When my private jet landed after a grueling three-day border inspection, I tried calling everyone. No one answered. I didn't think much of it. I was just exhausted. But on the drive back to my estate, I casually opened the Silver Moon Pack's private social network. A live stream from a popular Pack influencer caught my eye. When the camera panned across a familiar riverfront terrace, my breath hitched. It was my terrace. In the center of the screen, my fated mate, Caleb, was down on one knee, holding a velvet ring box. Standing opposite him was a female wearing the custom haute couture white gown I had just paid for last week. It was my younger sister, Vivian. I zoomed in on the screen. My parents were sitting in the corner, wiping away tears of joy, looking as if they were witnessing the greatest miracle in the world. My Gamma—my supposed best friend, Fiona—ran up and handed Vivian a bouquet of glowing white Moonflowers, the sacred blooms meant only for a Luna's mating ceremony. Comments flooded the live feed: "What a romantic couple!" "Finally, this day has come!" Fiona was standing close to the camera, so the audio picked up her voice perfectly. Then, I heard my mother laughing warmly. "Yes," my mother said to the camera, wiping a tear. "It's been three years of hiding. Despite some minor bumps, they are finally getting the happiness they deserve." Three years. The betrayal of a fated mate is supposed to shatter a female's soul. I felt my inner White Wolf roar in pure, agonizing pain, tearing at the mate bond we shared. The nausea and betrayal twisted in my chest like a rusty blade. I closed my eyes, forcing the boiling lava in my veins to cool into solid ice. "Driver," I said, my voice eerily calm. "Turn around. Head to the Pack's chief law firm." Since they loved broadcasting their stolen happiness so much, I would use tonight's anniversary dinner to host a live broadcast of my own, letting all fifty thousand wolves of the Pack witness me tear the traitors apart and take back my throne. Chapter 1 Selene POV: An hour later, I sat in the luxurious office of the chief legal counsel. "Alpha Selene," the old lawyer advised, his voice trembling, "stripping a mate of his proxy rights without a formal rejection ritual will cause severe physical backlash to your body. The soul bond will torture you. Furthermore, if you freeze his assets so abruptly, the Elder Council will definitely intervene and investigate." I sat on the leather sofa and took a sip of my cold black coffee. The bitter taste slid down my throat, barely suppressing the violent nausea churning in my stomach. "Then let them investigate." I drafted the execution decree with cold, clear precision, keeping the trigger strictly in my own hands. At my command, Caleb's Beta proxy rights would be instantly stripped, and all corporate black cards in his name would be frozen simultaneously. In addition, I pre-signed the legal petition to repossess the luxury mansion I had gifted to Vivian, sealing all the documents in a vault, waiting for the moment to spring the trap. When I walked out of the law firm, the night wind, mixed with a freezing drizzle, hit my face. It was very cold. Three hours ago, I was still on my private jet, joyfully planning our fourth mating anniversary. I had even booked his favorite Michelin-starred restaurant half a month in advance and pushed back a ten-million-dollar territory negotiation, all just to rush back early to see him. Yet, right under my nose, he had proposed to my own younger sister. And my parents, my Gamma—my supposed best friend—were all there to witness it, cheering and crying tears of joy for them. A voice suddenly echoed in my mind. "Selene, did you land? I just finished a grueling strategic meeting. I really couldn't find the time to pick you up." "I ordered your favorite premium venison stew. Come home early." It was Caleb. He was communicating through the Mind-Link shared by our kind, his mental voice full of sickening, fake affection. I took out my phone and dialed his number. "Where are you?" I asked. "Oh, I'm having a couple of drinks with the brothers from the border patrol," Caleb lied without batting an eye. "Celebrating a smooth patrol." Through my enhanced werewolf hearing, I caught the crisp clinking of crystal glasses in the background, along with a few muffled cheers. Then, I heard my mother's voice. It was faint, but unmistakable: "This wild game meat is so fresh." "It sounds very lively over there," I said, my tone completely flat. Caleb let out a soft chuckle. "The patrol squad is having a late-night supper. Everyone is making a fuss about celebrating our successful border defense." "Get some rest early, my Luna. I'll head back to keep you company as soon as I settle the bill." His lie was flawless. Not even the rhythm of his breathing faltered for a second. I hung up the phone and called a private car to take me home. When I pushed open the door to my penthouse, it was pitch black inside. On the entryway console table sat the takeout container of venison stew. It was completely cold, a thick layer of grease congealing on the surface. This was Caleb's habit. Whenever he felt guilty, or whenever he did something to betray me, he would order takeout from this exact place. I stared at the stew, didn't touch it, and walked straight to the master bedroom. Just as I stepped out of the shower, I heard the front door open. It was accompanied by deliberately lowered voices. "Caleb, go check if Selene is asleep. You know she's a light sleeper." It was my mother, Martha. Her scent leaked into the hallway, radiating a cautious sense of complicity. "Mom, you and Dad should head back and get some rest too. You've worked hard today." Caleb's tone was incredibly gentle, perfectly playing the role of the flawless son-in-law. "It's no trouble at all. As long as our Vivian is happy, your father and I are willing to do anything." Next came Vivian's sickeningly sweet, fragile voice. "If my sister is awake, you must absolutely not mention what happened today. I'm so afraid my sister won't be able to handle it." "Be good. Don't worry." Caleb coaxed her softly. I stood dead still behind the bedroom door, listening to this heartwarming family drama separated only by a single wall. The doorknob turned. Caleb walked in with light footsteps. Through the dim light bleeding in from the hallway, I saw that his well-tailored suit jacket still had a few pieces of glitter confetti clinging to it. It was the exact type of confetti used for grand, romantic proposals. He walked over to the bed and leaned over. He smelled of champagne, the gunpowder of celebration fireworks, and an unfamiliar, sickeningly sweet perfume. It was the custom Jo Malone perfume I had bought for Vivian just last week. "Selene, are you asleep?" he whispered. I kept my eyes closed and said nothing. I heard him let out a faint sigh of relief, then he turned and entered the bathroom. Half an hour later, he walked out after washing up, lifted the duvet, and lay down beside me. Out of habit, he reached out, wanting to pull me into his arms. My inner White Wolf snarled viciously in my chest. His tainted touch triggered an extreme physical revulsion in me, making my skin crawl with goosebumps. I turned slightly onto my side, dodging his embrace. "What's wrong? Are you mad that I didn't pick you up?" He pressed closer from behind, his voice laced with a sickeningly fawning tone. "I was just so incredibly busy today. I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I'll take you to buy that limited-edition bag you've been looking at for a long time, okay?" I opened my eyes, staring at the shadows cast by the streetlights through the window. "There's no need, I'm just tired," I said flatly. "The pre-shift fatigue is hitting me hard. Don't touch me tonight." Caleb's hand froze in mid-air and dropped awkwardly, a flash of relief quickly crossing his eyes. In truth, he didn't want to touch me at all; he was just putting on an act. "Alright, whatever you say, my Luna," he coaxed softly. "Get some good rest." I turned my back to him, staring into the endless darkness. The good show had only just begun.

Selene POV: The next morning, the scent inside the penthouse felt entirely wrong. Usually at this time, the kitchen was completely empty and cold. But today, the air was filled with the rich aroma of premium enchanted game meat. This kind of meat was incredibly rare, hunted only in the deep magical forests, and was exclusively meant to nourish high-ranking wolves. I walked into the dining room. My mother, Martha, was standing by the stove, holding a spatula. "Selene, you're awake! Go wash up. Mom made your favorite nourishing broth," Martha turned around, her face piled high with a kind, maternal smile. I stared at the apron tied around her waist, my footsteps halting. Growing up, Martha only ever cooked personally when Vivian was going through her Heat or feeling unwell. Otherwise, she couldn't even be bothered to step foot in the kitchen. "What is the special occasion today?" I pulled out a dining chair and sat down, looking at her with a calm, flat gaze. "You rarely cook, Mother." Martha's hand, holding the soup ladle, stiffened. A clear flash of guilt darted through her eyes. "What are you talking about? Isn't it only right for a mother to visit her daughter and cook a meal?" she deflected, carefully placing a delicate porcelain bowl in front of me. "You just got back from a grueling border inspection. You look so thin; it breaks my heart." "Where is Caleb?" I asked. "Oh, he went downstairs to buy those artisanal pastries you like for breakfast," Martha said, pulling up a chair next to me and eagerly pouring me a glass of warm milk. "Selene," Martha sighed, shifting her tone to one of earnest, elder-like concern. "Don't work so desperately hard. Even if you are an Alpha, a female ultimately needs a good mate to rely on." I stirred the meat broth in my bowl, saying nothing. Seeing my silence, Martha continued, her tone dripping with false maternal guidance: "Look at you, always keeping that cold, rigid face. It's not cute at all. You're not like Vivian; whenever she runs into trouble, she talks to the family and acts sweet." "You are the older sister. You should be more accommodating toward your fragile Omega sister. Stop being so cold to her." I slowly lifted my head, my golden Alpha eyes locking dead onto hers. "How exactly am I not accommodating her?" "The luxury riverfront apartment she lives in, the designer haute couture she wears from head to toe, and even her monthly Heat suppressants—which one of them isn't charged directly to my card? How much more accommodating should I be?" Martha's face instantly turned deathly pale. Just as she opened her mouth to argue, a soft click came from the front door. Caleb walked in, carrying a bag of expensive coffee and pastries. His Beta instincts quickly picked up on the tense atmosphere at the dining table, and he immediately walked over with a flawless smile. "Good morning, Mom. Good morning, my beautiful Luna. Eat while it's hot," Caleb said incredibly naturally, pushing my favorite pastry to my hand. "By the way, Fiona just contacted me through the Mind-Link," Caleb added smoothly. "She said she wants to have lunch with you at the city center today. She misses her Alpha." At the mention of Fiona, my hand stirring the soup spoon stopped. My Gamma. My supposed best friend. I had pulled her out of the slums, funded her combat training, and given her a high-ranking position in the Pack. Yet, last night, she was the one who personally handed that sacred bouquet of Moonflowers to Vivian. "Sure. I need to talk to her anyway," I said, my tone perfectly steady. I picked up my phone and opened Fiona's chat box. Her message from last night was still glaringly sitting on the screen. Selene, did you land? Did Caleb pick you up? I am so jealous of your perfect mate bond! Staring at that line of text, along with the row of heart emojis following it, my stomach violently churned with pure, sickening disgust. After breakfast, Martha made up an excuse about having a morning tea gathering with the other Elders and hurriedly fled the scene. Caleb also went back to the bedroom to change into his suit, preparing to head to the corporate headquarters. I sat on the living room sofa and casually picked up Caleb's personal tablet, which he had left on the coffee table. He was careless and vain, never having the habit of being on guard around me. His password had always been my birthday. I typed in the password. The screen unlocked instantly. I opened his cloud photo album. The newest batch of photos made my breath catch in my throat. The background was a private beach villa in our southern territory. Vivian was wearing a revealing swimsuit, leaning intimately against his chest. The two of them were smiling with sickening sweetness. The timestamp showed it was from half a month ago—the exact few days he claimed he was leading a warrior squad to hunt rogue wolves near the southern border. I scrolled down and found a hidden folder. I typed in his birthday, but it prompted an incorrect password. I then typed in Vivian's birthday. The lock clicked open. The folder was packed with Vivian's explicit private photos, along with screenshots of their chat logs. Vivian: Caleb, my sister scolded me again today. I'm so scared of her. Caleb: Be a good girl and ignore her. That's just her rigid Alpha temper. Once we completely take over her corporate empire and military authority, we will be truly free. Vivian: But the moonstone ring is so expensive. What if my sister checks the defense budget and finds out? Caleb: Don't worry. I used the supplementary black card she never checks, and I've already smoothed out the billing records. As long as it makes you happy, any amount of money is worth it. Staring at these filthy, shameless conversations, my stomach spasmed violently. I took screenshots of everything, packaged them into an encrypted file, and sent it directly to my private vault. Then, I wiped all traces of my access. Caleb walked out of the bedroom, adjusting his tie as he approached me. "Selene, what are you looking at?" he asked, his gaze casually sweeping over the tablet in my hands. I seamlessly switched the screen to the financial news page and placed the tablet back on the coffee table. "Nothing. Just checking today's stock market." He walked up to me, leaned down, and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Don't work too hard today. Wait for me to come home tonight, and we will go celebrate our fourth anniversary." "Okay." I looked into his hypocritical eyes, a cold, calculating smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Where are we celebrating?" "It's a secret. I promise, I will give you a massive surprise."

Selene POV: The Michelin-starred restaurant in the city center was exceptionally quiet, with soothing, elegant classical music flowing in the background. I sat in a private booth in the corner, watching coldly as Fiona walked toward me. She was a full twenty minutes late. She was wearing the latest Chanel suit and carrying a limited-edition Hermes Birkin bag. That bag was something I had ordered from Paris last month, originally intended as a diplomatic gift for the Luna of a neighboring Pack. Later, Vivian said she liked it and stubbornly took it from me. And now, it had appeared in Fiona's hands. "Selene! I'm sorry, traffic was a bit heavy on the way," Fiona said, placing the bag on the empty chair next to her and exaggeratingly adjusting her hair. "What did you want to see me about? Are you trying to find out what surprise Caleb has prepared for you?" She smiled mysteriously, acting as if she were genuinely keeping some sweet, romantic secret for me. I picked up my lemon water and took a sip, my tone completely flat. "Have you and Vivian been getting along quite well lately?" Fiona froze for a second, her eyes darting away in guilt. "I guess so, we just go shopping together occasionally. You're such a busy Alpha with no time for me, so I can only look to Vivian to cure my boredom." "Is that so?" My gaze landed on the Hermes bag next to her hand. "That's a very nice bag." Fiona instinctively tried to cover the bag's logo with her hand and let out two dry laughs. "Ah, this? I saved up for a long time to buy this, to reward myself." "I see." I didn't expose her lie; instead, I shifted the topic. "I heard there were fireworks set off over the riverfront territory in the south city last night. It sounded quite lively." The hand Fiona used to grip her water glass suddenly tightened, her knuckles turning white. "W-were there? I went to bed early last night, so I didn't know about that." She tried desperately to maintain the smile on her face, but her voice uncontrollably grew weak and shaky. "Selene, are you under too much work pressure lately? Why are you being so paranoid?" "Caleb treats you so well. Who in the Pack doesn't envy your mate bond?" She skillfully began her gaslighting routine. "Look at you, always busy with the corporate work. You don't even care when he goes on border patrols." "It's only because Caleb has such a good temper that he can tolerate your domineering, female-Alpha personality." "If you don't start acting a bit more gentle, be careful, your man might get snatched away by someone else." She used a joking tone to deliver the most vicious implication. I stared at the face in front of me—a face that had accompanied me through countless hardships—and felt she was entirely a stranger. Back then, when her rogue ex-mate scammed her out of all her money and left her homeless, I was the one who took her in. I was the one who taught her step by step how to survive in the Pack, how to fight, and how to build her authority as a Gamma. And now, she was helping outsiders scheme against me. "Thank you for the reminder. I will keep that in mind." I picked up the bill and stood up. "I've already paid. I have matters to attend to at the headquarters. I'll be leaving now." After leaving the restaurant, I headed straight for the corporate headquarters. As soon as I walked onto the marketing floor, I saw Vivian sitting at her desk, applying nail polish. She was surrounded by several low-ranking male warrior employees who were eagerly fawning over her. "Vivian, that lipstick color looks stunning on you. It really complements your skin tone." "Vivian, here is the bubble tea I just went to buy for you. Thirty percent sugar, no ice, just the way you like it." Vivian giggled sweetly as she took the tea, her voice sickeningly sugary. "Thank you all, you're all so good to me. Not like my sister... she always keeps a rigid face. I'm absolutely terrified of her." She wasn't working at all; instead, she was deliberately releasing bursts of sweet Omega pheromones, making this group of male wolves dizzy and eager to please her. I stood a short distance away, watching this ridiculous performance. This position of Vice Director of Marketing was forcefully handed to Vivian by Caleb under the excuse of "training a newcomer." She had been here for three months and hadn't secured a single contract, but she had managed to wrap all the male employees in the department around her little finger. Even her travel reimbursement forms were stuffed with massive amounts of personal expenses, all signed and approved by Caleb using his Beta authority. I took a deep breath, turned around, and walked toward the CEO's office. "Alpha Selene, you called for me." My loyal Beta assistant, Marcus, pushed the door open and stood respectfully before my desk. "Run an audit on all of Caleb's financial activities over the past year, especially the infinite-limit supplementary card ending in 8899 under his name." I tapped my fingers on the desk, my voice as cold as ice. "Also, pull up all the reimbursement records from the marketing department for the last three months. I want every single penny verified." Marcus paused for a second, seemingly sensing something, but he didn't dare ask. "Right away, Alpha." At three o'clock in the afternoon, Marcus placed a thick stack of documents on my desk. "Alpha, the audit is complete." "The supplementary card under Caleb's name shows a massive amount of luxury purchases over the last six months, along with multiple bills from high-end restaurants." "Furthermore, last month, there was a massive three-million-dollar wire transfer to a high-end custom jeweler in the south city." Three million dollars. A custom jeweler. That massive diamond ring on Vivian's finger now had an origin. "I also checked the marketing department's reimbursement forms. There are many expenses that clearly violate Pack regulations." "For example, the travel expenses for the southern beach territory last month were actually for two first-class flight tickets and a luxury suite at a five-star resort." "The approving signature on all of them is Caleb's." Looking at those vouchers stamped with red official seals, I suddenly found it somewhat hilarious. Just how stupid could they possibly be to think they could pull off these flawless fake accounts right under my nose? Was it because I had been too lenient with them, giving them the illusion that I was an easy fool to manipulate? "Make a digital backup of all these files and send a copy to the chief attorney." I closed the folder, my eyes turning completely frigid. "Also, notify the staff. I will not be working overtime tonight. I am leaving exactly on time." "After all, I have my four-year mating anniversary to attend."