Chapter 24

"Samantha, are you awake?" A loud knock rattled my door in the early morning.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness. Glancing at the clock on my bedside table, I sighed in exasperation. It was barely 5 a.m.

I had stayed up late practicing my script and had only managed to fall asleep around 3 a.m. Now, irritation simmered beneath my exhaustion as the relentless knocking continued.

"What’s going on?" I yanked the door open, still trying to maintain my politeness.

I was surprised to find Layla standing behind the door. Since Eleanor and Mona had returned to the manor, they had been spending more time together and had become closer than before.

But even though their relationship had improved, it didn’t mean she had to wake me up before sunrise. Besides, I had to be at the courthouse by nine, so I wanted to use the remaining time to sleep.

Before I could say another word, Layla shoved her phone screen in my face. "The news. Have you seen the news?"

I frowned and took the phone from her hand. "What news?"

"Samantha," Layla said excitedly, "I think you’re going to win your case today."

My eyes darted to the screen, my stomach churning as I read the headline:

[ORÉA Perfume: Toxic Ingredients Cause Severe Skin Burns in Customers].

I held my breath for a moment. Many customers who had suffered skin burns from ORÉA products had come together to make a statement.

Back then, only small news portals carried their stories, but now there were at least five major news portals reporting ORÉA’s infamy.

[A Small Perfumery Has Filed Lawsuit Against ORÉA Due to Copied Formula!]

Luxen hadn’t dared to take the case to court because they were sure Rowan would win with his money.

However, based on the current situation, I suspected Zephyr must have contacted Luxen and offered them significant help.

I knew Zephyr had been trying to wreak havoc on Rowan’s business, but I hadn’t expected him to drop the bomb on the day of the trial.

"With a case like this, Rowan definitely won’t be able to come to court, right?" Layla said in a low voice.

I nodded. "I hope so."

The trial would still go on even if Rowan didn’t show up, but at least I had a chance to win my divorce case faster.

"I really hope I can divorce him today," I whispered.

• • •

As I suspected, Rowan didn’t attend the court, leaving his attorney to handle the divorce case.

"I don’t see his mother either," I said, glancing around the courtroom.

"That’s good," Zephyr replied calmly, standing close to me. "Less drama to deal with."

"Did you do something to her, too?" I asked, my eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I did nothing," Zephyr replied with a slight smile. Then he added, "But her mother did."

My mind raced. Eleanor?

No wonder I hadn’t received any vile messages or threats from Veronica in days. The woman who had once made it her mission to torment me had seemingly disappeared into silence.

I didn’t ask what Eleanor had done to her daughter, because the important thing was that my life was getting calmer these days.

"Hey, Samantha." Zephyr held my hand before I walked over to the plaintiff’s table. "You will officially be a divorcee today."

Any other woman might have found those words offensive. But for me, the word "divorcee" had a different meaning—it meant freedom.

The beginning of a new life.

I couldn’t help but smile. "Oh, I can’t wait."

The younger version of me would have been terrified at the thought of becoming a divorcee, seeing it as a symbol of failure and shame. But the woman I was now?

I’d throw confetti in celebration.

More than that, this moment meant something even greater. Once I broke free of Rowan, I could finally register my name as Luna of the Silverclaw Pack.

And with that, I would be able to sign the marriage certificate with Zephyr.

Ah, marriage?

I hadn’t thought about it much further, and Zephyr had never brought it up either.

Actually, the marital status between two werewolves wasn’t that important as long as they were already registered as mates, especially if I was mated with an Alpha.

The reason most werewolves chose to marry in the modern world was to gain legal recognition of their relationship and benefit from practical advantages, such as reduced taxes by living together as a married couple.

But in Zephyr’s case, I was sure he had no concerns about taxes at all.

"Mrs. Cole," Reece greeted me, interrupting my thoughts. "I have news. Mr. Fell officially did not attend the hearing today."

"Great." I smiled. "I don’t know what will happen in court today, but at least I won’t have to see his face."

A few minutes later, the judge entered the courtroom. He knocked his gavel once. "Good morning, everyone. We reconvene today for the continuation of the divorce proceedings between Mrs. Samantha Cole and Mr. Rowan Fell."

"The court has reviewed the newly submitted evidence as well as the written responses from the legal representatives of both parties."

The judge looked around the courtroom, pausing for a moment to ensure proper attention.

"After reconsidering the new evidence, and after reviewing the testimony and financial documents, I find that there are sufficient grounds to proceed with the divorce."

My eyes lit up with excitement. The words I had been dying to hear were finally coming out of the judge’s mouth.

The judge continued, "I do not find it necessary to hear further arguments from counsel at this time."

He lowered his head to look at the papers in his hands. "And the matter of Mr. Fell’s conduct with many female humans will be dealt with in a separate hearing."

I couldn’t believe the trial was going so smoothly. If I had known it would be like this, I would have been thrilled to see Rowan’s expression when he failed to defend the marriage.

The matter of my fortune had not yet been resolved, but at least I could finally escape being Rowan’s wife.

I immediately turned to look at Zephyr. I smiled brightly and mouthed without making a sound, "I’m free.”