“Jaxen Hale, I’ve got your Luna! Transfer fifty million dollars to my account right now, or in twenty-four hours, you can start planning her funeral!”
“Tell Scarlett to quit playing these dumb games.”
Jaxen’s voice came through the speakerphone, cold as ice. He hung up without another word.
I heard every single syllable.
I was tied up in some abandoned warehouse out in the middle of nowhere, mouth taped shut, hands and feet bound so tight behind my back it hurt. The man’s twisted face glared at me like I was a piece of worthless trash. My “late bloomer” wolf, the weak little thing everyone described as such, gave a strange twitch in the darkness, reminiscent of a thin string tugging me toward an unknown destination.
The hope that used to shine in my eyes was gone.
Now there was just this sad, empty feeling. Deep down, an icy wave of heartbreak hit me—I’d actually been stupid enough to hope he’d come running to save me.
He had kidnapped me to shake Jaxen down for ransom. I’d been terrified, praying over and over that my husband would drop everything and come for me. Reality slapped me hard across the face. For life or death, Jaxen didn’t give a dam whether I lived or died. He thought the whole thing was just him pulling some stupid stunt.
The ransom call failed. The man’s face twisted with rage. He smashed the phone on the ground and spat on it.
The warehouse door suddenly flew open. Both of us turned to look.
Two of his guys came in carrying a big burlap sack. There was clearly a person inside.
My eyes widened. Had he grabbed someone else, too?
“Boss, we got her!” The two guys dropped the sack and ran over to Draven, grinning.
“Nice job!” Draven nodded, looking pleased. “Good thing I had a backup plan, or this whole thing would’ve been a waste.”
He waved his hand, telling them to dump the person out.
When I saw who it was, my eyes widened.
Liliana Ashford.
The woman I’d recognise even if she turned to ash.
I can’t lie—seeing her sent a familiar stab of panic through my chest. Everyone in the Iron Claw Pack’s high society knew Liliana Ashford was Jaxen Hale’s white moonlight. Childhood sweethearts, engaged since they were kids. If Jaxen hadn’t lost the brutal Hale family heir selection back then, and if her parents hadn’t broken the engagement and sent her overseas, the Luna position would never have gone to me.
Now she was suddenly here.
My mind started spinning. When did she come back? Had she already met Jaxen? No wonder he’d been getting colder and colder to me lately…
Liliana finally got some fresh air and tried to sit up. The second she saw me, her scared expression flipped to pure disgust. She flipped her hair back, raised one perfect eyebrow, and gave me this arrogant, sneering look. She even tilted her chin at me like she was saying, You? Do you think you deserve to be kidnapped with me?
The next thing I knew, the man dug her phone out of her bag and forced her to unlock it with her fingerprint. He scrolled through her contacts and quickly found Jaxen’s number.
He checked their call history for about fifteen seconds, then looked up at Liliana with a smug grin.
“D@mn, you really are Jaxen Hale’s famous white moonlight. You guys talk this much every day?”
“Boss is smart! Good thing we didn’t put all our eggs in that other chick’s basket!” his guys immediately suked up.
He hit the dial. The second the call connected, he ripped the tape off Liliana’s mouth, pinched her face toward the phone, and motioned for her to speak.
Liliana clearly knew she’d been kidnapped, but she didn’t expect them to call Jaxen directly. She froze for a second, then started shaking. Her voice came out teary and desperate: “Jaxen… I’ve been kidnapped. Please save me!”
“Liliana, what happened?” Jaxen’s voice instantly became tense on the other end.
The man’s face lit up with excitement for a split second, then he slapped Liliana hard across the face.
Smack!
The sound was loud and sharp. Jaxen definitely heard it. His voice sharpened: “Who hit you? The kidnapper? Put him on!”
“Jaxen Hale, Alpha of the Iron Claw Pack. Surprise, it’s me again!” He pinched Liliana’s chin hard with two fingers and sneered. “Your wife’s worthless, but your white moonlight should be worth something, right?”
At first, I didn’t understand why they kidnapped both of us. But when I heard him still asking Jaxen for money, that bitter sadness in my chest turned into this pathetic little spark of hope.
He had to believe I was really kidnapped this time… Would he come save me now?
“Five hundred million? Send the account.” Jaxen said seriously.
“No, no, no! Price just went up. Your white moonlight is worth at least a billion! Not a penny less!” the man grinned crookedly, squeezing harder. Liliana screamed in pain. “You hear that? If you’re slow, we might just.”
He paused deliberately, voice full of threat, “Fk her first, then kill her!”
“Don’t… don’t hurt her. I’ll arrange the payment right now.” Jaxen’s voice finally cracked with panic.
In that moment, every bit of hope I had left was shattered. My blood felt as if it had frozen solid. A bone-deep cold washed over me.
He believed we had both been kidnapped, but he still didn’t care if I died. He didn’t even say “them.” In his eyes, there was only Liliana.
“If you lay one finger on her, I’ll hunt you down to the ends of the earth and rip you to pieces.”
Jaxen’s voice went back to calm—even carried that usual cool Alpha arrogance.
My heart felt as though it had been torn apart, pieces scattered everywhere.
I really had meant nothing to him.
Even after three years of marriage, I wasn’t even worth one of Liliana’s fingers.
We were both kidnapped, but he entirely ignored me. He agreed to pay the ransom only for Liliana.
He only worried about her getting hurt. And me? I was just one big joke.
After the call ended, Draven and his guys started jumping around excitedly and sent the account info right away.
While they waited for the money, Liliana kept acting like the proud rich heiress, bargaining with the three kidnappers. She promised that if they didn’t hurt her, not only would Jaxen pay, but the Ashford family would throw in a fat bonus.
Kidnapping was all about money—who says no to more? The man immediately turned around and started blackmailing the Ashfords, too.
Compared to them, I just stayed quiet in the corner.
I was quiet. I was dead inside. My soul felt cold and aching.
Maybe half an hour later, both payments came through.
The man gave his fat guy a look.
The person understood. He picked up a baseball bat that had been waiting nearby, walked behind me, and raised it high over the back of my head.
Fear swallowed me whole. My throat was so dry I could barely speak. I managed only two trembling words:
“… You guys…”
Then came the brutal blow to the back of my head.
II Chapter 2
Scarlett POV
I don’t know how long I was out. I woke up to a pounding pain in my skull.
Everything was pitch-black. The air smelled of blood and damp mold. My body shivered. Am I dead?
I tried to move my hands. My wrists were still tied tight behind my back, burning. That’s when I realized I was probably still alive.
Once my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out the room. The three kidnappers were gone. So was Liliana.
What the heck was going on?
Right as I was trying to figure it out, a bright flashlight beam hit me straight in the face.
“Luna’s here!”
Whose voice was that?
Had Jaxen come to rescue me?
A rush of joy hit me. I struggled to stand up, but my hands and feet were still tied. My legs gave out, and I collapsed awkwardly onto the ground.
The person with the flashlight ran over, helped me up, and carefully peeled the tape off my mouth.
“Luna, are you okay?”
“My head hurts so bad…” I didn’t know this person, but he called me Luna and was untying me, so he had to be one of ours. “Are you one of Jaxen’s guys? Did he come? Where is he?”
“I’m Alpha’s new bodyguard. He’s here, he’s… outside…” The bodyguard sounded hesitant. A bad feeling rose in my chest.
“What’s wrong? Did he get hurt fighting the kidnappers?” I asked urgently.
“Uh… Alpha’s outside. Let me help you out.”
He was clearly hiding something. I frowned, but let him support me as we left the warehouse.
Outside was an open field full of cars. The most obvious one was the black Bugatti with the plate ‘JL00001,’ Jaxen’s favorite ride.
“Is Jaxen in the car?”
Before I had even finished the sentence, I saw them.
Jaxen and Liliana.
She had her face buried deep in his broad chest, arms wrapped tightly around his waist as if she were scared he’d disappear. Jaxen stood straight, lips moving as he whispered to her. The night wind blew past, and for once his usual stony face looked gentle—as if he were comforting his scared lover.
People surrounded them: cops, doctors, Ashford family members—everyone looking worried and concerned.
At that moment, it felt like a wolf’s claw ripped my chest open. The last bit of hope I had left got crushed into dust.
Five years. He had never held me like that. The way he was holding Liliana, the look in his eyes… it felt like my blood was on fire and someone was pressing a red-hot brand against my heart.
I’d actually been dumb enough to think he came to save me… that he cared about me at least a little.
Turns out I was just an afterthought.
He only came for Liliana. From beginning to end, I was simply the Luna in name only in the Iron Claw Pack. I had no actual place in his heart.
It was painfully obvious who he loved.
Tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them. I bit my lip hard so I wouldn’t make a sound, but my fingers unconsciously gripped the bodyguard’s arm tighter.
The bodyguard noticed how stiff and shaky I was. He sighed quietly but said nothing, just gently tried to distract me. “Luna, wait here. I’ll get the doctor to check on you.”
I could barely hear anything around me. My mind was stuck on that painful scene.
We were both kidnapped. Why did Liliana get everyone’s care and protection while I… what the heck was I?
Just the annoying side chick who got in their way?
Jaxen didn’t love me. His white moonlight was back. He was now the alpha of the Iron Claw Pack, fully controlling the family business, and he’d multiplied the value of Hale's Group several times. The Ashfords couldn’t find a better son-in-law. He probably couldn’t wait to divorce me so he could be with Liliana again.
Warrick, standing near them, finally noticed me. He glanced at Liliana, still sobbing and clinging to Jaxen, then quietly said, “Alpha, we found Luna.”
Liliana glanced over. When she saw me standing there like a statue, staring at them, the corner of her mouth curved up in a tiny, almost invisible smirk. She hugged Jaxen even tighter, her voice teary and sweet: “Jaxen, you don’t know how scary those three kidnappers were… They brought me here, but you came just in time…”
Before she could finish, her body suddenly swayed.
By the time I blinked, Jaxen had nuzzled her. He quickly took off his suit jacket and tossed it to his assistant, Warrick. “Throw this away.”
Warrick walked past me with the jacket. Now nothing was blocking my view. Jaxen finally looked at me.
“Are you okay?” He walked over, tone casual, like he was asking a random stranger.
I let out a bitter laugh, my voice hoarse. “Not dead yet.”
Jaxen looked me up and down, then glanced at the pack of doctors checking on Liliana nearby. He said lightly, “Wait until they finish with Liliana, then they can check on you. You don’t look badly hurt, anyway.” The corner of his mouth even twitched up a little.
That was it. All the hurt, anger, and pain inside me exploded.
I said each word slowly, my voice quiet but crystal clear:
“Jaxen, let’s get a divorce.”
Everything that happened today was like the sharpest knife, constantly reminding me: stop holding onto stupid, empty fantasies.
I’d secretly crushed on him since high school for five years, spent two years becoming his wife, and struggled through three years of marriage… Ten whole years. I tried everything to make him love me, but to him, I was still just a stranger who didn’t matter.
There was no future for Jaxen and men.
Instead of waiting every day in fear for him to ask for a divorce first, I’d end this one-sided marriage myself.
III Chapter 3
Scarlett POV
The second I said it, I got that familiar frown from Jaxen. He looked at me as if I were a kid throwing a tantrum, not his Luna.
“Divorce? What are you thinking? What kind of game are you playing now?”
“Just because the kidnapper called me first, and I didn’t believe his bullsh1t?”
His tone was light and mocking, as if I were telling one of his least favorite indecent jokes again.
“I’m not playing games!” My voice rose, even though my throat was dry and tight from just waking up. “I want a divorce!”
“Stop messing around.” Jaxen rubbed his forehead, annoyed. “If your head is clear, go give your statement to the police. The kidnappers haven’t all been caught yet.”
I looked at the man in front of me and felt a deep wave of sadness.
Did he really think I was the person who would joke about divorce? In his eyes, I was probably still that vain, clingy girl who schemed her way into becoming Luna—his aunt’s adopted daughter who desperately wanted to be the lead of Iron Claw Pack. There was no reason for me to want a divorce. He most likely just thought I was still shaken from the kidnapping and throwing a fit.
The funny part? He hugged his white moonlight right in front of me, putting on a whole loving show for everyone, and no one thought anything was wrong with it. Being Luna in name only really suked.
“Jaxen, you…”
Sadness and anger mixed, making my voice louder. But the next second, everything went black, and my legs gave out. I fell forward.
Jaxen moved fast and caught me. His arms were muscular, carrying that familiar pine and Alpha scent, but with zero warmth. “Where does it hurt?”
I didn’t get to answer before I passed out again.
****
When I woke up again, I was in the Iron Claw Pack’s private hospital. The only sound in the room was the low hum of medical machines. I pulled the oxygen tube out from under my nose and sat up with effort. In my daze, I thought I saw Jaxen sitting by the bed, his eyes unusually soft, his voice surprised and happy: “Honey, you’re finally awake.”
Too bad it was just a hallucination.
Jaxen had never been gentle with me. He barely even used anything but my name, let alone “Honey.”
Even though I’d divorced him, that bit of hope deep down still stung like a thorn. I wished so badly that when I woke up, he’d be there—even a bit of care would’ve been enough.
But the room was empty. He wasn’t there.
Where did he go? Was he with Liliana again?
Just thinking about it felt like knives tearing my chest open. I couldn’t breathe. I hugged my knees, buried my face between them, and cried silently.
“Hey, Scarlett. You’re finally awake.”
Delaney’s familiar voice came as she walked over and patted my shoulder gently.
I sniffled, wiped my tears, and looked up. “Delaney…”
She saw my swollen eyes and shaky voice, got startled for a second, then sighed with care. “Most people who are kidnapped and stay unconscious for days would be a mess when they wake up. You not having PTSD yet is already impressive.”
She patted my back, trying to sound gentle. “It’s all over now. You’re safe. The kidnappers are mostly caught. No one can hurt you anymore, my Scarlett.”
“Yeah… no one can hurt me anymore,” I repeated her words weakly, but my voice was full of bitterness.
Delaney pulled up a chair and handed me a washed apple. “Warrick said Jaxen stayed by your side all night, but you didn’t wake up. He had to go back to the company. I’m taking care of you now. Eat this.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. “What? Jaxen stayed with me all night?”
Delaney nodded. “The news about you and Liliana getting kidnapped has blown up on social media. Everyone’s talking about how you were rescued and how much ransom the kidnappers got.”
My heart sank. My fingers unconsciously gripped the bedsheet.
Delaney noticed but kept going. “I just didn’t expect Jaxen to… He wouldn’t pay your ransom, but he dropped a billion for Liliana and even worked with the police to set up a gigantic net to catch the kidnappers.”
A billion.
Only for Liliana.
It felt like a hammer smashed into my chest. I could barely breathe. We were kidnapped together, but he only cared about her. I was just an optional extra. Tears started falling again. I bit my lip hard, so I wouldn’t make a noise.
Delaney knew how much I loved Jaxen, so she held back from cursing. She just sighed. “You were out for three days. We were terrified you wouldn’t wake up.”
I gave a bitter smile, my voice hoarse. “Maybe it would’ve been better if I hadn’t.”
“Don’t say that!” Delaney glared at me, but her tone was full of concern. “Have you thought about how I’d feel? If something happened to you, what would I do?”
I looked at her, eyes stinging again. We were like sisters. She was my only support in this cold pack.
I took a deep breath, wiped my tears, and looked at her seriously. “Delaney, I need a favor.”
“Your body’s still recovering. Why are you asking for favors instead of resting?” She looked confused.
“Help me draft divorce papers.”
Delaney shot up from her chair, staring down at me with wide eyes. “I’m a lawyer, yeah, but why are you asking me to do that?”
“I’m divorcing Jaxen,” I said, each word clearly, my voice still a little shaky but firmer than ever.
“What?!” Delaney’s voice shot up.
Jaxen POV
After Warrick left with the police, the nurse adjusted the machines and left, closing the door quietly. It was just her and me in the hospital room. The room smelled of strong disinfectant and her faint breathing.
I stood by the bed, looking down at her pale face. Scarlett’s eyelashes cast soft shadows under the light. There was an IV in the back of her hand and bandages around her thin wrists.
I reached out and touched her cheek. I told myself it was just to make sure she was stable; she was still my responsibility.
Then her scent blindsided me.
Not the hospital smell. Clean, fragile, with a hint of sweet grass after rain. It was the same scent I caught when I first saw her at seventeen. All my walls, all my masks fell away while she was unconscious, leaving only the raw, real her.
My wolf surged up from the base of my spine as if it had been struck by lightning. This wasn’t some family “responsibility.” This wasn’t political marriage nonsense. It was the oldest call in my blood roaring.
She’s mine.
I leaned down, one hand on the bed. My lips brushed her forehead, then I pressed my forehead into the crook of her neck and breathed her in deep. My lips touched her warm skin. In that moment, the bond cracked wide open like a wound.
Five years of emptiness, five years of numbness—it all got filled up and ripped apart at the same time. I felt every weak beat of her heart, like thousands of threads tying us together. Her pain, her fear, and her loneliness all poured into my chest. I almost couldn’t stand it. I used every ounce of control I had to pull myself away, stumbling back until I hit the wall and slid down to the floor. I stared at her unconscious form, my eyes burning.
My heart was pounding as if it would explode. A crack opened in my chest. My wolf whimpered inside, using a gentleness I’d never heard before, repeating over and over:
She’s ours.
I slowly stood up, turned, and rushed out of the room. I leaned against the icy wall at the end of the hallway, gasping for air. My fingers were still shaking. I clenched them into fists.
I couldn’t get close to her again.
IV Chapter4
Scarlett POV
I paced back and forth in the cold hospital room like a trapped wolf.
My bare feet stung against the freezing floor. The headache from the kidnapping was still there, throbbing, but it was nothing compared to the claw-like pain ripping through my chest.
Delaney kept circling me, her sharp lawyer's eyes trying to read me like a case file.
“You’re not joking, right? You—you actually want to divorce Jaxen Hale? Did those kidnappers hit your head too hard? Or did they dr^g you?”
I stopped walking and looked straight at her. She’d been there through all my crazy years—watching me study like h*ll, build a career, then throw every piece of myself at becoming good enough to stand beside the Alpha of Iron Claw Pack as his Luna. She knew how many nights I cried in secret. She knew how many times I told myself, Just hold on a little longer. The mate bond will kick in eventually.
“I would rather not stay in a marriage where I’m the only one who actually cares,” I said. My voice was bitter, but it had never felt this strong.
Delaney opened her mouth, then closed it. She stayed quiet for a long moment before speaking softly. “You’re serious… Do you remember how much you gave up to marry him? All the pack politics, those awful ceremonies, how hard you worked to prove you deserved an alpha who never even wanted a mate…”
I laughed, but it came out empty. “Yeah. I fought like crazy for a man whose wolf barely tolerated me. I thought if I were good enough and patient enough, the mate bond would finally work. Maybe he’d fall for me, too.” My hand unconsciously touched my flat stomach. “A few days ago,o I told him I wanted to try for a pup. You should’ve seen his face, Delaney. Like I suggested, burning down the entire Hale territory.”
Delaney’s eyes dropped to my stomach, then came back up, softer now. “He looked like someone kicked his most precious wolf pup when you said you wanted to get pregnant?”
“Worse. The thought of being forever bound to me made him nauseous. I swallowed hard, my throat tight. I would not have a child in a home where the father truly dislikes the concept. I won’t ruin a child’s life, and I won’t keep ruining mine.”
She crossed her arms and leaned against the bed, frowning. “What finally made you decide? Was it the kidnapping?”
I didn’t answer right away.
Memories from that dark warehouse came rushing back—the rough rope cutting into my wrists, the smell of damp concrete and blood, and all those desperate prayers that went unanswered. But what really broke me wasn’t the baseball bat. It was realizing, in my most terrified moment, that the man who was supposed to tear the world apart with Alpha instinct to find me… didn’t care about me at all.
Tears slipped down my cheeks. I hated how weak I looked.
“I was so scared, Del. I was terrified. The whole time I kept thinking… if it was him, I would’ve burned everything down to find him. But he…” My voice shook so badly I could barely breathe. “He only paid a billion for Liliana and calmly threatened to rip the kidnappers apart. For me, he didn’t even say ‘her.’”
Delaney pulled out a tissue and wiped my face, her jaw tight like she wanted to bite someone.
“Listen to me. There are so many guys out there who would fight like h-ll to have someone as strong and loyal as you. Stop punishing yourself for a man who only has eyes for his white moonlight and is emotionally colder than ice. You deserve to be wanted, not laughed at by the entire pack as the wife who keeps holding on after being rejected.”
I stepped forward and hugged her tight, burying my face in her shoulder. The crying came fast and ugly—the kind I’d held in for so long, the kind I never let Jaxen see.
Delaney rubbed my back and whispered comforting words, but I couldn’t stop. I cried until my throat burned and my eyes were swollen. When I finally ran out of tears, I leaned against her as if my soul had been suked out, my chest still twitching.
Delaney looked at me with pure anger toward Jaxen. “I swear, if I get five minutes alone with that а-hole Jaxen, I’ll make him regret it.”
A knock sounded on the door. We both froze.
Jaxen walked in. Tall, commanding, wrapped in that familiar pine and powerful Alpha scent. His amber eyes swept over us. When he saw my tear-streaked face and Delaney standing protectively in front of me, his brows pulled together slightly.
Delaney straightened up immediately. She grabbed the folder her colleague had brought earlier and walked right up to him without fear. Her voice was clear and professional, but full of hostility.
“Jaxen Hale,” she said his name directly, “I represent my client, your wife, and I am formally requesting a divorce.” She shoved the papers at him. “This is the initial draft of the divorce agreement we prepared. Please review it carefully.”
I sat on the bed with my back straight, even though my hands on my knees were still shaking. This time I didn’t look away. I let him see the exhaustion, the pain, and the rock-solid decision in my eyes.
This wasn’t just about the kidnapping anymore.
This was me finally choosing to save myself before this marriage ground me into nothing.
V Chapter5
Scarlett POV
Delaney stood in front of Jaxen, spine straight, gripping that preliminary divorce agreement tight.
As a battle-hardened lawyer, she rarely took divorce cases, but this one was different—I was her best friend of over twenty years, and I had just cried my heart out in her arms earlier. Concern hid in her eyes, but she quickly switched into professional mode. Her voice remained calm and firm.
I sat on the bed, watching her fight for me. My heart felt warm and sore at the same time.
Jaxen walked to the center of the room, his tall frame carrying that usual heavy presence. He glanced at me, then at Delaney, lips pressed tight.
“Scarlett!” His voice was low and slow. “You just won’t stop, will you?”
I turned and met his eyes head-on. My chest still ached, but this time I didn’t flinch. “We’re done, Jaxen. I want a divorce. I’m not joking. Delaney has already drafted the agreement. If you experience no issues, we can...”
“Later?” Jaxen cut me off roughly. “I don’t have time for your games.”
Quickly, he snatched the papers from Delaney’s hand and tossed them straight into the trash can in the corner with a loud thud.
Delaney froze for a second, wanting to speak, but she stepped back quietly. I knew it hurt her. As my best friend, she didn’t actually want to see me go through with this.
She was worried I wasn’t fully sure yet. That I’d cry my eyes out today and go back to Jaxen in a few days like the fool who kept holding on even after being ignored. She just didn’t want me to fall harder when I was already broken.
Even though she’d acted so professionally and strongly earlier, her eyes kept checking on me, silently asking, Scarlett, are you really sure? If you want to back out now, I’m still on your side.
Jaxen walked over to my hospital bed and looked down at me. His voice dripped with disdain. “Don’t think I know you. Until you actually get the divorce certificate from the council, signing as many papers as you want means nothing. Even if we get divorced, you’ll come begging me to take you back.”
I lifted my head and met his gaze. His throat bobbed. Something almost unreadable flashed in those amber eyes, and his right hand clenched into a fist at his side.
His words felt like needles stabbing my chest. My heart pounded with anger. Fighting through the weakness in my body, I got out of bed and forced myself to stand and face him.
“You would rather not be married to me. I am asking for a divorce. That should be precisely what you want, right?” My voice shook, but I tried to stay firm. “I promise you, after the divorce, I will never, ever beg you to get back together!”
“What do I want?” Jaxen scoffed and looked at the wall. “You’re wasting my time.”
He turned, glanced coldly at Delaney and her laptop, and ordered, “If you really want a divorce, the first step is dividing assets. Delaney, as her lawyer, have you handled that?”
Delaney’s face changed. She hadn’t had time to make a full agreement yet. “Jaxen, the divorce agreement needs both parties to discuss and revise the terms. If you have any objections,”
“I would rather not waste time with an unprofessional lawyer.” Jaxen cut her off, voice hard. “Get out.”
Delaney looked at me for help. Before she could speak, the bodyguard outside pushed the door open and politely but firmly escorted her out.
The door clicked shut.
Now it was just Jaxen and me in the room. The air suddenly felt suffocating.
All I could hear was our breathing. One thought filled my head: get this divorce done and cut all ties with him. I didn’t want people to remember me as “that pitiful woman Jaxen Hale dumped.”
In the dead silence, his tall body and scent surrounded me. I spoke first, my voice dry. “What do you want?”
Jaxen asked coldly, “Why don’t you first ask yourself how much of my time you want to waste?”
“I’m not!”
“Enough!” he stepped closer. His alpha aura crashed over me. “I was busy catching those kidnappers with the police. I let Warrick and the lawyers handle the rest. You don’t need to do anything. Stop talking about divorce. I’m not interested in playing house with you.”
I didn’t understand why he kept insisting I was playing games. His white moonlight was back. His heart and eyes were full of Liliana. I was willingly stepping aside. What else was he unhappy about?
I clenched my teeth, ignoring the pain in the back of my head and the tightness in my chest. “I’ll say it again. I’m serious about divorcing you!”
“Fine.” Jaxen suddenly got close, his voice dangerously low. “Then let me teach you what a real divorce looks like.”
He grabbed my left hand and roughly pinched the diamond wedding ring on my finger. “You didn’t think divorce was just having Delaney write up some random paper, did you?”
“It wasn’t random…”
“That means the kidnappers really knocked some sense into your head.” He yanked the ring off my finger with force, his voice full of mockery. “Do you know what you’ll get after a divorce? Nothing. You’ll leave with nothing!”
My heart sank. I tried to argue, “I have my job. I earn my money.”
“Every single thing on you was bought with my money?” Jaxen interrupted, eyes sharp as knives. “The house you live in, the car you drive, the bags you carry, the clothes you wear, even this VIP hospital room that costs ten thousand a day—you can’t afford any of it. Without me, can you still live like this? Swipe cards without blinking, and get whatever you want delivered.”
He stuffed the diamond ring into his pocket.
In that moment, I felt deep humiliation. Tears welled up, but I held them back. I would rather not cry in front of him again. He wasn’t teaching me about divorce—he was trampling on my dignity, announcing to the world that I didn’t even deserve to ask for one. If anyone was doing the dumping, it had to be him.
“I’m kindly reminding you,” Jaxen looked down at me, “don’t forget we signed a prenup. No matter how we divorce, you won’t get a single cent of my assets. Calm down. My patience has limits.”
My brain buzzed as if it had been hit with a hammer. Yes, that d@mn prenup… I almost forgot.
Looking at the man who had taken my wedding ring and was staring down at me, I felt the ultimate irony. His eyes clearly said, "You? You think you can make waves?
Jaxen turned and walked toward the door. Before leaving, he threw out one last mocking line: “If you really want a divorce, pay for these days in the hospital yourself first. Move out of my house. Don’t take any cards or things that belong to me. Let me see if you actually have the guts.”
The door slammed shut behind him.
I stood there, legs weak, and slowly slid down to sit on the edge of the bed. My left hand felt empty without the ring. It felt like a piece of me had been hollowed out.
Could I really leave him?
VI Chapter6
Scarlett POV
The second Jaxen left, Delaney rushed back in.
I was still sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes stinging, staring blankly at the door he had just slammed.
“What did that аs hole say to you this time?” Delaney hurried over, voice full of heartache and anger.
I took a deep breath and tried to sound calm. “Delaney, help me with the discharge papers.”
“You just woke up, and you want to leave? The doctor said, You need more observation!”
“I would rather not stay here.” I cut her off and looked her in the eyes. “Can I stay at your place for a while?”
Delaney was stunned. “Discharge… and go straight to my place? You’re…”
“I want to live separately from Jaxen before the divorce,” I explained quietly. “I don’t have my place right now, and I would rather not look for one immediately. Staying with you… At least I’ll have you there. It’ll make me feel a little better.”
She looked at me with complicated emotions.
****
Three days later, the doctor finally said I was okay to leave.
Delaney helped me with the paperwork. She casually glanced at the bill—$521,230. She thought little of it, but when I took out my card and paid with a heavy heart, her expression changed completely.
“It’s only five hundred thousand. Why do you look like it hurts so much?”
I nodded. “Of course it hurts. This time I’m using my money.”
Delaney frowned. “You’re still Luna, still Mrs. Hale. Why are you saving money for that jerk? Just spend his money.”
I pressed my lips together and didn’t answer. I had decided on a divorce. I couldn’t keep spending his money anymore. That feeling of depending on him felt like a thorn in my side.
On the drive back to Delaney’s place, I leaned back in the passenger seat, staring out the window. The car was quiet. I rested my chin on my hand, thoughts drifting.
“I want to go back to the company tomorrow,” I blurted.
Delaney almost swerved the car. “You’re still going back to his company? Scarlett, are you grave about divorcing?”
“Of course I am,” I smiled bitterly. “But I still need to go through the proper resignation process and get my salary and quarterly bonus. That’s my hard-earned money. I would rather not give him a single cent.”
Delaney tilted her head and studied me as if I were a stranger. “You’ve been acting really weird lately… The old you was such a lovesick fool; everything revolved around Jaxen. Now you’re suddenly so clear-headed; I’m not used to it.”
I looked out the window, voice soft. “I don’t know if I’m clear-headed. I just know that even if I decide to divorce, I can’t erase Jaxen from my heart overnight. I need to do it step by step… First get out of his life, then slowly get used to a world without him.”
Back at Delaney’s cozy apartment, she showed me to the guest room, looking a bit embarrassed. “My place is small. It might not be comfortable for you.”
“It’s not bad at all.” I smiled and put my suitcase down. “I’ll have to get used to living in places like this, anyway.”
Delaney’s eyes widened. “What the hll? Jaxen makes billions a year. You’ve been married for three years. Even splitting in half, you get tens of billions, right?”
I shook my head, my voice calm but bitter. “I won’t get any. We signed a prenup. I’ll walk away with nothing.”
Delaney’s mouth twitched. She couldn’t help cursing. “I knew it! His mom liked you so much back then, and that’s how you got to marry him, but they had already set the trap. So ruthless.”
I didn’t reply. Jaxen’s mom really treated me like a daughter once, but this time, when I was kidnapped and hospitalized, she and Regina were on vacation overseas. I didn’t tell them. I didn’t want them to know about the divorce yet—I’d explain myself when the time was right.
That night, I lay in the guest room bed, staring at the ceiling.
My finger felt empty without that diamond ring. I suddenly realized that from now on, I really had to rely on myself.
The freedom of moving out should have relaxed me, but the moment I closed my eyes, exhaustion dragged me into an intense dream.
Jaxen stood in the center of the master bedroom. His amber eyes glowed in the dim light. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and old scars were visible on his broad chest. His voice was low and husky, carrying Alpha command mixed with a gentleness I had never heard: “Scarlett, you think moving out means you can escape?”
I stood there in nothing but a thin nightgown. He stepped closer, his tall frame swallowing me. His palm was burning as he grabbed my waist and pulled me hard into his arms. His lips crashed down fiercely, his tongue forcing my teeth apart, suking on my tongue as if he wanted to claim every bit of restraint he had held back during our three years of marriage. His scent—strong cedarwood mixed with dominant golden wolf male pheromones—drowned me. My body responded wildly. I was instantly wet.
“Jaxen… we’re getting divorced…” I gasped in protest in the dream, but my hands climbed his shoulders, nails digging into the hard muscles of his back. He chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest. “Divorce? Impossible. I want you like this every night.” His hand roughly tore open my nightgown. The sound of fabric ripping was clear in the dream. Cool air hit my skin as my buubs were exposed to his burning gaze. He lowered his head, took one nut into his mouth, and gently bit the sensitive tip while his tongue flicked fast. His other hand slid between my legs, fingers parting my wet folds, finding my swollen little nub, and rubbing it quickly.
I arched my back, moaning, legs going weak. He picked me up and threw me onto the bed, his enormous body pressing down immediately. He took off his pants. His thick, long, burning stick sprang out, the tip already wet, veins bulging. It was so big that I was both scared and desperate. He spread my legs, rubbed the head at my entrance a few times to coat it with my juices, then thrvst in hard.
“Ah!” I screamed and hugged his neck tightly. The feeling of being filled made tears run down my face. He started pounding me fiercely, hitting the deepest spot every time, slamming against my cervix with wet, loud smacks. His knot swelled at the base, a hot bulb locking us together so we couldn’t separate. “Scarlett… my Luna… I’m going to mark you.” He bit down on my neck, teeth breaking the skin. I cried and met his thrvsts, legs wrapped around his waist, hips lifting to take every brutal slam. His sweat dripped onto my chest as our bodies slid together. His hands gripped my waist, pace getting faster, like he was releasing years of pent-up desire. When the org@sm hit, my whole body spasmed, inner walls contracting wildly as I squirted. His knot locked completely. Hot cvm shot deep inside me in thick streams, as if he wanted to fill all the regrets.
In the dream, I trembled at the peak, crying his name: “Jaxen… I love you… don’t push me away again…” He growled and held me tight. A golden wolf's shadow appeared behind him, gently licking my mark.
When I woke up, my entire body was burning. My pajama pants were soaked, sticking to my thighs.
I sat up, fingers unconsciously touching the side of my neck—where he had bitten me in the dream.
The skin was smooth.
Of course it was.
But there was still a faint warmth left, as if his lips had really been there.
I hated myself.
I had spent the entire day pulling myself out of his life, step by step. I paid the hospital bill, moved out of the manor, and told everyone to call me Miss Ravencroft.
And then I had that dream.
I got up, pushed off the blanket, went to the bathroom, turned on the light, and looked at myself in the mirror.
I whispered to the girl in the mirror, “Scarlett, you traitor...”
I leaned closer. Below my collarbone, there was actually a faint red mark.
I stared at myself in the mirror and said in the calmest voice:
“Congratulations, Scarlett. You’re free now.”
“Stop dreaming about him.”
I took a deep breath, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on my face.
VII Chapter 7
Scarlett POV
Hale Group headquarters.
I’d just gotten to the door of the executive break room when I heard the voices inside. I slowed down and stood right outside, picking up those familiar voices—Mark, Sarah, and Tom. Their laughs came through the door, full of cocky disrespect.
“Hey, what do you guys think our Boss Lady’s doing right now?” That was Mark from Finance.
Sarah snorted. “Hmph, what else? Either stuck to Alpha like glue or plotting how to mess with Liliana Ashford.”
Tom chuckled low. “I bet she’s still crying in the hospital. After that big kidnapping thing, she probably thinks she can still turn it around.”
“Turn it around? Come on.” Mark’s voice was full of sarcasm. “We’ve followed Alpha for years—we’ve seen everything. She started as Regina’s plain foster daughter and climbed to Luna. And for what? Every time she shows up in the office, Boss looks like he swallowed a fly.”
Sarah lowered her voice, sounding way too happy about it. “I bet five hundred bucks Jaxen won’t put up with her for over three months. Once Liliana’s back, this whole thing is done.”
Tom jumped in, “I say one month! That woman is straight-up poison.”
All three of them sniggered. Their laughs hit my chest like little needles.
I stood there in the hallway, fingers gripping my bag strap without thinking.
Then I walked right in.
The three of them froze as if they’d seen a ghost.
Mark almost dropped his coffee cup. Tom’s smile froze on his face. Sarah’s mouth hung open in a perfect O.
I walked over to the coffee machine, took my time grabbing а cup, and started making one. I didn’t even look at them when I said, calm as anything:
“Go on.”
Dead silence.
“How much was the bet?” I turned around and looked straight at Mark. “One month for the divorce or three? I can tell you the answer.”
Mark’s face went ghostly white. He couldn’t get a single word out.
“I’m the one who asked for the divorce.” I picked up my coffee and headed for the door. As I passed them, I paused. “So I guess I win the bet, huh?”
I didn’t wait for them to answer. I just walked out.
The hallway was quiet. I carried my coffee, trudging. I turned the corner, made sure no one was following, and stopped.
I gripped the cup tightly and leaned against the icy wall for a few seconds.
Something twisted hard in my chest. The old pain on the back of my head started throbbing again.
I took my coffee and walked into the office.
I looked around the space I’d decorated myself. My eyes landed on the framed wedding photo on the desk—Jaxen and me.
In the picture, I was smiling so big, and Jaxen looked cold and serious. I stared at it for two seconds. I used to love that photo so much.
I remembered the day we took it. After the wedding, I sat on the bed in my white dress, still smelling of rose petals. I waited for him for three hours. When he finally came in, he smelled of rain and something else I couldn’t place. He didn’t even look at me. Just changed and went to his study.
That night,t I took off my veil alone and put the photo in the frame alone.
I used to love that picture. Now it was just a piece of paper.
I flipped the frame down onto the desk.
I didn’t wait for Jaxen’s meeting to end.
I submitted my resignation in the company system and started packing up my things—those brief items I’d brought in with so much hope. My favorite pen holder I picked out myself, the plant I’d kept alive for five months, the scarf I kept in my drawer. One by one, they went into the cardboard box.
Halfway through, I checked my phone. The resignation still needed Jaxen’s approval.
System message: Waiting for Jaxen Hale to approve.
I stared at the screen and hit refresh.
Three seconds later, it changed to—Rejected.
I looked at those words, and my mouth twitched. I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry.
I leaned back in my chair and looked around the office I’d sat in for two years. I always get here first and leave last. I did everything perfectly. I thought he’d notice. He did. He just didn’t care.
I grabbed my phone and texted Delaney: “Can I crash at your place tonight?”
She texted back instantly: “Absolutely.”
After I finished packing, I took a deep breath, picked up the box, and headed to Jaxen’s office.
I knocked once, just for show, and pushed the door open.
The next second, I froze solid.
On the couch, Jaxen and Liliana were sitting way too close. She was practically leaning all over him. Jaxen’s face was still cool, but the way he looked down a little and didn’t push her away felt like needles digging into my weakest spot.
I wasn’t angry. Something I couldn’t even name—as I had finally accepted a truth I never wanted to believe.
I stood in the doorway. The box in my arms suddenly felt super heavy.
...
What happens next? Open the app and find out. 👉
(You'll be redirected to the book upon opening.)
argbook.com
A wonderland for all kinds of book lovers; Embrace a whole new world of gripping stories.
