Third Person's POV Caelum's gaze never wavered from Giselle. Eleanor's protests fell on deaf ears, her words barely registering against the intensity radiating from the Alpha of SilverTech Forgeworks. "Apologize," he demanded again, voice low and commanding, resonating with the latent power of his wolf bloodline. "I… I didn't do anything wrong! Why should I apologize?" Giselle spat, defiance flickering in her wide eyes. "Freya Thorne is spreading lies! Saying her family is full of warriors and loyalists… If her family were really so noble, why have you never mentioned them before?" The words struck Caelum like a physical blow, hammering at the core of his chest. Pain rippled through his chest, sharp and insistent, as if the accusation had opened a wound long buried. He realized, with a sting of bitter truth, that he had never truly understood Freya. Never really tried to know her, despite having shared a life under the same roof. If he had truly known her… perhaps things could have been different. Perhaps they would never have reached the Lunar Severance Phase. "Giselle," Caelum's voice hardened, wolf-fire simmering beneath his calm exterior. "The one spreading lies is not Freya. It's you. Apologize to her now-or I will not recognize you as my sister any longer." Giselle's mouth fell open, disbelief contorting her features. "Brother… you're actually taking Freya's side? You would… disown me for her?" Eleanor's face contorted in outrage. "Caelum, are you out of your mind? How can you side with Freya over your own sister?" "Apologize!" Caelum barked again, his presence unyielding, his voice like the growl of a wolf asserting dominance over the pack. Giselle shrank, her shoulders curling as she gauged the depth of her brother's resolve. She glanced from him to Eleanor, weighing her options. Finally, with reluctance etched into every movement, she muttered, "I… I'm sorry." "Too late." Freya's tone dripped with disdain, cold and merciless. "Giselle, you and your mother are already under investigation. That incident at the hotel, where you tried to drug me, is about to go to trial. And now, you've added insult to injury by insulting a veteran. Another charge will be added to your case." Freya's eyes flicked toward Lana Rook. "Shall we go?" "Let's go," Lana agreed, brushing off the tension, as the temple visit had already served its purpose.Giselle's legs wobbled, fear overtaking her bravado. "Brother… I just made a few remarks… how does that become insulting a veteran?" Eleanor's voice rose, frantic. "Caelum! This Freya… she's trying to crush us! You can't let her get away with this!" Caelum's amber eyes remained fixed on Freya as she moved toward the temple's exit. Something in him stirred-regret, a gnawing ache that had nothing to do with Giselle's accusations. He had so much left unsaid, so many apologies he needed to offer. He couldn't let her leave just like this. When Freya and Lana reached the parking area outside the temple, Caelum closed the distance quickly, urgency radiating from him. "Freya… wait! I need to talk to you!" Freya stopped, turning slowly. Her expression was sharp, detached, her wolf senses already flaring with caution. "Caelum, you may call me ‘Ms. Thorne'." His chest tightened. "I… I've only ever called you that out of habit." "If this is about your sister, there's nothing to discuss. My mind is made up. When the trial comes, your sister's crimes will only multiply. You wasting your time here with me is futile-go find your lawyers instead," Freya replied, her words crisp and commanding, the authority of a true Alpha woven into every syllable. Lana smirked. "I wonder if the current Caelum Grafton can even afford good lawyers. SilverTech Forgeworks won't last another month if new funding doesn't come through. Bankruptcy may not be far off." Caelum's face darkened, eyes narrowing. "How do you know that?" "Not just me," Lana said, shrugging with a wolfish grin. "Everyone in the industry knows. By the way, your $50 million loan is still frozen at the bank because of your so-called ‘savior,' Aurora. You might go bankrupt before the funds are even released." The words struck him like daggers. His face burned red, then paled, a mixture of shame and disbelief coursing through him. "Savior…" the word burned, an ironic reminder of how utterly blind he had been. Freya's wolf instincts flared, her stance solid and commanding. She turned slightly, the evening wind brushing past her like a silver cloak of authority. "If you have words to say, speak them now, or they will remain buried forever. I am not here for pleasantries, Caelum. I am here for truth, justice, and the honor of my pack." In that moment, Caelum felt the full weight of her presence-storm-forged and wolf-blooded, a force that even a powerful Alpha like him had to respect. Freya Thorne was no longer the woman he had thought he knew; she was a pack unto herself, commanding loyalty, fear, and admiration in equal measure. And he realized, painfully, that every misstep of the past three years had led to this reckoning.The parking lot was quiet, save for the distant hum of the Capital at night. Wolves of blood and ambition circled invisibly, scenting power, loyalty, and weakness. And in that quiet, charged moment, Freya took the first step away, leaving Caelum to reckon with the truth-and the regret that had been his companion far too long.