Chapter 3

The Silverpine Pack headquarters stood inside the tallest building in Moonfall City's business district.

When I arrived at the boardroom with Selene, everyone turned to us in surprise.

No one had expected me to bring her here personally.

Senior board member Grant Holloway pulled me aside and lowered his voice.

"Elara, are you absolutely certain you want to hand over your voting rights to her?"

"The agreement is ready."

I signed the documents and then handed another authorization form to Selene.

"Starting today, you'll be responsible for the relevant operations of Mooncrest Holdings."

Selene accepted the papers, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Are you sure I can handle this?"

"You can take your time learning."

She lowered her head, her voice soft.

"Thank you, Elara. I promise I won't let you down."

The car remained silent for a long time on our way back.

Only after we had left the business district did Selene finally speak.

"Why are you giving all these things to me?"

I leaned against the window, watching the streets slip past.

"Because you've always wanted them."

She seemed momentarily at a loss for words.

"I never wanted to steal anything from you."

"Then consider it a gift."

"Don't you hate me?"

I turned my head toward her.

"I used to. But now, I don't have the energy to hate anyone anymore."

Selene fell silent for a moment before suddenly reaching out and grabbing my wrist.

"Elara, I know you're hurting. But I hope you understand that I really do care about this family."

I gently pulled my hand away.

"Then keep taking good care of Lyra."

"Of course."

"There's one more thing." I looked directly at her. "At least in front of Lyra, don't let her find out what happened between us. She's still young. She needs a stable home."

A complicated emotion flickered through Selene's eyes.

"I promise."

That evening, I stayed alone in my study.

Mira, my private caregiver, walked in. She wasn't just my attending physician. She was also the only person who knew the truth about my condition.

When she saw the documents spread across my desk, her eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Have you really decided to stop fighting for treatment?"

"The Moonwell purification spot has already been given to Selene."

"But your condition..."

"I know."

I pointed toward a metal storage case on the desk.

"Get rid of all the old materials inside."

The moment Mira saw what was in the case, her expression changed.

They were the pieces of evidence I'd collected over the years, including Selene's falsified medical records, suspicious potion purchase lists, and footage of her private meetings with Ronan Vale.

"These are enough to make her pay for everything she's done." Mira's voice trembled. "Why don't you hand them over to the pack enforcers now?"

I shook my head.

"I've already made arrangements. Don't let anyone know these things exist for the time being."

"But Lyra deserves to know the truth."

"What she needs is someone who can stay and raise her."

I pushed the storage case toward Mira.

"I won't let her lose her entire family because of me."

Mira didn't try to persuade me again. She simply lowered her head and wiped away her tears.