Chapter 126

VESTA'S POV

Lucius' relentless efforts to win me over were starting to feel suffocating. Breakfast on the balcony, walks in the guarded gardens – it was all a carefully orchestrated performance, a display of a love that I didn’t feel.

Behind the facade, I saw something else - a determined predator, waiting for the right moment to pounce. He knew, with a chilling certainty, that it was only a matter of time before my resolve cracked.

One evening, Lucius entered the room. "Vesta," he began, his voice surprisingly mild, "I have something to propose."

Intrigued, despite myself, I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

“I've arranged a temporary transfer back to your old pack," he declared. "A week to reconnect with your family."

My breath hitched. A transfer back to my pack? It was a tempting proposition, a chance to see familiar faces, to breathe the air that wasn't saturated with the memory of the shitty things Lucius have done to me. But could I trust him? Was this another ploy, a way