Chapter 2

Saturday was the sixtieth birthday celebration for Roderick, BlackPine Pack's current Alpha and Kael's father.

I carried a gift and walked into the Pack's estate.

The standalone manor that had once been deserted, with most of its security staff dismissed,

was now brightly lit, a display of prosperity following their comeback.

Roderick wore a bespoke hand-tailored suit, his face glowing as he stood in the center of the banquet hall.

He raised glasses and laughed with business moguls and Alpha leaders from neighboring packs.

When he saw me enter, the smile faded from his face, his eyes filled with contempt.

"You're here. Find yourself a seat. Don't push to the front."

He pointed to the most remote corner of the hall, right by the service station, then didn't spare me another glance.

At the head table, Kael sat at an angle with an unfamiliar young woman beside him.

The woman wore a silver haute couture evening gown, a limited-edition Patek Philippe watch glinting on her wrist under the lights.

A collector's piece only accessible to children of North America's top Pack Alphas.

Kael leaned close to her ear, speaking with a smile, his tone relaxed.

"Elara." Kael's mother walked over holding a glass of champagne, her tone distant and perfunctory.

"This is Sera, daughter of SilverMoon Pack's Alpha. She flew in specially from London for Roderick's birthday.

Her family's business spans Europe and America. She's young and accomplished."

I nodded and looked at Sera.

She was sizing me up, her gaze like she was examining something beneath her station, superiority radiating from her.

"Oh, so you're Luna Elara?" She drew out her words, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"I heard you've been a stay-at-home wife since getting married? You've really sacrificed a lot for the family."

Her words mentioned sacrifice, but the disdain in her eyes was overflowing.

Kael's expression stiffened slightly. He glanced at me, then turned to follow Sera's conversation about future collaboration plans between the two Packs.

Dinner was served. The table was filled with exquisite dishes prepared by a three-Michelin-star chef.

After several rounds of drinks, Roderick took the microphone and went on stage to give a speech.

"Thank you all, friends and allies, for attending my sixtieth birthday banquet!" He raised his glass high, full of vigor.

"This time last year, BlackPine Pack was at rock bottom. It's because of your unwavering support that we're here today!"

He drained his glass, then suddenly shifted his tone, his gaze locking onto me in the corner.

"Of course, today I must also thank certain people." He emphasized the word "thank," dripping with sarcasm.

"Some people benefited from our family's misfortune without contributing anything.

Now that we've risen, she still has the gall to stand here, basking in our success and sharing in our glory."

The moment he finished, the entire hall erupted in laughter, mixed with waves of agreement.

"Exactly! Just a full-time housewife. What else can she do besides spend a man's money?"

"The heir's wife is just a housewife? She really doesn't deserve BlackPine Pack."

"Roderick is being too generous. If it were me, I'd have kicked her out long ago!"

Sera laughed and chimed in, her voice loud enough for nearby tables to hear:

"Roderick is being modest. Some people just want stability. They have no real abilities, so they can only stick to household chores.

"But BlackPine Pack is on the rise. Kael has a bright future ahead. Naturally, he needs someone more suitable by his side, not someone irrelevant holding him back."

The two of them played off each other like they'd rehearsed it, every word aimed at me.

I never spoke, sitting quietly in place.

My silence, in their eyes, became weakness, became incompetence.

I became tacit admission that I wasn't worthy of Kael, wasn't worthy of BlackPine Pack.

The birthday banquet's clamor gradually subsided.

Roderick finally dropped all pretense, walking straight to me with his wine glass.

"Elara, you can see for yourself. Our family isn't what it used to be." His tone was icy.

"You being with Kael is holding back his future."

"I'll give you five hundred thousand dollars. Divorce Kael.

Stop pestering him afterward, and never set foot in BlackPine Pack territory again."

Five hundred thousand dollars.

To buy out our three-year marriage.

To buy out the thirty-two million in debt I'd quietly covered for him.

To buy out the entire BlackPine Pack I'd saved.

What a joke.

Everyone in the banquet hall focused their eyes on me, full of mockery and anticipation of a spectacle.

Sera stood nearby holding her wine glass, a triumphant smile on her face,

as if she'd already determined herself to be Kael's next partner, BlackPine Pack's future mistress.