Chapter 5

The next morning, Celine returned to the Golden Furr Pack mansion despite the fever burning through her body. Her frostbitten hands were still swollen beneath her sleeves, her skin remained painfully sensitive, and yet not a single person at the mansion looked concerned when she walked through the grand entrance.

The servants merely glanced at her before returning to their duties, while the familiar luxury of the mansion suddenly felt cold and empty. Celine had once imagined herself walking through these halls as the future Luna, but now every step reminded her of the humiliation she had endured.

Alpha Cedrick Grayson was already waiting downstairs, sitting arrogantly on the sofa with his legs crossed. When he saw Celine approaching, he didn't stand or ask about her injuries; instead, he looked at her with irritation and said, “You actually came back. I thought after yesterday's drama, you would stay in your apartment and continue pretending to be a victim.”

Celine placed her bag on the table and stared at him calmly before answering, “I'm not here to argue with you, Cedrick. I have something to finish, and once I'm done, I won't have any reason to return to this house.”

Cedrick's expression darkened as he studied her pale face. “You're still angry about the freezer? You're acting as though we deliberately tried to kill you.”

Celine's heart tightened, but she refused to look away. “You locked me inside a freezer for eight hours, Cedrick. What exactly am I supposed to call that?”

Cedrick leaned back against the sofa and answered impatiently, “It was supposed to be a joke. You're alive, aren't you? Why can't you simply accept that things went too far?”

Celine stared at him for several seconds, almost unable to believe that her own mate could say those words so casually. “You don't understand, do you? The problem isn't that the prank went too far; the problem is that you thought my life was something you could gamble with.”

Before Cedrick could answer, the mansion doors opened, and Veronica walked inside carrying a bowl of warm soup. Her expression was gentle and concerned, perfectly designed to make her appear like the innocent woman everyone believed her to be.

Veronica approached Celine carefully and offered the bowl while saying softly, “Celine, I brought you some soup. I know you're still hurt, and I feel terrible about what happened, so I hope you'll accept this as an apology.”

Celine looked at the bowl but didn't reach for it. “You don't need to pretend you're worried about me, Veronica.”

Veronica immediately lowered her eyes and whispered, “I'm not pretending. I never imagined the prank would become so serious, and if I had known you would be hurt this badly, I would have stopped it.”

Cedrick immediately defended her, turning toward Celine as he said, “You heard her, Celine. Veronica didn't mean to hurt you. She made a mistake, and you're making her feel guilty enough already.”

Celine slowly turned her eyes toward Cedrick. “A mistake?”

Cedrick frowned. “Yes, a mistake. Nothing more.”

Celine let out a humorless laugh before looking back at Veronica. “Then let's talk about the years before last night, because this didn't begin with the freezer.”

Veronica's expression became uneasy as Celine continued, “Do you remember my birthday three years ago? You suddenly called Cedrick and told him you were sick, and he left our dinner before we even finished celebrating.”

Veronica quickly shook her head and answered, “I never forced Cedrick to leave you that night.”

Celine's eyes hardened as she replied, “No, you simply gave him a reason to abandon me, and you knew exactly what you were doing.”

Veronica's eyes filled with tears as she whispered, “Celine, I was only trying to be your friend.”

Celine reached into her bag and pulled out several old photographs before placing them on the table. “A friend doesn't spend years finding ways to come between a couple and then pretend she doesn't understand why the woman is hurt.”

Veronica stared at the photographs and quietly said, “You're making me sound like some horrible person.”

Celine answered without hesitation, “I'm describing what you did.”

Cedrick moved toward the photographs, but Celine quickly pulled them away. “Don't touch them.”

Cedrick's voice became stern as he demanded, “Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

Celine looked directly into his eyes and said, “Because I finally stopped making excuses for you.”

She picked up a pair of scissors from the table and began cutting the photographs one after another. Cedrick's face immediately changed as he watched her destroy the memories they had once treasured.

“Celine, stop!” Cedrick shouted as he stepped toward her.

Celine continued cutting while answering, “I spent three years believing these pictures represented love, but now all I see is a woman who kept forgiving someone who never respected her.”

Another photograph fell apart beneath the scissors.

Cedrick stared at the pieces and asked angrily, “You're destroying our memories because you're angry?”

Celine looked at him and replied, “No. I'm destroying them because they no longer belong in my future.”

Veronica watched silently, and for the first time her innocent expression seemed strained.

Celine gathered the remaining photographs and placed them inside her bag before turning toward Cedrick. “I'm also resigning from the company.”

Cedrick's expression instantly hardened. “You can't simply resign whenever you're upset.”

He stepped closer, his Alpha aura filling the room as he warned, “Think carefully before you make another foolish decision, Celine. Walking away from the Grayson family won't make your life better.”

Celine met his gaze without flinching. “I've spent three years thinking about everyone except myself, Cedrick. I'm finished doing that.”

Veronica stepped forward and pleaded softly, “Celine, please don't let one misunderstanding destroy everything between you and Cedrick.”

Celine turned toward her with a cold expression. “One misunderstanding?”

She slowly shook her head before saying, “Eight hours inside a freezer, three years of being neglected, birthdays ruined, holidays abandoned, arguments twisted against me, and you constantly appearing whenever Cedrick and I were together.”

Veronica's lips parted, but no answer came.

Celine's voice trembled with restrained anger as she added, “You like seeing him hurt me because of you.”

For a moment, Veronica's innocent mask slipped.

Celine saw the flash of satisfaction in her eyes before Veronica quickly lowered her head and pretended to cry.

Cedrick immediately moved toward Veronica protectively. “Celine, that's enough. Don't accuse her like that.”

Celine stared at the two of them and finally understood how perfectly they belonged together.

She picked up her bag and walked toward the door.

Cedrick called after her, “Where are you going?”

Celine stopped at the doorway and answered without turning around, “I'm going somewhere you can no longer control me.”

She opened the door and stepped outside.