Chapter 3

But Sophia Sterling, Aiden Blackwood's childhood sweetheart, was there that day too. When she found out about my proposal, she grew angry and jealous. Aiden completely panicked. He forgot the love he once had for me. He forgot the oath he made—that he would never let anyone hurt me. And yet, he was the one who pushed me down the stairs. After being rejected again and again, I finally realized that in Aiden Blackwood's heart, power and family would always come first. A tear slid down my cheek and landed on that old scarf. I wiped my face and took a deep breath. I sealed off the balcony. I tore apart every diary I had written for Aiden over the past nine years. Then I burned that old scarf until nothing remained. For an entire week, Aiden didn't contact me. I had already moved all my belongings out of his villa. Aiden probably thought I was just throwing another tantrum—he didn't even bother to check on me. But as time passed, it seemed he finally remembered my existence. Three days before my planned departure—the day that marked the tenth anniversary of our meeting—Aiden suddenly called. "Elara Vance, our tenth anniversary is coming up. I made a reservation at a restaurant. Let's talk properly." Right after the call, I received a text message with the restaurant's address. It was the same place where Aiden and I had first met. As always, I had prepared a gift for him. It would be the last one. I sat inside the restaurant, watching the time tick by. Half an hour passed, but Aiden never showed up. Just as I was about to call him, fireworks suddenly exploded outside the window. The fireworks formed words in the sky: [Happy Birthday, Sophia Sterling] Everyone around turned to admire the sight. And that's when I saw Aiden Blackwood. He was dressed in a suit, holding a bouquet of roses, down on one knee in front of Sophia Sterling—proposing to her. On the giant screens of nearby buildings, advertisements began flashing images of their upcoming bonding ceremony. "Alpha Aiden Blackwood is so generous. I heard it costs a million dollars a minute to rent that screen!" "But I thought his fated mate looked different?" "Fated mates don't matter when power and alliances are at stake. This woman—she's his real Luna. They're the perfect match." Every word cut into me like a blade. It turned out this wasn't a tenth-anniversary celebration—it was Sophia Sterling's birthday and a public proposal. I let out a small sigh, tossed the gift I had prepared into the trash, and stood up to leave. Then Sophia appeared in front of me. Gone was her gentle, innocent act. Her smile turned sharp and proud. "I heard today's also your anniversary with Aiden? Well, guess what—he doesn't even remember. He only mentioned it because it happens to be my birthday today." Once, I might have fought her. But now, I just smiled. "Is that so? Then I wish you both happiness." I gave her a polite nod and started to walk away. But Sophia suddenly slipped and fell to the floor, spilling champagne all over herself. Before I could react, Aiden rushed over—and the moment he saw us, his face twisted with rage. "Elara Vance! Haven't you caused enough trouble?" Without hesitation, he grabbed my collar and shoved me hard against the table. The glass shattered, and shards pierced into my palm. Blood spilled instantly. "I told you I'd handle things between us! Why did you have to hurt Sophia?" The shards still stuck in my hand, pain spreading through my whole body. Before I could say a word, Sophia clutched her chest and began gasping dramatically—as if her wolf side had gone unstable. Aiden panicked completely. His hands shook as he called the driver, eyes red with fear. "Do you even know how fragile Sophia is? She's delicate—she's not like you! You're all rough skin and bone!" He turned his fury on me, shouting, "If you want to be Luna so badly, go find someone else! I will never bond with you! Get out! I never want to see you again!" The crowd's whispers felt like knives. The pain in my hand was numb now, but my chest still ached. Watching them walk away together, my heart clenched. I took a deep breath and said softly, "Aiden Blackwood, let's end this—right here, on our tenth anniversary. I accept your rejection." I didn't know if he heard me. All I saw was the cloud of dust kicked up by his car as he drove away. That night, I booked the earliest flight out of the city. As I prepared to board, my phone kept lighting up—Aiden was calling me on video nonstop. I deleted his contact. Then the messages started coming from unknown numbers. "Elara Vance, where are you? Stop acting crazy, please." Even as I tossed my phone into a trash bin, the messages kept coming.