Chapter 2

There were three days left.

These past few days, aside from nursing my injuries, I had been holed up in my apartment, throwing out useless things. Looking at the pile of belongings stacked like a small mountain in the living room, I silently threw it into the trash bin by the door.

Among them were the 1,000 love letters I had written to Jaden, the 365 custom meal plans I had created for him, and a hundred moonstone bracelets I had hand-woven for him.

There were 108 plane tickets to his pack territory, as well as protection charms I had obtained by kneeling before the Moon Goddess at the altar for three days and three nights, praying for his safety.

After throwing away the last item, I let out a long breath of relief.

The moment I turned around, my heart skipped a beat. Jaden was standing at the doorway, and I had no idea when he had arrived. Those unpredictable eyes stared straight at me, then moved to the pile of 'trash'.

He frowned, his voice carrying a trace of incredulous hoarseness. "Why are you throwing them away?"

My tone was ice-cold. "Useless garbage obviously needs to be thrown out."

The moment those words left my mouth, I felt an incredible sense of relief. However, Jaden did not feel the same way.

He clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hands as if he were desperately restraining something. I thought I was about to receive another brutal beating like last time.

Yet instead, Jaden took a deep breath and said in a stiff tone, "I was too impulsive that day. After the banquet ends, I'll move forward with the mating ceremony and officially make you my future Luna."

I did not respond and continued to pack my things. Just then, the front door opened. I saw Lillian holding a key to my house, smiling as she wrapped her arm around Jaden's.

"Jaden, I heard you're taking your fiancée to the banquet. I want to go too." As Lillian spoke, she did not forget to toss me a sideway glance, watching for my reaction.

I raised an eyebrow, my face showing not the slightest ripple of emotion. I remained focused on packing my belongings, not even sparing her a glance.

Seeing my reaction, Jaden looked shocked. Normally, whenever Lillian showed up, I would throw a fit no matter where we were. I would make a scene until I had worked myself into a rage.

However, seeing my unusual behavior now—this complete indifference—was probably making him start to panic.

In a fit of anger, Jaden agreed to Lillian's request.

On the way to the banquet, the atmosphere in the car was strangely tense. He unconsciously began showing off his affection for Lillian right in front of me.

One moment he was tenderly brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. The next, he was asking in a soft voice whether her stomach felt uncomfortable. He spoke just loud enough for me to hear.

When he checked my reaction through the rear-view mirror for the seventh time, he still saw the same emotionless expression on my face.

Jaden's expression suddenly darkened, and he gripped the steering wheel so tightly it creaked.

When we arrived at the banquet, he brazenly took Lillian's hand in front of everyone. Everyone there was stunned.

"The Full Moon Festival is such an important holiday, and you're still bold enough to bring... this one."

The one who spoke glanced at me, his eyes filled with sympathy. He shook his head and sighed quietly. "Arabella used to be so bright and cheerful. Now look what you've turned her into, Jaden. You're something else."

Whispers arose around us, and unabashed stares fell on me.

"I heard this Omega is Jaden's true love, and she's even carrying his pup. If it weren't for her lowly status, the future Luna position would've been hers."

"Don't let Arabella's indifferent act fool you. She's probably furious on the inside. She's really keeping up the pretense."

Even when faced with everyone's criticism and mockery, I paid no attention to any of it. If this had been me pre-memory loss, I would have stormed out in anger after hearing such insulting words.

Yet now, having forgotten everything about Jaden and feeling no love for him, I naturally would not pay attention to those mocking glances.

However, appearances still mattered. I was still Jaden's fiancée, and there were certain social situations I had to handle. I moved through the crowd with him, exchanging empty pleasantries and drinking glass after glass of wine.

Soon, I became dizzy from the alcohol as I was unable to handle it well. I found a quiet spot to rest. I had just sat down when I saw Lillian holding a blue medicine bottle and shaking pills into her mouth.

When Lillian spotted me, she was startled. The medicine bottle slipped from her hands, rolling several times before stopping at my feet. I picked it up and sniffed it. Since I had studied medicine, I immediately recognized the scent. These were pills that faked pregnancy symptoms!

"You're not pregnant?"

Lillian spun around, her eyes filled with viciousness and wariness. "So what? Are you going to snitch?"

I shook my head indifferently. "There's no need. I don't love Jaden anymore. I'm determined to leave, so, naturally, I won't interfere in your affairs."

"Really?" Lillian looked at me with deep suspicion.

I nodded honestly. Seeing that I did not seem to be lying, Lillian relaxed slightly. However, just as I turned to leave, Lillian suddenly rushed at me while clutching a sharp silver knife.

I reacted quickly, blocking the blade that was about to pierce my body. But the next second, the knife tip suddenly changed direction and plunged straight into her own abdomen.

Lillian's face twisted grotesquely as she forced out an eerie smile. "I don't believe you, and I can't leave any loose ends."

Then, she screamed and collapsed straight into a pool of blood, clutching her stomach while letting out agonized wails. Jaden came rushing over at the sound, his face instantly turning pale at the scene before him. He hurried forward, carefully lifting Lillian.

"Lillian, what happened?"

Lillian gripped her stomach tightly. "Arabella was jealous that I'm carrying your pup. She stabbed my stomach with a silver knife."

I had not expected Lillian to go this far to cover up her lies. I was about to explain and tell Jaden the truth, but he had already been consumed with rage. His eyes were blood-red and filled with murderous hatred.

With a roar, he shifted into wolf form and viciously kicked my stomach. I staggered several steps and tumbled down the stairs, my head slamming hard against the cold floor. I felt like my organs were twisting together in agony.

My barely healed wounds tore open again. Everything went dark, and my consciousness grew increasingly blurred.

Before I completely blacked out, the last image I saw was Jaden carrying the sobbing Lillian, walking downstairs without looking back. He appeared cold and resolute.

I could not hold on anymore. My eyelids grew heavy and fell shut as I fainted.