Chapter 3

The Silverpine Pack headquarters stood inside the tallest building in Moonfall City's business district.

When I arrived at the boardroom with Selene, everyone turned to us in surprise.

Senior board member Grant Holloway pulled me aside.

"Elara, are you absolutely certain?"

"The decision is final."

I signed the share transfer documents, formally handing Selene my ownership and voting rights in Mooncrest Holdings, along with authority over its operations.

Selene accepted the papers without a word.

"Thank you, Elara. I promise I won't let you down."

The car remained silent for a long time on our way back.

Only after we had left the business district did Selene finally speak.

"Why are you giving all these things to me?"

I leaned against the window, watching the streets slip past.

"Because you've always wanted them."

"I never wanted to steal anything from you."

"Then don't make me regret giving them to you."

She looked at me, clearly unsure what to say.

"Take good care of Lyra," I continued. "She's still young. Don't let her find out what happened between the adults. She needs a stable home, not a reason to hate either of you."

Selene lowered her eyes.

"I promise."

I turned back toward the window. There was nothing more I wanted to ask of her.

That evening, I stayed alone in my study.

Mira, my private caregiver, walked in. She wasn't just my attending physician. She was also the only person who knew the full truth about my condition.

When she saw the documents spread across my desk, her eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Have you really decided to stop fighting for treatment?"

"The Moonwell purification spot has already been given to Selene."

"But your condition..."

"I know."

I pointed toward a metal storage case on the desk.

"Keep everything inside this case somewhere safe. Don't destroy anything, and don't let anyone know these materials exist for now."

The moment Mira opened the case, her expression changed.

Inside were the pieces of evidence I'd collected over the years, including Selene's falsified medical records, suspicious potion purchase lists, and footage of her private meetings with Ronan Vale.

"These are enough to make her pay for everything," Mira said, her voice trembling. "Why don't you hand them over to the pack enforcers now?"

"Not yet. I've already made other arrangements."

"But Lyra deserves to know the truth."

I looked down at the documents.

"If these are handed over now, Darius and Selene could both lose everything. Lyra would be left with no one. I don't want her to lose her entire family all at once."

Mira's eyes filled with tears.

"Then what should I do with the evidence?"

"Keep the originals safe. I'll tell you when it's time to use them."

I pushed the storage case toward her.

Mira finally nodded, though she clearly disagreed with my decision.

I knew she wanted me to fight. But I had already made my choice.