Chapter 2

“Celine,” Cedrick said when he saw her expression change, stepping closer as though he could still calm her down, “you're just exhausted. Go upstairs, sleep, and we'll talk about this tomorrow when you're thinking clearly.”

Celine slowly shook her head while looking directly into his eyes. “No, Cedrick. I don't want to talk about this tomorrow because there is nothing left for us to discuss.”

Cedrick's face tightened as he sensed where the conversation was going. “What are you talking about?”

Celine looked around the grand hall, seeing the pack members who had gathered for their engagement still watching her. She knew everyone had heard the laughter earlier, so she decided they should also hear the truth from her own mouth.

She slowly pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders before asking, “Tell me, everyone, can eight hours at minus four degrees Fahrenheit really be called a joke?” Her voice shook from exhaustion, but she made sure every word carried across the hall.

A few pack members lowered their heads, while others exchanged uneasy glances. Cedrick immediately stepped closer and tried to interrupt her, saying, “Celine, stop making this sound worse than it was. You were never supposed to stay inside that freezer for that long.”

Celine stared at him with disbelief and asked, “But I did stay inside for eight hours, didn't I?” Her eyes glistened with tears as she continued, “Whether you planned eight hours or only one hour doesn't change the fact that I was trapped and nobody opened that door.”

Veronica quickly shook her head and stepped forward, maintaining the innocent expression she had been wearing since Celine was rescued. “Celine, you're overreacting because you're still frightened. It was a stupid joke, but nobody wanted anything terrible to happen to you.”

Cedrick immediately nodded in agreement and told Celine, “Exactly. Veronica has already apologized, and you're making everyone think we deliberately tried to hurt you.” His voice carried irritation as though her near-death experience had become an inconvenience for him.

One of their friends nodded from beside the table and casually said, “Honestly, Celine, it's nothing. You're standing here now, so why keep making everyone uncomfortable?” He shrugged as though eight hours inside a freezing room were nothing worth discussing.

Celine stared at him, stunned by how easily they dismissed what had happened. “Nothing?” she asked, her voice becoming painfully quiet. “Then perhaps you should try staying inside that freezer for eight hours and see whether you still think it is nothing.”

The friend immediately looked away, unwilling to meet her eyes. Veronica stepped closer to Cedrick and whispered, “She's just upset. Maybe we should let her rest.”

Celine heard her and gave a bitter smile. “No, Veronica. I will not allowed anyone of you to humiliate me again.” She looked directly at Cedrick and added, “Tonight, I'm going to decide for myself what happens next.”

She looked down at the engagement ring on her finger, remembering the day Cedrick had placed it there and promised her a future. She slowly twisted the ring before pulling it from her finger, her hand trembling but her decision already made.

“Celine, don't do that,” Cedrick warned, stepping toward her as panic replaced his irritation. “You're angry right now, and you're going to regret making a decision like this.”

Celine held the ring tightly in her palm and looked at him with tears filling her eyes. “I've spent three years listening to your excuses, Cedrick, and tonight I finally learned that none of them matter.”

Cedrick shook his head, his voice becoming desperate as he tried to reach for her. “I made a mistake, but you can't destroy everything we've built because of one stupid prank.”

“One mistake?” Celine asked, stepping away before his hand could touch her. “Forgetting an anniversary is a mistake. Saying something cruel during an argument is a mistake. Locking your mate inside a freezer for eight hours is a choice.”

Veronica immediately stepped forward, her voice soft as she tried to stop Celine from leaving. “Celine, please think carefully. Cedrick is your mate, and you're both supposed to spend your lives together.”

Celine looked at Veronica with a calmness that made the other woman uncomfortable. “You don't get to tell me what I'm supposed to do with my life, Veronica.”

Veronica's face paled as she glanced toward Cedrick for support, but Celine continued before he could interrupt. “For years, I kept forgiving things because I thought love meant giving someone another chance. Tonight, I realized love should never require me to risk my life just to keep someone happy.”

Cedrick stepped forward again, his voice breaking with desperation. “Celine, please don't end our engagement. Whatever you think I did, we can fix it.”

Celine stared at him for a long moment before slowly extending her hand and placing the engagement ring into his palm. “We're done, Cedrick. The engagement is over.”

Cedrick's fingers closed around the ring, and his face went pale as he stared at the symbol of the future he had just lost. “Celine, you don't mean that. You're my mate.”

Celine wiped the tears from her cheeks and answered him without looking away. “And you're supposed to be the person who protects me, not the person who leaves me freezing behind a locked door.”

Cedrick's voice became desperate as he followed her toward the staircase. “Where are you going? Please, Celine, don't walk away from me like this.”

Celine stopped at the bottom step and looked back at him one final time. “Don’t think about it.”

She climbed the stairs without waiting for his answer, leaving Cedrick standing in the center of the hall with her engagement ring clenched inside his fist. For the first time, Celine wasn't walking away to make him chase her or to test whether he loved her; she was walking away because she had finally chosen herself.

Inside the bedroom, Celine closed the door and leaned against it as her strength finally disappeared. Liana's voice whispered softly inside her, You survived.

Celine wiped the tears from her face and looked down at the ringless finger that had once carried Cedrick's promise. “Yes,” she whispered, finally allowing herself to cry. “And I'm not going back.”