Chapter 4

The moment Sherry saw Ian come out, panic flashed across her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed me hiding behind the nearby corner. In a split second, she regained her composure.

She turned to look at Ian and pretended nothing was wrong. "No one. You must have been hearing things. It felt stuffy inside, so I came out for some air."

Ian stepped forward slightly. His brows furrowed as the tip of his nose twitched gently. He caught the lingering trace of my scent in the air.

Then, he started walking toward the corner where I was hiding with suspicion flickering in his eyes.

The moment Sherry saw him heading my way, her heart skipped a beat. She stepped forward hastily and grabbed his arm. Her eyes instantly reddened as she put on a wounded expression.

"Ian, I still regret it to this day. I regret not handing you the scarf myself back then. Otherwise, we wouldn't have missed each other for so many years."

Her voice was soft, and she sounded aggrieved, which successfully diverted Ian's attention.

Ian stopped walking. Seeing her reddened eyes, he spoke in an unbelievably gentle tone and raised a hand to lightly pat her back in comfort.

"Don't be upset anymore. The past is in the past. We should just look ahead," he consoled.

Sherry nodded, looking comforted.

She wrapped herself tightly around Ian's arm and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll listen to you. Everyone's still waiting for us inside. Let's head back."

Ian no longer thought about looking for me. He let her lead him back toward the banquet hall.

Sherry turned her head and glanced toward the corner where I was hiding. The corners of her lips lifted into a smug and arrogant smile. She had a confident and victorious look on her face.

The moment the two of them reentered the banquet hall, the wolves immediately burst into cheers.

"Alpha Ian and Ms. Lark look perfect together. You should dance!"

The instant those words fell, music began playing. Sherry took the initiative to extend her hand. Ian didn't refuse, and the two of them walked together onto the dance floor.

Sherry pressed her body right onto Ian's, resting one hand on his shoulder and holding his hand with the other. Their dance movements were slow and intimate.

Ian wrapped one arm around her waist and looked down at her. There wasn't the slightest trace of impatience on his face. On the contrary, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere and never once thought about me throughout the entire dance.

When the song ended, another round of cheering erupted through the hall.

Sherry released him and walked over to a server to retrieve a glass of blood wine. With her back to the crowd and avoiding Ian's gaze, she quickly poured the entire bottle of bond-dissolution potion into the wine glass.

She swirled it gently, thoroughly blending the potion with the wine.

After she was done, she walked back over to Ian with the glass and handed it to him with a smile.

"To celebrate our chance to start over again!" she said.

Ian didn't suspect anything at all, nor did he decline the drink she offered him. He accepted the glass and drained it in one gulp.

Almost at the exact same second, the mate mark on my ring finger suddenly burned with a sharp pain. The mind-link we had shared for three years instantly snapped apart, leaving my chest empty and aching.

Meanwhile, Ian merely felt a slight tightness in his chest and an inexplicable sense of irritability. His heart had swayed toward Sherry long ago, so his sensitivity to our mate bond had gradually weakened. He simply assumed it was the alcohol acting up and didn't think any further.

Seeing the empty wineglass, Sherry finally relaxed after holding her breath the entire time. As she looked at Ian, the loving look in her eyes practically spilled forth.

I hid in the dark corner nearby, watching every single thing unfold with perfect clarity. The moment I saw Ian drink that glass of wine, the very last trace of hope I had left for him vanished without a trace.

I had stayed by his side, caring for him for three years. I had accompanied him through his hardest days. But in his heart, I could never compare to Sherry.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Not sparing the banquet another glance, I turned away with my luggage and left.

Since he cared about Sherry so much, I'd fulfill his wish to be with her.