?Chapter 369:

Isabelle’s POV

Shame is a heavy thing. It clings to your skin, seeps into your bones, and drags down every step you take. That’s how I felt walking into the room to face Jasmine—the woman I had wronged in more ways than I could count.

It felt surreal, standing there in front of her, knowing what I’d done. This wasn’t just a simple misunderstanding or petty jealousy; I had actively plotted against her, fueled by bitterness and entitlement. I had caused her pain, humiliated her in front of the pack, and nearly destroyed her ce here.

She had every right to hate me. And I wouldn’t have med her if she did. If I were in her shoes, I would have killed the person. But still, I was spared. Ryder spared me. The least I could do now was redeem my wrongs.

When she turned to look at me, her expression calm but unreadable, my stomach twisted. My first instinct was to lower my gaze, to avoid the weight of her eyes. But I forced myself to meet her gaze, even as my chest tightened with guilt.

Moon goddess, help me.

“I’m ashamed,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Ashamed to even stand in front of you after everything I’ve done.”

Jasmine didn’t respond right away, and the silence stretched ufortably between us. My hands twisted together in myp as I pushed forward, needing to get the words out before I lost my nerve.

“The things I did to you, Jasmine… the things I said—I can’t take them back. I know that. But I need you to know how sorry I am. Truly, deeply sorry.” My throat tightened as I spoke, and I had to blink back the tears threatening to spill. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I’ll understand if you hate me. But I needed to clear my conscience. I couldn’t keep carrying this guilt without at least trying to make things right.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and raw. My heart pounded as I waited for her response, dreading what she might say.

Jasmine studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. I braced myself for anger, for resentment, for anything that might confirm what I already believed—that I was beyond redemption in her eyes. But then she spoke, and her words hit me like a wave.

“I don’t hold grudges, Isabelle,” she said softly.

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I blinked, startled by the calm in her voice.

“What’s done is done,” she continued, her gaze steady. “We can’t change the past, but we can decide what we do from here on out.”

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I had expected condemnation, not… understanding. Her words felt like a lifeline, pulling me out of the darkness I had been drowning in for so long.

“Stand up,” she said suddenly, rising from her seat.

I hesitated, unsure of what she wanted from me, but I obeyed. When I was standing, she reached out and took my hands in hers. The gesture was so unexpected, so utterly kind, that it nearly broke me.

“You’ve been through a lot, Isabelle,” she said, her voice steady but gentle. “And while I can’t undo the pain you’ve felt, I can give you a fresh start. You deserve that.”fneac1 The rightful source is F?ndNovel/fneac1

Her words struck something deep within me, a part of me I had thought was long dead. For the first time in years, I felt a spark of hope—a chance to rebuild, to be better.

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