LIANA’S POV

Of course it was her.

She was standing there with her arms crossed, a cruel smirk curling her lips while the two other women nked her like some designer–packaged version of the devil’s entourage. Her eyes traveled over me with open disgust, making my skin crawl. She looked at me like I was filth. Like I didn’t belong anywhere near her world.

She stepped forward slowly, dragged a perfectly manicuried finger along my soaked arm, then grabbed me harshly by the wrist and yanked me into the center of the restroom like I was a pathetic showpiece.

“Why are you so shamelessb?/b” she sneered, tilting her head mockingly. “Clinging to your brother like a desperate little whore. Do you even have any pride leftb, /bor did you lose it the second he spread your legs and reminded you what a good little family

fuck you were?b” /b

I stood frozen, lips trembling, and that’s when the firstugh came, from the girl on her right. Then the second girl followed, giggling like it was the most hrious thing they’d ever heard.

Cynthia started circling me. “You seriously thought you could just p on some glittery dress, get a pity mark on your neck, and suddenly be Luna? Bitch, are you delusional or just stupid?”

My throat tightened. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even move.

“Let me guessb,/bb” /bshe continued, voice growing louder. “He told you he loved you? That you’re his mate? That you’re special? God, it’s honestlyughable. Do you know how pathetic you look, Liana? Do you really think you’ve won anything?”

She shoved my damp hair away from my neck, revealing Killian’s bite mark. “So he marked you. So what? He didn’t marry you. He married me. I’m the one who stood beside him in front of the Elders. I’m the Luna. I’ve been the Luna. You? You’re just the sad little girl who never got over her brother. Just a convenient fuck when he was lonely.”

Her words were like knives, slicing deep into ces I didn’t even know could bleed.

“You’re not his equal,” she spat. “You never were. You’re not even in the same universe as him. You were nothing seven years ago, and guess what? You’re still nothing. Just a washed–upb, /bused toy he decided to pick up again for bfun/b. He’ll get bored. Men like him always do.”

“He’s divorcing byou/bb,/b” I said quietlyb, /bclinging to the only truth I had left.

She burst outughing

“Killian? Divorce me? Oh, you poor naive idiot. He needs me. You think he’s going to throw away years of power, alliances, and status for what? a week little nobody who cries every time someone raises their bvoice/b? He’s running for alpha King. He can’t afford someone like byou /bbeside him. You’re a liability.”

I wanted to scream that she was wrongb, /bthat he loved me, but she wasn’t done.

b“/bYou know what’s really sad?b” /bshe said, pulling out her phone. b“/bYou’re still walking around like byou /bhave some dignity left. Like people bdon’t /balready know who you are. Wanna bsee/bb?/bb” /b

She tapped her screen and showed me.

It was the video.

The one from that night.

Seven years ago. The night he came into my broom/b.

I saw my own face My own cries. My own moansb. /bbMy /bhands in his hair. His lips bon /bbmy /bthroat. His body pushing binto /bmine.

Everything. All of it.

Cynthia’s voice dropped, venomous. “While you were too busy ying incest Barbie with your big, bad alpha brother, I was filming. Yeah. I taught this. Thought about sending it to your dad. actually, I did. Just a little clip. You know what happened next, right? Hended in the fucking hospital. Imagine if I’d sent the whole thing. Maybe a heart attack wouldn’t have been

enough. Maybe the grave would have been quicker.”

Her girls howled withughter. I stood there, tears brimming, my body shaking.

“But don’t worry,” Cynthia continued, smirking, “I’m still holding onto it. and guess what? If you keep clinging to him like the pathetic side piece you areb, /bI’ll y this little movie on the g screen tonight. Let’s see how those alphas and betas respect you after they see just what kind of whore you really are.”

I opened my mouth to speak, to defend myself, to scream, but nothing came out.

“I mean seriously, how does it feel, Liana?” she mocked. “Knowing you’ll always be second ce? That no matter how hard

you tryb, /byou’ll never wear that Luna crown? That all you’ve ever been to him is a fuck he regretted the second he zipped his

pants?b” /b

b“/bYou don’t know him,” I whispered.

Cynthia leaned in close, her breath hot on my face. “No, sweetie. You don’t. You know the fantasy version he sold you. I

know the real one. The one who uses women like weapons and throws them away when they’re no longer useful. I’m the one

he needs. You’re just a ticking time bomb he’s keeping on the side until the campaign ends.”

One of the girls whispered something behind her hand, and Cynthiaughed again. “Oh, and get this, we warned him. His Beta, his Gamina, even I warned him what keeping you around would do. But he’s stubborn. He’ll learnb. /bAnd when he does? When he finallyes crawling back? Don’t worryb, /bI’ll make sure he never forgets just how far he fell for a broken little bitch

like you.”

I turned to run, to get out of there, but one of the girls stepped forward and mmed her heel down on the edge of my gown. I heard the fabric tear. I gasped, clutching at it as it ripped down the side, leaving me exposed.

And still, theyughed.

Theyughed so hard I thought bI’d /bvomit.

Tears streamed down my face. bMy /bentire body shaked.

bI /branb. /b

I didn’t care where. I just had to get out.

I could still hear theirughter behind me like a curse.

But the worst part wasn’t the waterb, /bor the insults, or the videob, /bor even the tear in my gown.

The worst part bwas /bthe tinyb, /bbrutal voice in bmy /bhead asking one question bover /band over:

What if she’s right?