(Olivia''s POV)


    After leaving the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den, I took a taxi


    My phone rang, disrupting my thoughts. Eleanor Stone''s name shed across the


    screen.


    I considered ignoring it but knew that would only make things worse. With a deep breath, I answered.


    "Olivia, you need toe to the Stone Estate immediately. We''re hosting a pack banquet tonight and we''re short-staffed," Eleanor said without preamble, her voice sharp withmand.


    I gritted my teeth. Despite being Ethan''s mate and technically the Luna of the pack, I was treated like a servant by his family.


    Im not feeling well," I began, but Eleanor cut me off.


    "That''s not my problem. Just be here in thirty minutes."


    In the background, I heard a familiar voice-Victoria''s honeyed tones asking Eleanor something about table settings. My blood ran cold.


    "T1l be there," I said, my voice hardening with resolve.


    If Victoria was at the pack house, then that''s exactly where I needed to be. Rnd Warner''s dying words echoed in my mind: "Victoria didn''t want to save her own daughter... She wanted Lily dead!"


    I gged down another taxi, my hands shaking with anger and determination. This was my chance to observe Victoria up close after learning what she''d done to Lily.


    The drive to the Stone Estate felt both too long and too short. I rehearsed what I might say, how I might act, trying to prepare myself for seeing the woman who had murdered my daughter.


    The mansion came into view, its imposing structure looming against the darkening sky. Pack members and


    servants hurried about, preparing for the evening''s banquet.


    I paid the driver and stepped out, smoothing my simple dress. The contrast between my in appearance and the grandeur around me was just another reminder of how I''d been pushed to the margins of pack life.


    Twenty-five minutes after Eleanor''s call, I stepped through the grand entrance of the Silvercrest Pack House. The manor was bustling with activity as servants prepared for the evening''s event.


    I paused in the doorway of the main sitting room, taking in the scene before me. Ethan sat in his favorite armchair, his powerful frame rxed yetmanding. Victoria perched on the sofa beside him,ughing at something he''d said.


    Emma sat on the floor ying with toys, while Eleanor and Isabelle Stone watched her with doting expressions. They looked like the perfect family.


    My family. My ce. My mate.


    The sight of them together sent a wave of nausea through me. How many times had I wished for such a scene with Lily? How many times had Ethan denied our daughter his presence?


    12 R


    - Clupter 37 Kachen Condi


    Victoria noticed me first, her smile faltering slightly before returning with calcted warmth


    "Olivia! There you are," she called, as if we were old friends: "We were just wondering where you''d been"


    I could see the triumph in her eyes. She thought she''d won everything - Ethan, the pack, her position as his


    chosenpanion.


    Eleanor turned, her expression souring at the sight of me "Finally. The kitchen staff needs help"


    Her dismissive tone made my wolf bristle. I was Luna, not a kitchen maid, yet here


    I stood being ordered


    about by Ethan''s aunt.


    Ethan''s amber eyes met mine briefly before sliding away. His indifference cut deeper than any knife


    Isabelle smirked, leaning down to stroke Emma''s hair. "Emma has been asking about her daddy all day. haven''t you, sweetheart?"


    The little girl nodded, looking up at Ethan with adoring eyes. "Daddy promised to take me to Disney next


    week!"


    I froze, memories of Lily begging for the same treat flooding my mind. Ethan had always been too busy for our daughter, yet he made time for Emma without hesitation.


    The pain of this realization nearly brought me to my knees. Lily had asked for so little-just her father''s presence, his attention, his love.


    Victoria, noticing my reaction, twisted the knife deeper. "Speaking of children, where is your little girl today, Olivia? Lily, isn''t it? I haven''t seen her aroundtely."


    The room fell silent. Eleanor and Isabelle exchanged knowing nces, while Ethan''s jaw tightened visibly.


    I could feel the weight of their stares, the cruel anticipation as they waited for me


    howled inside me, demanding justice, demanding blood.


    Instead, I straightened my spine and walked directly to Ethan.


    break down. My wolf


    Without hesitation, I sat down on the arm of his chair and ced my hand over his. "You''re right, Victoria. Lily


    isn''t here anymore."


    My voice remained steady even as rage boiled beneath the surface. Victoria had stolen my daughter''s chance at life, and here she sat, ying innocent.


    I felt Ethan stiffen beneath my touch but didn''t release his hand. Instead, I leaned closer, my thigh pressing against his shoulder in a deliberate disy of intimacy.


    Victoria''s eyes narrowed dangerously. Her perfectly manicured nails dug into the sofa cushion.


    "Olivia,” Eleanor snapped, "the kitchen. Now"


    I smiled sweetly, giving Ethan''s hand a final squeeze before standing. "Of course, Eleanor. I know my ce." The double meaning wasn''t lost on anyone in the room. I might be sent to the kitchen, but I was still Ethan''s mate, his Luna.