Chapter 2

The servants’ voices drifted in from outside the door.

“Alpha is so good to Miss Pearl. Tomorrow’s adoption banquet is even grander than the mating ceremony he held with Luna back then.”

“But isn’t tomorrow Miss Elsie’s death anniversary? Why would Alpha choose that day?”

“A young lady who wasn’t loved only deserves that kind of treatment. Don’t waste your pity on her. Just remember, tomorrow’s banquet will be broadcast live across the whole city. From now on, the Blackthorne Pack will have only one young lady.”

My nails dug into my palm, cutting through flesh.

Blood seeped out.

On Elsie’s death anniversary, Damian was going to trample over his own daughter’s remains to throw a grand banquet for the daughter of her murderer.

Not long after, the bedroom door opened.

Damian placed a cup of warm milk gently by my bedside.

“Evelyn, I’ve asked someone to contact the best bone-healing therapist in the Northern Territory.”

“Your leg can still be treated. I’ll arrange the healing ritual for next week.”

He reached out, wanting to touch my hair.

I slapped his hand away.

The tenderness on Damian’s face vanished. His voice turned hard.

“I’m thinking of you in every possible way. I found you the best healer.”

“How much longer are you going to keep making trouble?”

I looked at him coldly.

“Thinking of me? By having my legs beaten until they broke?”

“Thinking of me? By covering for the murderer who killed our daughter?”

Damian sighed, his tone helpless.

“You spoiled Elsie too much. She was only a child, yet she pointed at someone and called her a slut.”

“Celeste had been insulted by her, and all she did was push her once. Who knew she would fall into the lake?”

“To this day, Celeste still blames herself. She is already suffering enough.”

“You can’t put all the blame on her.”

It felt as if my heart had been torn apart, leaving me almost unable to breathe.

To protect that murderer, he was actually throwing filth on a five-year-old child.

When I was eighteen, I lay on the floor covered in blood.

At my feet was the corpse of my abusive father.

Beside him was my mother, who had just slit her wrists and died.

Damian had rushed in and pulled my trembling body into his arms.

“Don’t be afraid, Evelyn. From now on, I’ll protect you with my life.”

But now, the cruel face before me had turned all that love into stagnant water.

“Damian, dissolve our mate bond.”

“I’ll let you have your happy ending with her.”

“I only ask to take Elsie’s ashes with me.”

Damian fell silent.

His expression grew more and more terrifying.

In the end, he let out a cold laugh.

“Dissolve the bond? Don’t even think about it.”

“Tomorrow’s adoption banquet—you will attend as Luna.”

“If you dare refuse, you will never know where Elsie’s real ashes are for the rest of your life.”

He released me, then slammed the door and left.

I staggered out of the room, only to stop in front of that familiar door.

When I pushed it open, all I saw were princess dresses, custom gowns, and an entire wall of priceless jewelry.

Elsie’s desk, her toys, her bed—

all of them were gone.

A giant portrait of Celeste and Pearl hung on the wall.

Inside the wardrobe were the limited-edition handbags and jewel necklaces Damian had given them.

This place had become Celeste and Pearl’s private dressing room.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Celeste leaned against the doorframe, swirling a glass of red wine.

“When that little bitch died, she kept crying for her mommy to save her.”

“I pushed her under the water again and again.”

“She struggled for five whole minutes before she finally stopped breathing. Her eyes were so wide when she died.”

All the blood in my body rushed straight to my head.

I raised my hand and slapped her face with every ounce of strength I had.

Celeste did not dodge.

She only smiled with mocking contempt.

Suddenly, a violent wave of dizziness hit me.

My vision went black.

And I collapsed heavily to the floor.