Chapter 47

Cassian’s POV

I had seen her before she was thrown out

But now? Her scream only justified how right i was about her

She would always screw up

She didn’t have it in her to remain put.

I had seen her

Didn’t mean that I knew where she was hiding

Until it was too late

For her I mean

One minute I was watching Selena and sisi near the refreshment table

We were both smiling at something one of the servers whispers.

The next? She was there

Standing in the crowd with her silver dress that screamed “I wanted to belong badly”

Did she bever pay attention to how her eyeshadow palette never matched her skin tone?

“I belong here!” she yelled. “I was invited!”

My entire body went still.

I was sure that a few could recognize her

I mean…our relationship has been quite public

And even when she switched up and clinged to Zevran after I was stripped of my rights

People heard

It was the hottest news at the time

Years after and she was here

Looking like a banshee who lost her way from the forest.

People turned—some shocked, others amused in that predatory, courtly way only wolves could be. Whispers slithered from one end of the room to the other.

That did it. The murmurs started. Soft and slow at first, but growing like a rising wind.

“She wasn’t invited?”

“Isn’t she Cassian’s ex?”

“Thought she was exiled.”

“Didn’t Selena come with him?”

The words curled around her like smoke, choking her attempt at dignity.

I had expected it

Selena, to her credit, didn’t flinch. She simply bent down and whispered something in Sisi’s ear, handing her to one of the maids before rising slowly, spine straight, chin high.

The hosts

Alpha Marek and his Luna, stood from their seats at the front of the hall. Their security detail, already on alert

I took a step forward, voice calm but clear. “She did not.”

That was all I said.

That was all I needed to say.

The guards moved immediately.

“No!” She cried.

Her voice was enough to break one of the glass chandeliers that hung from the ceiling.

“wait,” she continued “this is a mistake. You can’t just—Cassian, please—!” She continued as they dragged her towards the door and out of the venue

But I’d already turned away.

Already walking.

Already done.

It didn’t matter that everyone was still watching. That whispers were multiplying like wildfire. That Julia’s exit was a spectacle fit for the front page of any gossip paper.

It was over.

Finally.

I reached the far hallway, pulled out my phone, and dialed Conrad.

He had left the minute the party had begun

Someone had to handle things back at the palace.

He picked up on the first ring.

“Let me guess…you were crowned king of the party” his usual sarcastic voice rang from the other end of the phone.

“Quit fooling around. Julia is here,” I announced, peeking around to make sure no kne was eavesdropping on our conversation. “Well…was here,” I corrected.

“Tell me that wasn’t what I think it was.”

“Oh, it was,” I muttered, one hand braced against the wall. “She showed up. Made a scene. Got tossed out.”

Conrad let out a low whistle. “Damn. About time the universe helped us out.”

“She’s not coming back to the palace,” I said. “Not even to collect her things. Have her escorted to the city gates. Make sure she’s watched until she’s gone.”

His voice sobered. “You serious?”

“I’ve never been more serious.”

There was a pause. Then, “I’ll handle it.”

I exhaled through my nose, tension bleeding out of me like steam.

“She’s been poisoning the atmosphere since the day she arrived,” I said. “And now she’s shown the entire region what she’s really made of.”

“I always knew she’d overplay her hand,” Conrad muttered. “You just took too damn long to call it.”

“I know.”

Another pause. A quieter one.

“You heading back in?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good. You’ve got something real in there, Cass. Don’t screw it up.”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to.

Because for once, the path ahead felt clear.

Not easy. But clear.

And when I stepped back into that ballroom, all I saw was red silk moving through golden light—Selena, holding Sisi’s hand, laughing at something Adeline said.

Not looking for me.

Not waiting for me.

Just… living.

And gods help me—I wanted to be part of that life.

Even if I had to start from scratch.

I looked down at my palm.

It was shaking.

Not from guilt.

But from relief.

She was finally gone.

And I didn’t realize how long I’d been holding my breath until the silence of her absence felt… peaceful.

The moment I stepped back into the grand hall, it felt like I had entered a different world.

Gone was the sharp undertone that had clung to the walls like smoke since Julia’s arrival. Her absence left behind something cleaner. Lighter. As if the air itself could breathe again.

No silver dress flashing in the corners of my vision.

No voice like sugar laced with acid.

Just space. And stillness. And quiet.

And then I saw her.

Selena Was standing under the chandelier light

Not directly under it

But just enough for me to admire her goddes like beauty and how she effortlessly stole the show

Her posture was poised, yet relaxed. Regal, even. One arm was at her side, the other resting protectively around Sisi, who clung to her hip with the kind of ease only children and fated bonds could create.

Red.

She was still in that damn red dress.

And it was still undoing me.

I don’t know if it was the way the fabric curved with her spine or how her hair had been pulled back to reveal the delicate lines of her collarbone, but she looked like a vision of everything I’d never dared to want—and now couldn’t stop chasing.

She turned at just the right moment

just when I needed her to

Like the moon goddess had programmed it.

and our eyes met across the room.

No smirk. No soft smile.

Just a stillness.

Just a knowing.

“Alpha Cassian,” a voice piped beside me, dragging me momentarily from the trance.

I turned to find the event coordinator

Who was nervous, clearly younger, clearly terrified of addressing an alpha.

“Yes?”

“We’re ready for the formal family portraits. The hosts would like the honored mates to be first. Right this way…”

I didn’t wait for directions. My feet already knew the path.

Selena’s gaze didn’t change as I approached.

She adjusted Sisi gently on her hip, giving her space to stand on her own.

“We’re taking pictures,” I expressed, not asking. Just saying it aloud like it might anchor me.

“I figured,” she replied softly,

I was beginning to fall for her voice

It was soft

And I found myself wanting to hear it everyday and every morning I wake up.

Sisi looked up with bright eyes. “Do we get to stand on a stage with the sparkly lights, Papa?”

I bent slightly to kiss the crown of her head. “Yes. All three of us.”

There. I said it.

Us.