“Enough of this madness!”

Kaelen clamped his hand over my mouth and dragged me out of the office. His grip was so tight I thought I would suffocate.

I heard Layla laugh graciously to our colleagues. “It’s okay, everyone! The amulet is found, and no harm was done. We’re all pack mates here, so I won’t press the issue! I’ll buy everyone coffee this afternoon to say thanks!”

Kaelen seemed terrified I would expose our relationship in public. He shoved me into the breakroom.

“What the hell is your problem? There’s a limit to this insanity,” he said, rubbing his temples as if I was giving him a massive headache.

I gasped for air, red marks already forming on my face where he’d grabbed me.

“What has gotten into you? You’re lucky Layla is forgiving enough to let this go. Now go and apologize to her!”

“I will not! I didn't do it, so why should I admit to it?”

I stared at him coldly. He said I had changed, but I wanted to ask him when he had become a complete stranger.

Layla walked in and poured me a cup of hot water.

“Alia, drink this. I know you’re upset with me, but you can’t act so impulsively next time.”

I didn’t take the cup. But then Layla’s hand “slipped,” and the scalding water spilled all over my arm.

“Ah! Hot…” Layla cried out as a few drops splashed her fingers. Kaelen immediately rushed her to the sink, running her hand under cold water.

Meanwhile, my entire arm, covered only by a thin sleeve, was soaked in boiling water. A searing pain shot through me as the skin instantly turned bright red.

I went to the restroom by myself to treat the burn. My left wrist was already blistering.

As I was forcing myself to go back and clear my desk, Kaelen came out and grabbed my injured arm.

“Hiss—” I cried out in pain. He flinched and let go.

“Are you okay?” he asked stiffly.

I almost laughed. The handprint on my face was from him, the burn on my arm was from Layla. His fake concern now was disgusting.

I shoved his hand away and swept the rest of my scattered things into the trash can.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just turned and walked away, leaving me with a parting shot: “You were completely out of line today.”

After cleaning up the mess, I went to the pack’s security office. I would not let them get away with this.

But the staff there stonewalled me.

I demanded to see the security footage from the office that morning, but they refused, saying only core members of the pack had clearance.

I saw that my internal pack account had already been deactivated. It had to be Kaelen’s doing.

Only he could move that fast in the Stone Creek Pack. He had chosen Layla’s side, fully convinced I was a thief.

But then I remembered something. The Stone Creek Pack was just a vassal to the Nightwood Pack. My decision was made. I would go home immediately and meet the true Alpha King—Damian Blackwood.

Returning to the apartment I’d lived in for six years, I packed everything that was mine and cleared out our relationship from my life as efficiently as I would take out the trash.

That evening, another delivery arrived. It was a tube of burn cream from the pharmacy.

I left it on the table and took one last look at the empty apartment before walking out for good.

The next day, I booked a flight back to the Silver Moon Pack’s territory.

On the third day, I walked into the airport alone. Before boarding, I sent one last text message to Kaelen’s work number.