ANNA’S POV

    “Then I’m not going to that dinner,” Ryan said sharply, his voice low but so full of anger it was as if it could bcut /bthrough the air, making my chest tighten.

    He looked straight at Mom and added, “If you both want to act this way, if you refuse to see things as they’re meant to be, then forget that dinner. I’m not goingb./b”

    Mom’s eyes narrowed, her voice rising. “Fine, don’t go, Ryan. Act all mighty, act all strong, but one thing you will bnever /bget is Anna. She’s your sister, and that’s all you should know.”

    She turned to bDod/b. “Cancel the dinner with Alpha King George, I won’t attend either, not while Ryan is acting like this. You can cancel it.”

    Dad’s phone rang, breaking the tense silence in the room. He nced at the screen, his eyes narrowing slightly before he answered.

    “George,” he said, his voice calm but firm. I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, only the low rumble of a deep voice through the receiver. Dad’s expression shifted almost instantly, his jaw tightening, his eyes flicking away from us as if something urgent had justnded in hisp.

    “Yes…. I see,” he said quietly. “That’s a problem… No, I understand.” He rubbed the back of his neck while pacing a few steps before finally stopping, “We’ll have to reschedule the family dinner then. I’ll be there.”

    He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket “Something urgent came up,” Dad said simply, his gaze sweeping over all of us. “I have to go.”

    No one asked questions, but the air in the room seemed to grow even heavier now that the dinner was off and Dad was leaving in a hurry.

    Mom suddenly turned to bme/b. “Anna, baby,e with me. We’re going to our room. We need to start bpacking/b. You’re not staying in this house bone /bmore minute.”

    Even though I didn’t want to leave, I followed her. When we got fo the room, I tried to speak, to tell her to stop, but the look on her face was enough to silence me. She yanked open the closet and started bthrowing /bclothes into a suitcase, the sound of hangers ttering making my stomach twist.

    “Mom, please “I started, my voice breaking.

    She didn’t stop until she saw me crying. Then she came over and sat beside me on the bed, her voice softer but still firm. “Anna, my bdear/b… byou /bmight think you love Ryan, but you don’t. It’s just the love you’ve always had for him as your brother, and you’ve mistaken it for something romantic. I know you’re confused, band /bI know you two were already… involved before I found out. But you have to listen to me, Ryan is your older brotherb. /bbThis /bwas a mistake, and I’m going to make it right.”

    Her hand was warm against mine, but her words were deep. “I don’t want you repeating the same mistake I made. You’re still too young, just neen. You should be focused on your studies, not on this, not on bmistaking /bbrotherly love for romantic love.”

    She closed the suitcase with a snap. “Let’s go to the dorm. That’s where you’ll stay from now on.

    I couldn’t speak. My feet felt heavy as we walked back to the living room. Ryan was there, and the second he bsaw /bthe suitcase, he rushed forward, grabbing for it. Mom held it behind her, but he turned to me.

    “You’re not leaving, Anno,” he said, pulling me into his arms.

    I wanted to melt into him, but Mom’s re froze me in ce.

    “It was a mistake, Ryanb,/b” I said, my voice shaking. “What we had… it was a mistake. I mistook brotherly love for romantic love

    Tears burned my eyes as I said it. and Mom’s hand was on my back, almost approving. “That’s right, baby,” she murmured.

    Then we walked out, leaving Ryan standing there, looking as if he might actually fall apart if I left.