Chapter 3

"Aveline?" Ophelia looked surprised. "Why are you in the Lord’s private chambers?"

I instantly pulled Liam behind me. Before I could speak, Bastian cut in.

"They were just staying here temporarily," he said, his voice cold and distant. "She’s my employee, after all. Just a temporary arrangement."

Employee.

The word pierced my heart like a silver stake.

A six-year blood pact and a child, and we were still just boss and employee to him.

Just then, Liam, with tears in his eyes, spoke up first.

"Hello, Lord Thorne." His voice was shaking but clear. He even gave a perfect vampire bow. "Mom, let’s go."

It felt like someone had just crushed my heart.

My son. My sweet six-year-old boy, choosing to call his own father "Lord Thorne."

"Let’s go, baby." I forced a smile and grabbed Liam’s hand tight.

As we passed them, Bastian suddenly grabbed my arm.

"What did he just call me?" he asked, sounding shocked and in disbelief.

"Lord Thorne." I gave a mocking laugh. "Isn’t this what you’ve wanted for six years? Liam is just drawing the boundary you never had the guts to."

A messy mix of emotions flashed in Bastian's eyes. "Give me a few days to explain..."

"Explain what?" I glared at him. "Ophelia is waiting. Don’t keep her."

He let go, completely reluctant. I dragged Liam forward without missing a beat.

Right by the door, Bastian called out to us.

"Wait." He pulled out a fancy cake box. "Happy late birthday, Liam."

Ophelia suddenly chimed in. "Wait, isn’t that the cake you bought me yesterday?"

The air in the room froze.

Liam looked up at me, the last bit of hope draining from his eyes.

"It’s fine," he whispered, trying way too hard to be mature. "Can we... share it?"

Bastian nodded. "Of course."

I took the box, opened it, and cut a small slice.

Out of habit, I leaned in to smell it. My smile vanished.

"Liam, get back!" I swatted the cake out of his hands in pure panic, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Are you crazy?!" Bastian snapped.

"It’s a Blood Brew cake!" Tears streamed down my face. "It’s poison to half-bloods! It would have destroyed his veins, Bastian! It could have KILLED him!"

Bastian’s face went dead pale.

Blood Brew was a pureblood delicacy, but it was pure poison to half-bloods.

"I didn’t know... I didn’t think..." His voice trembled, all of his signature elegance completely gone. "I’m sorry. I really didn’t know..."

Liam stared at the smashed cake on the floor. His hope was completely dead.

He buried his face in my chest and whispered, "It’s okay, Mom. He couldn’t have known."

That simple sentence was more lethal than any accusation.

I scooped up my son without a second thought and marched toward the door.

"Aveline, wait!" Bastian chased after us. "Let me explain..."

"No need." I didn't even look back. "From now on, we won’t bother you anymore."

This time, facing Bastian’s panicked and regretful stare, we didn't flinch.

The next day, I cleared out my lab at the company.

Research data, recipe notes, lab gear—I packed it all.

Finally, I left the signed blood pact dissolution contract dead center on my desk.

"Mom, are we really leaving?" Liam stood quietly by my side.

"Yes." I knelt down and hugged him. "We’re going somewhere new to start fresh."

"Will there be a dad there?"

"Yes." I stroked his hair. "A dad who actually loves us."

We headed to the underground supernatural terminal on the edge of the city.

The night flight to Europe glowed with a faint blue light.

I pulled out my phone and permanently deleted Bastian’s number.

I cut him out of my life completely—severing every tie on every channel, both magical and mundane.

"Ready, Liam?"

"Ready, Mom."

The cabin doors closed, and we vanished into the night.

...

At 9 AM the next morning, a restless Bastian showed up at Evernight Biotech right on time.

He went straight to Aveline’s lab and pushed open the familiar door.

An empty room. Spotless lab tables.

Two documents sat in the dead center of the desk.

Bastian walked over. He froze the second he saw what they were.

"Resignation? Blood pact dissolution?"