(God’s POV)

    In that instant, Theodore stood in front of Olivia, his gaze on Ethan as cold as frost.

    Ethan ignored himpletely. He unleashed his fury on Can Mooncrest, his fist connecting with Can’s jaw in a vicious blow.

    “What did you do to my sister?” he roared, his voice echoing through the pavilion.

    Can stumbled backward, blood trickling from his split lip. His eyes were wide with bewilderment.

    “I don’t understand-” Can stammered, raising his hands defensively.

    Another punchnded on his ribs. Ethan’s gold–rimmed sses caught the light as he advanced.

    “You imed her as family! What right do you have?” Ethan’s voice was raw with rage.

    Can couldn’t defend against the relentless assault. He could only stammer apologies until Ethan finally stopped.

    After Can fled with Evelyn Croft, Ethan turned his attention to Barrett Kane and Victoria Kane.

    “How could you invite people who have hurt Olivia to this party?” he demanded.

    His usatory gazended on Theodore. “And her former mate? He’s still a suspect in the mating ceremony assassination case. How can he be near Matthew and Olivia?”

    Just as the Kane parents were at a loss, Audrey Vale arrived. She clung to Theodore’s arm with practiced intimacy.

    “The case at the pack enforcement bureau has been closed,” she announced smoothly.

    Her voice carried across the tense gathering. “The 20 million was ckmail from Den Shaw, and I was mistaken at the time. The person I saw was not Theodore.”

    Seraphina’s heart soared with joy at the news. Then it plummeted back to earth as she watched the intimate way Audrey held onto Theodore.

    (Theodore’s POV)

    My focus remained on Ethan. Something about his behavior didn’t add up.

    “What did you mean when you said Olivia is your sister?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous.

    Ethan was evasive. “I just felt an affinity for her,” he said, but his eyes held a calcting gleam.

    I could sense he was testing us. Searching for something.

    “Why did my sister end up at your manor?” he pressed, his gaze sharp as a de.

    My jaw tightened. How did he know about that?

    “Did you use some method to force her?” His voice grew more usatory. “She wasn’t wearing a ring when she left the tech summit this morning, but now she has a diamond mating ring on her left hand.”

    My blood ran cold.

    “A ring with ‘TR‘ engraved on the side.”

    At this, my eyes filled with a dark, swirling fire. He couldn’t have heard our private conversation. He was fishing for a reaction.

    Trying to confirm something about Olivia’s identity.

    (God’s POV)

    Seraphina gasped, rushing forward and grabbing Olivia’s hand.

    “This is you and Theodore’s old mating ring!” she cried out.

    Suspicion fell over Olivia and Theodore like a heavy shroud.

    Tears streamed down Seraphina’s face. “Livvy… I trusted you so much! I believed you didn’t love him anymore…”

    Her voice broke with betrayal. “What did you and Theodore do at his manor? Why are you wearing the mating ring again?”

    “How could you be with Theodore during the day and with my brother at night?”

    Olivia stood frozen, unable to defend herself. The usation hit her like a physical blow.

    Matthew calmly intervened. He lifted her into his arms without a word.

    He carried her into the Aurora Pavilion, away from the using stares and whispered judgments.

    Matthew summoned a pack healer who carefully cut the stuck ring off Olivia’s finger using tools.

    The metal sparked and hissed as it was severed. Olivia winced but remained silent.

    Matthew then faced Theodore, his voice devoid of emotion. “Return this to Alpha Redgrave.”

    He delivered the final blow with devastating calm. “From now on, the Kane Estate does not wee Alpha Redgrave or Alpha Mooncrest.”

    As Matthew carried the now–sleeping Olivia away, Theodore caught sight of the crimson mate marks on her pale neck.

    His heart, already fractured, shattered into dust.

    He took the broken ring, the engraved “TR” now scarred and split. The image of Olivia’s agonized face when she saw the ring on ra’s neck flooded his mind.

    The pain she must have felt then was a thousand times worse than his own.

    Overwhelmed by regret, he handed a gift box to Seraphina. “For you,” he said hollowly. “I wish you happiness every day.”

    Seraphina opened it with trembling fingers. Insidey a pink moonstone bracelet, identical to the one Olivia had given her.

    The coincidence was a cruel twist of the knife. She watched Theodore’s deste figure retreat, her own heart tearing apart.

    Later, Victoria and Barrett discussed the night’s events in hushed tones.

    Their hearts were heavy with a mixture of guilt and worry.

    “Even if we don’t want more pups, Olivia might follow in Lyra’s footsteps…” Victoria choked out.

    She was terrified by the thought of Olivia’s fragile health. The parallel to her mother’s tragic fate was too close forfort.

    Barrett held his mate close. “We’ll just have to be better to Olivia,” he said with quiet resolve.

    In their eyes, Aurora was no longer Theodore’s daughter. She was Lyra’s cherished granddaughter.

    (Matthew’s POV)

    I carried Olivia back to our bedroom and sat beside her, watching her sleep.

    My mind drifted back thirteen years, to my promise to Lyra ckwood.

    She had asked me toe for her daughter. She had entrusted Olivia’s future to me with her dying breath.

    I now understood it had been a final plea. A mother’sst wish.

    I was filled with regret for letting her go to Theodore ten years ago. Lyra had died at forty, and my Olivia was about to turn thirty.

    A deep, unsettling sadness washed over me as I pulled her into my arms.

    The door was knocked, and Olivia’s eyes fluttered open.

    Her body was hot with fever as she deliriously wrapped her arms around my neck. She tried to kiss me, her small mouth murmuring, “Matthew, there are only 16 days left.”

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!