Chapter 3

When I returned to my drafty little shack, it felt even emptier than usual—probably because all my belongings were gone.

The rogue overseeing my work leaned against the doorframe with a grin wide enough to show off his crooked fangs. “Miss Julia, no more mucking stalls for you. Fancy servants from Midnight Ridge Pack came by and cleared out your things. They’ve sent it all to the Allison Hotel.”

“You should go stay there.”

I glanced around the tiny shack one last time, taking in the broken window patched with cloth, the battered cot, and the faint stench of damp hay. This place had been my home for five long years.

I whispered under my breath, “Good riddance.”

As I walked through the cold, snow-covered streets of Rogue Den, memories of my life here replayed in my mind. For five years, I had woken up before dawn, shackled with silver chains like the lowest slave, braving the knife-sharp winter wind to cut grass and feed the Rogue King’s livestock. After an entire day of herding, I had to go to the mines to dig for ore.

Rogue Den was nothing like Midnight Ridge Pack’s perpetual spring. For most of the year, it was battered by icy winds and covered in snow.

These hands of mine—once soft, perfect for painting delicate strokes—were now a map of scars, callouses, and broken nails. Even my wolf, stayed quiet in the back of my mind, too weary from years of suppression to comfort me.

Alpha Joe wasn’t wrong.

The pampered princess of Midnight Ridge Pack had long since died.

Not in the cold of Rogue Den, but the day Penny was brought back.

From that moment on, she took everything that had once belonged to me—my parents, my brother, the love and affection that had once been mine. Whatever she wanted, I had to give up.

Because I wasn’t really their daughter.

I was just the greedy maid’s child. My mother had switched us at birth, leaving Penny to suffer in poverty for over a decade.

When I finally reached the Allison Hotel, its warmth hit me like a slap in the face. The scent of lavender and vanilla incense made me wrinkle my nose. Everything about this place screamed luxury—a world I’d been forcibly ripped out of and left to dream about from the depths of Rogue Den.

That’s when I saw her.

Penny.

She stood at the top of the grand staircase, a vision of delicate beauty in a soft cream robe, her silky brown hair tumbling over her shoulders like some kind of goddess.

My chest tightened. Not with envy—I’d been too broken for that—but with the stark reminder of how easily she’d taken everything from me.

She wobbled slightly, clearly about to step down barefoot. Before I could even process what was happening, Joe shot forward, scooping her into his arms like she weighed nothing.

“Are you out of your mind?” he growled, his tone soft but firm. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes? Rogue Den isn’t Midnight Ridge Pack—it’s freezing here. What if you catch a cold? You’re always so frail.”

Beta Steve—my ex-fiancé —appeared out of nowhere, holding plush slippers. He knelt down, gently cradling her ankle as he slipped them on.

Penny giggled, her voice light as air. “I didn’t think anyone would notice. You’re both too much.”

I stood at the bottom of the staircase, watching this nauseating display unfold.

My lips curled into a bitter smile.

Neither Joe nor Steve had mentioned she’d be here. Of course, they’d hidden her away, worried that the harsh winds of Rogue Den might harm her precious skin. Or worse, worried I might trouble her.

My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, her growl low and dangerous. You’re better than this, Julia. Don’t let them see you crumble.

I clenched my fists. “Crumble? Please. I’m practically a rock at this point.”

My heart had long since gone numb, but at this moment, it was like a fishhook had pierced into my flesh, dragging out a sharp, tearing pain.

My entire body trembled.

The one person who owed me an apology the most—I hadn’t even had the chance to see her.

Five years ago, Penny had been found and brought back to Midnight Ridge Pack.

That was when everyone realized the mistake.

Seeing her malnourished and frail from years in the slums, my family couldn’t wait to make up for lost time, showering her with everything they had.

Penny didn’t like me.

She deliberately tore her own clothes, then looked at me with hesitant, tear-filled eyes.

She didn’t have to say anything.

Everyone already knew what to believe.

My brother forced me to yield to Penny, claiming she was timid and pitiful.

My parents silently bought her designer clothes and let her choose as she pleased.

My fiancé, Beta Steve, personally taught her combat techniques and grew closer to her.

Penny and I shared the same birthday.

On that day, she suddenly said she wanted almond tea, brewed by me.

But after a single sip, her face turned deathly pale, and she vomited blood.

Joe, in his fury, struck me across the face.

His words were the cruelest curses I had ever heard.

“A bitched girl born of a bitch—just as vile!”

“You switched the almonds for peach kernels, knowing she’s allergic! Did you want her dead so you could keep playing princess?”

“I’m telling you now—Penny is my real sister. If anything happens to her, you’ll pay for it with your life!”

Because of that slap, I lost hearing in my left ear forever.

My fiancé had held Penny in his arms, flustered and panicked.

He didn’t say a word.

But his accusing eyes cut me deeper than any blade, slicing me into a thousand pieces.