Chapter 2

Kian's voice was completely nonchalant.

"Serena is just a low-ranking Omega. Her status is too low. A child born from her would never be respected enough to inherit my title as Alpha."

"Only by carrying the baby in Lyra's womb can this child secure the inheritance."

"This way, Serena will be taken care of for the rest of her life."

I leaned against the freezing wall, all the strength draining from my legs.

It was all an act. Three years of devotion, three years of sweet words... all a trap. A sick, twisted trap.

Hearing footsteps approaching, I scrambled into the nearby emergency stairwell.

Pressing my back against the cold concrete, I covered my mouth to muffle my sobs.

Only after the hallway fell completely silent did I drag my numb body downstairs.

The lobby was bustling with pack members. I stood there, my eyes burning with unshed tears.

It didn't take long for Kian to find me.

He rushed over, his face pale with anxiety and concern.

"Lyra! Why did you come down by yourself? I told you to wait for me in the room while I talked to the doctor."

"You weren't answering your phone. You scared me to death."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently, his eyes filled with warmth.

It was the exact same loving gaze he had given me for three years.

But looking at his face now only made me feel icy cold.

"I was looking for the restroom and got lost," I said quietly, my voice surprisingly steady.

Kian chuckled, tapping my nose playfully. "My little directionally-challenged Luna. What am I going to do with you?"

Once we got into the car, he buckled my seatbelt and brought something up, trying to sound casual.

"By the way, Serena's birthday party is in a few days. The pack elders and our allies will all be there. What happened back then was years ago, and she's just doing administrative work for the pack now. So..."

"Sure, I'll go," I replied calmly. "I didn't make a scene years ago, and I won't start now. Don't worry."

Kian visibly relaxed, a bright smile spreading across his face.

"I knew my wife was the most reasonable woman. I'm so lucky to have you."

I turned my head to look out the window, watching the trees blur past to hide the coldness in my eyes.

Right. Reasonable.

He only married me because I was "sensible" enough to quietly carry his and his mistress's baby, didn't he?

For the past three years, every time I choked down that bitter medicine, he would hold me tightly and say it was okay if we didn't have kids.

But then, he would "accidentally" mention how cute other Alphas' pups were.

Every single word was designed to make me willingly suffer for him.

Late that night, after Kian fell asleep, I took his phone and crept into the study.

The passcode was Serena's birthday.

The wallpaper was a photo of Serena in a white dress standing under a cherry blossom tree.

I opened his photo gallery. It was packed with photos of her, taking up almost his entire storage.

The very top photo was a group shot from years ago when I first introduced Serena to Caleb and Kian.

I remembered Kian looking annoyed back then, complaining about taking "useless group photos."

But now, both Caleb and I had been cropped out of the picture. Only Kian and Serena remained.

It was the same for all the other photos.

Even the photos Serena posted on Instagram with Caleb—Caleb's face was cropped out, leaving only her smiling face.

Pack ribbon-cuttings, charity galas, and private dinners I had never heard about.

In every single photo, his eyes were locked onto Serena with a tenderness that made my stomach turn.

With shaking fingers, I opened their Snapchat history.

He replied to her messages instantly. Always.

He sent her huge sums of money on Venmo—all ending in the digits of her birthday.

Even the dates of our pack's business contracts were aligned with her birthday.

And our wedding day... it was on Serena's birthday.

I had asked him back then if we could change the date.

He told me the elders had calculated it to be the most auspicious day for the pack, telling me not to overthink it.

There was no auspicious day.

Even though I was the one wearing the white dress, he had made her the true main character of our wedding.