Chapter 4

Diana's POV

Lucy blushed and gave Lucius a playful smack on the chest.

He chuckled as he apologized to her, but the whole time, his attention kept drifting back to me. When he realized I wasn't angry at all, his face darkened instead.

"Diana, what's your problem? You've been staring at your phone since you got in the car. Is being in the same room with Lucy and me really that boring to you?"

I finally looked up and glanced at him with total indifference. "Were you saying something? Sorry, I wasn't listening."

I locked my phone screen, having just finished booking my flight.

"Let me see that!"

Before I could react, Lucius snatched the phone from my hand, his expression tight with displeasure.

"What's the passcode?" he demanded.

"My birthday."

It was a simple six-digit code, yet he kept typing combinations until the phone locked him out, completely unable to unlock it.

Of course, he couldn't. He had never bothered to remember my birthday.

When we got home, Lucius helped Lucy into the master bedroom because she was carsick and nauseated.

While he busied himself in the kitchen preparing a meal she could stomach, I retreated to the guest room and unzipped my suitcase.

I packed the rest of my things, including every document I needed. Just as I was about to leave, Lucy appeared in my doorway.

She was holding a dark glass bottle, casually rubbing essential oils onto her arms while looking down her nose at me.

"Diana, are you actually leaving this time, or is this just another cry for attention? Like all the other times? It's pathetic, really. I'm almost due, and you're still hoping for Lucius to go through with that marking ceremony with you.

"Do you even realize how pathetic you look? Someone as useless as you has no business being Luna. Why don't you pack up and scurry back to your primitive pack to work with herbs?

"Oh, wait, I almost forgot. There's no one left in your little pack, is there? Your only living relative, your grandmother, died six months ago.

"So tragic. I still remember how you begged Lucius to loan you the helicopter so you could see her one last time before she passed. Too bad he was busy watching the sunset with me on the beach and didn't have time to waste on your trivial matters."

Her words struck a nerve.

Grandma wasn't just the last guardian of the Blackthorn pack. She was the only one in this world who had ever truly loved me.

And Lucy had turned that grief into a trophy, something to wave in my face as proof that she had won.

All the hatred I had endured for years erupted in a split second. My vision went red, and I lunged at her.

"Ah!"

Lucy screamed in terror, having never expected that someone as historically submissive as I would fight back.

The dark bottle slipped from her grip, shattering against the hardwood floor, and the pungent, heavy scent of essential oils instantly permeated the room.

I seized Lucy by the throat and slammed her against the wall, my nails digging into her skin. "How dare you! You don't deserve to speak about her!"

"Are you insane, Diana? Let go of me!"

Lucy thrashed wildly. In the struggle, she kicked me hard in the stomach.

A sharp pain tore through my stomach. I gasped, but I still didn't loosen my grip.

During our struggle, Lucy's flailing elbow accidentally knocked over a heavy scented candle. The open flame hit the puddle of essential oils, then the curtains. Within seconds, the whole room was filled with smoke.

As I was still incredibly weak from my stay in the hospital, the smoke stole what little strength I had left, and I collapsed onto the floor.

That was when I heard Lucius' voice.

"What happened? Damn it, Diana! What did you do?"

Immediately after came the servants' desperate pleas to hold him back.

"Alpha Lucius, it's too dangerous! You can't go in there!"

"Get out of my way," Lucius insisted. "Diana's still in there!"

Despite the danger, Lucius barged into the room.

"Lucius! I'm over here!"

Lucy's piercing cries for help immediately drew his attention. Without a second thought, he scooped her into his arms, turned on his heel, and left.

He never looked back for me.

The fire raged on, and through the thick, rolling smoke, his back slowly faded from my sight.

Half an hour later, after taking Lucy to the hospital, Lucius searched the mansion and found no trace of me.

Late that night at the airport terminal, just as I was about to board my plane, I received a text from him.

"I don't have time to play hide-and-seek with you, Diana. I scheduled a doctor's appointment for you tomorrow at 10:00 AM to make sure you weren't burned."

I didn't bother replying and simply turned off my phone.

This was goodbye.

From this moment on, Lucius would cease to exist in my world.