begged, he had never publicly shown even a shred of affection toward me. Now, after losing me, he wanted to act regretful and try to win me back? Ryan’s love was as cheap and worthless
as ever.
That afternoon, I was having a casual lunch with some employees in the company cafeteria when Willow stormed in like a madwoman. She pointed a trembling finger at me and screamed, “Alice! What kind of spell did you put on Ryan? Why is he suddenly obsessed with you again? He’s even talking about voiding our mate bond!”
Her eyes were wild with rage as she continued, “Why? Why is it that even in this life, I still can’t compare to you? You should just die, Alice! Die!”
Before I could react, Willow lunged at me, wielding a silver knife.
ļ
A figure suddenly stepped in front of me. It was Ryan. He turned to me with a forced, reassuring smile before intercepting the blade with his bare arm. Blood trickled down his arm, but he didn’t flinch, his only focus on ensuring I wasn’t harmed.
Once he confirmed I was safe, his expression darkened. He turned to Willow, his gaze icy and furious.
“How dare you come here and cause trouble for Alice! And you even tried to hurt her! Do y have a death wish?”
With a sudden, powerful shove, Ryan sent Willow sprawling onto the floor. She landed hard,
1/2
Chapter 7
and moments later, blood began to pool beneath her.
+25 BONUS
The cafeteria fell silent. All eyes were on Willow as she clutched her abdomen, her face pale.
Someone gasped and covered their mouth.
“Oh, my God… all that blood. Did she just miscarry?”
Willow stared in shock at the blood staining her dress, then let out a heart–wrenching wail. Her shaking finger pointed accusingly at Ryan as she sobbed, “You! You killed our baby! How could you?!”
Ryan’s initial panic was short–lived. Instead of addressing her, he turned to me, his voice desperate.
“It’s not true, Alice! You know it isn’t! That day in the parking lot, you saw it yourself–we used protection! There’s no way she could’ve gotten pregnant with my child! She must’ve been sleeping around with someone else. That baby couldn’t have been mine!”
I yanked my arm away from his grasp, disgusted by the person he had become. “You think using protection makes you innocent? Ryan, stop disgusting me with your excuses. I have no interest in hearing you justify your behavior anymore!”
I turned and walked away, ignoring his calls. Ryan tried to follow, but Willow clung to him, sobbing hysterically.
In the aftermath, Willow’s desperation drove her to take drastic measures. She knew her reputation was ruined after the miscarriage, so she clung to Silver Claws with everything she had. She spread rumors throughout the wolf pack, claiming the baby had been Ryan’s and that they had planned to complete their mate bonding ceremony under the Moon Goddess’s blessing.
When Silver Claws caught wind of the rumors, they summoned Ryan back to the family estate. Behind closed doors, he was punished according to the pack’s strict rules. His already injured arm was left with dozens of fresh whip marks from the family’s disciplinary action.
Though the family dealt with him harshly, they made no public acknowledgment of Willow’s claims. Left without support, Willow became a laughingstock among the elite. Her downfall didn’t stop there–her mother’s history of being a mistress was dug up again, further cementing their disgrace. The two were ultimately banished from high society altogether.
