Third Person's POV The radiance emanating from Riley was far too dazzling, completely overshadowing Maddox's own light. She wasn't just intelligent, determined, or tenacious-she was a white wolf. A rare, coveted bloodline. A symbol of purity and power blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. And he-he was just a omega-born orphan from the backwoods of Ebonclaw Pack. A flicker of jealousy stirred deep within him. All he had ever wanted was to dim Riley's brilliance. After all, Riley was just a woman. What good was being a white wolf if she couldn't even protect herself? After graduation, she would only end up married with children-becoming a wife and mother tending to the pack's den. As for himself, Maddox was no stranger to ambition or money. He had the sharp tongue of a lawyer, a silver-coated wolf form, and the wits to climb. He could easily provide for Riley. So why did she have to be so high-minded? Why did she have to shine so unbearably bright? These thoughts he buried deep within, knowing they were shameful. Knowing that the world revered the white wolf bloodline. But in his heart, he loathed that Riley's light made him feel small. He told himself he wasn't wrong-but he also knew that speaking those thoughts aloud would bring only contempt. So he said nothing when the Vale family hurt her. Said nothing when Kael forced her to kneel. Said nothing when Alaric dismissed her as a burden. He watched, silently, while they tried to break her-while they locked up a rare white wolf like a common rogue. A part of him... wanted her broken.He wanted her to fall, to be humbled, to lose that glow that always made everyone choose her. He told himself it was for her own good. Once her wings had been clipped-once the world ground her brilliance into the dirt-he would be there. To offer warmth. To be the only hand she could hold onto. Then, Riley would have no choice but to depend on him, and would never again dream of becoming a scholar, a mentor, or a pack professor. Breaking her wings, dimming that divine white flame-it was all so she'd stop flying away. He would be her safe haven, her anchor, the one who fed and clothed her. Wasn't that enough? But what Maddox never expected was that despite all the inhuman torture Riley endured in the pack's prison, despite every scar and every broken bone... her soul remained unyielding. Even dulled, even burned, she still radiated that same stubborn light. She not only refused to depend on him-she grew to hate him with every fiber of her being. They had spent a long time together in the Ebonclaw, bonded by deep ties, yet Riley had coldly abandoned him without a second thought. To Maddox, her cruelty was unfathomable. Now she had found a wild mate, clearly prone to violence, and was carrying his pup. How shameless she was! He resented Riley for her reckless mind, and he hated Scarlett even more for using him. If it weren't for Scarlett's constant scheming, he and Riley would never have come to this tragic point. Maddox was utterly consumed by fury, recklessly shaking the iron bars of the prison cage. The clang of metal echoed loudly, groaning under the strain as if it might be torn apart at any moment. His eyes bulged like bronze bells, his face twisted violently by rage, features almost dislocated in a terrifying snarl-like a demon risen from the depths of the underworld. "You damn wretched bitch!" Maddox roared hoarsely. "I'll kill you!" His madness resembled a rabid wolf unleashed.Scarlett watched Maddox's feral rage with delight flooding her heart like an unstoppable flood. She laughed a sharp, piercing laugh that clashed eerily with his roar. The more Maddox raged, the more wildly she laughed. "Come then! If you've got the guts, kill me!" Scarlett taunted, eyes full of scorn and mockery. "You pathetic coward-only now realizing your mistakes, but it's too late!" She laughed as she deliberately writhed her body, flaunting her victory before him. Their commotion quickly drew the attention of the wardens. Two pack enforcers arrived swiftly, one on each side, restraining Maddox. Still, Maddox struggled fiercely, kicking wildly and twisting desperately, trying to break free and charge Scarlett again. "Let me go! Let me go!" he screamed, voice raw and breaking. "I'll kill her! I swear I'll kill her!" His hateful gaze never left Scarlett, as if he wanted to burn her to ashes with his glare alone. Scarlett's smile grew even brighter as she watched Maddox being dragged away. She even made a mocking face at him and sneered, "You can stew in your regret out there. When I get out, I'm leaving this pack to enjoy life elsewhere, while you-just rot in your endless misery." "Wretch-" Maddox's curses faded down the long corridor as he was hauled from the holding den, until nothing remained but silence. Outside, night had already deepened. Maddox sat despondently in his wheelchair. The dim streetlights cast weak glimmers on his face, worn and exhausted beyond his years. It was over. Everything was over. Once prosperous and respected, his career was now shattered like fragile ice. The one he treasured most-Riley-he had pushed into the abyss with his own hands. She would never forgive him. Now, Maddox was left with nothing but overwhelming regret and crushing loneliness.Tears welled up in his eyes, hot and relentless, streaming down his cheeks to stain his tattered clothes. "Riley... I never meant it. I only wanted to take care of you," he whispered in sorrow, but no one was there to hear his long-delayed confession.