Chapter 4

The interrogation room lights were blindingly white.

Several printouts of communication logs were laid out across the long metal table, right beside my laptop.

Two enforcers stood by the door, while three Council scribes and a pack tech specialist sat inside.

And Ethan, as the Alpha heir of the Blood Moon Pack, sat right beside the head seat.

He looked at me with cold, detached eyes, as if waiting for me to confess.

I sat restrained in the chair, a temporary wolf-bane inhibitor collar locked around my neck, suppressing my inner wolf's power completely.

Yet I felt no fear.

When you haven't committed a crime, there is nothing to fear.

"What was the exact transmission timestamp?" I asked, my voice steady.

The tech specialist flipped through the file. "Yesterday morning at 10:13 AM."

I looked directly at Ethan.

"At that time, I was still hospitalized. My laptop was sitting in the apartment. Please pull the apartment's surveillance footage, along with my hospital admission logs."

The room fell dead silent.

Does favoritism really make someone lose their mind?

I looked at Ethan, who clearly wasn't using his head, and then at Vivian behind him, whose face had drained of all color.

Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the hem of her shirt.

"I-It could have been a scheduled send!" Vivian suddenly shrieked, her voice shrill and panicked. "She must have programmed it in advance! It's her! She's jealous of me, so she's framing me!"

"I never said you were the one who touched my laptop," I replied smoothly, my tone completely unbothered. "We can just dust the laptop for fingerprints. That shouldn't be difficult, right?"

Vivian's expression shattered completely.

She whipped her head toward Ethan, her voice trembling frantically: "Ethan... help me. I didn't mean to... it was an accident..."

Ethan fell silent for several seconds before turning to the enforcers. "Suspend the interrogation temporarily. I need to speak with Elia alone."

The officials filed out of the room.

Once the door shut, only the two of us remained.

Ethan stood across from me, his brows knit tight.

"Elia, listen to me. It's just temporary custody; nothing bad will happen to you. But Vivian is different. Her parents are extremely strict. If they find out she did something like this, they'll literally beat her to death."

Those words struck my chest like a poisoned needle.

First came the sharp sting, followed by pure, burning rage.

I raised my head and locked eyes with him, my voice colder than ice:

"Did you forget that my parents were Council members who died protecting our pack? Do you honestly think they raised a daughter who would sell out our people?"

"Or do you think just because my parents are dead, anyone can step on me and walk away clean?"

Ethan's face paled.

But I wasn't finished. His blatant favoritism wasn't even the worst part. What disgusted me to my core was:

"You are the Alpha heir of this pack, yet you're trying to harbor a traitor who leaked pack secrets."

I stared right through him, enunciating every syllable:

"You have completely lost your mind."

Ethan opened his mouth, trying to offer an explanation.

Instead, I raised my wrist, shaking my smartwatch in front of his face.

"I recorded everything you just said. I will submit this directly to the Council."

His pupils dilated in pure horror.

Ignoring him, I pressed the intercom button on the wall: "Enforcers, please enter. I have new evidence to submit."

The audio recording was duplicated instantly. The fingerprint analysis results came back at almost the exact same time.

Vivian's fingerprints were all over the keyboard and chassis.

The evidence was undeniable.

I was cleared of all charges and released immediately.

I didn't linger for a single second. Today was my final countdown.

I went straight back to the apartment, threw open the closet, and packed all my clothes along with my father's research materials into my suitcase.

My movements were swift, clean, and decisive.

Half an hour later, I rolled my suitcase out the door.

This time, it was my turn to leave.

As I boarded the plane, the wolf inside me began to thrash anxiously. Sensing the distance growing between us and our fated mate, she let out low, mournful whines.

The tearing sensation from the depths of our soul bond was sharp and visceral.

I comforted her gently. After all, staying bound to someone who doesn't love you hurts far worse.

Suddenly, Ethan's voice shattered the silence of our lingering bond, crashing into my mind with unprecedented panic and hoarseness:

[Elia, what are you doing? Why is our bond fading?!]