Ch-02

IVY

I sleep well for the first time in months, and when I wake up, I feel hollow but strong.

I'm making toast when my phone buzzes with a message from the group chat Noah made for us three. Me, Amy, and Him.

It's Amy who sent a text this morning.

–I am sooo craving strawberry crepes this morning! And that honey lavender tea Ivy makes. Oh, and maybe some of those little almond cookies?

My hand tightens around my coffee mug.

Six months ago, when I still wanted to be perfect for Noah, I used to make afternoon tea for him. Then Amy came back, and suddenly everything I made for him ended up on her plate.

One day, she demanded that I cook for her daily, requesting specific dishes with a long list of ingredients she liked and disliked.

I refused instantly, and Amy made a group phone call, sobbing as she spoke to Noah. “What should I do? Ivy must be so angry with me. It's fine. I'm someone who's going to die anyway. I'm not worthy of Ivy’s food.”

Instantly, Noah summoned me to his office like a subordinate, forcing me to apologize while Amy watched with wet eyes and a small smile.

I tried explaining I never said those things, but he didn't believe me.

After that, I became her personal chef. I had to cook on time every day, or she'd refuse to eat, and Noah would blame me for disrupting her health. My entire workday revolved around her meals.

Staring at her message now, a cold feeling settles in my chest, and I type back…

–You were right back then. You really aren't worthy of eating my food.

I exited the group chat right after that.

My toast pops up, but just as I take it out, my phone rings with a call from Noah. He couldn't even wait five minutes.

"How dare you upset Amy?" His voice is loud with fury. "You know her health is bad. She fainted again because of your message."

Without uttering a single word, I hang up and block his number.

Well, that felt freeing. I don't want to eat my toast anymore, so I begin moving through the house, packing my things.

Five years of marriage, and it fits in one suitcase.

All the gifts Noah gave me…jewelry, clothes, the expensive perfumes he bought during the first year when he still tried…I threw them in the trash. Every single one.

When I stand up from zipping the suitcase, the room tilts. I grab the bed frame to steady myself.

My body hasn't recovered from the miscarriage

Dr. Storrie told me to come back for a follow-up and dressing change. I should go before I leave.

At the hospital, Dr. Storrie changes my dressing with gentle hands, telling me to rest well and take it easy.

I don't say a word and just leave for the payment counter.

However, when I swipe my card, a loud “Transaction declined.” echoes in the lobby.

I tell the cashier to try it again, but it's the same thing. With a pitying look on her face, she tells me perhaps my card has been frozen.

Just then, Noah's voice echoes in my head through the threads of our mind link.

“You dare block me? Stop throwing tantrums. You don't apologize to Amy, you don't get money for the day. Simple.”

My hands began shaking badly.

Yes, this card was his, but I've worked for the pack's company for seven years. First as the Marketing director, then Luna managing pack affairs. I never received a salary. And now, he blocked it, rendering me financially handicapped and dependent on him.

Anger blooms in my chest, and I messaged Marcus, a lawyer I've worked with on pack contracts.

–I need your help drafting a labor arbitration case. There's no contract but unpaid wages for seven years.

His response comes fast:

–Ivy, you know our pack law considers alpha and luna one entity. You can't sue for wages while you're still Luna. You'd have to leave that status first.

I clench my phone so hard the screen cracks slightly.

I have zero regrets about contacting Liam yesterday.

Only he has the power to help me break free from Noah completely.

As I think of what to do, my eyes fell on the wedding ring on my left hand.

I forgot to throw it away with everything else.

Well, now was the perfect time to get rid of it.

There's a luxury resale shop two blocks from the hospital. It's the type of place that deals in high-end jewelry with no questions asked.

The woman behind the counter examines the ring with a loupe, then names a price that makes me wince. I swear I know my ring is normally worth ten times that amount.

"Deal," I say.

I use the cash to pay my medical bill and pocket the rest. It should be enough for a few weeks if I'm careful.

Outside, I hail a taxi and give the driver the address Liam sent last night. "Rosewood Manor, please."

The driver glances at me in the rearview mirror. "That's outside pack territory, miss. You got permission to leave?"

"I do."

We drive in silence toward the border. The Blackwood Pack territory ends at the river crossing, marked by an ornate iron gate and two guards on duty.

The taxi stops, and one guard approaches.

"Luna Blackwood." He looks surprised. "Does Alpha Noah know you're leaving?"

I pull up the access key Liam sent me at 3 AM.

The guard scans it, and his brows arch, but he steps back and swings the gate open. "Safe travels, Luna."

We cross the bridge, and I watch the Blackwood territory shrink in the side mirror. Seven years of my life disappearing behind me.

The manor appears fifteen minutes later, set back from the road and surrounded by manicured gardens. The emblem hanging above the entrance gates is unmistakable—a silver wolf beneath a crescent moon.

Liam's symbol.

The taxi driver gives me a worried look but doesn't say a word as he takes my money and drives away quickly. I stand at the gates with my single suitcase, staring up at the manor.

If I weren't desperate to leave Noah, to escape this pack, I would never want to see Liam again.

But among everyone I know, only Liam is powerful enough to help me detach completely from this pack. Alpha Liam is the richest and most powerful alpha on this continent.

His territory spans three states, and Noah is terrified his uncle--Alpha Liam, will annex the Blackwood Pack someday and absorb us into his empire.

That fear might be the only leverage I have.

I take a breath and walk through the gates.