3

Our hollow gazes met.

Damien's eyes flickered with guilt.

But thinking of Sera's injuries, he gritted his teeth and turned away without another word.

Kieran watched in complete shock.

What I didn't know was that he'd heard about my reputation as a gifted healer long ago and had secretly admired me from afar.

Only after learning I had a fiancé—and that we were supposedly deeply in love—had he buried his feelings.

Once upon a time, he'd been so jealous of this man he'd never met.

But he never could have imagined that when I needed care the most, this man would abandon his fiancée to comfort another woman.

My wound was still bleeding steadily.

But I seemed unable to feel the pain anymore. My eyes were completely lifeless.

Kieran's lips trembled with heartbreak:

"Aria, let me get some gauze to treat your wound."

After he bandaged me up, I asked him to help me check out of the hospital.

Before leaving, Kieran gently pulled me aside.

He knew the Blackwood house had no place for me now.

If I didn't mind, I could stay with him for a few days.

He was willing to take care of me.

I just smiled and shook my head.

I didn't want to drag Kieran into this mess.

It was enough that only I got hurt.

---

When I returned to the Blackwood house, Father had sent me a text:

*[Sera's wound just got treated. She needs someone to look after her. We won't be coming home tonight.]*

*[Left some food in the kitchen. Eat when you get back.]*

On the dining room table sat half a pizza and some cold fried chicken. This clearly wasn't specially saved for me—it was obviously leftovers from the family meal.

I stared at it expressionlessly. I was used to this by now.

When Sera first joined the Blackwood family, Father immediately felt sorry for this Omega.

He said she'd grown up in the remote borderlands and, being an Omega, had suffered from poor nutrition since childhood. So every day he would spare no expense buying fresh vegetables, meat, and fruit to nourish Sera.

But I was nearly an adult then. The family reasoned that since I was about to shift and would be stronger than Sera, I should take care of her instead. I should be mature and understanding.

From that point on, I'd been taking care of myself.

The family expected me to willingly give up everything for her.

I wasn't naturally competitive, so I could only watch as Sera took away everything that was mine.

Even my old bedroom was now occupied by Sera.

While I lived in the drafty attic, sleeping on the cold floor.

Maybe in Father's eyes, Sera's sweet talk and people-pleasing personality was what he'd always wanted in a daughter.

Just then, the door opened.

My brother Ethan walked in carrying a bag.

Seeing me there, he froze for a moment, then frowned as if he'd encountered something disgusting.

"I came back to get toiletries for Sera."

"Also, Damien asked me to tell you—he wants to break off your engagement. Even though you grew up together, you're not suitable mates. Since you never had an official mating ceremony anyway, it's better to part on good terms. Sera is feeling extremely guilty. The healer says her emotional breakdown might develop into depression, and she could hurt herself again. Damien can't leave her side right now."

"This is something you gave him before. He asked me to return it to you."

He pulled out a high-grade healing stone and handed it to me.

This was the first gift I'd ever given Damien.

As a child, I had no money to buy expensive things. The pack's head healer had mentioned that rare healing stones could be found in the Cursed Forest.

I'd risked encountering rogue wolves and spent an entire month searching there before finding this stone.

Damien had been undergoing Alpha training then, coming home covered in injuries every day. He desperately needed this healing stone.

I still remembered how Damien had cried and hugged me, promising he'd treasure this gift forever.

And now, not only had he forgotten that promise.

He wouldn't even return the gift to me personally?