(Third person's POV)
This scene was too visually shocking. Seeing Emma's desperate pursuit, Ethan's foot on the accelerator
involuntarily loosened, and the Shadow Ghost noticeably slowed down.
Emma saw a glimmer of hope, her wolf pup stirring beneath her skin. Her Daddy still loved her. He wouldn't
abandon her.
She believed her dedication would surely move him. Even if Lily was his biological daughter, she was dead and
could do nothing. She, however, was alive and could still win her Daddy over with sweet words and affection.
The thought gave her renewed strength. Despite the pain shooting through her small body, Emma pushed
herself up from the cold ground.
Blood trickled from her chin where it had struck the pavement. Her nightgown was torn and dirty, stained with
patches of crimson. But none of that mattered.
All that mattered was reaching her Daddy before he changed his mind again.
Emma crawled towards the car, crying out in pain, ignoring the scrapes and blood on her hands and knees. She
focused on getting closer to Ethan's Shadow Ghost.
"Daddy... look at Emma... Emma hurts so much... Daddy..."
As the distance closed, Ethan could clearly see Emma's injuries through his enhanced werewolf vision. Her knees
were scraped raw, leaving bloody trails on the pavement. Her palms were torn from dragging herself forward.
She stretched out her bloodied hands, like a wounded wolf pup seeking protection from its Daddy.
"Please... Daddy... Emma is sorry... so sorry..."
Emma knew that to gain Ethan's sympathy and forgiveness, she needed to appear pitiful. She remembered her
mother's successful attempts to get Ethan's attention by feigning illness or injury.
This time, she didn't need to pretend. The pain was real, searing through her small body with each movement.
Despite the agony, she endured, hoping to regain his favor, her wolf pup whimpering beneath her skin.
"Daddy... please don't leave Emma alone... Emma will be good..."
Inside the car, Ethan's feelings were complicated. His wolf paced restlessly beneath his skin, torn between
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtprotective instinct and righteous anger.
He had genuinely cared for Emma over the years, appreciating her sweetness and attentiveness. The way she
would wait for him after long pack meetings, her face lighting up when he entered a room.
However, this affection was challenged by the sight of the paper figure with Lily's non it, now sitting on the
passenger seat beside him. The memory of Emma's room and her hateful words about Lily flooded back,
extinguishing any sympathy.
"I hope your spirit suffers forever!" The venom in her young voice had been unmistakable.
He felt only coldness towards someone who could curse his daughter so viciously. Seeing and hearing it firsthand
was the truth.
No amount of tears or blood could erase what he had witnessed tonight.
He regretted his past indulgence and vowed not to repeat the mistake. He couldn't afford to be soft, not after
knowing her true nature, not when it cto honoring the memory of the deceased Lily.
Ethan hardened his expression, steeling his heart. He would not pity Victoria or her daughter.
The brief moment of sympathy disgusted him. Any compassion for them was a sin against his true mate and
daughter.
He stepped on the accelerator, the Shadow Ghost speeding away, leaving Emma's cries behind. He didn't even
glance in the rearview mirror.
The car sped back to Rosewood Haven. Leaving the complex, Ethan accelerated again, and the car disappeared
into the night, his wolf finally settling into grim resolve.
Abandoned, Emma collapsed on the ground, watching Ethan leave. Her body grew cold, her eyes filled with panic
and helplessness.
"Daddy..." she whispered, her voice barely audible now. The word that had once been filled with love and
expectation now carried only despair.
Her wolf pup curled into itself, sensing the loss of its Daddy's protection. She wondered if her Daddy had truly
given up on her, the bond she thought unbreakable now seemingly severed forever
The night wind blew mercilessly, chilling her to the bone. But the coldness in her
heart was far more painful than any physical discomfort.
For the first tin her life, Emma felt truly abandoned.
(Ethan's POV)
| drove to Olivia's Moonlight Cottage. | had bought the properties surrounding hers
for her protection, ensuring no one could disturb her without my knowledge.
It was almost 3 a.m., and the area was quiet, but my mind raced with chaotic thoughts.
At Rosewood Haven, the exposure of Victoria's deceit had shakento my core.
Not for Victoria's sake, but for my own blindness.
| had been deceived by Victoria's pretense of being Little Orange. The joy of
reunion had blindedto her manipulation.
| had given her the love meant for both Little Orange and her deceased mother. Victoria had repeatedly
manipulatedinto believing that Olivia was bullying her, using our childhood connection to twist my
perception.
For five years, every instance was a betrayal of Olivia. | wrongly favored Victoria,
causing Olivia immense pain.
I knew how much Olivia hated
Victoria and resented Emma after Lily's death. Yet, | had consistently
sided with Victoria, repeatedly
testing Olivia's patience and adding
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
wolfsbane to her wounds.
I saw Olivia's helplessness as | defended Emma, dismissing her accusations and telling her not to blthe
innocent Emma.
Furthermore, | knew that James had registered for organ donation because Lily died of kidney failure. Still, | had
used Olivia to pressure James into donating a kidney to Emma.
Even if | didn't mean to harm Olivia, the very act of coercing James madefeel like a rogue wolf.
My wolf growled beneath my skin, disgusted by my own actions. | had becthe very thing | was supposed to
protect my pack from - a threat to my own mate.
| sat in the car, clutching the little figure with Lily's name. My amber eyes were bloodshot, filled with remorse.
| felt overwhelmed by guilt and shame. | had failed Olivia and Lily.
The weight of my mistakes crushed me. How could | have been so blind? So easily manipulated?
| slapped myself, the sound sharp in the quiet car. The sting did nothing to ease my self-loathing.
"He really was not worthy of being an Alpha." The thought echoed in my mind.
| was a monster. Not the Alpha protector | was supposed to be, but a source of pain for those | should have
cherished most.
| abruptly got out of the car and walked towards the cottage, my wolf's scent announcing my presence. The night
air was cold against my skin, but | barely noticed.
Each step felt heavier than the last. What right did | have to approach Olivia after everything | had done?
| reached Olivia's door, stopped, and knelt down before it. The hard ground
pressed against my knees, a minor discomfort compared to the agony in my
heart.
My head bowed in shame, | remained there, a broken Alpha at the doorstep of the mate he had failed.