"I won't break my word again!"

Willa's gaze locked onto Alpha Yuri, her eyes fierce with resolve.

Alpha Yuri grabbed my hand, his grip tightening so hard it felt like my bones might snap.

"Alpha Yuri..."

My voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper.

He seemed to snap out of it, releasing me abruptly.

But he didn't look at me.

Red marks bloomed on the back of my hand, and my chest felt like it was being crushed by an invisible fist.

The crowd hooted and teased, sneaking glances at Alpha Yuri to gauge his reaction.

Seeing no objection, they egged Willa on to keep going.

Willa didn't hesitate this time.

With a grim, almost defiant determination, she slowly tugged down the zipper of her dress,

revealing a strip of pale skin.

The neckline dipped, teasing glimpses of what lay beneath.

People turned away, feigning politeness, but their eyes kept darting back.

Of course, she's the female lead.

Her figure was flawless, curves in all the right places.

Seeing Alpha Yuri unmoved, her voice cracked with a sob.

"Not enough, is it?"

She yanked the dress down to her waist.

The room went dead silent, everyone averting their gazes.

I couldn't watch anymore.

Grabbing my jacket, I stepped forward to drape it over her.

But before I could reach her, she shoved me hard.

Caught off guard, my lower back slammed into the table's edge.

A sharp pain shot through me, doubling me over, unable to straighten for what felt like forever.

"Willa, enough!"

Alpha Yuri steadied me, his eyes on Willa, cold as ice.

Willa stared back, tears streaming down her face.

"You... you really don't want me anymore?"

Alpha Yuri's hand, still supporting me, went rigid.

He didn't answer.

"Ha, then why do you care what I do?"

Willa let out a bitter laugh.

In one swift motion, she tore the dress off completely.

I couldn't fathom why Willa would humiliate herself like this, or why she ignored my attempt to help.

But then it hit me.

Alpha Yuri let go of me, rushing to her side, throwing his jacket over her.

Willa's near-naked body pressed against him, tears falling one after another, but a smile curved her lips.

"I knew it. You can't let me go."

And Alpha Yuri, he just let her cling to him.

Willa gazed at him, entranced, as he helped her back into her dress.

Every so often, his fingers brushed her skin, and she'd shiver softly.

[OMG, intense! Held my breath the whole time! Knew he'd crack!]

[So tragic! Female lead's sacrifice is huge.]

[Tragic? Willa's a master manipulator, playing her cards perfectly. Watch her reel the male lead back in, step by step!]

[Exactly! Male lead didn't spare the side chick a single glance. His world's all about the female lead's tears!]

My heart turned to ice.

Muttering some excuse about needing the bathroom, I slipped out.

Alpha Yuri and I were childhood sweethearts, a perfect match on paper.

But the fiery, all-consuming love story of his youth?

That wasn't with me.

Unlike my doting, loyal parents, his dad was a notorious playboy.

His mom screamed, fought, begged, but it didn't matter. She ended up jumping off a building.

His dad formed a new bond in a heartbeat, bringing along a stepson just a few months younger than Alpha Yuri.

I knew Alpha Yuri carried a burning rage inside him.

He poured every ounce of it into clawing his way up, diving headfirst into the cutthroat world of business after graduation.

It didn't take long for him to make a name for himself.

He was brilliant, magnetic, and of course, she-wolves threw themselves at him, some subtle, some shameless.

But he always brushed them off with the same icy line:

"I don't have time for that."

Then he met Willa.

Not only did he go all-in, proclaiming his love for the world to see, he made her his assistant,

the two of them practically glued at the hip.

I stayed in the shadows, swallowing the ache in my chest.

Their romance didn't even last a year.

His dad died suddenly, the company's core secrets were leaked, and it nearly went under.

His stepmom, meanwhile, took those secrets and started her own rival firm.

Alpha Yuri quickly figured out Willa was the mole, sent by his stepmom to get close and steal everything.

She even sent him a video of Willa's bond abroad.

Alpha Yuri spiraled, completely broken.

When I tracked him down, he was getting pummeled by debt collectors, battered and bloody.

I threw myself in front of them, sobbing, emptied my wallet, every last dollar,

and swore I'd help him pay it all back.

That night, under the flickering hallway light, Alpha Yuri sat on the floor for hours.

Finally, he staggered to his feet.

I reached to steady him, but he shoved me away.

"I don't need your pity."

I held on, stubborn, staring into his haunted eyes.

"Alpha Yuri, let me help you."

Back then, I just couldn't stand seeing someone so talented, so proud, fall so low.

I wasn't thinking about anything else.

But he sneered, "What, you want me to sell my soul to you?"

I froze, and before I could say a word, he walked away without looking back.

I helped him anyway.

I poured my savings into his ventures, lined up clients, built his reputation.

His company started to recover.

And he... he started to soften toward me.

Eventually, he proposed.

No grand gesture, no flowery vows.

Just a quiet night, when he pressed a warm ring into my palm.

I stared at it, stunned, then burst into tears, overwhelmed with joy.

I thought we'd made it.

I thought we'd grow old together, side by side, unshakable.

Little did I know, our story had a leading lady named Willa.

The bullet comments keep saying I'm just a stepping stone for their epic reunion, a throwaway villain to push their love story forward.

But why?

Why should my years of loyalty, my sacrifices,

clear the path for her so-called "destiny"?

Why does Willa get to waltz in with her "main-character" halo and tear our life apart like it's her right?

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, eyes stinging with unshed tears, and wiped them away.

I'm not done.

No one gets to kick me out of this game but me.

I stepped out of the bathroom, the comments went berserk.

[Can the side chick just get lost? I'm here for the main couple's swoony romance, not her mopey face!]

[Clown show incoming! Male lead's about to confess his love in front of everyone-so sweet it's gonna give me cavities!]

I squeezed my eyes shut, pretending I couldn't see them.

I reached for the private room door, but through the frosted glass, I caught a glimpse.

Alpha Yuri sat at the head of the table, Willa pressed close, staring at him like he was the only thing in the world that mattered.

He just kept his eyes fixed on the spinning bottle in the center of the table, acting like she wasn't even there.

The bottle slowed, pointing right at Alpha Yuri.

"Alpha Yuri, truth or dare?" a friend asked.

He glanced up, nonchalant.

"Truth."

The friend grinned, his eyes flicking from Willa to Alpha Yuri.

"Alpha Yuri, is the person you love in this room?"

The air froze.

Everyone knew our history.

Willa, who'd nearly ruined him and walked away without a shred of guilt, and me, who'd stayed by his side, poured everything into rebuilding him, lifting him up to become one of Zaleos-pack's rising stars.

The answer should've been obvious.

It shouldn't even be a question.

But Alpha Yuri stayed silent.

He didn't deny it.

He just sat there, his fingers tapping the table lightly.

My heart sank deeper.

[Here it comes! The big moment! He's about to drop the hammer!]

[He's hesitating! Told ya, no way he's over the female lead!]

A friend, thinking he was too obvious to bother answering, chuckled, "What a dumb question! The answer's crystal clear-Alpha Yuri's not even bothering to respond! Tessa's stepped out, so obviously the person he loves isn't here."

It was the perfect out.

But Alpha Yuri didn't take it.

Willa stared at him, on the brink of tears, then turned away, defiant.

A single tear, perfectly timed, landed on Alpha Yuri's hand.

He flinched, as if burned, his other hand instinctively brushing the wet spot, lingering there.

As Willa stood, ready to bolt in a dramatic, humiliated mess, Alpha Yuri let out a heavy breath.

"She's here."

Everyone froze.

The friend who'd asked stammered, thinking it was a slip-up, "Alpha Yuri, hold on-Tessa's not back yet..."

But Alpha Yuri cut him off, his voice firm.

"I said the person I love is in this room."

The silence was suffocating.

I wasn't there.

Willa was there.

Who he meant was clear as day.

Willa's face lit up, tears giving way to a radiant smile.

"Alpha Yuri, I knew it. I've never stopped loving you. My love is the same."

[AAAAAAH! He said it! HE SAID IT! Male lead finally admitted it!]

[That NPC dude thought he was helping the side chick? LOL.]

[Didn't see that coming, huh? Our male lead's a hopeless romantic-his heart beats for the female lead and only her! Try to test him? He'll slap you down!]]

[Male lead wants her to pay for betraying him, but the second he sees her hurting, he's all torn up inside! Too shippable!]]

[Side chick at the door, looking like a total clown, haha!]]

Willa grabbed Alpha Yuri's hand, pressing it to her chest, as if to make him feel her heartbeat.

Alpha Yuri's expression flickered, but he didn't pull away.

Then his eyes met mine at the doorway.

His pupils constricted, a flash of panic crossing his face.

Willa glanced at me, smug, but her voice dripped with fake innocence.

"Tessa, don't get the wrong idea. Alpha Yuri saying he loves me wasn't serious-it's probably just... drunk talk."

"Don't be mad, okay? I'll apologize for him."

[I'm done. Why is the female lead apologizing? You and the male lead are the real deal, first loves forever. The side chick's the one who swooped in-she's the homewrecker!]]

[When will the male lead realize he doesn't hate her-he's just so in love he can't handle it!]]

[Everything he does screams he's team female lead. It's only a matter of time before he admits his true feelings. Female lead's got this in the bag!]]