Usher didn't know exactly how long it had been since he had last set foot there. As he remembered it, he and Vione used to share the same room. They stayed in the same room. Then everything changed when Mireya arrived. He didn't care about Vione anymore; he didn't even visit her. Strangely, there were some flashes that kept replaying in his mind."Promise me, Vione. Whatever happens, Vione. Promise me. Promise me you'll never leave me. No matter what happens, promise me you'll stay by my side. No matter how foolish and disappointing I may be, please, never leave my side."Usher closed his eyes tightly. His expression showed that he was in pain; his mind kept replaying memories that felt foreign to him. However, the strange thing was that these memories also felt very familiar.There was something else that confused Usher even more, and that was the presence of a half-moon pendant necklace around his neck that he was holding. He was sure that he had never owned this necklace before. How
Vione didn't remember exactly how she ended up in the cave. As she recalled, she had escaped from the underground prison. She went to check on Usher, but Mireya caught her. Mireya ordered Storm to capture her. But the mysterious man arrived at the right time and she was saved.Now doubt crept into Vione's mind. She began to wonder. How could the mysterious man not be as evil as she thought?This doubt made Vione wait for the arrival of the mystery man. She was sure that the mysterious man would come back to see her, as he always did, like when she was still in the underground prison.The next day, Vione waited for the mysterious man. But the mysterious man did not come, and at that moment she realized that she had lost something very precious.There was nothing around Vione's neck. There was no half-moon pendant necklace."My necklace?" Vione touched her neck several times. "Where is my necklace?"Panic overcame Vione. Her body grew cold. She searched the cave but couldn't find it.Vio
As soon as Usher and Garth left the study, Mireya quickly made her way out as well. Her steps were quick, her destination clear: the bedroom. Her heart raced as if it were competing with a ticking clock. She had to contact Torin immediately, and for that she ordered Greisy to stand guard at the door.Mireya waited anxiously for the call to connect, feeling an overwhelming sense of fear, something she had never felt before. Her body felt cold and even breathing became difficult. She tried to stay calm, trying to keep her worry from turning into fear, but the tremors that ran through her fingers couldn't be easily dismissed."Mireya."The call was answered and Mireya's eyes closed reflexively. Torin's voice allowed her to take a long breath, though she quickly remembered the urgency of the situation. "Torin."Mireya explained everything that had happened, including the failure of her plan to get rid of Garth and the completely unexpected recovery of Usher. Finally, she reported the most
"Is it as I requested, Willow?"Willow froze at Mireya's cold question. She felt the air around her thin, making it hard to breathe. "Yes, Mireya," she answered, swallowing hard. She gathered the courage to answer when Mireya fixed her with a sharp look. "As you requested. You wanted the dosage increased and that's what you got."Mireya narrowed her eyes and began to move slowly. She closed the distance between them with an unblinking, piercing stare. "You're not lying to me, are you?""Of course not." Willow tried to remain calm, glancing at Mireya's right hand as it lifted, revealing a bottle in its grip. "I'm not lying to you. You'll see the results soon.""Good. It seems you still have a functioning brain, Willow," Mireya said with a cold smile. "I'm sure you remember very well the consequences you'll face if you disobey my orders."Willow blinked, her lips quivering. "Mireya.""Torin will not hesitate to kill your precious daughter, Willow. So don't ever think about disobeying me
"No. No. Usher, no. You can't do this to me."Usher remained unmoved. His decision was firm, even as Mireya continued to plead with a trembling voice. He was completely unaffected, even as her tears continued to fall."Usher, please. This is all just a misunderstanding," Mireya said, still not giving up. She tried to approach Usher, but the two guards Garth had summoned were ready to take her away. Each of them held one of her arms. "Please, believe me, Usher."Usher remained silent. Far from feeling pity, Mireya's pitiful face only made him feel disgusted. As a result, he snorted, and this reaction caused Garth to signal the two guards.The guards nodded and became more energetic. They ignored Mireya's painful moans as they tightened their grip on her arms. Then, without hesitation, they began to drag her away as Mireya still stubbornly refused to leave."Usher!" Mireya cried desperately, a mixture of sadness, pain and hope in her voice. "Please, don't do this to me. Usher!"Mireya's
"W-what?" Greisy instinctively took a step back when she saw Cora's hands reaching out to take Phillip, who was sleeping in her arms. "What are you going to do with him?"Cora rolled her eyes. "I'm not planning on doing anything to him. I'm just following orders from Alpha.""Or-orders from Alpha?""Yes." Cora nodded and stepped closer, glancing at Phillip briefly before continuing. "Alpha told me to give Phillip to Mireya. You know, mother and child should stay together."Greisy shook her head unsurely. "You want to take Phillip to the underground prison? No. You can't do that to Phillip. He's the Alpha's son.""Watch your words, Greisy!" Cora rebuked sharply. The pleased expression on her face vanished in an instant. "I'm sure you're aware of the punishment for falsely accusing the Alpha.""Cora, you—""So be careful with your words. Even Mireya couldn't convince Alpha that Phillip is his son."Greisy fell silent. She couldn't refute Cora's words, but that didn't mean she was ready
Usher couldn't just sit on the sidelines when it came to Vione. He couldn't just wait in the palace while worry and longing clashed inside him, filling his mind with a whirlpool of indescribable emotions. Especially since he had already been patient enough—he had delayed the search for Vione for a day due to pressing matters that had to be prioritized.A sense of dilemma and burden had weighed on him when Usher had decided to put the needs of the pack first. It was a difficult decision, and it didn't mean that he didn't care about Vione. On the contrary, Vione was the most precious part of the pack to him. So, he had to ensure the safety of the palace before Vione really returned. The palace had to be free of any intruders. Only then would Vione be safe with him.Now everything was as Usher had wished. Not only the intruders had been removed by Usher, but also Mireya and Phillip. The situation was under control and he could no longer ignore the desire in his heart to meet Vione as soo
"Not at all. I'm sure I had it on when I escaped from the prison, but why is it gone now? Did I drop it?"Vione touched her neck several times, then stood up. She searched her body as thoroughly as she could, checking every inch of her clothing, but she still couldn't find it."My necklace," Vione whispered, her voice shaking. Her face grew pale and a shiver ran through her body—fear of loss. "I must find it."Panic began to creep into Vione's mind. The possibility that she had lost the half-moon pendant necklace made her heart ache. She couldn't imagine if the necklace was really gone. It wasn't just any necklace; it was a gift from Usher.Vione couldn't afford to lose it. So, she bit her lower lip, trying to hold back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. Her fear was replaced by an unshakeable determination. "I have to find it."After making sure the necklace wasn't hidden in her clothes, Vione carefully checked the floor of the cave. She pushed aside some obstructing rocks a