20

That was also one of the reasons Zara always felt embarrassed in front of Declan.

 Ever since she became his mate, whispers had followed her like shadows. Some said she was lucky. 

Others said she was merely a replacement for Luna who had secured her position through sacrifice and strategy. Each time Declan stood tall among the Alphas of Rodrigo City, radiating authority and cold restraint, Zara felt the invisible distance between them. 

Not because he mistreated her but because she knew too well how their bond had been forged.

Now that she understood Caksa’s calculations, Zara mocked coldly, “No need to hope anymore. Declan and I are already rejected. The Packmoon family and the Jordan family are no longer in-laws.”

On the other end of the line, silence stretched thin.

“What did you say?” Caksa was stunned for a moment, his tone immediately turning serious. “You rejected Declan?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Just now.”

“Did Declan file for it?”

“I did. He agreed.”

“Ridiculous!”

From the other end came the loud sound of a table being slammed. Even though Zara wasn’t there, she could imagine Caksa glaring in fury, his Alpha aura likely surging uncontrollably through the Packmoon residence. 

If she had been standing before him, he would have stared at her as if she had committed the gravest betrayal in their family’s history as if she were a sinner who had dragged the Packmoon name through mud.

Yet he had never once shown that expression to Jane. Even when Jane caused trouble in the pack’s territory, acted spoiled at high-profile gatherings, and made the company lose billions in reckless ventures, Caksa would only sigh helplessly before gently asking when she would finally grow up.

 His indulgence toward Jane was endless, wrapped in warmth and protection.

Zara let out a cold, mocking chuckle and didn’t reply. There was no point explaining herself. In Caksa’s eyes, her only worth had always been tied to Declan’s position.

Caksa’s voice turned icy. “Your mother risked her life for you, and now you reject him just like that? Aren’t you ashamed in front of your mother?”

At the mention of her mother, Zara’s fingers tightened around her phone.

“If your mother could see you wasting her good intentions from the afterlife, how do you think she would feel? I order you to apologize to Declan immediately!”

Order.

Not advice. Not concerned. An order.

Zara sneered inwardly again. If her mother really could see from the afterlife, perhaps her heart would already be shattered not because Zara had rejected Declan, but because she had finally chosen herself.

For years she had endured Declan’s indifference, the loneliness of sleeping beside a mate whose heart was locked away, and the silent humiliation of knowing she had been placed beside him because of political exchange and a dying wish. 

She had convinced herself that patience would soften him, that devotion would someday turn into love.

But Declan had signed the rejection papers without hesitation.

That had been her final awakening.

Before Zara could respond, the call abruptly ended in anger from the other side.

At the Packmoon residence, Caksa smashed his phone down so hard that his face turned red. The veins at his temple throbbed visibly. The grand living room, adorned with ancestral portraits and crystal chandeliers, felt suffocating under the weight of his rage.

“That’s enough, don’t be angry anymore. I already told you Zara hasn’t considered us her family for a long time. I think from the beginning she only used the Jordan family’s resources for herself. In her eyes, we’re just stepping stones.”

Wenny, wearing a red dress, walked gracefully across the living room. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor, her posture elegant and composed.

She assumed Caksa was upset because Zara refused to help him secure another business collaboration. She reached out and gently patted her husband’s chest to calm him, her touch calculated yet tender.

“Besides, you can just ask Madam Trisha for help again,” Wenny said smoothly.

Caksa looked at his alluring wife. The fire of his anger subsided slightly, though his expression remained gloomy.

“I already owe her too many favors. Every time I ask, that’s one fewer opportunity left. And the previous result.” Caksa sighed deeply. “She’s not a fool. It might not be so easy this time.”

Wenny’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. “It’s not just that. What’s harder to deal with now is Zara.”

The moment he mentioned Zara’s name, Caksa’s anger flared up again. “She even dared to reject Declan. Ungrateful! How could I have a daughter so thankless?”

“Reject?” Wenny was shocked, her mouth falling open. “Impossible. Everyone in Rodrigo City knows Zara likes Declan. Especially since that marriage was obtained at the cost of her mother’s life. How could it have ended so easily?”

Caksa clenched his fists. He had spent years consolidating alliances through that bond. The connection between Packmoon and the Jordan family had elevated their influence across territories. If the rejection became public, the consequences would be unpredictable.

He was about to respond when Jane suddenly ran in, breathing heavily. “Dad, Mom.”

Seeing Jane, Wenny immediately put on a sweet smile. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Jane’s face with affection.

 “Why are you sweating like this? Don’t panic. What happened? Tell us slowly. Your father is here to protect you.”

Caksa nodded in agreement, instantly forgetting his earlier anger. Lively and spoiled Jane was clearly much more cherished than Zara. His stern features softened at once.

Caksa smiled at Jane. “My dear daughter, what is it? Tell us slowly.”

Jane finally managed to steady her breathing. Her eyes darted nervously between her parents before she spoke, lowering her voice as if sharing dangerous news.

“I just saw Zara,” she said. “She went to the Rodrigo Regional Tribunal Hall. It looks like she’s handling her rejection procedures.”