Chapter 3

I sat in the airport waiting area, quietly waiting for my flight to arrive.

Because I'd applied in such a hurry, I could only get a slot two hours later, but I was already desperate to escape this place.

My phone kept vibrating with messages from classmates at the academy.

"Elara, did you release that recording in the auditorium? So unexpected!"

"As soon as the recording ended, Instructor Kai and Jack rushed out, and Bianca slipped away too."

"They looked furious—are they going after you to settle the score?"

Everyone was eagerly discussing this spectacle, trying to get the inside story from me.

I skimmed through the messages and chose silence.

Just then, my roommate sent me a message.

"Elara, Instructor Kai is asking around about you everywhere. He looks incredibly anxious."

My finger paused on the phone screen. I was about to reply when a familiar voice sounded behind me.

Kai rushed into the waiting hall, breathing heavily, his face dark as he walked toward me.

I glanced at my phone, surprised he'd tracked me down so quickly—the recording had only been playing for half an hour.

"Elara, you're our fated mate. Where do you think you're running to?"

"You clearly promised you wouldn't leave, but now you're standing here with your luggage. You played me!"

He crossed his arms over his chest, interrogating me aggressively.

I ignored the stares from other wolves around us, a cold smile curling at my lips.

"Who do you think you are? I don't need to report to you where I'm going."

The usually eloquent Kai was rendered speechless, finally speaking angrily after a long pause: "You're not leaving today."

"Broadcasting that recording in front of the entire school—do you know how much harm that will cause Bianca? How can she hold her head up at the academy anymore?"

Disappointment washed over me. I'd thought he'd come to his senses and was here to keep me from leaving, but he was still speaking up for Bianca.

I deliberately waved my ticket in front of him.

"How exactly do you plan to stop me? I've already got my ticket. I just need to board the plane and I'm gone."

Kai pointed at me, furious.

"Then I'll message your mother right now and ask who gave you permission to go to Silver Moon Academy! I'm so close to your mother, but she never mentioned this. You must have planned it in secret!"

This time I was prepared. To prevent my mother from being upset by Kai's false accusations and suffering a relapse, I'd already sent her a message the day I submitted my application, explaining everything.

So I wasn't the least bit concerned by his threat, speaking lightly:

"Anything else? If not, please leave. Since you all detest me so much, don't force yourselves to talk to me or see me."

Kai wanted to say more, but Jack and Leo arrived, also out of breath.

"Elara, who gave you permission to go to Silver Moon Academy on your own? Get back here right now!"

I couldn't help but smile. The people who'd just been fawning over Bianca had all come running after me the moment they heard I was leaving.

I never imagined I'd draw so much attention.

But Silver Moon Academy was where I was supposed to go in the first place.

Jack strode up to me, his gaze sharp enough to bore holes through me.

"Elara, last time you nearly drove Bianca to jump off a cliff, and now you've come up with some new trick to torment her?"

"What exactly do you have against her that you must make things difficult for her at every turn? That the Moon Goddess would choose someone so vicious to be our Luna..."

Before he could finish, I cut him off and continued:

"Let me guess—you're about to say I need to go back with you, apologize to Bianca, and clear things up in front of the whole school?"

My accurate prediction of his thoughts clearly stunned Jack for a moment.

He immediately put on a stern face, hands in his pockets: "Since you know what you should do, hurry up and come with us."

"Ha," I laughed coldly. "Sorry, but I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

Jack's expression turned as ugly as Kai's.

I laughed to myself.

You all kept abandoning me to favor that woman who plays the victim—now it's time for you to taste what it feels like to be abandoned.

I was too lazy to look at these men's livid faces any longer, cutting straight to the point:

"You keep saying Bianca's reputation will be affected—so what? Didn't she bring this all on herself? Why should someone else pay the price?"

"Just because she's from a remote area, just because her talent seems rare, everyone should accommodate her? Just because her life is hard, everyone must give way to her?"

"Whenever something doesn't go her way, someone must be deliberately targeting her? You actually believe this twisted logic?"

"By that reasoning, I could pretend to be weak too. I could call some knockoff jewelry I casually bought an important gift from my family, then cry and say someone stole it."

"And if anyone dares say a word against me, I'll run to a cliff edge and play the victim, saying everyone's bullying me and driving me to my death."