LOGINMILLIE’S POVThe morning of January 25th tasted like iron and cold rain.I stood in front of the full-length mirror in our bedroom, the silence of the house pressing against my ears. I smoothed the lapels of my charcoal-grey power suit, a garment that felt more like a suit of armor than clothing. It was designed for a CEO, for a woman who held the authority of a global empire, but as I caught my own gaze in the glass, I didn't see a mogul. I saw a four-year-old girl standing in the hallway of St. Catherine’s, shivering while a monster tucked her into bed with hands stained in her mother’s blood.In the inner pocket of my blazer, right against my ribs, lay the cream-colored envelope. My mother’s letter. It was my heart’s shield, the only thing keeping me upright as the weight of twenty-one years of lies threatened to crush my lungs.My phone buzzed on the marble vanity, the vibration sounding like a hornet in the quiet room. I recognized the caller ID immediately—the private line for
MILLIE’S POVMy hands were shaking so hard I thought the paper would tear. Every word on the marriage deed felt like a brand on my skin. This wasn't a standard marriage contract; it was a covenant of protection, written by a woman who knew the world was dangerous and a father—Braham’s father—who didn't trust the man his fellow wolf’s daughter had chosen."Listen to this," I choked out, my voice thick with the salt of my tears. " 'In the event of the death of one partner, the surviving spouse shall enter a period of mourning for no less than three and a half years. During this time, they shall not enter into a new romantic union or contract of marriage.'”I looked at the bed we had just moved. "They were together within months… and got married in a year and a few months. He didn't even wait for the grass to grow on her grave."I turned the page, my heart feeling like it was being shredded. " 'If one partner is found to have committed adultery, the marriage is dissolved immediately ex
BRAHAM’S POVThe master bedroom was a testament to Raphael Harvey’s cowardice and Sabrina’s ego.The walls had been repainted a soft, sickly cream, and the heavy velvet curtains that June had loved according to the little Millie could remember were gone, replaced by light, airy silks. It was a room designed to forget the dead. As I stepped over the threshold, the scent of the room hit my wolf senses like a physical blow—Raphael’s lingering scent of expensive tobacco and fear, mixed with the cloying, synthetic musk Sabrina used to mask her true nature.They had slept here. They had celebrated here while June’s daughter grew up down the hall, oblivious to the blood on the sheets.Millie was already in the ensuite bathroom, her sneakers walking frantically on the marble as she tapped on the tiles. "Help me search, Braham! The key said bedroom, it has to be here!"Renan who got here earlier stood by the door, his eyes scanning the room with tactical detachment. "We’ve searched the walls,
MILLIE’S POVThe silence in our bedroom was suffocating. It was the kind of heavy, pressurized quiet that made my ears ring.I sat on the edge of the mattress, the "last letter" from my mother clutched in my hands. Beside it, spread out like pieces of a broken mirror, were the older files we had recovered months ago—her first letter and the warnings from her friends Eleanor and Margaret. I stared at them until the words began to swim."Something happened to her mind, Braham," I whispered, my voice sounding brittle and thin. "In these first letters from early 2004, she was a detective. She was tracking Sabrina’s movements, noting the amounts she gave her, and documenting the affair with Raphael. She was so close to casting them out. She was sharp. She was sure."I smoothed the last letter with a trembling thumb, my heart aching for the woman who wrote it."But in this one... the one she wrote right before she died at St. Catherine’s... she sounded like she was second-guessing her own s
MILLIE’S POVThe cream-colored envelope sat on the coffee table like a live grenade. We had gathered in the living room—Braham, Callie, Renan, and me—but the air felt tight, suffocating. Upstairs, Leo was asleep, the only innocent thing left in this house.My hands wouldn't stop shaking. Every time I looked at my mother’s elegant script, I saw the four-year-old version of myself, oblivious and crying in a hospital chair while the woman I loved most in the world was writing her final goodbye."I can't," I whispered, the words catching in my dry throat. I pushed the stationery toward Braham. "I can't read it. If I look at the ink, I’ll see her dying. Please."Braham didn't hesitate. He sat beside me, his large, warm hand covering mine for a second before he picked up the pages. His voice was deep, a steady anchor in the storm of my mind, as he began to read her words aloud.“My dearest Millie-Rose...”As Braham read about her love for me, a sob escaped my throat that I couldn’t choke ba
JUNE’S POVMay 17th, 2004 St. Catherine’s Medical CenterMy hands trembled as I tried to hold the pen steady. The simple act of writing had become nearly impossible—my body was failing, shutting down piece by piece, and I knew I didn't have much time left.But I had to do this. For Millie.The private room was quiet except for the steady beep of monitors tracking my deteriorating vitals. Raphael had just left to take Millie home for the night. My sweet baby girl, only four years old, had cried herself to sleep in the chair beside my bed earlier. She didn't understand why Mommy couldn't come home. Why Mommy kept getting weaker.I didn't understand either. Not fully. But I had my suspicions, and I needed to make sure Millie knew the truth when she was old enough to handle it.I pulled out the cream-colored stationery I’d asked Edna to bring me—one of the few things I could still trust in this place. Edna, my night nurse, had been a godsend these past weeks. Kind, competent, and most im
MILLIE'S POV"So what's the plan for tonight?" I asked, feigning ignorance as we drove toward the lake."Just a nice New Year's Eve thing," Braham said casually. "Renan suggested we do something special."In the backseat, Callie was unusually quiet, staring out the window. Renan kept his eyes on he
VIVIAN'S POVThree days after Christmas, I'd made my decision.I would warn Braham. Tell him about Father's plans. Do the right thing regardless of the consequences.Roy's warnings echoed in my head, but I pushed them aside. This was about my conscience, not about what my family wanted.I drove to
VIVIAN'S POVI couldn't stop thinking about what Roy had said."Marriage to you gives us legitimate access. An heir gives us a claim. And accidents happen, especially to Alphas who make enemies."The words had been haunting me for weeks. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Roy's cold expression as h
MILLIE'S POV"Mama! Braham! Santa came! SANTA CAME!"Leo's shriek at approximately 5:47 AM was both expected and still somehow startling.I groaned, burying my face in Braham's chest. "It's not even six.""It's Christmas," Braham said, already sitting up. "This is what we signed up for.""Can we si







