Chapter 4

"Mia, why haven't you been going on dates with Ethan lately?"

A week later, Chris caught me in the villa stairwell, keeping his voice down.

I didn't answer.

In the past, whenever we fought, he would freeze me out for a few days, and I would always be the first to cave.

Clearly, Ethan was waiting for me to do the same this time.

I found a cardboard box and packed up everything he had ever given me.

The scarves, the keychains, the handwritten letters.

As I picked up one of the notes, my eyes fell on his handwriting.

*“Mia, the moment the Council alliance is resolved, the first thing I’ll do is mark you. — Your Ethan.”*

I ran my finger over the words "Your Ethan."

Then, I closed the lid.

I grabbed the packing tape.

I wasn’t crying, but it took me three tries to tear the tape.

My hands had absolutely no strength left.

On the third day, Ethan finally sent a text.

"Been busy with pack business. Text me back when you're done throwing your tantrum."

Attached was a photo of the Moonshadow estate.

I didn’t reply.

That afternoon, I went to a cafe downtown.

As I sat by the window on the second floor, my eyes drifted to the corner of the patio downstairs.

Ethan, who was supposedly "busy with pack business," was sitting there, helping Summer adjust her jacket.

There were two drinks on the table. Summer’s drink had two straws in it.

I gripped my cup tightly from upstairs.

Summer’s sweet voice floated up clearly.

"Ethan, are you sure Mia won't be mad that you're out with me?"

"Is she still giving you the silent treatment? Honestly... I know I'm not qualified to join the Moonshadow Pack. You shouldn't pull favors for me."

Ethan chuckled softly. "With her stubborn head, where else is she going to go but with me?"

"She definitely submitted her transfer application. Don't worry about it. Once she moves into the estate, I'll buy her something nice, and she’ll get over it."

He paused, then added, "Just be good and don't make trouble for me."

Summer giggled, tapping his hand playfully. "But what about Mia?"

"Her? She’s obedient. A bouquet of flowers, and she’ll be fine. Don't worry!"

I remembered a winter years ago, when we were walking in the snow.

I had asked him, "If we ever fight, will you find someone else?"

Back then, Ethan had stopped, looked at me, and said with absolute sincerity:

"Mia, I’ve given all my patience in this lifetime to you. I don't have any left for anyone else."

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard.

Now, I realized it was just a blank check he had casually signed.

The pain didn't even register anymore.

Because the man who had said those words to me was not the same man sitting downstairs talking about how "obedient" I was.

I set my cup down, stood up, and left.

When I got home, I took the sealed box of his things and threw it into the recycling bin outside.

Then, I blocked his number and social media accounts one by one.

At that exact moment, downstairs in the cafe.

Ethan's phone buzzed.

He glanced at it, saw it wasn't a text from Mia, and put it away.

"I’ll let her stew for another two days," he murmured to Summer. "Once I finish this pack business, I’ll go get her. She’ll probably cry from joy."

He had no idea that back at the Stoneclaw villa, the Moonshadow transfer application had already been sitting in the trash.