Chapter 3

I didn't accept Sophia's check.

I'd taken her rightful place as Luna for so long, and I had no right to take her money.

A year ago, Grandpa passed. I thought Ethan would break our mate bond instantly, but he didn't. A grand funeral was held for Grandpa, and Ethan single-handedly handled it.

Meanwhile, my so-called father, my stepmother, and her family had given up their rights of guardianship and custody of me ever since they found out Grandpa's treatment would cost a staggering amount. They disappeared from my life thereafter.

The very reason I agreed to the marriage was because Ethan promised to shoulder all of Grandpa's treatment expenses.

During the darkest time of my life, which was filled with despair, Ethan stayed by me through it all.

Whenever I cried silently under the covers in the dead of night, without a word, he would enter the bedroom. He would sit on the edge of the bed, only leaving after I fell asleep from all the crying.

When all food tasted bland to me, he would head into the kitchen and make me a steaming hot meal of macaroni.

When I felt lonely and abandoned, he even gifted me a pot of exotic Moonshine Lily. Its bluish glow lit up the dark, as though it was trying to tell me I was no longer alone.

I shouldn't have lied to myself… I'd since long been helplessly in love with Ethan.

However, I wasn't the person he loved. He was such a remarkable person. How could I selfishly keep him by my side and keep him from achieving happiness?

That night, I went to the study. Ethan, seated behind the huge desk, seemed more distant than ever.

I slowly walked up to him and took a deep breath. "You said once that I could ask for anything I wanted. Is that promise still valid?"

Ethan paused. Then, he slowly put down the document he was holding. With his slender fingers, he removed the metal-rimmed glasses from the bridge of his nose. Anticipation gleamed in his eyes. There was even a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Of course, it is. Come, tell me what you want."

He looked so expectant, as though he had been waiting for this very moment for a long time.

It turned out that he could wait no longer.

My fingers clenched tighter on the Bond-Breaking Agreement I was holding as I placed it before him, just under the light.

"I wish for you to sign this."

His smile froze on his face.

The silence felt suffocating. The Bond-Breaking Agreement was like a grenade about to go off any moment as it lay between us. Under the light, it glowed a searing white.

Tears welled up in my eyes. Before they could trickle down my cheeks, I did my best to finish my statement.

"I've signed where I'm supposed to. After you sign it, we can go to the Department of Werewolf Affairs tomorrow to file the paperwork."

With that, I immediately turned and left the study. The moment I did, I could no longer hold back my tears.

Upon returning to my room, I hid myself under the covers and burst out crying.

It was the second time in my entire life that I'd cried so hard. Somehow, I felt worse than the first time, when Grandpa passed away.

Loving someone shouldn't have hurt so much that they wound up with swollen eyes and numb limbs. However, that was what I currently felt.

I couldn't sleep that night.

I stared at myself in the mirror, at my red, swollen eyes and weary expression. Sniffling, I told myself that I should never let Ethan notice that I'd been crying.

I plastered on layers of concealer until all the tell-tale signs could no longer be seen before heading out of the bedroom.

I thought Ethan would be having breakfast in the dining room. He might avoid looking me in the eye, or perhaps he might pretend that nothing had happened. Perhaps… he'd already signed the agreement gladly and was only too eager to dump me.

However, Marcus told me, "Luna Elena, Alpha Ethan has already left the house."

Surprised, I looked up. "He has left?"

"Yes, he left early this morning. He didn't say where he was going."

I was confused to hear that. Wasn't Ethan anxious to break our mate bond?

Why would he leave so early? And he didn't let anyone know his whereabouts at that.

It was as if instead of avoiding me, he was avoiding something else.