Chapter 2 :  The Rejection

Days after the incident, the investigation revealed the truth: our home had been targeted by a brutal band of outlaws. According to the police, they were known for their savagery; after looting our estate, they had burned it to the ground, slaughtering everyone inside—including my parents.

My world shattered. With my family gone, I felt as though the floor had been pulled out from beneath me. Yet, as the days turned into weeks, I forced myself to rise. I had to survive.

I came from the House of Volt, a prominent name in our region. Even with my family gone, I hoped there was someone left I could lean on. I eventually set out for the capital city, terrified of what awaited me but desperate for a fresh start.

I headed straight for the Ironheart mansion, the seat of the Duke who governed our northern province. I was going to see my fiancé, Kael. He was a werewolf and a soldier of the Empire—a man I rarely saw, as his military training kept him perpetually stationed in the capital.

"I’m finally here," I whispered, staring up at the imposing iron gates of his estate.

I was nervous, but I pushed through it. Kael was my last hope; I needed him to help me rebuild my shattered life.

Hours passed, and the gates remained locked. No matter what I told the guards, they refused to let me through.

"Miss, our master gave no orders to admit you," one said firmly. "If you wish to see him, you’ll have to call him."

"But I don’t have a phone," I pleaded. "Can’t you just let me inside, even if I stay in the courtyard?"

"We’ve informed him of your arrival, and he gave no such instruction. We’re just doing our jobs. Please, leave."

I stood there in disbelief. Kael was ignoring me. I knew we hadn’t spoken much lately, but our families had always been close. Since our engagement, he hadn’t visited once, and when my family's tragedy occurred, he didn't even reach out to offer condolences.

"Why won't you face me, Kael?"

I spent the entire night outside the gates, shivering as the temperature plummeted. I endured the biting cold, waiting for him to appear.

When dawn finally broke, the gates began to creak open. I scrambled to my feet and rushed toward the car exiting the driveway. I successfully blocked its path, and a moment later, the window rolled down.

Kael was in the driver’s seat. He looked at me with chilling indifference. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you actually waited all night?"

I was stunned. He didn't care that I had been left out in the cold. "Kael, what are you talking about? I came for you. You weren't answering my calls, so I had no choice but to come here myself."

He let out a sharp, impatient sigh. "You have no reason to be here, Elaine. My father has no interest in the House of Volt anymore, and we have decided to dissolve the engagement. There is nothing left for us to discuss."

"W-what? Dissolve it?" I stammered, my heart hammering. "I'm still your fiancée, aren't I?"

He made it clear that he had only agreed to the arrangement because of my father’s status as a Baron. Now that my family was dead and I was destitute, he had no interest in honoring his word.

"I don't like wasting my time," he added coldly. "Remember, you’re just a fiancée. I have no obligations to you."

Before I could even process his cruelty, he rolled up the window.

"Wait! Kael, what do you mean? Please, talk to me!" I cried, pounding on the glass.

He didn't look back. The car engine roared to life, and he sped away.

"Kael! Kael!" I shouted, sprinting after him until my lungs burned.

I collapsed onto the pavement, shaking. It felt as if my entire world was being dismantled piece by piece. Kael had been the kind, gentle man I had loved for three years.

 How could he discard me the moment my family was gone? He was all I had left.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

I remained outside the mansion for hours, clinging to the fading hope that he might return. I checked my wallet, my heart sinking at the sight of the few bills left.

"Three thousand left," I whispered. "I can't survive in the capital with no home and no job."

I spent the next two nights on the street. By the third day, the guard approached me again, looking genuinely uneasy. "Miss, please, you have to go. My master will have my head if you stay here any longer."

"I’m sorry," I sobbed, "but I have nowhere else to go. I have to speak to Kael."

"Miss," the guard said, softening his tone, "are you looking for Master Kael? He only stays here on Sundays to visit his mother. He lives in the city."

The information was a lifeline. I begged the guard to tell me where, and eventually, he gave me the location.

I spent hours searching the city until I found a sleek building housing military personnel. It was a private condominium for soldiers stationed in the capital. The guards there were even stricter; without an appointment or a visitor's pass issued by the unit owner, I was barred from entry.

I waited in the heat and dust for six hours, ignoring my hunger, until I finally spotted his car. I recognized the license plate and darted into the middle of the road to stop him.

"Wait! Kael!"

The commotion drew eyes from everyone on the street.

"Please, Kael, just listen to me," I begged as he finally rolled down the window.

" You Still here?" he sneered. "Seriously? What is your plan?"

"I have no one else, Kael. Please, we are family and I need your help." I beg. 

"Family?" He laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Elaine, you were just a fiancée. We aren't married. I have no responsibility toward you. Stop bothering me."

"But what about us?" I cried. "We loved each other. We promised to build a life together!"

He didn't listen. He reached into his wallet and shoved a stack of money at me. "I pity what happened to you, but I’m not involved. It’s over. Take this and go back to your province."

I recoiled, pushing his hand away. I didn't want his charity; I wanted him to understand that I was alone in the world. But he was deaf to my words.

"What do you want me to do?" he snapped. "It’s not my fault your family died, and I have no intention of adopting a weak, dependent woman."

He shoved me away from the car and rolled up the window. "That’s enough. If you keep harassing me, I’ll have you arrested."

"Kael, don't do this! Kael!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.

He didn't even look back, simply gesturing for the guards to drag me away as he drove through the gates.