Adrienne POV: On the very day my hearing was restored after three years of silence, I rushed to surprise my Alpha fiancé, Imanol, only to hear him utter Carisa's name with the utmost tenderness—the very Omega who had left me stone-deaf for three whole years—saying he had brought her back to the pack. Standing outside the half-open mahogany door of the VIP lounge, the eager smile on my face instantly shattered. My whole body froze as if plunged into an icy lake. "You really brought your adopted sister back? Aren't you afraid Adrienne will lose her mind?" a pack warrior asked in shock. "As long as you keep your mouths shut, she won't know a thing," Imanol's voice was utterly dismissive. "Besides, it's been three years. Carisa was homesick." "Homesick? More like she missed you, Alpha," another teased, sparking a round of knowing, cynical laughter inside the room. "Don't talk nonsense. I only see her as a sister." "Come on, Imanol. I just saw Carisa kiss you! What kind of sister is that? A sweet little Omega sweetheart?" Imanol sighed softly, his signature cedarwood scent laced with the sickeningly sweet floral aroma of that Omega. "She caught me off guard, and I didn't dodge in time. She's just a young, naive girl; I can't hold a grudge against her. When Adrienne gets here later, none of you are allowed to mention this. Don't let it slip." Someone cleared his throat, his tone turning serious. "But Alpha, seriously... are you really just letting it go? Three years ago, she paid someone to tamper with Adrienne's car brakes! Adrienne almost died and has been stone-deaf ever since." Imanol's tone remained effortlessly indifferent. "She was only nineteen back then, just throwing a tantrum. She suffered enough during her three years in exile and is much more mature now. Why dwell on the past?" Throwing a tantrum? These few weightless words felt like a rusty, blunt knife twisting viciously into my heart. A violent wave of nausea churned in my stomach, bile rising in my throat. Three years ago, Carisa, the orphaned Omega taken in by the Tide Pack out of gratitude to her late father, went mad with jealousy after failing to claim Imanol and caused that car crash. That crash crushed my auditory nerves, trapping me in the terrifying void of absolute silence. Back then, Imanol's eyes were bloodshot with fury. Using his Alpha's Command, he pinned Carisa down on the shattered glass, swearing in front of the entire pack that he would tear the vicious woman to pieces. Only with the intervention of his parents was Carisa urgently sent abroad in exile. Over the past three years, he dropped all his pack duties. Whenever I broke down and screamed in the silent, terrifying darkness, he would always hold me tight, kiss my forehead, and whisper, "Adrienne, don't be afraid. I will never let her off, and I will love you with my entire life." I believed him. I clung to him like a drowning woman to a piece of driftwood. Even when the whole pack mocked me for being a useless cripple, I gritted my teeth and endured it all just to stay by his side. My trembling fingers unconsciously gripped the small velvet box in my pocket. Inside was a custom-made black-gold ring I had spent all my savings and heart to secretly design for him. I had rushed here with a heart full of joy, foolishly thinking that today, I could finally stand before him whole, ready to be his Luna. But it turned out his heartbroken tears and soul-stirring vows were nothing but a hypocritical act put on just to protect the real murderer! Inside the lounge, the warrior asked hesitantly, "Then what about Adrienne? Are you really willing to marry a deaf cripple?" Imanol scoffed, his tone dripping with Alpha arrogance. "In werewolf law, a defective wolfless can't even survive a single day outside the pack territory. Keeping her around is just me being kind. It's nothing but charity." Charity. I bit down on my lower lip so hard that the intense metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. Right at that moment, the phone in my pocket vibrated sharply. It took me a long moment to steady my breathing before I glanced down at the screen. It was a long text from my mother, Florene, begging me to return to Empire City and take my stepsister Byrdie's place to marry Kaiden Cross of the Blackstone Pack. Our family had signed a marriage blood contract with the Blackstone Pack, but Byrdie had run away. Kaiden Cross was the terrifying, pure-blooded Lycan ruler, rumored to be ruthless and bloodthirsty. If he found out our family dared to break the marriage blood contract, our entire bloodline would be wiped out in an instant. This was the first time my mother had begged me since she brought me, a wolfless burden, into my stepfather's family. Over the years, even though my stepfather treated us decently, I knew how hard it was for my mother to secure her position in that pack. She dedicated almost all her energy to my stepfather and stepsister. So, I had always been obedient, never causing her any trouble. The only two times I rebelled were both for Imanol... Once, when I left Empire City alone for him. And the second time was just an hour ago, when I refused to take the place in the marriage for him. Just an hour ago, my mother had begged me with the exact same words. How did I answer her back then? A bitter smile crept onto my lips—what had I said back then? Like a delusional fool trapped in a sweet dream, I had fiercely sworn to her that my hearing was restored, that Imanol loved me deeply, and that we would be getting married soon... I told her I believed Imanol would definitely help me solve our family's crisis... Believe him... I closed my eyes, a sharp, piercing pain tearing through my chest. I gripped the velvet ring box in my pocket so tightly that it was the only way to suppress the violent trembling in my throat. It turned out the unwavering devotion I thought I had, the love I relied on to support my entire world, was nothing but a fragile illusion built on sand, crumbling at the slightest touch! A cold tear finally smashed onto the screen of my phone. My chest hollowed out into a freezing, dead wasteland. Without a single trace of hesitation, I typed out my reply word by word: "Mom, I am willing to take Byrdie's place and marry the Lycan."

Adrienne POV: I pushed open the heavy mahogany door. Instantly, the roaring laughter inside the VIP lounge died away. The dim room reeked of cheap alcohol, heavy perfume, and pungent werewolf pheromones. Nearly a dozen well-dressed pack members sat or stood around, their eyes snapping toward the door. I stood at the boundary of light and shadow. My face was completely devoid of emotion, deliberately keeping my eyes unfocused and dull, as if I had heard absolutely nothing. A fleeting trace of panic flashed across Imanol's eyes. Seeing my blank stare and noticing I wasn't wearing any healing runes on my ears, he stood up and strode toward me. Instantly masking his guilt, he put on a sickeningly affectionate and gentle expression as if I were his most precious treasure, speaking with extreme patience and tenderness. "Adrienne, is the examination over? What did the healer say?" I stared at his moving lips, pretending to struggle with lip-reading for several seconds. Since losing my hearing three years ago, the inability to hear my own voice had gradually stripped away my habit of speaking. To everyone in the pack, I was a complete deaf-mute who communicated solely through sign language. Raising my hands, I signed back to him with practiced, silent gestures: [It's still the same. I can't hear anything.] Imanol's tense shoulders completely relaxed. The sheer hypocrisy of his tender facade made my stomach churn with violent nausea. Before I could sign another word, a sickeningly sweet voice floated from the hallway behind me. "Oh, how lively..." Carisa stood under the warm hallway light, wearing a revealing burgundy silk slip dress that clung to her curves, blatantly exuding the cloyingly sweet scent of an Omega. She leaned lazily against the doorframe, her gaze locked onto Imanol with a provocative, meaningful smirk. Imanol looked visibly guilty. Seeing that I didn't even turn my head at the sound of her voice, he became absolutely certain I was completely deaf. He lowered his voice, tension lacing his tone. "Why did you come over? Didn't I tell you to stay in the next room?" Carisa just giggled, swaying her hips as she walked past me into the room. "I missed you, Alpha. What are you afraid of? She's a defective cripple who can't even pick up mind-link frequencies. She can't hear a thing." A warrior nearby chuckled softly. "Damn, I almost forgot she's a complete deaf-mute. Scared me to death." "Exactly. I thought we were busted for a second..." They didn't hold back at all, their voices dripping with blatant, vicious mockery. My fingers curled at my sides, my nails digging so fiercely into my palms that sharp pain shot up my arms. Every single word pierced my eardrums like a poisoned needle. I could hear them. I could hear every single disgusting syllable perfectly clearly. Seeing my lack of reaction, Carisa's smile widened. She deliberately raised her voice, stepping right in front of me. "Isn't that right, Adrienne? You can't hear a thing, can you? You poor, pathetic cripple, it's a shame that car crash three years ago didn't just take your miserable life." "Enough!" Imanol interrupted sharply, lowering his voice. He glanced down at me nervously, afraid I might somehow sense something from her aggressive posture. But Carisa completely ignored his anger. Instead, she laughed even harder. She stepped even closer, her eyes locked onto Imanol, but her voice was loud enough for the entire room to hear. "Alpha, are you afraid she'll find out I'm back? Relax. Even if I call her a worthless bitch right to her face, she wouldn't even—" Smack! Without a single second of hesitation, I raised my hand and slapped Carisa across the face with all my strength! The entire lounge plunged into a dead, suffocating silence. Five bright red finger marks instantly swelled on Carisa's pale cheek. She widened her eyes in disbelief, clutching her burning face. It took her a long moment to process it. "You... you dared to hit me?!" She shrieked and raised her hand to slap me back. I grabbed her wrist in an iron grip, and without missing a beat, swung my other hand, delivering a heavier backhanded slap. Smack!

Imanol POV: My boots rooted to the spot, my pupils constricting in pure shock. Could Adrienne hear? My heart skipped a beat, a surge of panic gripping my chest. If she had heard our conversation just now... But the next second, my gaze shifted past her shoulder, landing on the massive liquor cabinet in the corner. The dark, reflective glass of the cabinet mirrored the warm wall lights, perfectly reflecting Carisa's face. I let out a quiet, inaudible breath of relief. She must have caught the mirror's reflection and read Carisa's lip movements. But Adrienne was usually so obedient and docile. Why was she acting like a madwoman today, slapping someone in public? Before I could reprimand her, Carisa suddenly shrieked like a banshee. "You bitch! I'll tear you to pieces!" She bared her claws, lunging straight for Adrienne's face like a madwoman. "Enough!" I roared. I rushed forward, instantly unleashing the crushing weight of my Alpha's Command, and planted myself directly in front of Carisa to shield her. My large hand clamped down on Adrienne's wrist like a steel vice, completely locking her in place. "Adrienne, that is enough!" I snarled, my Alpha aura flaring. "Carisa has suffered so much out there in exile! She just got back to the pack—can you stop being so damn unreasonable?!" But Adrienne struggled desperately. With her wrists locked in my grip, she couldn't use her usual sign language. In her fury, she opened her mouth, forcing her dry, unused vocal cords to produce a hoarse, ugly gasp, as if she was deliberately trying to provoke me. A wave of irritation washed over me. In that split second of my distraction, Carisa's claws lashed out from behind my back, slicing a deep gash across Adrienne's pale cheek. Bright red blood instantly welled up. My eyes widened. Furious that she dared to strike while I was intervening, I violently shoved Carisa backward. "Carisa, what the hell are you doing?!" Caught off guard, Carisa stumbled backward, her shoulder slamming hard into the massive black glass liquor cabinet behind her. CRASH! The heavy cabinet wobbled violently before tipping forward. Dozens of expensive bottles filled with high-purity, silver-infused ceremonial liquor—a deadly poison to our kind—rained down! "Watch out!" Seeing those lethal liquid silver bottles falling toward Carisa, my mind went blank. I lunged at her like a madman, using my broad back to shield her completely. Adrienne POV: A barrage of heavy bottles smashed against Imanol's broad back. Highly concentrated liquid silver splashed everywhere, emitting a terrifying sizzling sound and the foul stench of burning flesh as it ate through his custom suit. But I, thrown off balance by his brutal shove, was left entirely exposed. Before I could even raise my arms to protect my head, a massive, silver-plated bottle smashed viciously into my shoulder blade. An agonizing crack echoed in my ears as blinding pain exploded through my body. I was thrown hard against the floor by the sheer force. Shards of shattered glass and freezing, silver-laced liquor rained down on me. Warm blood instantly gushed from my forehead, mixing with the pungent alcohol and streaming into my eyes. I curled up on the ground, feeling half of my body instantly go numb. A dull, throbbing pain spread from my shoulder and the back of my head. All I could hear was a ringing buzz mixed with the panicked screams of the crowd. "Alpha!" Carisa's tears flowed instantly. "My ankle hurts so much..." Imanol quickly pushed himself up. He completely ignored the excruciating silver burns sizzling on his own back, his face pale as he asked nervously, "Where did it hit you? Let me see!" "My ankle... it hurts so bad..." Carisa sobbed pitifully. I barely managed to open my blood-blurred eyes and looked in their direction. Actually, a piece of shattered glass had merely grazed her ankle, leaving a few shallow bloody scratches. It wasn't serious at all, yet she cried as if she were dying. I lay on the freezing floor, my vision fading into dark patches. I was a wolfless without an inner wolf, entirely devoid of a werewolf's rapid cellular regeneration. Plus, the silver residue seeping into my wounds stopped my blood from clotting. Bleeding this heavily was enough to send me into hemorrhagic shock. I tried to move my left arm, my trembling fingers reaching out toward Imanol. My lips parted, but no sound came out. Imanol simply scooped Carisa into his arms, turning his back on me to walk out. "Alpha! Adrienne seems badly hurt too..." someone finally spoke up, pointing at my curled-up body in the puddle of blood. Imanol paused and cast a hasty, impatient glance over his shoulder. But in his arms, Carisa immediately buried her face into his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. "Alpha, I'm dying of pain. Did I break a bone?" Imanol immediately looked away from me, his brows furrowed in deep annoyance. "You guys keep an eye on Adrienne. If she's fine, send her home. I need to take Carisa to the Healer immediately. She can't handle pain." I lay in the freezing, bone-chilling puddle of blood, helplessly watching as Imanol held Carisa tightly and strode out of the lounge. The world around me began to spin, and the blood dripping from my forehead blurred my vision into a dark red haze. It was cold. A bone-deep, freezing cold that seeped directly from my marrow—pure despair. "Shit... she's bleeding from her head! There's so much blood!" someone finally yelled in panic. But those voices grew distant. Heavy shadows pressed down on me layer by layer, and my eyelids became too heavy to keep open. "Call the Healer, now!"