CHAPTER 122: WHILE SHE WAS AWAY...

Emerald stood in the doorway, her breath quickening and her hands shaking slightly by her sides as she focused her eyes on Adrien.

He looked... perfect. Too perfect.

Dressed in a black formal tuxedo with bright orange trim that matched the colours of his house, his jaw freshly shaved and his dark hair styled neatly back, he could have been stepping straight out of a magazine cover.

The tailor hovered near him, adjusting the sleeve of his wrist with meticulous care, but Adrien’s focus was on the mirror before him.

It didn’t look like a simple fitting.

It looked like a wedding.

"What," Emerald said in a sharp, brittle voice that cracked in the middle, "is going on?"

The tailor froze instantly, as if sensing a storm that didn’t belong to him. Adrien turned to face her, and the moment their eyes met, the room went unnervingly quiet.

"Leave us," Adrien said softly, not taking his gaze off her.

The tailor gave a quick nod, practically bowing his way out of the room.

The silence that followed was thick, heavy, and suffocating.

Emerald stepped inside, letting the door slam shut behind her harder than she intended. Her pulse thudded in her ears, a deep pounding rhythm that made her fingers curl into fists.

"I said, what is going on, Adrien?" she asked again, slower this time, but sharper, the edges of her voice trembling.

Adrien stood completely still, his expression unreadable, stone-like. He didn’t answer immediately.

"Seraphina," Emerald said, her voice shaking but rising, "is wearing a wedding dress. There are flowers everywhere, Adrien. Servants are running like the Alpha’s about to be married, and you—" she gestured at him, unable to keep the disbelief from twisting her face "—you’re in a damn tux. So unless this is some really twisted cosplay... tell me she’s lying."

Adrien’s silence deepened, the pause stretching into something unbearable.

Emerald’s chest tightened. "Tell me she’s lying."

Still, nothing.

"Adrien!" she snapped at him. "Say something, dammit!"

Finally, Adrien exhaled before delivering the words like a blow to her chest. "She’s not lying."

Emerald’s breath caught.

She took a step back, her throat tightening. "What?"

"There was an emergency council meeting," he said slowly, like he wasn’t entirely present. "They were demanding a Luna again. I made my choice."

Emerald stared at him, frozen, as if her body had forgotten how to move. "You... made your choice?"

"I had to make the right decision for the pack."

The words echoed in her ears. She blinked several times, half-hoping she’d misheard, as though blinking could reset this reality, make it untrue.

She’d only been gone one night.

One night. Just one night, and everything had flipped.

"Why?" Her voice was barely above a whisper now. "Why are you doing this? Did she... did Seraphina threaten you? Did she say something to you?"

"No." His voice was flat, clipped, and unnatural. "She would never do that."

Emerald furrowed her brows and took a cautious step closer, searching his eyes. "Then what is this? Why are you looking at me like I’m a stranger? Why are you talking like this?"

"I realised a few things after you left," Adrien said. "You were right. I’ve been holding on to the past. But not in the way you think."

"Then explain it to me, Adrien, because right now you’re speaking in riddles."

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, but something about it was... wrong.

His pupils were slightly dilated. His focus was off-centre, as though he was looking through her instead of at her. And his voice... God, his voice didn’t carry its usual weight; it was too even, too careful, too rehearsed.

"I realised," he said, "you were never going to be the Luna this pack needs."

Emerald’s breath hitched, her stomach twisting violently. "What...?"

"You’re strong, Em. Smart. But your loyalties are split. You have your own pack, your own responsibilities... other mates. You can’t be here, not really. Not in the way this position requires."

She shook her head slowly, almost numbly, like denying the words might erase them. "This isn’t you," she whispered. "This isn’t who you are."

"It is," Adrien replied with a strange calmness. "This is the clarity I needed. You were always temporary, Emerald. Seraphina was meant to be permanent."

"You’re out of your damn mind!" Emerald snapped, her voice cracking as tears threatened to spill. "She left you, Adrien! She rejected you. And you think this... this..." she gestured wildly at him, at the tux, at the absurdity of it all "—this is your idea of clarity?"

"She’s come back," Adrien said flatly. "Willing to fix what was broken."

"No." Emerald’s chest heaved. "She came back because she wants power. And you’re handing it to her on a silver platter."

"She’s part of the pack. You’re not."

The words landed like a blade straight through her ribs.

Emerald moved closer, her hand trembling as she reached up, hesitantly brushing his cheek. Her voice quivered. "Adrien... what are you doing? What are you saying?"

"I already explained," he said, looking expressionless, his warm amber eyes looking cold. "And I’ve arranged a car to take you home. You can leave now... or stay for the wedding ceremony. It’s your choice."

Emerald’s heart plummeted, twisting painfully in her chest. "You really think I’d stay for the wedding?"

Adrien shrugged, as if it didn’t matter... as if she didn’t matter.

Her body went cold, numbness creeping in like frostbite.

She stared at him, searching desperately for some trace of the man she loved, the mate who once promised to fight for her, to protect her no matter what.

But all she found was a stranger wearing his face.

"I should’ve told you sooner," she whispered. "About Seraphina."

Adrien turned his head away, as if he were done listening.

"She’s been meeting with rogue factions," Emerald pressed on. "Conspiring with members of your council even before your brother died. She’s not just dangerous, Adrien, she might be the reason Darian’s dead."

Adrien turned back toward her, unnervingly calm. "Stop!"

"No, you need to hear this..."

"I said stop." His voice was sharper now, but still controlled. "You’ve made your choice. This is mine. Accept it graciously."

Emerald’s breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t even sure she could feel her legs anymore. "Look at me," she said. "Just look at me and tell me you believe her over me."

Adrien looked at her... but there was nothing there. No emotion, no spark, no flicker of recognition... just cool detachment, like he’d erased her from his world.

"That’s one less mate to worry about for you," he said flatly.

Her heart shattered in silence.

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Her mind spun wildly, desperately rejecting everything she was seeing.

This wasn’t Adrien. This wasn’t her Adrien.

But he walked past her anyway, slipping on a jacket as he headed toward the door.

She didn’t stop him.

All she could do was stand there and watch as the man she thought she loved, or at least feel something for, walked out of the room, leaving her behind like she was nothing.

She stood there alone, trying to breathe through the invisible chokehold tightening around her chest.

Nothing made sense.

How could everything have changed so quickly? What the fuck had happened while she was away?