Louis's POV"You d.amned liar!"Angry growls shattered the silence of the ball.I raised my hand, summoning the guards at the door and giving them orders, "Capture the criminal who forged the king's command and lock him up!""Yes!"Guards armed with weapons cut through the crowd, about to apprehend Evans. However, amid the chaos, another elderly voice sounded."Your Highness, please don't do this!"Royston, the Alpha of the Greenwood pack, stepped between the guards and Evans. He looked up at me with pleading eyes, his wrinkled face betraying his anxiety."Evans is an advisor to the elders. Even if you doubt the authenticity of this letter, you should convene the elders first and let them decide how to deal with Evans."But Royston's plea only fueled my anger. With a warning gaze, I quickly scanned every face below, roaring with a low growl."I am your future king! Even if tonight I want to take Evans's head, you can only watch me do it! Because I am your Alpha! No one can disobey my

Claire's POV"You're awake, darling!" Seeing Louis opened his eyes, I almost dropped the cup I was holding in excitement."How do you feel? Do you want something to eat?""I'm fine." Louis rubbed his head and sat up in bed.He looked a bit bewildered, clearly not fully awake yet. "How did I end up here? Has the ball ended?""Yes." I nodded, briefly recounting the events to Louis."The doctor checked and said you've been overworking lately, which caused you to faint suddenly. When you and Evans were taken for treatment, Royston announced the end of the ball in your place. But you shouldn't worry about that now; what you need to do is rest."I tried to guide Louis back to lying down, but he held onto my wrist and asked insistently, "Where's Evans?""He's been taken back to his own castle."Louis stared at me, his expression determined. "And what about that forged letter?"I hesitated, not answering immediately. Louis's grip on my hand started to tighten gradually, and the pain made me i

Claire's POVAs I listened to Evans's "suggestion" to Louis, I almost fled from the castle.Before entering the study, I had prepared myself for the worst. I thought the worst ending would be leaving Louis.Although it would break my heart, I believed I could eventually endure it. But what Garfield Evans did was far more despicable than I had anticipated. Not only did he ask me to watch my fated mate marry another woman, but he also expected me to willingly give up the inheritance rights of my children, making them b.astards!It was simply outrageous!With a mixture of sadness and anger, I lowered my head and quickly left the study.It wasn't until the evening breeze blew over the back of my neck, sending shivers down my arms, that I realized I had actually walked out of the castle. I looked around and found myself standing in a strange meadow. In the distance, the crows cawed loudly from the withered trees, immediately evoking fear in my heart.I turned around, intending to find my

Claire's POV"Wait, I don't understand what you mean." The guard's face twisted in confusion, as if I was speaking in some alien language instead of English. "Are you saying Evans wants to harm that girl? But she seems so ordinary, why would he do that?""Ah—"Just as the guard spoke, a piercing scream echoed from outside the dungeon. "It's Cathy!" I jumped up, leaning against the door crack to see what was happening outside. The dense fog seemed to be dissipating rapidly, and the biting cold wind quickly turned into a comfortable temperature. All of this signaled that the illusion was fading away."If your superiors blame you for Cathy's situation, remember to tell them it was my idea." Before opening the door, I glanced at the still confused guard, recalling the death of Evans' brother and his mate in prison last time, couldn't help but issue another warning to him. "Also, please keep the speculation about Evans secret for your own good."With that, I pushed open the stone door

Louis's POV"I don't understand what you mean, Your Highness."Evans shifted his gaze from the guards to me."Is there an urgent situation in the castle? Or have you changed your mind and want to keep me here?""I've given you many chances, Evans, but you keep challenging my limits," I said coldly, looking down on Evans."Is this why you came to the castle tonight? To persuade me to accept having two wives, while secretly plotting against Claire's life?""I never had such intentions, Your Highness," Evans remained composed as ever. "This is the safest place in the word. I couldn't, and wouldn't, harm Claire's life here."Fed up with Evans's excuses, I raised my hand, and a guard quickly brought a transparent sealed box containing a diamond bracelet stained with blood.The guard presented it to Evans."I want to hear how you explain this bracelet this time," I demanded.Evans glanced briefly at the bracelet, not even flinching when he noticed the bloodstains. "I have never seen this br