Olivia had always hated dealing with smart people. They noticed the tiny details everyone else overlooked. They asked the tough questions she could never answer without slipping up.

They uncovered the secrets she had worked so damn hard to bury deep where no one could find them. That was one of the biggest reasons she had disliked Seraphine from the very beginning.

Seraphine wasn’t easy to fool at all. She saw straight through people way too quickly, cutting right to the heart of things. Even now, Olivia knew this entire nightmare had kicked off because she had stubbornly insisted that Voren marry Athaliah.

If she had simply stayed quiet, if she hadn’t tried so hard to control every part of his life, none of this would have exploded the way it did.

Her own greed had ripped open every single lie she had spent decades protecting so carefully. Now there was no escaping the brutal consequences that were coming for her.

Once she faced public disgrace in front of the whole pack, every Luna across all the packs would turn their backs on her without hesitation. None of them would defend her. The Alpha Code demanded loyalty to justice above any personal feelings, Lunas standing with their Alphas no matter what.

Ironically, the same rules she had relied on for years while pretending to be Grimroot’s Luna were now the very rules that would completely destroy her.

A defeated, bitter laugh escaped her lips. She slowly sank down onto the deck, no longer caring one bit about how undignified or pathetic she looked. Her clothes were all wrinkled and messed up, her face was stained with tears and mucus, and nothing about her resembled the proud, respected Luna she had pretended to be for so many decades.

"You’re right," she muttered, staring blankly at the wooden floor beneath her. "I became greedy, Kylie." Another tear rolled slowly down her cheek. "The moment I stepped into the Grimroot Pack... I lost myself completely."

Her voice carried nothing but heavy, aching regret. "I wanted to belong there so badly. I wanted that life. I wanted everything my sister had." She swallowed painfully around the lump in her throat. "When I learned Oriana had died... I took full advantage of it."

Nobody interrupted her. Everyone listened quietly, hanging on every painful word.

"At first, I really planned to tell the truth," she forced herself to continue. "After convincing Jasmine’s mother not to tell anyone the Luna had passed away just yet, I thought I would confess everything." A bitter smile appeared on her lips. "But then..."

She looked toward Vladimir, fresh tears filling her eyes. "The moment I saw him. everything changed."

She laughed weakly at herself. "He was everything my ex-husband never was. He was kind. He respected people. He made everyone around him feel safe and protected." Her voice became quieter, almost fragile. "He looked at me with such warmth, something I had never known before in my entire life."

Vladimir’s expression didn’t soften even a little. Instead, his face grew even colder and harder. "Technically, he’s still your husband." His deep voice cut through the silence like a blade. He didn’t even try to hide the pure disgust burning in his eyes. "You were never divorced."

The reminder hit Olivia harder than any slap ever could. She lowered her head as unbearable shame crashed over her like a wave.

Everything had fallen apart. And deep inside, she blamed only one person for it all. Seraphine.

For decades, her secret had remained perfectly hidden. No one questioned her. No one suspected anything was wrong. Then Seraphine entered their lives, and little by little, every lie Olivia had so carefully built started collapsing all around her.

But even she knew the real truth deep down. Seraphine wasn’t the actual problem. Seraphine simply reminded her of the strong, honest, courageous woman she could have been if she had made different choices.

If she had possessed even half of Seraphine’s incredible strength all those years ago, she would have chosen the right path. Instead, she had taken the easiest, most selfish one.

"The moment I saw Vladimir..." She looked at him again with trembling eyes. "I decided to make my... then husband believe I had died so I could live Oriana’s life instead."

Silence settled heavily over the entire deck.

Vladimir slowly rubbed his forehead, frustration turning inward for the first time since hearing the full confession. He felt like a complete fool. If only he had asked more questions back then.

If only he hadn’t accepted everything at face value. Maybe, just maybe, he would have uncovered the truth years ago and spared them all this pain.

One old memory suddenly came rushing back to him. His brows drew together tightly. "There was something I never understood." His eyes settled directly on Olivia. "I always saw you breastfeeding Voren. How did you manage that?"

Olivia’s gaze dropped to the floor immediately, deep embarrassment coloring her face. "The times you saw me nursing him, I had already fed him formula." She struggled to keep her voice steady. "I never had any breast milk. I only pretended."

Vladimir felt another sharp, stabbing pain spread across his chest. His breathing became heavier and more labored.

Before anyone could react, Seraphine was already right beside him. Without needing to be asked, she gently used the traditional method once again, bringing him instant relief.

Vladimir looked at her with deeply grateful eyes. "Thank you, Sera." His voice was full of raw regret. Then he lowered his head slightly. "And I’ll keep asking for your forgiveness, until the day you find it in your heart to forgive me."

Seraphine didn’t answer with words. She simply gave him a small, understanding nod before quietly returning to Voren. Without saying anything, she settled back onto his lap. His arm immediately wrapped around her waist, holding her close and safe.

Watching the two of them together filled Vladimir with even more regret. If only he had trusted his son from the very beginning.

Taking a deep breath, he looked around the deck at everyone. "After Olivia’s banishment, and after Oriana’s funeral, I’ll be leaving the pack for a while."

Everyone looked at him in complete surprise.

"I need time." Pain filled his eyes completely. "It’s too much to carry right now. I lived all these years without properly mourning the only woman I ever loved. The woman who gave her life to bring my only son into this world."

The atmosphere on the deck instantly became incredibly heavy. No one spoke. No one even moved a muscle.

Voren’s expression suddenly darkened with worry. A frightening thought crossed his mind. He frowned deeply and looked directly at his father. "Dad... what do you mean by that?" He could tell his father was hiding something.