The Quiet Betrayal

After leaving the master bedroom, I casually picked a guest room to stay in.

I didn’t bother unpacking the clothes I had neatly folded. I just left them inside the suitcase because I would be leaving with them soon anyway.

I took my ID and went to City Hall to file my withdrawal from the Fangtooth Pack. The clerk told me my application would be approved in three days. By then, I would be officially free from Fangtooth and could leave this place for good.

Three days later… Wasn’t that exactly the day Harry and Chloe were holding their bonding ceremony? Up until today, I had always thought that the ceremony was meant for me.

My chest tightened, and even breathing felt painful. Because of my injured back, I stopped by the hospital. While I was there, I also asked for a full checkup on the pups in my belly.

My back was covered in dark bruises, but thankfully, the babies were unharmed.

The doctor looked at the report and nodded with satisfaction.

“Both babies are very healthy. Do come back for another checkup next week. You’ll be able to see their ultrasound images then.”

I gently caressed my stomach, my expression softening.

At least I still had them. Even if I left the place I had called home for so many years, I wouldn’t be alone.

When I returned to the estate, the living room couch was already piled high with shopping bags like a mountain. Chloe was pulling Harry along, her face glowing with excitement as she dug through them.

When she saw me walk in, she lifted a leather handbag with a smug smile.

“Lianne, Harry insisted on buying me all these things. Do you see anything you like? I’ll give you some.”

Looking uneasy, Harry said to me, “Chloe has an event coming up in a few days, so she needs a lot of things. I’ll be accompanying her then. After all, she’s pregnant. She needs someone to take care of her.”

His wolf let out a mocking laugh. “That’s right. The ceremony is going to be exhausting. She’ll even have to walk through the whole thing in a wedding gown. Oh, by the way, isn’t that gown the one you had made for Lianne? Five tailors, six whole months, and nine hundred ninety-nine moonlight crystals sewn into it. It’s absolutely stunning!”

My mind went hazy, and I suddenly remembered what I had once said to Harry.

“Harry, the stars at night are so beautiful! It’s a shame we can’t see them in the day. I wish I could keep them all. For our ceremony, wouldn’t it be amazing if we could stitch every star into my gown?”

My heart ached, and tears spilled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

‘Harry… so you do remember those words I blurted out. But why would you give something that belonged only to me to someone else?’

Three days later, at dawn, five sleek black cars lined up neatly in front of the hotel. Harry held Chloe’s hand carefully as he helped her into one of them.

From the corner of the street, I stood quietly, watching her gown glitter in the sunlight. The fabric swayed slightly with each step, catching the light like flowing starlight. It was breathtaking.

As the motorcade pulled away, I grabbed my suitcase and left alone.

Inside the car, Harry’s wolf was still growling in his ear.

“You’re hopeless, Harry. Hiding this from Lianne? Aren’t you afraid she’ll find out? I can’t imagine how furious she’d be if she knew.”

Harry kept his gaze fixed outside the window, answering half-heartedly, “She won’t find out. I’ll keep it from her forever. Once I’ve handled things with Chloe, I’ll give Lianne an even grander, more spectacular ceremony.”

Just thinking about me made his features soften, and the corners of his lips curved in a faint smile.

“Besides, she loves me too much. Even if she gets angry, as long as I make it up to her, she’ll forgive me.”

However, before that smile could fade, his phone began ringing frantically.

“Alpha Harry, there’s a riot of rogue wolves at the airport. They’ve taken control of the whole place!”

Harry’s brow furrowed sharply. “Send the patrol squads to suppress them. I’ll head over as soon as I’m done here.”

“But…” His second-in-command hesitated on the line. “There’s worse news. Someone has reported seeing Lianne at the airport. And… in a live stream just moments ago, she was spotted lying in a pool of blood. I’ll send you the photos right now…”