Rosaline's POV: "Of course," Caden replied, his voice unwavering, as if the answer was as obvious as day. "And your reason?" I asked, studying his face with a gaze that could have pierced steel. His eyes shifted, a glimmer of curiosity flickering beneath the surface. "Rosaline, you sound suspicious. Why?" I opened my mouth, prepared to speak, but the sharp ring of his phone cut through the tension like a knife. Caden pulled it from his pocket with swift precision, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the screen. In an instant, his expression changed. With one fluid motion, he answered the call. "Tessa?" Freya's voice, laced with venom, reverberated in my mind. "That d*mn Tessa again. He never learns." I couldn't suppress the icy glare that formed on my face. Then, Heidi's panicked voice erupted through the phone. "Caden, help me! Please, you have to help me!" "Tessa, what's happening?" Caden's voice cracked, betraying the concern he had tried so hard to hide. I felt the frustration rise inside me, and I rolled my eyes, trying to keep my calm. "Don't come over here! Ah ... Caden, help, please!" Heidi's voice trembled, laced with terror. It was as if something horrific had happened, and I could feel the weight of her panic in the very air. "Tessa? What's going on?" Caden's voice was tight now, full of tension. His need for answers was raw, urgent. But before he could get any more information, the call abruptly ended. Caden immediately dialed her number again, his fingers pressing the buttons with growing frustration. But there was no response. "Rosaline," he said, his face darkening, "Tessa might be in danger. I need to go check on her." He looked at me with a weighty gaze, the silent urgency clear in his eyes. Before I could even open my mouth to say something, he was already striding toward the door, moving quickly as if every moment counted. I stood frozen, watching him go, feeling an overwhelming heaviness settle in my chest. With every step he took, my heart sank lower, until it felt as though I couldn't breathe. Just a moment ago, he had assured me that his feelings for Heidi were not what I had feared. But the second Heidi called, he sprinted out the door, as if his very existence depended on it. He called this "not what I had feared"? What a joke. The truth was glaringly clear—I meant far less to Caden than Heidi ever would. Caden's POV: I pushed the car to its limits, the engine growling as I tore through the streets. My mind raced with urgency, but I kept my focus sharp, knowing there was no time to waste. "Tessa, Tessa!" I pounded on the door, my voice firm and relentless, slicing through the tension in the air. From inside came Heidi's panicked screams. "Let go of me, you b*stard! Let go!" A man's voice followed, venomous and dripping with fury. "You ungrateful b*tch, it's a miracle I even bothered with you. You think you can just run away?" A cold weight sank in my chest. I didn't think, didn't hesitate. With a single, powerful kick, I broke the door open. The sight that greeted me inside was chaos. Heidi staggered out of the room, her hair a tangled mess, her clothes in disarray. She looked like a broken doll, wild-eyed and trembling. Right behind her, a werewolf stood—his yellow hair and feral glare unmistakable. "Caden, help!" Heidi's voice cracked as she threw herself into my arms, clutching me for dear life. The man's voice was low and menacing. "I've spent a small fortune on you, taking you to bars night after night, and now you think you can just walk away? You think I'll let you go that easily?" His eyes ran over Heidi with an unmistakable hunger, as if she was an object to possess, not a person to respect. "I told you," Heidi's voice was a fragile whisper. "I quit. I'm not going back. I won't sing anymore." The man's expression twisted in disgust, his lips curling into a sneer. "Fine. No singing. But you'll stay with me tonight, and if you do what I say, everything will be just fine." He reached for Heidi, his hand like a claw, greedy and insistent.Heidi flinched back, stepping closer to me, her body trembling uncontrollably. "Don't let him come any closer, Caden. Please, I'm scared." I turned my gaze to the man, icy and unyielding. I raised my arm to block his advance, and with a swift motion, I shoved him hard to the ground. "You think you can get in my way, punk?" His voice was a guttural snarl as he tried to push himself up. I took a step forward, power surging through me, and planted my foot firmly on his chest. "Leave. Now." The room fell deathly still, the tension thick in the air. The man's eyes widened in sudden recognition as he looked me over, fear creeping into his features. His voice shook as he stammered, "Y-You're from the Eclipse Pack ... Y-You're Mr. Holbrook?" "Yes, he is, and he'll never let you come any closer to me!" Heidi, still clinging to my arm, shot him a venomous look. "You'd better run." The man scrambled to his feet, his knees bending in an exaggerated bow, his voice full of desperate apologies. "Mr. Holbrook, I didn't know Angela was yours. I ... I should've known better. Please, don't hold this against me." I glared at him, disgust and contempt in my eyes. "I said, get out." He didn't waste a second, bolting for the door and disappearing into the night before I could blink. I turned to Heidi, brushing a stray lock of hair from her tear-streaked face. "It's over now. You're safe." Heidi clung to me, her body shaking as she buried her face in my chest. "Caden, if you hadn't come ... I don't know what would've happened." I ran my hand gently over her back, trying to soothe her trembling form. "Who was he to you?" Heidi sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "He was just one of my regulars at the bar. He wouldn't leave me alone, kept coming back. Then today, he showed up at my apartment ... I never thought he'd try something like this. If it weren't for you ... " Her voice cracked, but she didn't finish. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close as she cried quietly against me. "Tessa, it's over. He can't hurt you anymore." She wiped the last of her tears away, her eyes meeting mine, her voice barely above a whisper. "Caden, I'm so scared. Please stay with me tonight. I don't want to be alone."Looking down at her—vulnerable, broken, and so desperately in need of comfort—I felt my heart twist. The words I wanted to say stuck in my throat. I didn't need to say anything. I nodded gently, knowing there was no way I could walk away now.