Nyssa bpov /b

“Ib–/bI just wanted to bspend /btime with you and bKieran/bb. /bI didn’t know you’d bget /bso upset and push me like that. If you’re mad at meb, /bbthen /bbI /bapologize, bNyssa/bb./bb” /b

“Look at her, she probably pushed Aria bbecause /bshe’s jealousb.” /b

“I didn’t bexpect /bthis from the Alpha’s daughter. This bis /bhonestly disappointing… and Aria has been nothing but kind to her.b” /b

Those bwere /bthe murmurs that had surrounded me in the past as I stood thereb, /bconfused and unsure of bwhat /bwas happening. Aria cried, Kieranforted her, and his harsh re pierced through me. Back thenb, /bI truly believed I had done something wrong, that I was the one at fault even though deep down, I knew I hadn’t pushed her.

Here bwe /bwere, reliving the same scene all over again.

And just as I bexpected/b, Aria began her act just like in the past.

“I— I just wanted to speak to you. I didn’t know you’d get so upset and push me like that. If you’re mad at meb, /bthen I apologize, Nyssab./b”

She stepped forward quickly, her voice loud and clear- loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. And though her words were framed as an apology, it was obvious she was shifting the me onto me, making it seem like I had pushed her on

purposeb. /b

I could feel everyone’s gazes on me especially his gaze. Darius. He had been silently watching from behind me, not uttering ba /bsingle word since the drama started. Not that I expected him to.

“Nyssa,” Aria took another hesitant step toward me, careful this time not to touch me. “Please don’t misunderstand the situation. I was just falling, and Kieran caught me. We came together after hearing you were shopping here since you wouldn’t return our calls.”

She then turned to Kieran, eyes wide and innocent. “Right, Kieran?”

Kieran’s frown deepened, his hair falling messily across his face, dark circles under his eyes and stubble lining his jaw. Kieran was a handsome man who always paid attention to his appearance, so the only reason he looked so unkempt now was likely because of the chaos surrounding everythingtely.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before finally speaking.

“Yes, Nyssa. We haven’t been able to reach you, so we came here after hearing you were at the mall with the…” He paused, his gaze briefly flickering behind me. And if I wasn’t imagining things, I could’ve sworn I saw a sh of jealousy in his eyes but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. “With the king” Hepleted his sentence with a frustrated sigh.

My expression didn’t change as I stared at the two people in front of me, the whispers from the crowd reaching my bears/b.

“Huh? bIs /bshe ignoring Kieran and Aria now because she’s the king’s mate now? Is that why she canceled the wedding?” One voice murmured quietly.

Another voice chimed in, a little louder, “I think so. I pity Kieran, to be honest. I bet he still loves Lady Nyssab, /bbut she already belongs to the king well… at least the rejection ceremony”

The corner of my lips twitched, and I couldn’t help but shake my head. Taking a step forward, I refrained from saying anything- refrained from defending myself like I had in the past because the old me would have been scrambling for an exnation to prove that I didn’t do anything wrong. Instead, I reached out for a pink floral dress, lifting it bup /bbas /bI tilted my

head slightly to the side, examining bit /bthoughtfully.

“This would look really pretty on bSerene/bb./b” I murmued to myself and nodded with ba /bslight smile.

Almost instantly, the chatter around me bdied /bdownb, /band I could bfeel /bbtheir /bconfused bgazes /bon me. I didn’t bneed /bbto /bsee their bfaces /bto know bwhat /bbtheir /bbexpressions /bbwere /blikeb, /bbespecially /bKieran and Aria’sb. /bAfter everything that bhad /bbeen said, I bhad /bbmade /bthe bdecision /bto ignore themb, /band bhonestly/b, I didn’t bcare/b.

b“/bbI’ll /bbtake /bthis,b” /bI said calmly, handing the pink floral bdress /bbto /bthe sales assistant who stood silently beside meb. /bShe blowered /bher bhead /bwith ba /bprofessional smile and took it from me. I turned around, reaching for another dressb, /bbut this time, Aria seemed to bsnap /bout of her bdaze /band called out to meb. /b

“N–bNyssa/bb, /bwhat are you doing-”

“I’m ignoring you,” bI /bsaid, my voice low but loud enough for everyone to bhear/b. “Can’t you bsee /bthat nowb, /bor are you blind?”

“W–what?” Aria stammered, her disbelief clear in bher /bvoice. I sighed, removing my hand from the dress and standing straighter, letting my cold bgaze /bsettle on her. A frown etched itself onto my face, and almost instantlyb, /bshe froze, her eyes widening bas /bshe met my stare.

“You heard me,” bI /bsaid, my voice unwavering. “I said I was ignoring you, just like how I ignored your calls and messages. But it seems you can’t get the hint.”

Aria parted her lips, about to say something, but I cut her off, my gaze turning sharp as bI /bpointed to Kieran, who was watching me with a frown.

“The hint that I don’t want to speak to or see either of you again. That I want you to leave me alone and not bother me anymore. Is that so difficult to understand?” I asked, and I could feel the gasps ripple through the crowd around me.

“Oh my goddessb!/bb” /bsomeone murmured, and the hushed whispers quickly spread among the crowd.

Aria stared at me in disbelief, her mouth hanging open as though she couldn’tprehend that I had just said that. Before she could muster a response, Kieran stepped forward, shielding her behind him. He stopped in front of me, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and confusion.

“Nyssa, what is wrong with you” he began, reaching out as if to touch me. But I suppose the ps I had given him yesterday made him hesitate, his hand freezing mid–air before he quickly pulled it back. His gaze locked with mine, and for the first time, I could bsee /bthe uncertainty in his eyes as though he was staring at aplete stranger.

My bgaze /bremained cold as I lifted my head to meet his eyes. When I didn’t respond, he let out a deep sigh and leaned closer, whispering under his breath.

“What’s wrong, baby? Why are you doing this? Did I do something wrong? If I did, then talk to me and I will do whatever you want for your forgiveness. Stop ignoring me and don’t casually throw everything we’ve built away just like that,” he said, his brows furrowing as he gazed down at me with what looked like pain in his eyes.

But I knew better. Deep down, it was just a mask- a trick he was trying to y on me. And I refused to fall for it this time.

This was the same man who had lied to me, ruthlessly discarded me the moment he had gotten what he wanted. Not only that, bhe /bwas the reason all my loved ones died and in the end, the reason I had died.

If you asked me, I hadn’t even done anything yet. Today, I just wanted to enjoy my day with Serene, and the bnext /bday with my father before I went through with my n. But this? This was just as good.

With everyone witnessing this, they would believe that Kieran, Aria, and I bweren’t /bon good terms, giving them the perfect motive to kill me.

A

“I hate you,” my bvoice /bcame out bin /bba /bvenomous hiss, catching him off guard. “bI /bhate you so much that bI /bwant nothing more than to bhave /byou killed right now, Kieran.” A mocking sneer bspread /bbacross /bmy blips /bbas /bbI /bstared at him. “So if you want bme /bbto /bforgive you like you said, then…” I took a bstep /bbcloser/bb, /bmy eyes narrowing into a deadly re. “Then die.”

Kieran froze, blinking for a moment in disbelief, but the next second, his frown deepened as he reached for my hand, pulling me toward him.

“We need to talk. Alone,” he said, his voice firm as he tried to guide me away.

I red at him, my hand already raised, ready to smack the hell out of him. But before I could make contact, Kieran was sent flying away from me, crashing to the ground. In his ce stood him- Darius.