Chapter 5

Four years later, when she accidentally conceived, he ended it without a word.

He'd even adjusted the anesthesia on purpose so she'd wake up early and hear it all.

He'd been too confident. He thought he could handle whatever came after she knew the truth.

But now he was genuinely afraid.

He was afraid she'd die. Afraid he'd really lose her.

"Two months ago, I got my memory back. I started planning to return."

"I contacted Elara first. Asked her to keep it quiet. I wanted to surprise everyone."

Adrian's voice pulled Cain back to the present.

He heard a cold laugh.

Adrian looked the two of them up and down.

"I came back to find quite a show."

Serena completely panicked. She grabbed Adrian's arm and cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Adrian, it's not what you think. Listen to me—"

But her mouth opened and closed and nothing came out.

Adrian smiled. "Nothing to say?"

"The accident happened two weeks into our Bond. At that point you were having your cycle. I hadn't touched you. Did you really think I'd believe Zak is mine?"

Serena kept crying. "I was in so much pain after losing you. Cain looks exactly like you. I made a mistake—"

"Adrian, it truly was a mistake."

Adrian glanced at her stomach. "A mistake? And what about the one in there now?"

Serena went silent.

Adrian went on, "Elara didn't tell me anything."

"News of my return spread everywhere. I'm not an idiot. I did my own research."

Serena said nothing.

Adrian turned to Cain, who hadn't spoken.

His eyes were steady and dark. "We're brothers. Did you think I couldn't see you were in love with Serena?"

Cain, who'd been lost in his own thoughts, looked up sharply.

Adrian's expression was unreadable. "I gave Serena a choice. She chose me. I wasn't about to step aside."

"I died. Or disappeared. You two were together. I don't blame you for that."

"Even now, with everything that's happened, I'm willing to let you have each other."

"But Cain — what did Elara do to deserve any of this?"

"She got dragged into our mess and suffered for it. Don't you feel anything?"

"I told you back then. If you don't love her, don't pull her into it."

Cain's hands clenched into fists.

Did he love her?

He'd proposed on impulse back then, reacting to the shock of Serena choosing Adrian. He'd convinced himself he didn't love Elara. Told himself his heart only had room for Serena.

So why did it hurt now?

Everyone was silent.

Adrian said quietly, "I'll file for Bond Severance from Serena as soon as possible."

"As for you and Elara—"

He took out a document.

"She asked me to draft this. She doesn't want half your assets. She'll take the legal thirty percent. One condition: Thorne Pack cannot cut off cooperation with her family's business."

"Cain, she's a good person. She never asked anything of this Pack for herself. Her only request is for her family."

He held out the papers.

"Sign them."

But Cain suddenly tore the document apart.

His eyes were red. He shook his head. "No. I'm not Severing the Bond with her."

He turned around sharply.

"I'm going to find her!"

Serena called out instinctively. "Cain — what about me?"

Cain paused. He didn't turn around.

Serena completely fell apart. She watched Cain walk out without looking back.

She grabbed Adrian's arm. "Adrian, don't leave me."

Adrian's face was cold. He removed her hand.

He didn't look at her.

He said flatly, "We'll file for Bond Severance tomorrow."

Serena stood alone in the doorway, breaking down in tears.

Cain tracked me to the clinic — a Thorne Pack auxiliary facility.

I woke to find him sitting at my bedside.

His face was rough with stubble.

For a moment I lost my bearings and thought I was back in that morning when I'd first fallen for him.

Sunlight through the window, landing on his face. Him smiling, asking if I still felt dizzy.

I couldn't tell anymore, in that moment, how much of his warmth had been real.

People spend their whole lives searching for someone who looks at them with love.

So I let myself fall. I let myself sink.

And I paid the price for that moment of weakness.

Now here we were again, almost the same scene. And completely different feelings.

I was in too much pain. I couldn't even separate the physical hurt from the other kind.

So I had no energy left to hate him or resent him.

No energy to question why my husband had done this with my best friend.

I was exhausted.

Cain saw me wake. He grabbed my hand, urgent.

"You're awake?"

"Are you still in pain? I'm sorry — I didn't know my mother would be that brutal."

"If I had known—"

I cut him off.

"Adrian should have given you the Bond Severance papers."

"Sign them."

"I won't stand in your way with Serena anymore."