Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 171 - Chapitre 180

Victor's POVI stood alone in the vast living room, the silence pressing in on me from every side. Even my shadow looked unfamiliar, stretched long across the floor under the dim lights, like it didn’t quite belong to me anymore.My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin.She left. Our mate left.I didn’t answer him.A breeze slipped in through the open windows, tugging at my shirt, carrying faint scents of the night, but not hers.My chest tightened.After a long moment, I forced myself to move.Each step toward the stairs felt heavier than it should have, like I was dragging something unseen behind me.By the time I reached my room, the silence had grown louder. I pushed the door open, flicked on the light, and stopped.The room looked cold and clean. Ava took everything of hers.The soft throws she had draped over the couch. The subtle colors she’d added to break the monotony. Everything was gone.It really dawned on me.She has really left.My jaw tightened.I had given her space.

Ava's POVI hurled clothes into the suitcase. My injured hand throbbed with every movement, but rage drowned the pain. My wolf paced inside me, hackles raised, feeding off the storm in my chest.I spun toward Nora, fire blazing in my eyes.“You and Richard are ready to throw away everything, your careers, your lives, your dreams.” My voice came out sharp, edged with a growl.“Richard is ready to toss away his badge and become a criminal, and you’re willing to abandon law just to wait tables.”Nora flinched, but I kept going.“Have you both forgotten how hard you fought for what you have despite being children of an alpha? The dreams you chased since you were pups?” I jabbed a finger toward her. “You’re both rising stars in your fields, and now you’re just going to destroy it all? Have you even thought about how that makes me feel?”I was completely furious. “Why would you want to sacrifice your futures for me? How am I supposed to repay that?”“Repay?” Nora’s voice softened instantly.

Ava's POVI inhaled once, then answered the call.“Alpha Anderson,” I said coolly, “what’s this about now?”“Let’s meet,” Anderson said without preamble.I rolled my eyes. “I’m still in the hospital,” I replied, letting bitterness edge my tone. “The ordeal I went through at Juliet's memorial pushed my body beyond its limit.”On the other end, he went quiet for a beat. “Fine,” he said at last. “When you’re free, let me know.”My gaze slid to Nora, who was pretending not to listen while absolutely listening. Her resignation letter flashed through my mind.There was no time to delay.“Tonight. Eight o’clock,” I said. “At the café outside the hospital.”“Done.”I hung up. Nora immediately grabbed the chance to flee.“Ava, I’m going to get food. Stay here, okay?”“Sure,” I murmured.The second she left, the room fell quiet. I leaned back against the headboard and closed my eyes. The hazy image from earlier returned to me.Laura leaning into Victor, her hand on him as he stood beside her. T

Ava's POVMy eyes softened despite everything, and a faint smile touched my lips.“Mr. Shelton,” I said gently, “you may not know this, but working at the Grand Council is Nora’s dream. And you...” I lifted my gaze to meet his cold silver eyes. “You were her idol back in college.”His scent spiked with restrained dominance, but he said nothing.I continued, warmth stirring in my chest as memories rose. “Back in our freshman year, you were already making a name for yourself across the packs. Every law firm and courthouse was talking about the famous inheritance case you won.”I could still remember Nora bursting into our dorm room, her cheeks flushed. She was yipping with excitement.“She went to the Grand Council that day and watched you argue before the council judges. She came back raving about you for hours. The very next morning, she changed her major to law.”Anderson’s expression did not move, but I caught the slight twitch in his jaw.“You are part of the reason she chose this

Ava's POVA sharp laugh escaped me, bitter and incredulous. Everything snapped into place at once.Laura must have found the bowl while digging through my belongings, assumed it was complete, and submitted it as her own masterpiece.How absurd… how shameless.I searched deeper into her portfolio. One by one, rage coiled tighter in my chest. Most of the showcased works were either mine... or crude imitations of mine.The only truly original design I found was a childish daisy pattern with no sophistication at all.And this woman had opened a studio? Taken commissions? Presented herself as an elite artisan?My wolf bared her teeth. What a fraud.“Exactly.”I considered another possibility. Maybe she was using ghost artists. This meant skilled restorers were creating the work for her behind the scenes.But I knew Oliver’s other apprentices. They were either respected masters now or had long since left the craft. None of them would stoop to hiding behind Laura’s name.Then another memory