Chapter 160: If such a r.

+8 Foints

bChapter /b160: bIf /bsuch a brtionship /bbrought both her and bMarcus /bimmense bpain /b

Chapter 160: If such a rtionship brought both her and Marcus immense pain

(Elena ckwood’s POV)

The surgery room lights cast harsh shadows across the hospital corridor. I sat alone on the long bench, healing the scrape on my forehead by myself.

My hands trembled as I dabbed at the wound. The antiseptic stung, but it was nothingpared to the pain in my chest.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Victoria ckwood rushed toward me, her face twisted with panic. “Where is my son?” she demanded, her eyes scanning the empty corridor frantically.

I slowly stood from the bench, my legs unsteady. “He’s in emergency surgery.”

Victoria’s shock transformed into fury instantly. Her hands shot out and grabbed my shoulders, fingers digging into my skin.

“How could my son end up in the operating room when he left home with you?” she screamed.

Her grip tightened painfully. I could see the terror in her eyes beneath the anger.

More footsteps approached. Isabe ckwood arrived with Sebastian ckwood and Diana ckwood trailing behind her.

Isabe wasted no time cing me. “Elena is nothing but a curse!”

Her voice rang through the corridor. “If she hadn’t insisted on severing their mate bond, Marcus wouldn’t have personally driven her to the Territorial Registry Office!”

“The ident would never have happened!” Isabe’s usation cut through the air like a de.

Sebastian scolded his daughter sharply. “Isabe, watch your words!”

He turned to Victoria with gentle concern. “Marcus will be fine. Good people are blessed by the Moon

Goddess.”

Victoria’s eyes reddened with unshed tears. She released her grip on my shoulders, her voice breaking.

“My only son…” she whispered.

Herposure crackedpletely. “I know Marcus wronged you, Elena. But from his perspective, he was forced into a mating bond with a she–wolf he had never met.”

“How could he be willing?” Victoria’s voice grew stronger with pain.

She wiped her eyes with shaking hands. “Marcus suffered a severe illness after the kb********/bg. The fever nearly burned out his consciousness.”

“To help him regain his health and strength, Elder Margaret sought out the Northern Territory’s most powerful

sorcerer.”

Victoria’s words came faster now. “The ritual erased his memorypletely. Margaret forbade anyone bto /bbmention /bthe kb********/bg in his presence.”

Chapter 160. If such a r

“He never remembered because he couldn’t rememberb./bb” /b

Victoria’s usation hit me like physical blows. “My son isn’t heartless or ungrateful for inot /ibrecognizing /bbyou /b

“He simply didn’t remember!”

Her voice rose with renewed anger. “You took advantage of your life–saving graceb! /bThe ckwood family was

willing topensate you.”

“But you chose to resent us for years of perceived neglect!”

Victoria stepped closer, her eyes zing. “No one forced you to ept the mating arrangement. It was your

own choice!”

“You achieved your goal through leveraging your past kindness for personal gainb!/bb” /b

Each word cut through me like invisible des. I found myself unable to refute the usation.

Because in essence, there was no difference in the oue.

Painful memories flooded back. My first encounter with the ckwood family years ago.

I had believed Marcus still remembered me. I thought he hade to honor our childhood–promise.

But the truth was far moreplex.

When I had arrived at the ckwood Ancestral Manor, I was simply hoping to see him again. bI /bhad coincidentally encountered Margaret ckwood instead.

Margaret had learned I was Professor Theodore Ashworth’s student. She had invited me inside and inquired

about my purpose.

I had shyly admitted I wanted to see Marcus. I mentioned our childhood agreement.

Margaret had deduced the connection herself. She remembered pack enforcement reports about her grandson being saved by a girl.

The conversation that followed had changed everything.

“Do you want to be my grandson’s mate?” Margaret had asked.

“Could I?” I had responded with naive hope.

“He won’t be easy to win over. He might not remember you,” she had warned.

“I’ll make him remember,” I had promised with youthful confidence. “Or I’ll make him fall in love with me.”

Those passionate words had essentially be a transaction. But I had lostpletely.

I hadn’t wanted to remind Marcus that I’d saved him. I hoped he’d truly fall in love with me, not because of a

past favor.

But in the end, I didn’t seed.

I’d been too naive, too childish. I’d thought fated mates would bring true love.

I hadn’t realized that due to Marcus’s status as Alpha and heir to the ckwood family, our mating rtionship was inevitably tainted with self–interest.

If such a rtionship brought both Marcus and me immense pain, why did we continue to bind each bother/bb? /b

Chapter 160: If such a r

I returned to the present moment and Victoria’s angry usations. I didn’t defend myself against the charge of leveraging grace for personal gain.

Instead, my voice hoarse with emotion, I simply said, “So now I’m returning his freedom.”