Hallie POV:

I didn't stop what I was doing. I simply grabbed one of his dress shirts and shoved it into the suitcase.

Before I could reach for another piece of clothing, Judd crossed the room and caught my wrist. His grip tightened like iron, carrying the strength of an Alpha. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pull away.

The man standing in front of me looked nothing like the one who had held me in his arms earlier. The warmth in his eyes was gone, replaced by the cold authority of someone who couldn't accept being challenged.

"What are you doing, Hallie?" he growled. "You're tearing apart the home we built together."

I slowly lifted my head and met his angry gaze. Without saying a word, I turned my phone screen toward him. Corine's post was still displayed clearly.

The photo, the watch, the timestamp. Everything was right there.

Judd's pupils narrowed. For a brief moment, panic flashed across his face before he quickly covered it. He hadn't expected me to discover everything so soon. His fingers loosened, and he released my wrist.

"It's a misunderstanding," he said immediately, his voice returning to that calm, convincing tone he always used when trying to control a situation. "Corine is the Donovan Alpha's sister. We were only discussing business. She..."

"Your lies," I interrupted, my voice quiet but sharp. "They are just as cheap as the perfume she left on you."

I removed the ring from my finger, the one he had given me on our first anniversary.

For seven years, I had worn it as a promise. Now, I dropped it at his feet.

The ring struck the polished marble floor with a clear sound before spinning to a stop.

"Get out of my house." I pointed toward the door.

Judd's face darkened instantly. His jaw tightened, and his hands clenched at his sides. His pride as an Alpha had been wounded. Before he could respond, his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen. The change in his expression was immediate. A trace of panic appeared before he quickly turned the phone away, preparing to silence the call.

But I saw the name.

Corine.

He answered and turned his back to me, lowering his voice. He thought I wouldn't hear. But my Omega hearing caught every word.

"...don't cry... I'll be there soon... wait for me at the shop."

The shop? The word stayed in my mind. What shop was he talking about?

Judd ended the call and turned back. His expression had already returned to frustration and helplessness, as if I were the one making things difficult. "Hallie, we'll talk about this later. I have an emergency."

He didn't wait for my response or even spare me another glance. He grabbed his coat and walked out of the apartment, leaving me alone in the silence he created.

I stood in the living room, watching the door close behind him. A thought slowly formed.

I immediately called Chloe at Elysian Bridals.

"Chloe, did Alpha Kemp contact you? Did he say he was bringing someone else there?"

Her voice hesitated.

"Yes, Miss Whitaker... He said... he was bringing a friend to look at another evening gown. She heard you were here trying on your wedding dress and wanted to take a look."

Another evening gown.

So while I was waiting for him in "Eternity," Judd had already told Corine about the ceremony and my dress fitting. She had used the opportunity to ask to come along, and he had agreed.

How convenient. A perfect excuse to bring another woman into the place where I was supposed to become his Luna.

I clenched my fingers around the phone and said calmly, "I'm coming back. Don't let anyone touch 'Eternity' until I arrive."

I ended the call and rushed back to Elysian Bridals. The city streets passed quickly outside the window as I headed straight there.

The moment I pushed open the boutique door, the scene inside stopped me.

Corine was standing in front of my mirror. Judd stood behind her, carefully adjusting a loose strand of her hair. She was still wearing her own clothes, but her eyes were fixed on my wedding gown displayed on the mannequin.

My gown.

The one I had waited seven years to wear.

Chloe and the other attendants stood nearby, their expressions uncomfortable. My arrival broke the atmosphere instantly.

Judd turned around, his expression changing. Corine startled and immediately stepped behind him.

But before she hid completely, I caught the flash of satisfaction in her eyes.

Judd stepped forward, blocking my path like he was protecting her. "Hallie, don't make a scene here," he warned in a low voice.

I didn't even look at him. I walked past him and stopped in front of Chloe.

My voice remained calm, but every word carried authority.

"Chloe, please put my gown away." I glanced at Corine. "This... lady... isn't worthy of touching it."

Corine's face immediately lost its color. She bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at Judd. "Judd, I... I only thought it was beautiful..."

Judd's expression hardened. His protective instinct immediately took over. "Hallie, that's enough. Corine didn't do anything wrong. I brought her here."

I watched the two of them stand together, one protecting and one pretending to be hurt. Then I smiled.

I turned toward Corine, softening my voice into something almost gentle. "I'm sorry. Maybe I misunderstood."

My eyes fell on the wedding gown behind her. "Since you like it so much... why don't you try it on?"