VIVIAN
I heard a soft moan echo off the tiled walls as I approached the bathroom which made me wonder who the hell was having sex at an event center of all places? As Luna of the pack, I was going to reprimand them when I see them come out. But then I heard a feminine voice say, “Ronald,”. I froze because that name rang a bell. I knew almost everyone that were gonna be in this building, and as far as I was aware, only one man here bore the name Ronald. My husband and fated mate. My brain scrambled for excuses. Maybe it wasn’t my Ronald. Maybe I was hearing things. Maybe someone was playing a weird p**n clip on their phone. Then I heard a female say again. “Don't stop, Ronald. Don't fucking stop.” Surely, Ronald couldn’t be so downright stupid as to cheat on me, right? I thought to myself. But I still I wanted to be sure. If it turned out not to be him, I was going to apologise to the people and pretend like I didn't know they in there before I walked in. I shoved the door open afterward, and the sight that greeted me made me wish I’d stayed in ignorance. There he was, my mate, Ronald, tangled up with another woman. The man the moon goddess supposedly handcrafted for me was doing the very opposite of staying faithful. Watching him cheat on me was like a slap to the face, and a kick to the gut. I guess I wasn’t so special after all and that truth hit me hard, especially since this was the same man who had spent years convincing me I was the only woman he could ever love. He acted like the perfect husband. He acted like he didn't have eyes for another woman except me and I trusted him, but now here he was. The way he was thrusting into her and making pig-like grunts didn’t look like a man struggling with a guilty conscience. He was so deep in the act and didn't notice my presence until he pulled out his cock and spewed his cum on her thigh. “Ronald?” My voice trembled, barely recognizable. Then he froze like a kid that was caught stealing cookies from the jar. The girl he was screwing—Jessica, I knew her she was some bratty Alpha daughter from the neighboring pack and what filled me with anger was that she had the audacity to smile. "Couldn’t she have the decency to knock?" she blurted out like I was the one inconveniencing them. “Well, I’m glad she found out. At least we wouldn’t need to be playing hide and seek anymore.” She added. I blinked, unable to process her words. So this wasn't even a one-time thing? My eyes, which must have been wider than saucers, swung back to Ronald, who was standing there with his semi-limp cock. “Hold on? This isn't the first time you are fucking her?” I asked him and he kept silent with guilt written all over his face. “You ask me for sex all the time yet you cheat on me with her? I even learned to take it rough and do whatever depriving act you like! Just to satisfy you sexually. So Why the hell would you do this to me?” I snapped. Ronald opened his mouth to speak, probably to unleash some half-assed excuse that even he wouldn’t believe. But probably because the universe apparently had a dark sense of humor, we all heard the MC’s voice boom over the speakers at that exact moment. “Let’s welcome to the stage, Luna and CEO of The Miller Group and Enterprise, Mrs. Vivian Miller!” We heard the Mc announce. Holy. Shit. It was time for my speech. How in the world was I supposed to give a speech seconds after catching my husband with another woman? Ronald watched me in silence. He thought I’d break down or cause a scene. Looking at him now, I realized the bastard wasn’t even sorry. There wasn’t even an ounce of remorse was in his expression. Just smug, cowardly silence. So, I did the opposite of what he and Jessica expected. No matter how much I wanted to stay and put them in their places, I turned on my heel and left. My stilettos clicked against the floor, hiding the way my heart was breaking with each step. Ronald didn’t call me back. Not even a single, “Wait, Vivian.” Nothing. And that silence was soul-crushing. But this wasn’t the time to fall apart. My father, the retired Beta of our pack, was handing over his company to me today. A legacy built on his blood, sweat, and tears, and now it was my responsibility to carry it on. There were too many eyes on me to crumble, I couldn’t, so I put on a fake smile so wide it felt like my face might crack then I greeted everyone with practiced pleasantries, and pretended like my life wasn’t in flames. When it was time to take pictures, Ronald snaked his arm around me like I hadn’t just been caught screwing another woman. The warmth of his touch burned like acid. It disgusted me. And then when I saw Jessica’s lipstick stain on his shirt, my heart shattered into a thousand tiny pieces I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to put back together. But for the sake of appearances, I smiled for the camera. Because if I was going to break down, it wouldn’t be here. Ronald kept acting normal like nothing happened. Every second he spent in my presence felt like a slow descent into madness for me because of how I bottled up everything I had to say to him. The more he stared at me, the more nauseated I grew. When he finally disappeared, it felt like someone had lifted a ton of weight off my chest. After successfully dodging my dad, my mom, and my younger sister—because goddess forbid that they pick up on the fact that Ronald cheated on me right here—I made my way to my car. I didn’t even know where I was driving at first. My mind was foggy, but one thing was clear: Ronald was going to tell me to my face what I had done to deserve this betrayal. When I pulled into the driveway of the Alpha mansion, the silence that I met was nothing new. The pack house always had this museum-like atmosphere that made me feel more like a guest than a Luna. All I wanted now was to find Ronald and confront him. When I got in and saw him seated in one of the private living rooms with one of his leg arrogantly crossed over the other while he casually sipped liquor from a glass like he didn’t have a care in the world, it made my blood boil. Then, to top it all off, I saw a smug smile spread across his face. How could he have the nerve to smile at me after cheating? “I know you’re about to give me an earful,” he said lazily and swirled his drink. “But let me save you the stress. Or let’s save each other the stress. Let’s get a divorce, Vivian.” I gasped as the words slammed into me. Before I could respond, he tossed an envelope onto the table. It felt like my heart was being ripped straight out of my chest. He was casually throwing our marriage away like it was yesterday’s trash. Tears welled up in my eyes. Even though he cheated on me, divorce hadn’t crossed my mind. Call me naïve, but as far as I was concerned, 90% of men cheated. I was willing to forgive him if he promised to change and never do it again. However that didn’t mean I’d trust him. He had broken the trust I had in him and it would have taken years to build it back again. “You’re joking, right?” I said, my voice trembling as I forced the words out. Before he could speak, a voice rang out from the stairs. “Baby!!” I turned toward the sound, and my stomach dropped. Jessica, the brat, descended my stairs like she owned the place, wearing nothing but Ronald’s polo. Her bare thighs were on full display. “You brought her to our home?” I cried out as I pointed a trembling finger at Jessica. Jessica’s smirk widened like she was enjoying every second of my misery. Ronald didn’t have the decency to look guilty. Instead, he took another sip of his drink, as if none of this was happening. “Just sign the papers, and mind the way you talk to me, you know I'm the daughter of an Alpha. Did you really think that Ronald would stay with a boring bitch like you forever?” Jessica sneered and folded her arms on her chest while Ronald placed his hands over her shoulders, caressing it. Even though I was enraged, confused, and on the brink of tears, I didn’t want to believe what was going on. Perhaps this was a sick joke or a nightmare or even a prank. “Henceforth you must address me as your Alpha and you heard her. Now sign the papers. You're boring as hell,” Ronald spat coldly, sending chills down my spine. I had never felt so stupid and embarrassed like how I felt at that moment. With the workers in the packhouse witnessing everything that was happening and giving me pitiful looks, I felt like disappearing from the surface of the earth. With a heavy heart and a soul that felt like it was being torn to shreds, I walked to the table where the divorce papers lay. The envelop stared back at me like a death sentence. My fingers trembled as I picked it up. If he didn’t want me anymore, who was I to hold on to him? Even though I still loved him—a truth that felt more pathetic by the second—I sure as hell wasn’t about to beg him to love me or stay with me. The ink on the paper was blurry through my watery gaze. My fingers grabbed the pen, and as much as it killed me, I was ready to sign it. Then, as if the universe hadn’t already slapped me hard enough, Ronald and Jessica decided that was the perfect time to spite me. They started kissing, right in front of me. Her nails clawed at his shirt, and his hands roamed her butt like I wasn’t even there. I ignored them and signed the damn divorce papers. The pen slipped slightly from my grip after I was done signing the divorce papers and before I could snap at the duo making out, a growl emerged from the entrance, cutting through the tension like a blade. The sound was raw, and packed with fury which made Ronald and Jessica halt their sick little show. As we all instantly turned to check who it was.VIVIAN Zander stood near the door for a while before coming closer. His face looked serious, and I could tell he had thought this through over and over in his study.The room suddenly felt heavier as I waited for him to explain what this plan was. My heart beat a little faster, and I sat straighter, waiting.Then he said it.“A flamethrower.”I blinked, confused. My brows rose instantly before I could even stop myself. His words sounded sharp in the quiet room, and for a moment, I thought maybe I had heard him wrong.“What?” I asked, my voice low.I tilted my head at him, searching his face for some sign that he was joking. But he wasn’t. His eyes held mine, calm and steady, as if the word made perfect sense to him.I let out a small breath and leaned forward a little. “A flamethrower?” I repeated. “You have to explain more.”He nodded slowly, not looking away. “A flamethrower is the best thing to use on Andromeda,” he said. “Derek’s old witch.”I sat there staring at him, still not
VIVIAN It had been days since Derek moved out of the house. At first, I thought his absence would make everything feel lighter, like the tension around us would finally clear.But it didn’t. If anything, the tension he left behind only made me more restless. Every time I walked through the house, I felt as if his eyes were still on me, watching, and waiting.We had not brought in the private investigator yet. Zander had said he didn’t want to make things look suspicious.He believed Derek might still be keeping tabs on us somehow, and if we rushed into searching the house, we would be giving away that we were onto him.I understood his point, but that didn’t make it easier to live with the uncertainty.The thought of hidden cameras made my skin crawl. I found myself second-guessing everything I did.Even when I closed the door of our room at night, I couldn’t relax fully. My mind always kept telling me that someone could still be listening.Zander tried to comfort me, but I knew he c
ZANDERI looked up from my phone, straight at her. She didn’t move, but her eyes caught mine, and that was enough. I gave a small nod.My hand went back into my pocket, and I typed nothing. There was no need. Lucas, on the other hand, pulled out his own phone, glanced at the screen, and then raised his brows at me like he was asking if this was really happening.I gave him a small gesture with my hand, telling him to wait. We couldn’t talk here.I leaned back slowly, letting out a quiet breath.If Derek suspected us, then even the walls might be unsafe. We needed to move to talk somewhere where no camera could capture us well, but we had to do it smartly.I didn’t want Derek to come back maybe because he forgot something and then catch us talking about him.So I waited. I let a few minutes pass, pretending to scroll through my phone and pretending to relax in my chair.Vivian and Caroline did the same, though their fingers clenched tightly around their phone, and Lucas leaned back, ac
ZANDERAs I drove, I glanced at Vivian sitting in the passenger seat. Her hands were folded tightly in her lap, and her shoulders looked stiff.She was trying to hide it, but I could tell she was nervous. The closer we got to Alpha Magnus’s pack, the more her anxiety showed in the way she chewed her bottom lip or tapped her fingers against her thigh.It made me want to reach over and hold her hand, but I kept both my hands on the wheel.I knew she needed space, even though fear was written all over her face. My chest tightened. I wanted to ease her worry, but I couldn't because I was worried too.I had already told Lucas about most of it last night. He deserved to know, especially since he was also part of my family.Still, I hadn’t told him everything. I had held back the one detail that felt like it needed to come from Isla herself. Derek’s role as the leader of the Circle.That truth was too dangerous to talk about in the wrong place. But Priestess Tanya’s house, though, was differ
VIVIAN But then Priestess Tanya leaned forward. Her face looked calm, but her eyes carried something sharp, something that made me nervous even before she spoke. “What if Derek has already begun to suspect you?” she asked. Everyone froze. No one said anything. It wasn’t because they didn’t want to answer. It was because none of us could. The truth was sitting right there in front of us, and it was frightening. The thought of Derek knowing, even a little, made my stomach twist. I had been so careful, or at least I thought I had been. But Priestess Tanya was right. What if Derek had already started connecting the pieces? He wasn’t a fool. He had always been sharp, always watching. The silence in the room stretched longer than it should have. No one wanted to admit it out loud, but we all knew Priestess Tanya had spoken the truth. She broke the silence herself. “You must not let your guards down,” she said. Her tone was firm, like a warning none of us could ignore. “Even if you th
VIVIAN But then Priestess Tanya leaned forward. Her face looked calm, but her eyes carried something sharp, something that made me nervous even before she spoke.“What if Derek has already begun to suspect you?” she asked.Everyone froze. No one said anything. It wasn’t because they didn’t want to answer. It was because none of us could. The truth was sitting right there in front of us, and it was frightening.The thought of Derek knowing, even a little, made my stomach twist. I had been so careful, or at least I thought I had been. But Priestess Tanya was right. What if Derek had already started connecting the pieces? He wasn’t a fool. He had always been sharp, always watching.The silence in the room stretched longer than it should have. No one wanted to admit it out loud, but we all knew Priestess Tanya had spoken the truth.She broke the silence herself. “You must not let your guards down,” she said. Her tone was firm, like a warning none of us could ignore. “Even if you think he