Nancy: [Aren’t you really coming over? It’s been five years since we last met.]

Ansel: [I need to head back first, the dog needs to be fed. Once I calm things down, I’ll come see you, baby.]

He put his phone away, pushed open the car door, and walked into the villa he had prepared for me—a gilded cage in all its splendor.

“I’m back.” His voice was low and deep.

I was curled up on the sofa, sorting through application materials for my trip to the Northern Territory. Hearing his voice, I snapped the laptop shut.

He walked toward me holding a massive bouquet of red roses, pulling both me and the flowers into his arms, pressing his lips against mine.

Disgusting. That kiss was utterly revolting.

“What’s wrong? Missed me?” he asked.

I stayed silent, lowering my head and burying my face into the roses. Their heavy fragrance rushed into my nose, but underneath it I could still smell the cloying sweetness of another woman’s pheromones clinging to him. My stomach churned, and I barely held back the urge to retch.

Ansel pulled out a velvet box and flipped it open before my eyes.

A diamond necklace sparkled under the living room lights, dazzling and harsh.

“Didn’t you linger over this when we were shopping a few days ago?” His gaze locked on me with a focus that could have made any woman’s heart race—any woman who didn’t know him. “Do you like it?”

Of course I remembered it. It was Nancy’s favorite designer brand.

Seeing I hadn’t spoken; he mistook my silence for delight. Leaning in, he kissed my cheek. “Stunned? Let me put it on you.”

The cold clasp brushed the skin at the nape of my neck, making me flinch involuntarily.

My fingers hovered over the necklace. “Roses and diamonds again—I almost thought you were going to propose.”

The feigned tenderness on Ansel’s face vanished instantly. His tone chilled. “When I propose, I’ll give you something better.”

“And how long will that take?”

His face turned completely cold. He hated being questioned, hated me challenging his authority.

I reached to undo the necklace. The thing felt repulsive, suffocating against my skin.

“Don’t move!” He seized my hand, pinning me to the sofa, his lips crushing down on mine again.

My body turned rigid as stone. I turned my head away, blocking his kiss, both hands braced against his chest. “I… it’s not a good time.”

“Don’t play games with me.” His voice was domineering and icy, laced with the oppressive force of an Alpha. “I know your cycle—you just finished.”

As he spoke, his hand went to tear at my clothes.

And then—his phone rang. The shrill ringtone sliced through the suffocating standoff.

I shoved him off. “It’s your phone. Answer it.”

Ansel pulled it from his pocket, irritation written all over his face. Trapped beneath him, I could clearly see the name flashing on the screen: Nancy.

“I’ll take this.”

Minutes later, he reappeared in a tailored dark suit, hair neatly styled, looking every bit taller and sharper.

“A friend’s in trouble. I need to take care of it. Go to bed early.”

From start to finish, he never noticed that this so-called “home” of his, a place he only returned to occasionally, was emptier than ever, as desolate as a model house no one lived in.

Ansel was gone for three days.

I didn’t care. My heart was a stagnant pool, incapable of stirring anymore.

I opened Nancy’s social account. She was flamboyant, updating every day.

On the first day: a photo of two hands clinking wine glasses. On his ring finger was a band—the couple’s ring from our one-year anniversary.

On the second: a sunset by the sea, with two coconut trees leaning against each other. Those same trees Ansel and I had planted three years ago on the beach of his private island.

On the third: an airport snapshot. Behind Nancy, Ansel’s tall figure appeared only as a blurred outline, yet unmistakable to anyone who knew him.

Her followers flooded the comments, asking if she was in love.

My wolf, Lilith, raged in my mind.

“Shameless pair of mutts! Disgusting! Just looking at them makes me want to puke!”

Like me, she no longer hoped for anything—only waited for revenge.

I shut the phone, sick of their affairs, and went out to apply for a travel permit to the Northern Territory. Everything went smoothly.

Back in the living room, I stared at the enormous framed photo on the wall. In it, I leaned in Ansel’s arms, looking as though I owned the world. But his face was expressionless, his eyes deep and empty like a bottomless well.

I dragged a chair over. I wanted to take down that mocking frame.

My fingers had just brushed the cold edge of the frame when—

Bang!

The villa door was kicked open from outside with a thunderous crash.

Ansel stormed in, his face thunderous, Alpha pheromones blazing with fury, suffocating me.

His eyes were sharp as blades, stabbing into me, then shifting to the frame at my fingertips.

“Leah, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“What are you trying to do?” His voice was low, “You want to throw away our photo? Leah, who gave you the guts?”

“Our photo?” I repeated softly. “Am I even in it?”

Ansel’s pupils shrank sharply.

He glared at me, and for a few seconds the tension in the air was like a string on the verge of snapping.

Suddenly, the anger on his face ebbed away like a tide. He looked at me, then glanced at the calendar on the wall. His expression shifted to one of frustration mixed with indulgence.

“Look at me, losing my head.” He reached out a hand, voice softening. “Silly girl, did you forget what day it is? I rushed back just to celebrate your birthday. Come down—it’s dangerous up there.”

I didn’t take his hand. I jumped off the chair on my own.

“What brought you back?” I asked flatly, my tone devoid of emotion.

Ansel pulled me into his arms, holding me so tight it felt like he wanted to press me into his bones. His voice was filled with deliberate tenderness. “Of course I came back to be with my birthday girl. Don’t pout. I didn’t forget.”

He cupped my face, trying to kiss my eyes.

I turned my head away, and his movement froze.

“Still sulking? Is it because you think I didn’t prepare a gift?” He grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the door with force. “Come on. Let’s see your birthday present.”

Outside, a brand-new white Maserati waited, an oversized red bow tied around it—gaudy and tacky.

Ansel pulled the keys from his pocket and shoved them into my palm.

“Your birthday gift. The third-anniversary edition.” He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Do you like it?”

Birthday? Or anniversary? He didn’t even know.

“Yes,” I said. I actually laughed. The irony was too much.

My compliance pleased him. He kissed my ear, his hand wandering restlessly under the thin fabric of my clothes. The scent of cedar mingled with another cloying sweetness.

Disgusting.

His breath grew heavier as he bent down to lift me up, carrying me back toward the house.

My muscles went taut, my mind racing for excuses to push him away. Should I say I’m tired? Or not feeling well?

Just then, his phone rang again.

For once, I felt grateful to the caller, even if it was Nancy.

Annoyance flickered across his face as he set me down, issuing a command.

“Go change. I’ll take you somewhere.”

I bolted upstairs. Behind me, his voice lowered on the phone, deliberately gentle.

“Hello, Nancy…”

In my room, I chose a black backless evening gown I had bought myself, one he’d never seen me wear.

I let my hair fall loosely, covering most of my bare back. The dress gleamed with a silky sheen.

When I came down, Ansel had hung up. His eyes swept over me, brows tightening slightly.

“Forget it. Tomorrow, I’ll buy you something better.”

He drove himself. The car glided smoothly out of the villa district, merging into city traffic.

The navigation destination: a private estate in the suburbs.

I knew this place. Last year on his birthday, we came here—just the two of us, shut away inside the villa for two full days.

Ansel stepped out first, circling to open my door. I had just straightened when—

Bang! Bang!

Golden confetti and rose petals rained down from above, shimmering like a gilded storm.

“Wow!”

“Hahaha!”

A crowd of people in formal attire burst out from the villa, champagne glasses in hand, smiling as they surrounded us.

“Luna! Happy birthday!”

“Happy birthday!”

“I told you, our Alpha would never forget Luna’s birthday!”

“Oh my god, she’s even prettier than the rumors said! Alpha’s taste is impeccable!”

My mind went blank. I could only stare at these unfamiliar faces. They were Ansel’s clan, his friends who I hadn’t seen once in three years.

Hadn’t Ansel said an Alpha’s mate must be kept secret, to avoid unnecessary trouble?

Hadn’t he said the timing wasn’t right?

Music swelled. A server wheeled out a massive birthday cake.

“Cut the cake! Cut the cake!”

A cold knife was pushed into my hand.

Ansel stood behind me, arms circling mine, his voice brimming with possession and proclamation.

“Leah, let’s cut it together.”

The sight of the cake, piled high with cream and fruit, made my stomach churn violently.

And then, the heavy double doors of the hall swung open.

Noise and music cut off as if someone had pressed pause.

A tall, imposing man stood at the entrance. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black coat, with the night sky as his backdrop, he carried a chilling aura unique to the Northern Territory, like ice and snow, so out of place amid the warmth and luxury of the hall.

His deep gray eyes cut through the crowd, locking directly onto me.

“Leah Redwood,” he said. “I’ve come for you. I believe you missed your flight to the North.”

The ballroom air froze.

Ansel shielded me behind him, his Alpha pheromones surging like a storm toward the man at the door. But the man stood like a mountain on a frozen plain—unshaken.

“An arranged bond?” Ansel’s voice shook with suppressed rage, tinged with disbelief. “How is it I know nothing of this? Leah is mine.”

“That’s your concern.” Andrew’s tone was calm, factual. “I’ve already reached an agreement with Marcus Redwood, Leah’s father.”

His meaning was clear: he negotiated with the one who had authority. And that wasn’t Ansel.

“Bullshit!” Ansel roared. “Leah will never leave with you!”

My wolf, Lilith, howled in excitement inside my head.

“Whoa! This one’s strong, Leah—I like him! Look at Ansel’s constipated face, ha! Let’s go with him, now!”

I looked at Andrew, my supposed fiancé.

Tall, broad-shouldered, his strong frame exuded reliability. Long legs, model-like build, sharp features, and those deep gray eyes that carried an air of mystery.

His gaze rested steadily on me—calm, unfathomable. His composure unsettled me.

Just then, a delicate voice broke the standoff.

“Ansel?”

Nancy.

She walked in wearing a white dress, hair flowing over her shoulders. Rushing forward with just the right amount of worry and urgency, her eyes bypassed everyone else to land solely on Ansel.

“I called, but you didn’t answer. I was so worried… What’s going on here?” She hurried to his side, naturally clinging to his arm. Only then did she pretend to notice me, covering her mouth in feigned surprise. “Leah? You’re here too? Today’s your birthday, isn’t it? I’m sorry, I didn’t know Ansel was throwing you a party, otherwise I…”

Her words trailed off deliberately, each syllable a needle pricking my heart.

Ansel’s face softened with Nancy’s arrival.

Her gaze shifted to Andrew, sizing him up politely before offering a harmless smile. “Hello, I’m Nancy, Ansel’s friend. And you are?”

Andrew’s eyes flicked over her face for less than a second before moving away.

The public dismissal flushed her face crimson. Her lips trembled, tears welling quickly as she looked pitifully at Ansel.

“Ansel…” Her voice quivered as though she’d suffered unbearable humiliation.

His protective instincts ignited instantly. He snapped his head toward Andrew, eyes blazing. “You’d better show some respect! Apologize to Nancy!”

Andrew’s reply was glacial.

“I don’t speak to irrelevant people.”

That hurt worse than any insult. Nancy was beneath even the effort of words—like a stray mutt.

“Ah!” Nancy broke down, covering her face, sobbing for all to see.

The crowd murmured, their expressions gleaming with gossip-fueled excitement.

“Enough!” Ansel wrapped his arms around Nancy, soothing her softly. “Don’t cry, Nancy. It’s not your fault.”

He held her like she was a priceless treasure. Then he turned on me, his gaze filled with hate.

“Leah, is this what you wanted? To humiliate me in front of everyone?”

My birthday party—a stage for his declaration of ownership.

I looked at Nancy in his arms. Through her fingers, I caught the glint of smug triumph. She was taunting me.

“Ansel,” she sobbed, “let’s go home. I don’t want to stay here…”

“Alright, let’s go home.” He agreed instantly, not sparing me a glance, holding Nancy as he turned to leave.

I drew in a breath, stepped forward, and shoved the couple’s ring from our first anniversary into his pocket.

“Go,” I said. “Take her home.”

He stared at me in disbelief.

But in the end, he left with Nancy in his arms.

The ballroom atmosphere twisted into awkwardness and unease. Beneath the loud music, whispers flew about what had just unfolded.

Lilith snorted in my mind. “Serves him right! Scum with a green tea bitch—perfect match! Leah, let’s go with the tall one!”

Footsteps sounded behind me.

Andrew walked firmly to stand before me.