CHAPTER 18

Agatha’s POV

I shut the door behind me and finally let out the smile I had been holding back since I left the dining room.

Autumn might think she won today, but this isn’t over.

Not even close.

I walked slowly into my new room, looking around at the space they gave me. It was as big as before, more beautiful than what I used to have. Everything smelled new. The white curtains swayed lightly with the breeze from the window, and the scent of fresh flowers filled the room. Anyone else would be happy. But I wasn’t.

I was angry.

No, I was more than angry—I was burning inside.

Why is she always getting away with everything?

She made me give her my room. It's humiliating that I had to pack my things and those maids saw me. There's going to be rumors flying around that I'm not favored which I'll have to stop as soon as I can. But why are things like this?

Autumn sat at that dining table like a queen today, making everyone uncomfortable. And what did the alphas do? Nothing. Not even a word of scolding. Not even a warning. They just sat there and watched her act like a spoiled brat.

I bit my lip and walked to the mirror, staring at my reflection. My hair was perfect, skin glowing, and dress neat and classy—exactly how they wanted their young mistress to look. I should be the one sitting beside them, not her. I should be the one they protect and love. Not her.

Why is it so hard for them to see that I’m better?

I ran my fingers across the vanity table and sat down, crossing my legs slowly. I remember when I first came here. Autumn welcomed me like I was her little sister. She smiled at me, gave me gifts, and even shared her clothes with me. I still remember her dumb smile when I arrived. She was so happy, thinking we would be family.

Foolish girl.

She thought being adopted first gave her an upper hand. She thought I would be happy with whatever they gave me. But I wasn’t.

She was already in their hearts before I got here. She already had their love. And even though she didn’t have a wolf back then, she still had something I wanted—attention.

That’s why I had to act fast.

I framed her. Over and over. Small things at first. Broken plates. Lost jewelry. Then bigger things—lies about her sneaking out, lying, misbehaving. I didn’t think they would believe me, but they did. They didn’t even question me. They were so blind, they took my side every time.

And Autumn? She always stayed quiet, always cried behind closed doors, always looked so broken.

It made me feel powerful.

I stood up and walked toward the bed, letting my body fall onto the mattress. The softness almost calmed me down, but then I remembered her smirk during dinner. How she spat out the food and acted like the whole world disgusted her. And they let her.

Why?

What changed?

Why are they suddenly protecting her now?

I turned my face to the side, looking at the door. Something isn’t right. She’s changed. She’s no longer that quiet, scared girl I used to step on. Now she’s acting like she’s not afraid of anything. Like she knows something I don’t.

Could she be threatening them with a secret that I don't know about which is why they are treating her so well now? Looking at all the things she has been doing, she would have been in the dungeon in the past. But now, it looked like they were trying to please her instead of punishing her for her wrong doings.

I stood up again, angry that I was even thinking about her this much. I left my room and started walking through the hallways. I didn’t even know where I was going until I passed by the study room. The door was half open.

I paused. I could hear their voices.

I leaned in quietly and peeked through the space. It was them—the three Alphas. My heart skipped a little, and I felt my cheeks heat up. They looked so serious and handsome, talking about something.

I listened closely.

“We need to find our mates before the next full moon,” Dante said.

“Yeah,” Adonis added. “We’ve been ignoring it for too long.”

“Whoever it is, we’ll know soon. There's no need to think too much. Besides, we all know there's another secret behind this.”

My heart raced. Mates? So… they’re all close to finding their mates?

A smile slowly spread across my face.

What if… what if one of them is mine?

I mean, I’m beautiful. I’m smart. I’ve lived here long enough to know what they like and what they don’t. If I end up being one of their mates, Autumn will be crushed completely.

That would be the end for her.

But how do I start?

How do I make it happen?

I need to find a way to become their mate—or at least make one of them think I am. Even if the Moon Goddess didn’t choose me, I’ll find a way to make it real. I won’t give up. Not when I’m this close to winning.

I suddenly remembered that said there was a secret behind it. What secret are they talking about? I'm so curious but there's no way to find out unless I ask them. I need to find out everything so I can plan properly. Everything has to be mine.

The next morning came faster than I expected. I didn’t sleep much, but I was ready. I dressed in a cute but modest outfit, something that made me look soft and sweet. I fixed my hair, sprayed my favorite perfume, and left my room just in time.

She was already stepping out.

Autumn. I can't believe she had a good night's sleep after sending me out of the room. She's way too arrogant for my liking but I need to suck up to her for now. For a very good reason.

I smiled at her like nothing was wrong. Like we were friends. Like I didn’t want to bury her six feet deep.

“Good morning,” I said gently. “Are you going to school now?”

She didn’t even look at me.

She just kept walking.

So I followed her.

“I was thinking… maybe we could go together. I mean, it’s been a long time since we actually talked, and I know things have been weird between us lately, but maybe we could try again?”

Still no answer.

She reached the staircase and finally stopped. She turned to look at me with that usual dead stare of hers.

“I don’t want to go to school with you,” she said simply. “Stop pretending.”

I blinked.

Pretending? She already knows without me doing anything yet. I've always been able to fool her and I've tried to be sincere enough. How can she still think that I'm pretending?

“I’m not pretending, Autumn. I just want us to be closer. I know I made some mistakes in the past—”

“Some?” she cut in. Her voice was cold, calm, and sharp. “You made my life a living hell and you think you only made some mistakes? What's wrong with you? This is so not you.”

“I don’t care what you think you want now. You’re always planning something. I can feel it. And I’m not going to fall for it again. So back off.”

She turned and walked away. I stood there, holding my breath. She’s not stupid anymore. That’s the problem. It's as if she sees through me now. But it doesn’t matter to me anyways.

Because even if she sees through me, it’s already too late for her. She doesn’t know what I’ve been planning. She doesn’t know what I’ve prepared. She’s just walking right into it.

I followed her anyway, watching her walk ahead of me like she owned the place. I kept smiling.

Let her enjoy the last moments of her peace.

Because soon enough, everything she thinks she has will disappear.

One by one. She won't know what is going to happen to her.

"No matter what, you have to pay for what you did Autumn. Your dignity and everything else will be lost, I promise you that."