Chapter 3

I looked at them and let out a self-mocking laugh.

Then, bracing myself against the icy floor, I slowly stood up and walked toward them expressionlessly.

Perhaps thinking I was finally going to give in, impatience showed on Leo’s face, triumph hid in Ayla’s eyes, and Charlie wore a mischievous look that seemed to say, “Let’s see what you can do.”

“Slap—”

A crisp, resounding slap landed on Leo’s face without warning.

Time seemed to freeze.

Finger marks quickly appeared on Leo’s cheek. He was stunned at first, then flew into a rage. “Olivia! Why did you hit me?”

I hated his deception, hated his indifferent attitude toward me.

Ayla immediately rushed forward and stood in front of Leo in a saintly, self-sacrificing pose, though her tone was full of provocation. “Leo, don’t get upset! Olivia, if you’re dissatisfied, take it out on me—”

“Slap—”

The second slap cut off her performance cleanly.

I shook my numbed wrist and looked at her instantly swollen cheek with cold eyes. “As you wish. Also, you’re very noisy.”

Ayla let out a cry and collapsed backward weakly, landing precisely in Leo’s arms as he hurried forward. “Leo… I’m so dizzy… my chest hurts…”

Her voice was faint, her acting impeccable.

“Olivia!!!” Leo’s roar nearly lifted the roof. “My dad just died. Ayla can’t handle this kind of shock. If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you!”

There it was again—using the old Alpha’s death as the excuse to defend Ayla time and time again.

He shot me a vicious glare, scooped up the “unconscious” Ayla, and rushed out of the house, with Charlie following closely behind.

When I looked up, I saw that Jackson was crying.

Faced with such a scene, he didn’t know what to do.

I wiped away his tears and told him to leave me alone for a while.

The world finally fell silent.

The storm on the balcony that night took away the moonlight grass—and the last trace of warmth in my body.

At midnight, the high fever arrived as expected.

In my haze, I sensed someone approaching.

I forced my eyes open and saw Ayla’s disdainful gaze.

“Olivia, you’re nothing but a cheap substitute who happens to look a bit like me.”

As if recalling something, she gave a shy little laugh.

“Haven’t you noticed? Charlie looks a lot like Leo.”

What did she mean?

Anger surged through me, and I shook my head, instantly clearing my mind a little.

Seeing that she was about to continue, I raised my hand and slapped her again.

Ayla curled her lips and fell straight backward—how coincidental—right into Leo’s arms as he entered through the door.

Crying in his embrace, Ayla wept pitifully. “Leo! I kindly came to check on her… and she hit me again!”

As she spoke, she covered her chest. “My face hurts so much, and my chest hurts even more…”

Leo’s face darkened as he grabbed my throat.

“Olivia! Do you have any semblance of a Luna left? What exactly has Ayla done to wrong you?”

The sensation of suffocation instantly consumed me. My vision began to darken, and my ears rang.

In the past, even a small cut on my finger would make him ache with concern. Now, for the sake of his stepmother, he was pushing me to the brink of death.

Only when I was about to lose consciousness did he finally release me.

I collapsed against the edge of the bed, coughing violently, my throat burning.

“Ayla just got back from the pack hospital, and you’re determined not to let her have a peaceful day!”

After saying that, he moved to take Ayla to the hospital again.

This time, she stopped him, and the two of them left for somewhere unknown.

My temperature rose even higher, my heart and stomach burning with pain.

I crouched down for a long while before forcing myself up to find some fever medicine and swallow it.

Ayla’s words meant to provoke me lingered in my mind, so I decided to secretly arrange a paternity test for Leo and Charlie.

I hoped things were not as I feared.

Fortunately, because of Ayla’s situation, Leo didn’t come home for several days, and I was granted some peace.

However, the calm was quickly shattered.

Jackson’s homeroom teacher called, saying he had gotten into a fight with a classmate at school.

I immediately called Leo back, only to have him hang up on me without hesitation.

Pressing my lips together, I sent another message.

【Jackson got into a fight at school. The situation is serious. Go handle it immediately.】

He replied almost instantly, with only two cold words: 【No time.】

Right after that, he posted a photo on social media: in a luxury hospital ward, Ayla leaned against the headboard while Leo carefully peeled an apple for her.

The caption seemed like mockery of my message: 【No trivial matters. Do not disturb.】

Trivial matters. So our son getting into trouble was nothing more than a trivial matter in his eyes.

Just like every time before, whenever something happened to Jackson, this father would conveniently disappear.