Fated Mate Isn’t Me

When Adrian and I broke up, he knelt outside my door all night. When I finally agreed to get back together, he lit a bonfire in the main hall, invited the elders to witness it, and swore I would become his Luna. Then, right at the finish line of a racetrack, he hauled a trembling, sobbing blonde girl out of the “trophy,” draped his jacket over her shoulders, and turned gentle like he’d become a different man. He looked back at me and said, “Ann, don’t make a scene. She ended up like this because of us.” The next day, he said I should atone by pack law, kneel inside a vow circle drawn with salt and silver powder, and endure my wolf soul’s backlash under the moonlight. Later, he threw me into the basement she used to live in, forced me to survive the way she did, forced me to lower my head and apologize. What he didn’t know was that there was a little pup in my belly. And I wasn’t going to tell him. I’d wait until he was most off guard, slide the divorce papers in front of him, let him sign them with his own hand, then vanish cleanly and absolutely, with my child. Chapter 1 Everyone says Blood Moon Pack’s Alpha, Adrian, is a born flirt. He never dates the same woman twice. And yet, he crashed hard on me. The day after I fought with Adrian and dumped him, he tried to win me back. He didn’t care that he was an Alpha. He knelt outside my house for a full day and night, yet I ignored him. On the second day, he cooked my favorite food himself. I turned around and dumped it straight into the trash. On the third day, he spent a fortune to buy back an heirloom my late grandmother had left behind just to beg me to look back at him. After that, he even announced publicly that other than me, he would never love anyone else. We made a whole spectacle of it for a year. In the end, I was moved, and I agreed to reconcile. To celebrate, we threw a lively bonfire party in the main hall. We invited the elders of Blood Moon Pack to witness it and announced that we were about to complete the mate ceremony. I would become his Luna. Someone gossiped that with omega blood, I wasn’t worthy of an Alpha. He turned around and crushed the company that person ran on Blood Moon territory, then made him kneel in front of me and apologize. I believed, completely, that Adrian truly loved me. Not because of status. Not because of fate. Until one day at the racetrack, he took me to support a friend, only for us to see a girl in revealing clothes, crying so hard. People shoved her to the finish line, where she stood there as the winner’s “trophy.” Just one look, and Adrian’s brows knit. The next second, he got up from my side. Without saying a word, he announced he was joining the race. I stood there, watching his back as he walked toward the track. And I knew. She was Adrian’s fated mate. My wolf let out a low, wounded whimper at the betrayal, body snapping into a stance like it was ready to fight. The starting gun cracked. Adrian’s car shot forward like an arrow. He barely slowed for the turns, tires screaming against the ground. His driving was just like the way he’d chased me back then reckless, brutal, all-or-nothing. On the final lap, his car practically flew. He blasted through the finish line first. The whole place erupted in deafening cheers. The dust hadn’t even settled when Adrian shoved the door open and strode straight toward the blonde girl at the finish line. In front of everyone, he peeled off his shirt, revealing a strong upper body, then gently draped his expensive coat over Emma’s shaking shoulders. “It’s okay now,” he told her with his voice so soft I’d never heard it before. Then he pulled Emma onto the racecar, whipped it around, and rammed it into the vehicle of the man who’d offered Emma up as a prize, Eric, the Alpha of Sliver Claw Pack. Only after that did he get out and look up at me in the stands. “Ann, don’t be mad.” He lifted his head, his voice carrying clearly through the suddenly silent track. “She ended up like this because of the two of us.” All at once, I remembered a year ago when I found out that while he was chasing me, he’d also slept with a stand-in. He’d looked at me the same way and said, “Ann, listen to me. I was drunk. I thought she was you.” Back then, I’d smashed the engagement ring he’d brought me again, and stormed out. Now I stood there, my nails digging deep into my palm. “Because of us?” I echoed softly. My voice wasn’t loud, but in the dead-quiet track, it rang out anyway. “Adrian, tell me because of us what?” He froze, clearly not expecting me to challenge him right there. “A year ago you said you were drunk and mistook her for me. Today you race for her, you fuss over her, and you tell me she fell into this because of us.” My voice started to shake. “Adrian, how many excuses do you have left?” His brows drew together, his tone turning cold. “Ann, don’t start here.” “Start?” I laughed, and the tears slid down anyway. “I thought I was done crying over you.” Behind him, Emma tugged lightly on his arm and whispered, “Adrian, don’t fight with Ann because of me…” Adrian patted her hand, but his eyes stayed locked on me. “Whatever you want to say, we’ll talk at home.” “At home?” I stared at the way he was shielding another woman, and the whole thing suddenly felt ridiculous. “Adrian, do you even remember what you used to say?” His face darkened, like he was about to answer but I turned away first. “Ann!” he shouted behind me. I didn’t look back. I walked away, step by steady step, leaving that suffocating place behind. The next day, my best friend and I came back from the mall. We’d barely gotten out of the car when I saw Emma stumble out of a hotel, clothes rumpled. Her hair was a mess, her lips swollen red, and the bite-mark bruises on her neck were painfully obvious in the sunlight. Adrian chased out right after her. The moment he saw me, he stopped short. “Ann, let me explain.” He looked genuinely rattled for once. “She bribed the security guard to get in, said she wanted to thank me for yesterday. Nothing happened.” I stared at the intimate marks on Emma’s neck, and my stomach rolled. “Adrian,” I said quietly, “send her away. To another pack nearby, overseas anywhere. Just don’t let me see her again.” He was silent for a moment. “She’s all alone right now. She can’t survive out there.” “Then let’s erase the mate mark,” I said. “Either you send her away, or we get divorced.” Adrian’s eyes narrowed, his gaze cooling by the second. “Ann. That trick doesn’t work the second time.” He stepped closer, looking down at me like he held the high ground. “The first time, I was willing to spoil you, to let you throw your little tantrum.” He reached for my face. I dodged. “You say divorce and we divorce?” He gave a low laugh. “What do you think I am?” “And without me, back in the White family you’re just a pawn they can hand off at any time to curry favor with noble werewolves.” The words hit like a poisoned blade, precise, ruthless, straight into the softest place in my chest. He knew exactly where my weakness was. “Emma stays,” he declared at last, voice final. “She’ll be by my side as my Beta.” Something in me snapped. I raised my hand and slapped him hard. “Adrian, you disgust me.” He tilted his head, ran his tongue over the inside of his stinging cheek, and looked at me with cold eyes. “Cool off,” he said. “I won’t be coming home for a few days.” As I watched his back as he walked away, I let out a laugh. Right then, my phone buzzed. I glanced down at the message I’d been waiting on: “Luna, as requested, your diving gear and private sub are ready. We can depart for the Mariana Trench at any time.” It was the anniversary surprise I’d prepared for Adrian—taking him to the deepest place in the world, telling him in the ten-thousand-meter deep sea that we had a pup. Now, it seemed… unnecessary. I replied: “Cancel the plan.” Then I dialed another number. “Prepare a divorce agreement for me.” After I hung up, I rested a hand over my lower belly where a little pup lived, one Adrian still didn’t know about. “Baby,” I whispered, “Mom’s going to take you to a deeper sea.” Chapter 2 “Luna… these are this morning’s alerts.” Gamma Lily set a stack of briefings on my desk, head bowed so low she might as well have been staring at the floor. I waved her out. For seven straight days, Adrian didn’t come home. Instead, the gossip headlines kept coming: he took Emma to an auction and bought her a blue-diamond necklace; he accompanied her to a private clinic and got photographed gently patting her back in the hallway; after a Council meeting, he openly held her hand as they left… I grabbed my bag and drove straight to Blood Moon Pack’s main hall. The Omega at the front desk went pale when she saw me. She looked like she was about to call upstairs, but one glance from me stopped her cold. I walked straight to the Alpha-only elevator, swiped my card, and went up. In the office area, Emma was standing at the copier, wearing a fitted, professional outfit. “Ann?” She saw me and instinctively took a step back. I didn’t give her time to react. I walked up and slapped her across the face hard. The crack of it dropped the entire office into instant, stunned silence. “Emma. If Adrian refuses to send you away and wants to pity you, fine.” My voice carried cleanly through the air. “But you’d better get your position straight. As long as I’m not divorced, you’re the mistress.” She covered her cheek, tears trembling in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Luna. I never meant to ruin your marriage. I just…” “Ann!” Adrian’s voice came from behind me. He strode over and pulled Emma behind him, staring at me with ice in his eyes. “When did you start throwing your weight around like this?” he sneered. “Don’t forget you used to be the one getting bullied. Without me, you wouldn’t be standing where you are today.” My heart felt like it had been stabbed straight through. Yeah. Back then, I was the Ann living under the White family’s roof, the one everyone pushed around. If I hadn’t met Adrian… how could I have ever become today’s Luna? But the same man was now using my ugliest past to humiliate me. “Go home,” he ordered. “We’ll do this by pack law.” I almost laughed. Any pack member who disobeyed an Alpha could be punished by pack law, kneeling inside a vow circle drawn in salt and silver powder, sealed under moonlight while an elder read the vows and the wolf soul backlash tore through you. When we did our mate ceremony, we marked each other in front of the Moon Goddess’s statue. Back then he’d said, “In this lifetime, I’ll never let pack law touch you.” Emma suddenly let out a small groan and went limp. “Emma!” Adrian caught her, the anger on his face instantly replaced by concern. He shot me a vicious look. “If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive you.” He carried her toward the elevator without even looking back at me once. I stood there, feeling the stares around me, some pitying, some mocking. The last bit of warmth in my chest went out. When I got back to the House, it was already late. The second I pushed the door open, two unfamiliar Omegas grabbed me one on each side. “Luna, forgive us. The Alpha ordered us to take you somewhere.” I fought, but it was useless. They shoved me into a car and drove west, out into the suburbs. We stopped in front of the Moon Goddess temple. Adrian stood beneath the towering doors, his silhouette in the night hard as iron. “Emma woke up,” he said. “The doctor says she has a mild concussion, and… her emotions are unstable.” I stared at him coldly, saying nothing. “Do you know why I have to keep her close?” He took a step toward me, voice low. “Because that night a year ago… she was pregnant with my pup.” My breath hitched. “Because I suppressed her, she kept changing jobs. She overworked herself…” His voice carried a pain I’d never heard from him before. “She miscarried. While I was chasing you publicly, sending drones to announce our engagement, she was lying in a hospital bed alone. The doctors even said she showed signs of postpartum depression.” “If you hadn’t broken up with me back then, none of this would’ve happened,” Adrian said quietly. “Ann, you owe her.” “You think I owe her?” I finally spoke, my voice hoarse. “Yes.” He admitted it without flinching. “Ann, that slap you hit too hard. She can’t take it.” He turned, bowed slightly toward the massive doors, then said to the elder beside him, “Please. Keep her here. Let her atone for Emma.” I stared at him, disbelief burning. “Adrian, you’re locking me in here?” “Not locking,” he corrected. “Spiritual practice. Seven days. I’ll come get you.” He turned to leave. I lunged and grabbed his sleeve. “What if I refuse?” He gently pulled free, his eyes empty of warmth. “Then you’ll never get a divorce. Ann, you should know this. I’m Alpha. I lead this marriage. Without my consent, you can’t divorce me.” He walked away. The temple doors closed behind me, slow and heavy. Chapter 3 The days that followed, I was forced to wake at four a.m., kneel on the ice-cold marble, and listen to the elder read vows in front of me while my wolf soul felt like it was being torn apart. The food was so bland it made me nauseous. At night I slept on a hard plank bed under a thin cotton blanket. On the third night, I spiked a fever. A dull ache tugged low in my belly until I curled into the corner of the bed. “Baby…” I stroked my stomach as tears slid soundlessly down my face. “Hold on a little longer…” I lay curled on the plank bed, my fever blurring my vision. The cramping in my lower belly came in waves, tighter and tighter. Cold sweat soaked through the thin robe. “Is anyone there…?” I dragged myself to the door and pounded on the thick wood with what little strength I had left. “Please… let me see the Pack Doctor…” Outside, the elder’s voice was calm, flat. “Luna, Adrian told me you’d try any method to avoid atonement.” “I’m not avoiding…” My throat was so raw I could barely force the words out. “I’m really sick… please…” The door creaked open. The elder stood there, and beside him were two Warriors. He’d even stationed Warriors here to keep me in line. “Take Luna back to bed,” he said blandly. The Warriors grabbed me and hauled me back, rough hands forcing me onto the mattress. I fought, but they pinned me down like I was nothing. “You can’t—” I sobbed, desperate. “I’m pregnant… the pup will—” The elder’s eyes didn’t flicker. “Luna, enough. The Alpha specifically said you’re best at making up lies.” They threw me down hard. The back of my head struck the wooden frame. Everything went black. “Watch her,” the elder ordered at last. “Vows at dawn.” The door shut again. The lock clicked—sharp, cruel. I curled in the dark, feeling my body heat draining away. “Baby…” My hand trembled over my belly. Tears mixed with sweat, soaking the pillow. “I’m sorry… Mom can’t protect you…” My mind blurred, fading until the last thing I saw was the cold moon outside the window. When I woke again, the sting of disinfectant hit my nose. I pried my heavy eyelids open to a white hospital ceiling. An IV needle was taped to the back of my hand, cold fluid dripping slowly into my vein. “You’re awake.” Adrian’s voice came from the bedside. I turned my head and saw him sitting there, eyes bloodshot, dark stubble shadowing his jaw. “The doctor said your fever hit 104°F. If you’d come in a little later…” His voice was hoarse. He reached for my face I turned away. “Ann, be good, okay?” He rubbed his brow like he was exhausted. “We owe Emma. That was a life.” I looked at him and suddenly laughed, dry, bitter, broken. “Adrian, do you believe yourself when you say that?” I asked softly. “You’ve had countless lovers. You know in your own heart whether you’ve ever forced anyone to abort, to terminate. If you really feel guilty now, why don’t you go compensate every single one of them from all these years?” His face dropped, storm-dark. “Ann, do you have to be this unreasonable? Emma just wants to live quietly. I only gave her a job…” His phone rang, cutting him off. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, but still answered. “Adrian… I’m sorry…” Emma’s tearful voice leaked out of the speaker, loud in the quiet room. “I messed up the cooperation with Blue Moon Pack… Henry… he tried to get handsy with me. I got scared and ran. He’s furious…” Adrian’s expression tightened by the second. “Where are you? I’m coming.” He hung up and stood. “Something urgent came up at the office. I’ll have the Pack Doctor look after you.” Not long after he rushed out, the Pack Doctor came in to change my meds. “Ann, you’re so lucky,” she said with envy. “Adrian cares about you so much. I heard he crippled Blue Moon Pack’s people for you. Now everyone in Blood Moon knows no one can afford to mess with Luna Ann.” I closed my eyes, a heavy helplessness pressing down on me. This marriage. This man. This place… it all suffocated me. I had to leave. But before I could, I had to find a way to make him sign the divorce agreement. Chapter 4 I was discharged and went home. The House felt extremely empty. A maid hurried up, eyes darting away from mine. When I asked where Adrian was, she stammered that he hadn’t been back these past few days. I made a few calls and pieced together the truth. Ever since Emma was harassed, Adrian had practically kept her in the palm of his hand. He picked her up and dropped her off himself, didn’t care if his million-dollar car got scratched in grimy alleys insisted on escorting her all the way to her door. Then he decided her place was too shabby. With a casual wave, he threw down a hundred million and bought her a new House. I stood alone in the vast living room, cold all the way to my bones. The way I’d run toward him back then was laughable. The way I’d been moved by his kneeling and begged forgiveness was even more ridiculous. When I called Adrian, it rang long before he finally answered. The background was loud, chaotic. “What?” His voice was impatient. “Come home.” “Can’t.” I took a slow breath. “Adrian. Do you remember what day it is?” He went quiet for a moment. His tone softened a fraction. “…I’ll be right back.” I hung up and waited from dusk to late night, then late night to dawn. Finally, noise came from the entryway. I walked over and saw Emma struggling to support a drunk Adrian. He was dead weight, practically draped over her, out cold. Emma saw me and put on a timid, troubled expression. “Ann… today was my birthday, and Adrian drank a little too much celebrating with me. Please don’t be mad.” I looked at her and let out a cold laugh. “And what are you, exactly, telling me not to be mad? His Beta or the other woman?” Her eyes reddened instantly. “I’m sorry…” Adrian, swaying and half-conscious, seemed to sense something. He shifted, instinctively shielding Emma behind him, slurring, “Ann… d-don’t bully her…” The last bit of warmth in my chest died. I called for the maids and had them carry Adrian upstairs. Now the living room held only me and Emma. I handed her the documents I’d prepared. “I know what you want. If you can get him to sign without him noticing, the Luna status will be yours.” She stared at the Divorce Agreement, hesitated then took it. The next morning, Adrian woke up rubbing his temples. The first thing out of his mouth was, “Last night… you didn’t make things hard for Emma, did you?” I looked at his face without a hint of concern for me and spoke evenly. “Adrian, you said you’d never let me spend any holiday alone.” His expression stiffened. He looked away, guilty. “Last night was an accident… What kind of compensation do you want? Name it.” “If I say I want a divorce?” His face changed instantly, turning dark. “Ann, stop it. I didn’t hear that.” He grabbed his coat like he was fleeing. Before he left, he transferred a huge sum to my phone and told me to go buy whatever I wanted. Less than an hour later, someone delivered the divorce papers to me, sent by Emma. I opened them. On the last page, under Party B’s signature, the name “Adrian” sat there in bold, unmistakable strokes. Chapter 5 I was folding the last coat I wore all the time into my suitcase when my bedroom door flew open with a violent bang. The sound was so loud it made my heart jerk in my chest. Adrian stormed in like a violent gust, his eyes bloodshot, a terrifying, murderous aura clinging to him. He crossed the room in a few strides and clamped a hand around my wrist. The grip was so tight it felt like he was about to crush bone. “Ann! I already told you Emma and I have nothing going on! She already lost a pup because of us, and she’s ended up like this. Why can’t you just let her go?!” he roared, each word forced out through his teeth. I stumbled from the force of his pull. A sharp pain shot through my wrist, and my face went instantly pale. “Adrian! Let go! You’re hurting me!” I fought to twist free, but it was like an ant trying to shake off a steel trap. My cry of pain only seemed to make him angrier. He glared down at me, disgust and exhaustion written plainly across his face. “Acting again? You’re acting again?” His voice dripped with contempt. “Back when I begged you to get back together, you did the same thing, putting on that pitiful little face. I thought you were innocent. I thought you were real. I played along! But now?” His eyes turned hard. “Now when I look at you like this, still refusing to admit anything, I just feel tired. I’m exhausted.” He shoved me back without warning. My spine slammed into the cold wardrobe with a dull, heavy thud. “How did you become like this?” he snapped, looming over me, his chest heaving. “Is it because I spoiled you for too many years? Spoiled you until you became completely out of control until your heart turned to stone?!” He bent closer, voice vibrating with rage. “Do you have any idea what Emma went through last night?! A Rogue pried her door open in the middle of the night and broke in! She got hurt all over trying to defend herself! Now she screams the second she sees anyone she’s practically having a mental breakdown!” I leaned against the wardrobe, rubbing my throbbing wrist. “He doesn’t trust us anymore." That was my wolf inside my chest, its last warning to me. Listening to his accusations one after another, my heart sank into an icy pit. “It wasn’t me.” I lifted my head and met his blazing eyes. My voice was hoarse from struggling, but every word came out clear. “It wasn’t you, then who was it?!” He didn’t believe me for a second. He cut me off like a judge delivering a verdict, sarcasm sharp on his tongue. “Who else would hate her that much? Ann, I just forgot our anniversary. I just didn’t get you a gift. And you’re going to take it out on her with something this vicious?!” “I said it wasn’t me!” I raised my voice. The anger and humiliation I’d been forcing down slammed around in my chest. “Enough!” Adrian barked. The last of his patience snapped. He’d made his decision. “If you can’t stand her, if you’re that jealous of her, then go experience her life yourself!” My stomach tightened with a sudden sense of dread. “What are you talking about?” “I mean starting today, you’re moving out of here and into where she lived.” His tone was ice, absolute. “She lived like that, you’ll live like that. You’ll stay in that cramped, damp basement of hers. You’ll eat the cheap food she could barely afford. You’ll work multiple jobs a day like she did. You’re going to learn what real suffering looks like.” “You’re insane. I’m not doing that.” I stared at him, not able to believe he could even say something so absurd and so cruel. “Not doing it?” Adrian gave a cold laugh. His eyes were knives dipped in ice. “Ann, do you really think you still get to refuse?” He didn’t give me another second to argue. He grabbed my arm again and dragged me out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and shoved me into the car. No matter how hard I fought, he didn’t flinch. The car finally stopped in front of that run-down complex. He hauled me out, shoved me inside a room where even the lock had been busted, the entire place torn apart. There were scuff marks on the floor like someone had struggled. Dots of blood. The air itself felt wrong, restless, unsafe. I stared at the place, at the fact it wasn’t even livable, and tried to reason with him anyway. “Adrian, the door is broken. This isn’t—” “What, our proud Luna can’t handle it?” he cut in, mocking, not a flicker of hesitation in him. “Emma could live here. Why can’t you? Tomorrow morning, I’ll pick you up for work.” Then he turned and walked out like he didn’t care whether I lived or died. The engine roared as he drove away, leaving me alone in a space filled with danger and chaos. It wasn’t like I didn’t try to run. One time, when I took the trash out into the alley, I spotted my chance and bolted for the street. I didn’t even make it far before a Warrior appeared out of nowhere and blocked my way. Night fell. Cold wind poured through the gap in the broken door, whistling like a warning. With all my strength, I dragged the only heavy cabinet in the room over and jammed it against the door, bracing it as hard as I could against the frame that barely held. Outside were drunks shouting, neighbors screaming, every sound sending my pulse racing. I curled into the chair in the farthest corner, gripping a fruit knife I’d found in the kitchen. The handle was icy, biting into my palm. I stayed like that, eyes wide, listening to every movement outside the door, braced for anything until morning. Chapter 6 Those heart-stopping noises outside finally started to die down. Gray daylight seeped through the filthy window, thin and bleak. The nerves I’d kept tight all night loosened just a fraction, and exhaustion crashed over me like a wave, almost swallowing me whole. I leaned back against the cold wall and slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor, thinking maybe I could close my eyes just for five minutes. Just five. BANG! BANG! BANG! The pounding on the door exploded like thunder. Every nerve that had relaxed snapped tight again, and my heart seemed to stop for one horrifying beat. “Ann! Get out here! It’s time to go to work!” Adrian’s voice, cold, stripped of any humanity, cut through the broken door like a blade. My body felt empty. Like someone had drained me. Even lifting a finger felt impossible. My throat was so dry I couldn’t speak and I didn’t want to. A few seconds of silence. Then a heavier impact. BAM—! The door, already on its last breath, finally gave out. The lock shattered with a loud crack. The door slammed inward, and the cabinet I’d wedged behind it scraped and slid as the force shoved it aside. In the harsh light, Adrian stood in the doorway with two Warriors behind him, like a grim reaper in human form. He was backlit. I couldn’t see his expression but I could feel his gaze, cold and appraising, like I was an object to be inspected. He strode in and grabbed my arm, yanking me off the floor with zero mercy. The movement was so rough it sent a dull ache through my back where I’d slammed into the wardrobe the day before. “Look at you,” he scoffed, scanning the wreck of me, my hollow face from a sleepless night, my clothes wrinkled and unwashed. “Just one night and you can’t handle it? Emma lived like this for a whole year.” Pain and humiliation churned in my stomach. I lifted my head and forced a cold smile. My voice was raw, but clear. “Adrian… did I do this to her?” His brows pulled tight. I kept going, every word like an ice nail hammered in. “You keep saying ‘because of us.’ But the one who slept with her was you. The one who crushed her afterward who made sure she couldn’t find a decent job was you.” My eyes locked on his face as it shifted. “All I did back then was break up with you. I even warned you not to go too far. Did you listen?!” I stared him down. “So tell me why do you get to blame me for all of it? Why do I have to pay for your guilt and her misery?!” “Ann!” He roared like a beast with its tail stepped on, rage rising because I’d hit the truth dead-on. His grip tightened until my arm screamed, like he meant to crush it. “You’ve always been good with words,” he hissed, “but don’t forget this time it was you!” It didn’t matter how many times I said it wasn’t me, that it had nothing to do with me. Adrian wouldn’t listen. He only insisted I atone. I laughed inside, bitter and cold. The divorce agreement he’d signed with his own hand was sitting safely in my bag right now. But I couldn’t say it, absolutely couldn’t. With him in this state, if he found out we were already divorced especially if he found out I was pregnant he’d never let me go. He’d only lock me down in an even more extreme way. He dragged me outside. I stumbled along, and my other hand slid quietly, instinctively to my belly. It was still flat, but it held everything I was terrified of losing. Baby… hold on a little longer. I’ll get you out. I swear I will. He shoved me into the car and drove me to the restaurant where Emma used to work. The days that followed felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. He forced me to do every job Emma had ever mentioned. In the greasy back kitchen, I washed mountains of dishes. The reek of disinfectant stung my nose. The cold water soaked my hands until they turned white and wrinkled. In the dining hall, I balanced heavy trays through the crowd, getting snapped at and ordered around by impatient customers. My legs swelled. They ached until I felt like I might collapse. At night, I worked a convenience store shift, restocking shelves, dealing with all kinds of people who wandered in after dark, forcing myself to stay awake no matter how heavy my eyelids got. I tried to avoid anything that required real strength. If I moved too slowly, the supervisor’s icy stare and sharp commands would slice into me. A few days in, Adrian’s car appeared silently in front of me. He rolled down the window and looked at me filthy, exhausted, panting and his eyes held no softness at all. Only a nearly cruel kind of assessment. “Ann, you can’t take it already? It’s only been a few days.” He leaned slightly forward, voice tempting like he was offering charity. “If you can’t handle it, it’s simple. Go apologize to Emma properly. Admit you were wrong, and we’ll go home right away.” In just a handful of days, I could feel myself wasting away. My clothes hung loose where they used to fit. My skin went sallow with malnutrition. The dark circles under my eyes were so heavy no makeup could hide them. The physical exhaustion and the mental suffocation pressed down on me like two mountains. But when I touched my belly and felt that faint, stubborn presence, I told myself I had to hold on. Still, fatigue and the growing unease in my belly wrapped tighter, like cold vines. I knew if I kept forcing it like this, I might lose this pup in a matter of days. “Fine.” I straightened, forcing my spine to hold. “I’ll apologize.” Chapter 7 Adrian’s tightly knitted brows finally relaxed, like he’d just solved a massive problem. He reached for me, but I turned aside and avoided his hand. He didn’t care. His voice even softened rarely, briefly. “See? Wouldn’t it have been better if you’d done this from the start? Come on. Let’s go home.” Home. The word sounded like a joke. Stepping back into that familiar house felt like walking into another lifetime. In just a few days, Emma had been pampered back to health. Her cheeks were rosy. She wore soft pajamas, and everything about her glowed with the shine of being cherished. She sat on the sofa arranging flowers, elegant and composed. Then there was me—gaunt, sallow, carrying the stubborn smell of grease and cheap disinfectant from the restaurant no matter how hard I scrubbed. Standing next to her, we looked like we belonged to two different worlds. Emma saw me and froze. Then her eyes reddened fast, her lips trembling, as if she’d been wronged beyond words. Adrian immediately stepped forward and gathered her gently into his arms, murmuring reassurance. “Don’t be scared, Emma. She’s just here to apologize.” Something inside me was dead calm like a lake frozen solid. I walked up and stopped a few steps away from them, lowered my lashes, and spoke with no emotion at all. “Emma, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those hurtful things. I shouldn’t have hit you.” Emma stayed buried in Adrian’s chest, sniffling softly, not responding. Adrian patted her back and turned his gaze to me, commanding. “And what about the people you sent to harass her? Hurt her? Apologize for that too.” I lowered my head again, hiding everything in my eyes. The words scraped out between my teeth. “I’m sorry, Emma… for the shock and the harm you suffered. I… I’m sorry.” Adrian finally looked satisfied. He waved a hand, like dismissing an unimportant servant. “Go upstairs. Take a shower. Clean yourself up. Look at you.” Then he stopped looking at me entirely. He turned back to Emma, voice gentle, asking what she wanted for dinner. careful, attentive, like she was precious. I stood there and watched him, watched the way he cradled her like a treasure, and a thin, cold curve slowly formed at my mouth. I didn’t go upstairs. While everyone’s attention stayed on Emma, I stepped backward quietly, carefully toward the entryway. There was a pair of flats in the shoe cabinet I hadn’t worn in a long time. I slipped them on and didn’t hesitate for a second before pulling open that heavy iron door. Outside, a black Rolls-Royce was already waiting, its sleek body catching the sunset like polished obsidian. I didn’t look back. I opened the door and got in. The instant it shut, it cut off the house behind me—cut off the place that used to be “home,” and the relationship that had been choking me to death. The car pulled away smoothly, leaving the villa, Adrian, and every filthy piece of my past far behind.