Chapter 5

Faced with Seraphina’s accusation, I tried to explain. “I didn’t do it on purpose. The dress didn’t fit—”

But whispers were already spreading around the shop.

“Oh my god, she ripped the gown on purpose!”

“Do you know how much that costs? How could she ever pay for it?”

“That’s just evil, ruining the future Luna’s gown…”

Trapped under their accusing glares, I felt helpless.

Just then, Bruce rushed over. He saw Seraphina standing there with tears in her eyes and me in the torn gown, and his face turned to thunder.

“What happened?” he demanded, immediately going to Seraphina and pulling her into his arms.

“Bruce…” Seraphina sobbed. “I just asked Isadora to try on the gown for me to see how it looked, but she… she ripped it on purpose.”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Bruce whirled on me.

His eyes were burning with rage. Without asking a single question, he slapped me hard across the face.

Crack!

The sharp sound echoed in the silent shop.

My cheek stung, a fiery pain spreading across my face, my ears ringing.

“Isadora! How could you do something like this?” Bruce roared, while gently stroking Seraphina’s back to comfort her. “Are you insane?”

I clutched my burning cheek, the pain in my heart far worse than the physical sting.

In eight years, he had never laid a hand on me. But today, for another woman, he hit me without a second thought.

The force of the slap knocked my purse from my shoulder, its contents spilling onto the floor.

Two small, beautifully carved wooden wolves rolled out.

He had carved them for us when we first got together, a symbol of our eternal bond.

I had treasured them for eight years, carrying them with me everywhere.

But now, when Bruce saw them, a flash of panic crossed his face.

As if desperate to erase any connection to me, he raised his foot and brought it down, crushing the small carvings into splinters.

Crunch!

The wood shattered beneath his boot.

“Isadora, you will pay for this gown,” Bruce commanded, his voice like ice. “This custom dress is worth three million dollars.”

Three million.

In eight years of working day and night for him, I had only managed to save one million.

I looked up, trying one last time to explain. “I told you, I didn’t rip it on purpose…”

“I am so disappointed in you, Isadora,” Bruce cut me off. “I know why you did this. You just wanted to be my Luna, didn’t you?”

“Well, let me tell you something. Right now, you’re acting like a jealous, crazy bitch. You can’t even compare to Seraphina. I guess trash blood will always be trash blood.”

Of course. Because of my birth, he’d always looked down on me.

That was the real reason he’d never made our relationship public.

I gave up trying to make him believe me. “I demand to see the security footage to prove my innocence.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would the daughter of a top-tier pack need to frame you?” Bruce refused without a moment’s hesitation.

He turned and wrapped Seraphina in a gentle embrace, his voice softening. “Baby, don’t cry. I’ll have them make you an even more beautiful gown to make up for this.”

“As for you,” he said, his cold gaze returning to me, “after a mistake this big, you can no longer hold any position in this pack. Your resignation is approved. Get out.”

Just like that, my choice to resign was twisted into a humiliating dismissal.

I stared at the shattered remains of the wooden wolves, and the last shred of feeling I had for him died.

I reached up and tore the wolf-fang necklace from my neck. It was the first gift he’d ever given me, a treasure I’d worn for eight years.

As Bruce watched in shock, I threw the symbol of our bond into a nearby trash can.

Clang!

The sound was deafening.

Then I turned and walked away without looking back.

Behind me, I thought I heard him call my name, but in the end, he didn’t follow.