Chapter 4

I didn’t know how much time had passed before I woke in the hospital again.

At my bedside, Cassian looked relieved when I opened my eyes, but almost instantly, he turned on Leon, his face twisted in irritation.

"Look at the mate you picked for me," he snapped. "She abandoned our newborn to go on a date with some stray mutt!"

Leon trembled with rage. "A date? Do you even know where Seraphina was yesterday—"

"Dad." My voice cut through, calm but weary. "It’s over."

Leon understood. He swallowed his words, only glaring at Cassian with a look of bitter pain and disappointment.

Cassian shrugged, utterly indifferent. "She’s awake. That’s all that matters. Nothing more for me here. Sophia’s waiting."

He turned to leave.

"You bastard!" Leon roared. "I don’t care where you go today, but tomorrow, you’re coming back home with Seraphina!"

Before his words had finished, Cassian was already gone.

Leon let out a heavy sigh, his back seeming more bent than ever. He handed me a file. It was the signed dissolution agreement to sever the mate bond.

"Seraphina," his voice rasped, thick with guilt, "I failed to raise my son right. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to give this to you. Tomorrow… is your child’s funeral. He was your blood, after all. I hope you’ll come to send him off."

Looking at the man whose hair had turned white overnight, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. I nodded.

The next morning, dressed in black, I arrived at Leon’s estate and went with him to the cemetery.

From my bag, I pulled out a photo. It was the blurry image of the tiny life that had once grown inside me. I wiped the tears from my eyes.

Maybe this was better. Without any ties or chains, it was a clean break.

Until the little coffin was lowered into the earth, Cassian never showed up.

Instead, social media buzzed with photos of him and Sophia, flaunting themselves in wedding gowns.

A text from Sophia followed, dripping with venom and triumph: [So what if you had a child? Cassian chose me. You and that short-lived pup of yours were nothing but stepping stones.]

My lips curled into a cold smile. I didn’t bother to reply.

Instead, I lifted my hand and, without hesitation, slipped off my wedding ring. Then, I turned and walked away.

Clutching my mother’s urn, I got into the car. My voice was soft, steady as I said, "Mom, let’s go home."

The engine started, carrying us away from the Blackthorn territory, distancing us from seven years of nightmares.

…

It wasn’t until nightfall that Cassian staggered back into Leon’s house.

"Dad," he muttered, irritation dripping from his tone. "I heard you had some funeral today. Who died? Seraphina’s mother? Why the hell didn’t you tell me earlier?"

Leon finally snapped. He seized the agreement and hurled it in Cassian’s face. "Seraphina left! She took her mother’s ashes with her! As for your son… he was the one buried today!"

Cassian froze, stunned. His eyes dropped to the papers scattered on the floor. His mind buzzed, and he blanked out. He recognized every word on the page, but strung together, they made no sense.

A dissolution agreement?

His son… was dead?