"I told you," Luna approached the bed, towering over me,

"no matter what you do, I'll never like you."

I lowered my eyes, my lashes shadowing my face.

I wanted to say I didn't do this for her, or her affection.

But the words stuck in my throat.

How could I explain?

That I did it because I'd promised Claire?

In the end, I just whispered, "I know."

I knew she didn't like me.

Better than anyone.

Luna stared at my pale profile, her chest suddenly feeling tight.

She looked away, her tone softening unconsciously:

"Rest."

After a pause, she added, almost against her will,

"I'll stay these days."

I looked up, my eyes brightening.

"Does my staying make you that happy?" Luna narrowed hers.

I stared at her face-the one so like Claire's-and nodded.

"Yes. Very."

Luna's heart skipped a beat, but before she could speak, her phone rang.

"Luna." Eleanor's voice came through, tearful.

"My finger bleed . I need someone to take care of me."

Luna glanced at me automatically.

I saw her hesitation in an instant, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

"Go take care of him. I'm fine."

Luna hesitated, then grabbed her coat.

"Call me if you need anything."

She left without looking back.

The moment the door closed, my smile faded.

I stared at the ceiling, my eyes burning, but no tears came.

Not long after, there was a commotion outside.

I heard nurses chatting in the hallway:

"Did you hear? In the VIP ward, Ms. Carter booked the entire floor, even moved all the medical equipment and healers there!"

"Wow, that's devotion."

I lay there, listening, expressionless.

My wound needed changing, but the nurse never came.

After waiting a long time, I forced myself up, grabbed the wolfsbane from the table, and applied it to my wound.

The antiseptic stung, and my hands shook so badly I dropped the bottle, shattering it on the floor.

I bent to pick up the pieces, but the movement tore my stitches.

I collapsed, my knee scraping against glass, blood seeping out.

I bit back a groan, slowly getting up to finish bandaging myself.

In the days that followed, I passed Eleanor's ward occasionally.

Through the half-open door, I saw Luna sitting by his bed, feeding him gently-with a tenderness she'd never shown me.

I stood outside, watching quietly.

I thought, Luna must really love Eleanor.

If I could help them be together, Claire would be happy, right?

On the day I was discharged, I packed my things and ran into Eleanor as I left the room.

I stepped aside reflexively, but Eleanor stumbled and fell hard to the floor.

"Ah." he winced.

"That hurts."

Footsteps echoed behind me.

Luna grabbed my wrist, her grip surprising.

"Andrew Parker, after all these years as a maid, you can't even watch where you're going?"

"Luna, don't blame Andrew,"

Eleanor looked up, his voice soft.

"He's probably. upset you've been taking care of me, so he."

I froze.

I hadn't even touched Eleanor, hadn't said a word. How had it become intentional?

"I didn't," I said. "Why would I be jealous? I."

"Enough!"

Luna cut me off, yanking her hand away.

I stumbled backward, my waist slamming into the doorknob.

My fresh stitches tore, and darkness clouded my vision.

Luna glared down at me, her eyes sharp.

"One last warning: stay away from Eleanor."

She bent to help Eleanor up, treating him like a precious treasure.

As they left, Eleanor draped an arm over Luna's shoulder and smiled triumphantly at me.

I slid down the wall, blood soaking my shirt.

Watching Luna walk away, I felt a weariness deeper than ever.

I returned to my empty apartment alone.

Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting fragmented shadows.

I mechanically unwrapped the blood-soaked bandage cleaned my wound.

Then I walked to the cabinet, pulled out a metal box from the cabinet.

Inside were all the things that belonged to Claire Carter.

Her photo, her favorite dolls, a few yellowed drawings.

I brushed my fingers over the gentle smile in the drawing, my hand trembling.

"Wait a little longer, Claire. I'll be with you soon."

My phone vibrated. The screen lit up: Luna Carter.

"Buy Eleanor's favorite snacks and bring them to Blue Bay Club."

She hung up, not even giving me a chance to say no.

Outside, rain poured down.

I stood at the window for a moment, then silently grabbed an umbrella and stepped into the downpour.

I waited in line at a trendy shop for nearly an hour, freezing to the bone, before finally getting the sushi Eleanor had demanded.

When I reached the club, my hair was still dripping.

Eleanor looked me up and down, smirking. "I've heard rumors that Andrew would do anything for Luna. I didn't believe it before."

He turned to Luna.

"Guess the rumors were true."

Luna sat deep in the sofa, legs crossed, swirling amber liquid in a crystal glass.

She glanced at me, her expression unreadable.

Eleanor opened the box, took a bite, and frowned.

"This is too greasy. I don't want it."

He looked at me, casual as could be.

"Andrew, could you get another brand? I remember that one's less greasy."

I hesitated a second, then nodded. "Sure."

I went back out into the rain.

The second time I returned, Eleanor shook his head.

"Not fresh enough."

The third time: "Tastes wrong. Did you get the right one?"

The fourth.

I was soaked to the bone, my fingers numb with cold, my breath visible in the air.

Eleanor finally stopped nitpicking, smiling.

"Thanks, Andrew."

He pulled Luna into his arms, murmuring,

"Luna, I've a new idea."

"What?" Luna's voice was soft.

"I want you to finish all the lemon drinks on this table."

The room went silent.

Luna's friends jumped up, chairs scraping the carpet.

"Eleanor Walker, are you insane? You know Luna's allergic to lemon!"

"I know," Eleanor said matter-of-factly.

"But I want a woman who loves me wholeheartedly. If she drinks despite her allergy, that proves she loves me, doesn't it?"

"You-" someone slammed a fist on the table,

"last time she almost drowned diving for you! Before that, she nearly broke her neck skydiving! Isn't that enough? How long will you torture her? Until she stops loving you?"

Eleanor's eyes instantly turned red. He looked at Luna, innocent.

"Luna, I didn't mean it that way. I just."

"I'll drink."

Luna picked up a glass and drained it in one go.

Her fair skin flushed immediately, her breathing growing heavy.

"Luna!" everyone shouted.

As she reached for a second glass, I stepped in front of her.

I snatched the glass, my knuckles white.

"You're allergic. If you die, you can't love him anymore. Is that what you want?"

I turned to Eleanor.

"One glass proves her devotion. More will kill her from anaphylaxis."

"So I'll finish the rest."

Eleanor seemed convinced, shrugging.

"Fine. You do it."

I pulled allergy pills from my coat pocket and pressed them into Luna's hand, no room for refusal.

Then I grabbed a bottle and chugged it.

Liquor burned down my throat.

I fought the sour stomach, downing bottle after bottle.

The room fell silent, filled only with the sound of me drinking.

Luna clutched the pills, her knuckles white.

She watched my pale face, her chest aching.

All these years, he'd stood in front of her, taking every blow.

She'd thought she was immune to his sacrifices, but now, watching his pallor, her throat felt choked.

She tugged at her collar, irritated, trying to ignore the feeling.

She liked Eleanor Walker. Not me.

Could never be me.

By the end of the party, my face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

I leaned against the wall to steady myself, my fingertips digging into my palm to barely stay upright.

Luna Carter was at the bar settling the bill, but her gaze kept drifting to my swaying figure.

It wasn't until the waiter reminded her a third time that she snapped back to sign the receipt.

She turned to get the car, telling me to take Eleanor Walker out first.

I nodded, helping the tipsy Eleanor toward the exit.

But as we passed the lake, Eleanor deliberately slipped and plunged into the water with a shriek!

"Aaaah!"

Luna raced over at the sound, catching the exact moment Eleanor fell in.

Her eyes turned icy. She grabbed my throat, snarling: "Andrew Parker! Have you lost your mind? How dare you push him?!"

I stumbled forward under her grip, my soaked shirt clinging to my skin like ice.

I met her furious gaze and shook my head faintly: "I didn't."

"I saw it with my own eyes! Don't lie!"

Luna's fingers tightened.

She stared at my pained frown, yet showed no mercy.

"If you love hurting people so much, you can taste it yourself!"

Before the words faded, she shoved me into the lake without hesitation.

"Splash-"

Freezing water swallowed me whole.

I'd already been chilled to the bone from my unhealed surgery; now, agony curled through me, and darkness blurred my vision.

Luna watched coldly, ordering the wolfguards:

"Keep an eye on him. Don't let him up."

The water bit into my skin.

My consciousness frayed.

The last thing I saw was Luna walking away with Eleanor in tow.

When I woke, I was in a guest room at the Carter mansion.

Luna sat beside the bed, a lit cigarette between her slender fingers.

Her eyes were deep, churning with emotions I couldn't read.

"You just had surgery. Why didn't you say something?"

I managed a weak smile: "Would you have stopped me if I had?"

The air went silent.

Luna crushed the cigarette between her fingers, tobacco crumbs spilling.

She stood, towering over me:

"Why do you keep hurting Eleanor?"

"I didn't," my voice was cold.

"He jumped in on purpose."

"Andrew Parker!"

Luna snapped.

"Eleanor isn't that kind of person!"

I said no more, just looked at her quietly.

I knew she'd never believe me.

Luna took a deep breath, pulled a gilded document from her bag, and tossed it on the bed.

"Make amends. Eleanor's birthday is coming-you'll plan it."

"His likes and taboos are in there. No mistakes."

I opened the file, my fingers trembling.

The meticulous notes on his preferences reminded me of someone who'd once memorized every detail about me-

Claire Carter always knew my coffee temperature, remembered the color of every shirt I owned.

Noticing my distraction, Luna frowned: "Did you hear me?"