Third Person's POV Celestine shivered as she recalled the last smirk Aysel had cast before departing. The chill coiling in her chest was fierce and biting. Aysel had said she wanted Celestine to entangle herself with the Moonvale Pack-but never once had she promised help. Every thread of fragile familial warmth was merely a garnish in Aysel's game, a cruel morsel tossed into Celestine's life for her own amusement. This time it had been incarceration; next, what would it be? The bowl in Celestine's hands was suddenly overturned, clattering to the floor. She shot to her paws, a surge of predatory instinct igniting. She would not remain passive. If the Moonvale Pack was to crumble, she would secure as many leverage points as she could before the hunt began. The maid carrying freshly prepared dishes froze, bewildered by the sudden emptiness at the table. Then realization dawned, and her eyes flicked to the furious young wolf. Ah-so the young lady hadn't been abroad. She had been caged. The gossip in the kitchens hadn't lied; the world had devoured every morsel of Celestine's downfall. Her release, her imprisonment, and even the details of her "misdeeds" had been spread for all to gnaw upon. Some wolves online even compared her to Julia, rehearsing her dance across the seas, mocking Celestine with the old adage: "One must walk the proper path; the forge tests the iron itself." "SLAP!" The sound of her palm crashing against the maid's face echoed through the hall. Celestine's teeth bared as she hissed, unable to endure a lowborn underling judging her with such predatory eyes. "OUT!" The maid stumbled away, clutching her face, fear quivering in every step. Celestine's lips curled, venom in her smile. How dare these pawns look down on her? Once the false heir, now a caged wolf-how arrogant they had been. Luna Evelyn recoiled slightly at the sudden strike, opening her mouth to speak but only sighing. She gently patted Celestine's hand. "Don't worry. Your father and brother will handle it." Celestine pressed close to her mother, tears flowing. "Mom... I can't take it. Even a servant dares judge me. I can't stay in this den." Her chest heaved with exaggerated breaths, feigning concern for the pack. "Father and brother must be furious as well. I'll stay elsewhere for a while. Mom... could I stay in your residence at Moon Manor?" Avoiding the main pack, while still gathering leverage-this was her plan. Luna Evelyn's smile faltered, hesitation flickering in her gaze. "Mom?" Celestine pressed, forcing a strained smile through her tears. "It's fine... I could stay at my apartment in the western part of the city. Though... it'll make coming home difficult." "No!" Luna Evelyn cut her off, resolve hardening in her amber eyes. "Your dens, your jewels, all immovable assets-they've been donated. There's nowhere for you to stay there." Celestine's howl of disbelief echoed in the grand hall. Then it hit her: the mountain of papers she had signed while caged. The Moonvale Pack had worked to prevent her full imprisonment, shuttling her from lawyer to lawyer, and in her fog of rage and fatigue, she had signed without scrutiny. "Mom?! How could you-?" she snarled, disbelief twisting her features. Luna Evelyn exhaled, calm despite the tension. "We thought we could leverage Aysel, secure the Magnus family's forgiveness. Aysel's demand was that all Moonvale gifts to you be reclaimed and donated as charity. We agreed, thinking reputation outweighed wealth." "And then?" Celestine's voice dripped with venomous laughter. Luna Evelyn's expression tensed. They had been outmaneuvered by Aysel, ultimately paying double to Serena Draven just to reduce the sentence to two months. Now, Celestine realized, the Moonvale Pack's scheme had backfired. Once her incarceration became public, the difference between two months and two years meant little to those who watched from the shadows. Celestine's gaze sharpened. "And my shares?" Luna Evelyn paused. "The shares were donated at equivalent value; ownership was transferred to your brother." Celestine's claws flexed into fists. "It's fine. You were deceived for my sake. But since Aysel failed to fulfill her promise... can you return them?" Luna Evelyn avoided her stare. "Aysel said Magnus would be watching. Those things won't be yours anymore." Truthfully, Luna Evelyn was still wary of giving back anything Aysel had claimed. Only now did she realize how much had been in Celestine's possession, gifted by the Moonvale Pack. Aysel herself had only her small purchased apartment, her first villa a gift from Magnus Sanchez of the Shadowbane Pack. Rage surged through Celestine, scorching her from paws to muzzle. Yet the fury tempered into cold calculation. The moment for open battle had not arrived. She leaned her head against Luna Evelyn's neck, a wolf feigning weakness. "Mom... I have only you now." Luna Evelyn stroked her hair gently. "It's fine. Stay here safely. Your quality of life won't diminish."Celestine's gaze slid to the shadows, face contorted into a predator's grimace. Quality of life, she mused. The meal alone revealed the cage awaiting her. Moonvale Pack had been cruel first; she would answer in kind.