Chapter 5

There were four days left before I could leave.

Sebastian happily pulled out more than a dozen photos. Each one showed him with Roxanne in the snowy mountains.

In every picture, she beamed with joy, with the snowcapped peaks behind her.

Unable to wait, Sebastian video-called Roxanne. He held the photos up to the screen and said, "Look! I had them printed. Aren't they beautiful?"

On the other end, her playful giggles rang out.

When the call ended, Sebastian handed me the photos. "Take a look, Olivia. They're nice, aren't they?"

I merely glanced at them and replied flatly, "Not bad."

My voice sounded as casual as if I were talking about the weather, completely devoid of emotion.

Sebastian's smile faltered. Then, an inexplicable discomfort and a flicker of unease flashed across his eyes.

He looked like he wanted to say more, but in the end, he slipped the photos into an album in silence.

…

On the second-to-last day, I went for my scheduled prenatal checkup at the healing center.

I had just stepped out of the exam room when I bumped into Sebastian and Roxanne, who had also just finished their appointment.

Roxanne's gaze fell on the report in my hand, and a glint of malice flickered in her eyes.

In the next instant, she pulled away from Sebastian's hold, hurried toward me, and lowered her head. She shed crocodile tears while saying, "I'm sorry, Luna Olivia. Please don't blame Alpha Sebastian. It was all my fault. I begged him to switch our prenatal reports."

Seeing that, Sebastian rushed forward to support her. Yet, his gaze was fixed squarely on me.

"Olivia, this has nothing to do with Roxanne. I was the one who swapped your prenatal reports."

He spoke with a grim expression, as if braced for my fury.

But I calmly looked at him and replied softly, "I know. It's fine."

With that, I turned and walked away. The steadiness in my demeanor left them both frozen.

…

I had just slid into my car in the parking lot when Roxanne came running up and planted herself in front of it.

The sweetness and feigned fragility on her face vanished, replaced by blatant challenge.

"Olivia, you'll never beat me. To Sebastian, I'll always matter more than you or your pup. I'll always come first," she spat.

Her childish taunts only seemed pathetic to me.

I rested a hand on my belly, looked at her, and said coolly, "Instead of wasting your time telling me this, maybe you should worry about how you're going to keep your mate from realizing the pup you swapped isn't even his."

Roxanne's face immediately burned red with rage. It was obvious I had hit a nerve.

"Shut up!" she shouted.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she suddenly threw herself to the ground in front of my car and let out a shrill, deliberate scream. "Olivia, w-why did you hit me with your car?"

Sebastian rushed over when he heard the commotion.

The moment he saw Roxanne on the ground, he didn't even hesitate. He stormed over and slammed his palm against my window.

"Olivia Sinclair! Have you lost your mind? Why would you run her over?" he roared, his eyes blazing with a fury that threatened to consume me.

I stared coldly at the man who couldn't tell right from wrong.

Rolling down the window, I met his wrath with an eerie calm. "I didn't hit her. There are security cameras here. Check the footage, and you'll see."

Roxanne's expression changed drastically when she heard the word "cameras". Panic flickered in her eyes before she clutched her stomach and let out a pitiful groan.

"My stomach… It hurts! Sebastian, please. Take me to the healer!"

All at once, Sebastian grew frantic. He no longer cared about the truth. Instead, he scooped her into his arms and rushed toward the healing center without sparing me a glance.

Right then and there, I knew that he had already condemned me. All I wanted was to escape this suffocating place. So, I started the engine.

However, before I could leave, several armored vehicles boxed me in.

The car door was yanked open, and a few towering warriors loomed over me, their expressions cold and unreadable.

"Luna Olivia, by Alpha Sebastian's command, you're coming with us."

My heart sank. "Where are you taking me?"

"Roxanne went into premature labor from the shock. We've been ordered to induce yours. You'll deliver at the same time," one stated.

In an instant, my blood ran cold, and my limbs turned numb. Even my breath caught in my chest.

They were going to force my pup out!

"No!"

My scream tore through the night. I clutched the steering wheel as I curled over to protect my belly. "He's not ready! Forcing him out will kill him!"

But their expressions didn't so much as flicker. Without warning, hands clamped around my arms.

I fought with everything I had. My nails dug into the wheel, almost piercing it, and my wrists burned with pain from their grip.

Unfortunately, I was no match for their strength. I could do nothing as they dragged me out of the car.

Suddenly, the dull ache in my abdomen flared into a piercing pain. I shut my eyes in despair, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.

…

Meanwhile, Sebastian waited anxiously outside Roxanne's delivery room.

He didn't know how much time had passed before the cry of a newborn broke out from within.

Moments later, a healer stepped out with a smile and pulled down his mask. "Congratulations, Alpha Sebastian! The mother and child are both safe."

A relieved smile spread across Sebastian's face. He then turned to the warrior at his side, ordering, "Bring Luna Olivia's pup. It's time for the exchange."

But the warrior's expression darkened with unease. He hesitated, afraid to speak.

"What is it?" Sebastian demanded, his brow furrowing.

Right then, his Beta came sprinting down the hall. He gasped for breath before stammering, "A-Alpha Sebastian, Luna Olivia bled heavily from the induction. S-She didn't make it!"

Sebastian's smile faltered instantly, and all the color drained from his face.