Chapter 2

It was a photo taken in Ethan's office.

He was lying on the couch with his eyes closed. His suit jacket was open, and the buttons of his shirt were undone down to his chest, revealing his toned muscles that radiated a raw, masculine energy.

In the lower-left corner of the photo, there was a glimpse of a leg clad in stockings.

Clearly, the photographer was a she-wolf. And from the angle, it seemed she was straddling him. Their lower bodies were pressed closely together.

They were playing a game, the kind meant for two.

I held my phone, feeling my heart freeze.

Ethan had been with another she-wolf long ago. All that talk about loving me and growing old together had been nothing more than a fantasy in my head.

And those blue gifts, which were starting to fill half the room, were just his guilty attempts at making amends after his affair.

The sound of a phone ringing broke my thoughts. It was Ethan calling.

His voice was full of excitement. "I'm back, darling. Do you have time to come to the pack's central square? I've got a gift for you."

I smiled slightly. "Is that so? I'll be right over."

I stopped by a store on the street and bought a gift box. I placed the ring I had been wearing inside.

It had once symbolized our love, but now, I was returning it to Ethan.

When I arrived, many of the pack members had already gathered in the hall.

In front of everyone, he placed the sparkling blue diamond necklace around my neck.

"Darling, I personally polished this diamond. I'm sorry we couldn't spend Valentine's Day together, but the pack had an emergency I had to deal with."

I gave a small smile, saying nothing.

What kind of emergency kept him away for a week, not even returning my messages?

Seeing that I wasn't going to ask, Ethan leaned down and kissed my cheek. "You're always so understanding, darling."

The moment he came closer, I noticed a lipstick mark on his shoulder. It was a bright, rose-colored imprint. It wasn't the shade I usually wore.

I pretended I hadn't seen it and handed him the gift box from my pocket.

"I've got a gift for you too. Open it in three days."

With a beaming smile, he held the gift box in his hands. "Thank you, darling. Since we've been together, you've always put so much thought into your gifts.

"One day, when we're old, with our hair turned gray, we'll sit on the lawn and watch our children run through the forest and grasslands. How romantic would that be?"

I curved my lips into a faint smile but said nothing.

The pack members surrounding us had started chattering, praising our relationship.

"Oh my! Alpha Ethan and Luna Lucy have such a wonderful bond! They're the very definition of love!"

"I never imagined there could really be such a loving pair. I believe in love again!"

The spotlight flickered, and someone snapped a picture of Ethan and me embracing. The photo was soon posted on the public bulletin board.

Every person who passed by couldn't help but admire the love between Ethan and me.

I stood before the photo, examining it carefully. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a face that wasn't quite as cheerful.

It was the female Beta who had gone on the business trip with Ethan—Nora Massey.