Chapter 3

I turned and left, my eyes showing no signs of attachment.

Dante should have known that a broken ring, no matter how well repaired, would never be without cracks.

It was just like my relationship with him. No matter how much we tried to fix it, we could never go back to how things were.

…

The next day, one day before the bonding ceremony, I went alone to City Hall to file an application to leave the Lightning pack. The clerk told me the application would take effect in 24 hours. At that time, all my personal information would be deleted from the pack records.

24 hours later, I would board a cruise ship and embark on a journey of freedom. By then, Dante and Nova would probably be holding their bonding ceremony.

Sharp, stabbing pain spread through my chest. I pressed my lips together and headed to the hospital. This worldwide cruise would last a month, and I needed to ensure my pup's health.

Fortunately, the pup in my womb was healthy. It seemed to sense my low spirits and moved gently inside my belly.

I lifted my hand to rest on my abdomen. There seemed to be a warm force there that brought some comfort to the pain in my heart.

It was okay. Even without Dante, I still had this pup. It would stay with me forever, and I wouldn't be alone.

When I returned to the house, I found the living room filled with shopping bags of all sizes. I didn't need to guess to know Dante had bought them all for Nova.

Nova smugly showed off in front of me. "Ember, don't these clothes and jewelry look beautiful? Dante bought them for me.

"Oh my, why do you look so pale, Ember? You're not angry, are you?"

Dante scratched his head somewhat awkwardly. "Emby, don't misunderstand. Nova's birthday is approaching, so I've prepared some gifts for her.

"Besides, she's expecting. When her belly gets bigger, her old clothes won't fit anymore, so I bought her some extras."

Jack coldly mocked him. "You're lying! Nova's birthday isn't for three months! In a month, you'd better have a good explanation for your recent ridiculous behavior! Otherwise, I'll refuse to speak with you forever!

"You cannot let Nova wear that wedding dress decorated with red amber and pearls tomorrow at the bonding ceremony! That dress was prepared for Ember!

"The 1001 pearls sewn on it represent the memories between you two! Those are the pearls you collected together by opening oysters!"

Despite my decision to leave, my heart still felt like it was being torn apart with pain. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe, like silver dust had coated my lungs, suffocating me.

I had imagined the scene countless times, of myself wearing that wedding dress and bonding with Dante. But I never thought that the person who would ultimately wear that dress would be Nova.

I took a deep breath and turned back to my room to pack my luggage. Tomorrow would be their bonding ceremony, and it would also be time for me to leave.

At 8:00 am the next day, I pulled my suitcase out of my room. The villa was empty, and a note left behind by Dante on the dining table.

"Something urgent came up at the pack. I'll handle it and be back tonight. Don't wait for me for dinner."

I took a cab straight to the dock. My future life would be free from deception and concealment.

…

At the bonding ceremony venue, Jack grew restless. He kept muttering to Dante, "When Ember finds out, she'll definitely abandon you!"

Dante pressed his lips together, guilt flashing in his eyes. "Ember won't abandon me. She doesn't have anyone else.

"Without me, she has nowhere to go. And I'll prepare an even grander ceremony for her later. She loves me so much that she'll definitely forgive me."

Jack disagreed with him. "Just cancel the bonding ceremony! I feel very uneasy, like something bad is about to happen!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Dante's phone suddenly rang. His assistant, Liam Hanson, spoke anxiously through the receiver.

"Alpha, there's been an accident! A tsunami hit, and a cruise ship with a thousand passengers sank!"

"What does that have to do with me?" Dante questioned.

"The dock security cameras caught Ember boarding that cruise ship! We also found her pack withdrawal application and her ticket reservation records."

"What?" Dante's expression changed drastically.

He now understood the meaning of Liam's words—I had died.

He hurriedly opened his phone. The screen showed live news coverage of the cruise ship's wreckage being swept away by the tsunami. Even the rescue teams couldn't get close.