LOGINThird Person's POVThe two stared at each other in a heavy, suffocating silence.In that heartbeat, Cassian felt the oxygen vanish from his lungs; the crushing weight of the guilt he had carried since his rebirth threatened to drown him.He gripped the front of his shirt in agony, his body swaying as he stumbled back until his spine hit the cold metal of the car."When did you find out?" He let out a self-deprecating laugh that sounded more like a broken sob."I had my suspicions from the start," Trista admitted, her voice steady. "But I didn't want to believe that you would come back with the same nightmare I did".Cassian lowered his gaze and tilted his head back, letting the bitterness of his own deception wash over him.He had been lying to himself, thinking that if he just hid the truth, he could build a heaven on top of the ruins of their past life."I'm sorry... Trista"."Don't say you're sorry." Trista walked up
Third Person's POVTrista shoved against Cassian's chest with both hands. "Cassian, what the hell is wrong with you?!"Cassian didn't say a word. He simply leaned in and expertly unbuckled her seatbelt.The more he stayed silent, the more nervous Trista became.In a panic, she grabbed his collar. "Say something! What do you think you're doing?!"Cassian braced one hand against the back of her seat and gripped her shoulder with the other.The corners of his eyes were faintly red.He stared into her eyes and threw the question back at her, "What do you think you're doing?"They stared at each other, their breathing ragged.Trista went quiet for a moment before speaking. "I was just trying to have a normal birthday. Suddenly, some woman shows up looking for you, then you drag me out here by force. What did I do?"In her past life, she and Cassian had settled their debts.In this life, she had tried her best to maintain the status quo.Now, it seemed that was no longer possible.She watch
Third Person's POVCassian's sudden mention of the sixty million caught Samantha completely off guard. She froze.As the judgmental stares of the crowd bore down on her, Samantha's survival instincts kicked in.Her eyes widened with shock, her face crumpling into a mask of pure, unadulterated heartbreak.She looked at Cassian, her voice trembling as she addressed the room through a veil of tears."Cassian... your grandfather forced me to take that money. He threatened my family. I haven't touched a single cent of it—believe me or don't, it's up to you!" She sobbed into her hands and bolted out of the ballroom.By dumping the entire blame on Howard before her grand exit, she left the crowd with just enough doubt to wonder if she truly was a victim of the Ironthorn elders.As Samantha brushed past Trista, Trista instinctively reached out to stop her.But before she could even touch Samantha's sleeve, her wrist was clamped i
Third Person's POVAs Samantha's words hung in the air, low gasps erupted from every corner of the ballroom.Trista stood at the back of the crowd, not moving an inch forward.That single "Alaina" Samantha had uttered was far too intimate.It wasn't the respectful address a junior gives a senior, nor the proper etiquette a stranger shows a high-ranking pack female—it was a calculated move to hint at a special bond. It was the sound of someone pushing a door that didn't belong to her, just so the onlookers would think she had once stood inside.Then came her reason for their "breakup." She didn't say it explicitly; to be direct would be amateur.Samantha Fernandez was never a fool—at least not in this life, before greed had completely clouded her judgment. Her instincts were sharp.She simply wove three keywords into her sentence: Ironthorn elders. Forced. Apart.Those words were all it took for everyone in the room
Third Person's POVFred lunged in from the side.His arm hooked under Wynn's raised limb, wrapping around her waist and hauling her back half a step.Wynn's palm swept through the air, only grazing a few stray strands of hair near Samantha's ear."Wynn!" Fred's voice was low, carrying a rare weight of authority. "Not here."Wynn struggled in his arms for a split second before freezing.Her chest heaved, her eyes were rimmed with red, and her lips were pressed into a trembling line.She didn't charge again, but she didn't back down either.Samantha stood her ground.Her shoulders were shaking, and tears continued to stream from her eyes.But her gaze—her gaze bypassed the fuming Wynn, bypassed the restraining Fred, and landed squarely on Cassian.He was looking at her.He stood there, hands at his sides, his expression as indifferent as if he were looking at a piece of furniture he didn't own.
Third Person's POVCassian didn't answer.His gaze bypassed Samantha entirely, locking onto Trista.His thin lips were pressed into a hard line, and the muscles in his jaw were pulled tight—his trademark expression when he was focused to the point of obsession.He didn't look at Samantha. He didn't look at Fred. He didn't look at a single onlooker.He only looked at Trista.The intensity of his stare was so heavy, so concentrated, that it felt like a beam of light focused through a magnifying glass, nearly burning through her skin.Trista felt her skin crawl. It wasn't guilt or nervousness; it was a primal, genetic alarm triggered by being targeted by an apex predator.Her wolf perked up its ears, letting out a low, uncertain whine in her mind."Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked softly, just loud enough for him to hear.Cassian's pupils contracted."Everyone else is asking who she is," h
Third Person's POVThe air in the conference room turned brittle instantly.Trista's eyes narrowed, her guard slamming up. "Once you sign those termination papers, that evidence won't have a reason to exist anymore."Cassian rose slowly from his chair. He rounded the long table and stopped right in
Third Person's POVHoward's obsidian cane slammed against the floor. The heavy, muffled sound cut through everyone's words like a gavel.This time, he didn't hold back. His aura as an ancient Alpha descended, forcing every non-Alpha in the room to tense up instinctively."Ironthorn was built on the
Trista's POVThe next morning, Fred sent over an invite. I turned him down.The reason was simple: I didn't want to see Cassian anymore.But around seven in the evening, Wynn showed up at my parents' place. She pulled out the full "little sister" routine—pouting, acting pitiful, even going so far a
Third Person's POVCassian stood among the crowd of parents in his black business suit, his tall frame and stoic, controlled aura making him impossible to miss.He was down on one knee, tying Algernon's shoelaces with a focus that was unusually patient.Once finished, he ruffled the boy's hair and







