Seraphine looked down at Olivia’s tear-stained face, watching the raw desperation twisting every feature. For one tiny moment, she almost wanted to believe the woman was genuinely sorry.

Then all the memories came flooding back in a rush, the cruel words, the vicious insults, the constant humiliation.

Olivia had called her tainted. A whore. A complete disgrace. She had judged her without ever trying to understand a single thing about her life. She had mocked her past, ripped apart her worth, and even tried to destroy her marriage to Voren. The more Seraphine remembered, the colder her expression grew.

She wasn’t angry anymore. She was just done being fooled.

Olivia wasn’t the type of woman who apologized without wanting something in return. There was always a hidden motive behind everything she did.

Seraphine looked her straight in the eyes. "You’re only asking me to forgive you because you want me to talk to Voren and Vladimir for you." Her voice stayed calm, but every single word hit like a hammer. "You think if I forgive you, they’ll go easier on you. That’s not going to happen."

Olivia’s face lost the last fragile spark of hope.

Kylie smiled proudly from where she stood, her eyes shining with pure admiration. "That’s exactly what I love about you, Sera. You don’t let people fool you anymore."

Seraphine returned a small, faint smile. She wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone. She just wanted the whole truth out in the open.

Looking back at Olivia, she continued in a steady voice. "In case you still don’t get it... the judgment you received today has nothing to do with me." She pointed toward Vladimir before turning back to Olivia.

"It’s because of what you did to the late Luna’s remains. That’s the real crime you’re being punished for. You can apologize to me a thousand times, but it won’t change what happened to her."

A heavy silence settled over the deck.

For the first time since the truth had exploded, Madison slowly nodded. A gentle warmth spread through her heart. She had carried so much pain, regret, and loneliness inside her for years.

Watching Seraphine acting so strong and clear-headed made something deep inside her finally start to heal.

For the first time in forever, she truly felt like she belonged here with these people. Not because anyone had said the words, but because Seraphine had quietly made the entire family stronger without even trying.

Nearby, Vladimir couldn’t tear his eyes away from Seraphine. Regret washed over him in waves. She could have made this whole moment about herself. She could have demanded a personal apology.

She could have thrown every cruel thing Olivia had done to her back in everyone’s face, and no one would have blamed her. Instead, she focused only on what truly mattered, justice for Oriana.

Vladimir lowered his eyes for a moment. He regretted not seeing Seraphine through Voren’s eyes sooner. Now he finally understood. She was incredibly strong and wise beyond her years. Yet despite all the power she carried, she still had the heart of a good, ordinary woman.

She never looked down on others. She never used her position to make herself feel bigger. She simply did what was right.

No wonder Voren loved her with everything he had. No wonder his son would risk the world for her.

In that moment, Vladimir made himself a silent promise. He would earn Seraphine’s forgiveness, not with words, but with his actions.

She was the Luna the Grimroot Pack had been waiting for all along. Her past didn’t matter anymore. The mistakes people once believed she made didn’t matter. Only the incredible woman standing before them now mattered. And she deserved every bit of their respect.

Kylie stepped forward, picking up right where Seraphine left off. "Olivia..." Her tone stayed calm, but real authority rang behind every word. "You held the power and title of a Luna. Even if you stole it, you still carried the responsibility that came with it."

Olivia lowered her head even further.

"You had so many ways to preserve your sister’s body with dignity," Kylie continued, her expression hardening. "But instead, you chose the worst possible option. What you did stopped the real Luna from ever resting in peace. And there are serious consequences for that."

Every person on the deck understood exactly what she meant. The packs had sacred, ancient laws, especially when it came to Alphas and Lunas. Their remains were never treated like ordinary bodies.

There were old traditions meant to honor them after death, and those customs existed for a good reason. What Olivia had done wasn’t just wrong. It was a deep insult to Oriana’s position and to every Luna who had come before her.

Only then did the full crushing weight of her actions finally slam into Olivia. Her shoulders slumped completely.

Back then, she had only been thinking about escaping the nightmare her husband created. She hadn’t cared whose life she destroyed in the process. She hadn’t cared whose place she stole. She hadn’t cared what happened to Oriana’s body. All she wanted was freedom.

Now she was finally realizing just how selfish and destructive she had been.

Kylie watched her carefully before speaking again, her voice softening just a little. "And Olivia, I don’t believe taking your sister’s place was your only option."

Olivia slowly lifted her eyes.

"If you had been honest from the very beginning and explained everything to him," Kylie said, glancing toward Vladimir, "I’m certain he would have protected you from your abusive husband. Not because he loved you, but because you were his late wife’s twin sister. He had the power to keep you safe."

She folded her arms, her gaze sharpening. "So what made you choose this path instead?"

The heavy question hung in the air, striking everyone at once. Kylie wasn’t just asking out of curiosity. She had noticed something Olivia still wasn’t saying.

As an experienced Luna, she had spent years reading faces, catching the smallest lies and hidden emotions. Olivia’s confession still had huge missing pieces. There was so much more to the story.

Olivia’s jaw tightened. Her teeth clenched hard as panic flashed clearly across her face.