LOGINI froze. My breath caught. “What?”
“Please, just answer me honestly, Cass.”
“Have you completely lost your mind, Alaric?” I spat, angered, lacing every word. My voice trembled—not with fear, but fury. “You must be insane if you think I’d ever do that. After everything you did to me. After all the pain you caused. You think I’d stoop that low?”
He didn’t answer right away. Guilt flickered in his expression—real, raw—but it was tangled with confusion.
“No. I don’t think you’d do that, Cass. It’s just that… I don’t understand. I remember something, but—”
“Moon Goddess, what on earth is going through your head, Alaric?” I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to say something like that to me. “Do you not remember who you spent your night with?”
He fell silent, but his eyes stayed locked on
Cass’s POVIris looks so happy.She paces back and forth in the sitting room, her smile never fading since the call ended. Her fingers keep busy straightening the small ribbon in her hair, then she tugs lightly at the sleeve of my dress, as if making sure I’m still right here.“Dad said I’ll be able to meet Mommy Lyra later,” she says again—for the third time.I nod slowly. “Yes. But later, okay? When you’re truly fit again. And when Lyra’s condition has improved too.”“I know,” she answers quickly. “I’ll take my medicine on time. And I won’t skip meals.” Her eyes sparkle. “So I can recover faster.”I smile—a smile I force myself to hold.In my chest, something sinks quietly. The way Iris says Lyra’s name so lightly. So full of longing. As if that woman is the center of warmth she wants to return to,
Alaric’s POVThe silence on the other end of the line doesn’t break right away.I can picture Cassandra standing where she is—upright, composed, weighing my words not with emotion, but with the logic she has always relied on. That, somehow, makes the situation feel even more tense.“Not safe,” she repeats at last. “Explain.”“Lyra is unstable,” I answer shortly. “And there are people trying to use Iris.”“Who?”I don’t reply immediately. “What you need to know is this—I won’t allow Iris to be within their reach.”Her tone hardens but remains controlled. “You’re talking about Lyra’s parents.”“And the people around them,” I add.“I need a more concrete reason than that, Alaric,” she says. “Iris is not a pawn.”“Exactly,” I reply. “Which is why she can’t be on the wrong board.”I hear her draw in a breath. “Does Iris know about this decision?”“Not yet.”“I’ll tell her,” Cassand
Alaric’s POVThe silence inside the elevator feels too absolute.The metal doors slide shut slowly, reflecting my own image—an expressionless face, eyes showing nothing but calculation. The indicator lights tick downward one by one. I’m not thinking about Lyra. Nor Vania. There’s only one thing on my mind: the information has leaked.“Report,” I say the moment the doors open.Russel walks beside me, his stride matching mine. “Cyan was eavesdropping outside the ward. The keywords he clearly caught were: Iris, coming, hospital.”“Who did he send the message to?”“Vania,” Russel answers without hesitation.I stop briefly at the end of the corridor. The distant footsteps of nurses and the rhythmic beeping of monitors drift faintly through the air. “Cut off all of Cyan’s access. There’s no reason for him to be on this floor.”“Understood.”“And one more thing,” I add. “Restrict all
Lyra’s POVNights in the hospital always feel colder.The lights in my room are dimmed, the sound of nurses’ footsteps grows scarce, and the monitor beside my bed ticks softly—as if reminding me that my body now carries something that cannot be taken lightly.I’m still not fully used to that word. Pregnant.I rest a hand over my stomach. There’s no visible change yet, no obvious signs. But the reality is there. A small life, settled inside me for who knows how long, binding my position far more tightly than before.The door opens quietly.“Mother?”Vania enters in hurried steps, her eyes immediately locking onto me. Her face has been pale since this afternoon, but now there’s something else there—a mix of relief and excitement she can barely hide.“Lyra,” she says, slightly breathless. “Is… is this news true?”I
Raymond shook his head. “No effect. All dosages were correct. I adjusted them to work alongside the medical drugs as well. This is purely psychological.”“Thank you,” I said shortly.Vania stepped closer. “You heard that, didn’t you? She’s under mental strain. Because of you.”I didn’t respond.“I’ll stay here,” I said at last—not to Vania, but to Raymond. “Monitor her condition.”Raymond nodded and left, ushering Vania and Alan out with him, their quiet sobs trailing behind them. The door closed, leaving only Lyra and me.“You’re angry with me,” Lyra said slowly.“I’m making sure you’re safe,” I replied evenly.Her smile widened. “That sounds like obligation, not concern.”I pulled out a chair and sat down. “Iris misses you.”The word instantly changed her exp
Alaric’s POVThe sharp, sterile scent of medicine and antiseptic clung to the air the moment the doors of SilverFang Hospital sealed shut behind me. The hallway was far too quiet for a place that held so much desperation. Overhead, the white lights hummed with a steady, cold indifference, as if they couldn’t care less about the lives hanging in the balance behind closed doors.I walked without haste. There was no surge of urgency in my chest, no frantic worry to quicken my pace. Only a simple, clinical awareness: Lyra was the Luna. And as the Luna, she had to be protected. It was as simple as that.Raymond was already waiting for me outside her room, his expression grave—excessively so. Through the clear glass, I could see Lyra’s body amidst a tangle of tubes and the slow, rhythmic pulse of the monitors. She looked pale, more fragile than I remembered. Yet, the sight stirred nothing in me beyond an objective assessment.







