Third Person's POV Caelum stood rigidly in the fading sunlight, eyes locked on Freya as her figure disappeared toward the edge of the parking lot. His chest heaved, the tension of the moment pressing down like a heavy wolf's paw. He didn't approach her for Eleanor or for Giselle; the matter of Giselle insulting Freya was her own to bear. No, he had come for himself, driven by regret gnawing at his core. "Freya…" His voice wavered slightly, low and earnest. "I didn't come for my mother or my sister. Giselle will face the consequences of her own actions. I… I just wanted to apologize. I hope you can forgive me. If I had known you were my savior, the one who saved my life, I would have cherished you above anyone else!" Freya stopped, her gaze calm, the wolf in her eyes unwavering. She tilted her head, an almost imperceptible smirk on her lips, though her amber eyes were sharp as a hawk's talons. "Do you not believe me?" Caelum pressed, heart pounding, clawing at the heavy weight of three years of mistakes. Freya's laugh was soft but sharp, carrying the authority of a wolf Alpha who had endured far too much. "So, if I am your savior, then you would have cherished me. But if I weren't, all the ways you treated me during our three years of marriage… none of it would have been wrong, correct?" Caelum's brow furrowed, confusion and regret twisting his features. "I… I'm just saying, I truly regret how I treated you. Freya, I… I really regret it." Freya's gaze hardened, voice dripping with disgust. "Caelum Grafton… you are truly a despicable man." "What?" he whispered, stunned. "Your so-called regret," she continued, sharp as a wolf's fang, "exists only because you discovered I saved your life. If I hadn't, you would have felt nothing. If saving a life matters so much to you, if repaying a debt is all that dictates your conscience, then you should have made that clear from the beginning. You should have married only your savior." His chest tightened, guilt weighing heavier with each word. "But… my savior… is you." Freya stepped closer, letting the evening wind swirl around her, wolf instincts flaring as she assessed the Alpha before her. "And if it hadn't been me, Caelum? Then I would have been left to wither in our marriage, ignored by you, subjected to manipulation and control. All these years… your feelings for Aurora, because she didn't save your life, evaporated into nothing?" Caelum froze, speechless, caught in the feral teeth of her logic. "Caelum," Freya continued, voice low and sharp, a predator pacing its territory, "if your emotions hinge solely on who saves your life, then perhaps you should throw yourself into the river again, see who rescues you next. Only this time… do not make the mistake of misidentifying your savior." With that, she turned, every motion radiating control and authority. Freya Thorne, Alpha of her own destiny, wolf-blooded and untouchable, slid into the vehicle waiting at the edge of the lot. Lana Rook followed without hesitation, their presence exuding the same lethal grace as Iron Fang Recon Unit operatives moving through a battlefield. The car glided forward, tires humming against the asphalt, leaving Caelum standing frozen, the last vestiges of the sun fading behind him. Eleanor and Giselle arrived moments later, breathless, the tension of the confrontation still clinging to their skin. Eleanor's voice was sharp, tinged with panic. "Caelum! What about Freya? Did you warn her not to leave Giselle to fend for herself?" Giselle's voice followed, whiny and anxious. "And brother… the trial is almost here! Can't you hire better lawyers for us? The two we have now are practically nobodies. With your money, a few extra coins could make all the difference!" Caelum's amber eyes flared, wolf-blooded authority radiating from him in waves. "Nothing, Giselle? Nothing? I told you, the company's finances are in crisis. If things don't resolve, SilverTech Forgeworks faces bankruptcy. And yet you still assume I have money to spare?" His teeth clenched, jaw taut, and his wolf instincts bristled. "Giselle, besides spending money, what have you actually contributed?" "Bankrupt? How could the company go bankrupt?!" Giselle exclaimed, incredulous. "Brother, you built it from the ground up in three years! Surely you can find a way out of this!" Caelum's lips twisted into a bitter smile, wolf instincts clawing at his patience. A way out? Perhaps. But if Freya were still at SilverTech Forgeworks, perhaps none of this would have happened. Aurora's interference, those misguided attempts at repayment… everything had spun out of control. All the misfortune could be traced back to her. If not for Aurora, he would still have a loving wife, a thriving company, and a future full of promise. Even with the authorities recovering Aurora's misappropriated 50 million credits through WolfComm, the law's procedures would take three months to process. Three months-a lifetime in the corporate battlefield. By then, bankruptcy might already be inevitable. Caelum's wolf instincts rumbled, urging him to think, to plan, to strike before it was too late. Meanwhile, at the office of Victor Ashford's law firm, Kade reclined casually on a leather sofa, observing Victor at the desk. "Uncle," Kade drawled, "you called me here just to watch you work?" Victor, reviewing files with methodical precision, finally looked up. "Kade… what is your relationship with Lana?" "Friends," Kade replied, voice cool and measured. Without Freya, he and Lana would have had no connection at all."Just friends?" Victor's eyes narrowed, wolfish suspicion flickering in his gaze. "What else?" Kade's lips curved into a sly grin. "Do you expect me to be… more than friends with her?" Victor paused, letting the weight of years of wolf instinct, pack hierarchy, and human emotion filter through his mind. Slowly, he spoke, "Do not entertain thoughts of her." Kade nearly fell off the sofa, laughter bubbling up. His uncle truly thought Lana was some sacred prize, untouchable. "Relax. I have no interest in her. Honestly, Uncle… are you still holding a flame for her? Hoping to rekindle something?" Victor's response was a simple, sharp nod. "Yes." Even after years, even after separation, Lana lingered in his mind. Seeing her enter a hotel with Kade had sent a sting of green-hot jealousy through him, raw as wolf-fire. His obsession, unshaken by time or distance, remained. He remembered every moment of her: the way she moved, the way her amber eyes cut through the shadows of his thoughts, the wolfish elegance that left a permanent mark on his heart. Even now, separated by miles and duty, the pull of her presence was undeniable, irrepressible-a predator's mark on his soul.