(01
The dim glow of the setting sun filtered through the curtains, casting soft golden hues over the room as I adjusted the large bow on the gift box. My heart raced with anticipation, and for the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of hope. Tonight was our five–year wedding anniversary. It wasn’t just any milestone; it was a chance for me to salvage what little remained of my life as Alpha Eros’s Luna.
Everything was perfect–the box, the bow, the Moonstone, and the tiny pregnancy test I clutched in my trembling hand. Five long years of waiting, hoping, praying for a miracle. Finally, I had one. After years of Eros longing for an heir, I was pregnant. I imagined the joy on his face when I surprised him, the way his strong arms would envelop me, and the pride in his eyes when he realized we were starting a family.
I wanted to be his Luna, not just by title but by heart. Especially now that the rest of my world had crumbled. The sound of the front door opening startled me from my thoughts. My heart leapt in excitement. Eros was home. I quickly climbed inside the gift box, adjusting the bow from within, making sure everything was just right. I bit my lip to stifle a giggle, imagining his surprise.
Then I heard his phone vibrate, followed by the sound of it being placed on speaker. I stayed still, my ears perking up at the sound of his deep voice.
“Hey, Eros,” came a familiar voice–it was his friend, Darren.
“What is it?” Eros asked, his tone distracted.
“You won’t believe this Daisy is coming back,” Darren said, amusement lacing his words.
I froze. Daisy?
Eros paused. “I heard.”
“Yeah!” Darren continued. “Turns out she’s the real Alpha’s daughter. What a twist, huh? The one your father made you leave behind was actually the one he wanted you to marry all along. The Alpha’s daughter.”
There was a long silence before Eros spoke again, his voice low but firm. “I know. That’s great news.”
A lump formed in my throat.
“At the time, my father forced me to break up with Daisy and marry Remi because we thought she was the Alpha’s daughter. It was all for the alliance,” Eros admitted, bitterness creeping into his voice.
Darren chuckled. “Bet you didn’t see that coming.”
“I’ve had enough of Remi,” Eros muttered. “She’s boring. Always trying too hard. I’ve tolerated her for years because I had no choice, but now… now I might finally have a way out.”
My blood turned cold.
“She’s just so… desperate,” Eros added, his tone dripping with disdain. “Always planning these stupid surprises, thinking they’ll make a difference.”
I clutched the edge of the box, my knuckles white. My breath hitched as tears pricked my eyes.
C
“Speaking of which,” Eros continued with a sneer, “there’s a giant gift box in the room. Probably one of her idiotic. attempts to impress me. I don’t even want to open it.”
Darren laughed “Classic Remi.”
I bit down hard on my lip to keep from sobbing. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Everything I had done, everything I had planned–it was all for him. To see him smile, to feel even a fraction of his love. But now! realized he never saw me. Not as a partner. Not as his Luna. Not as anything
The sound of water running signaled that From had gone into the bathroom I sat there in the suffocating silence.
apped Daughter of the Apha
tears streaming down my face. My mind reeled as I tried to process what I had just heard.
A week ago, I found out the truth: I wasn’t the Alpha’s blood daughter. A mistake at the hospital had swapped me with Daisy, the rightful heir. My parents, who once adored me, turned cold overnight. Their love felt like a distant memory. Their words grew curt, their gazes empty. I was no longer their shining star but an outsider occupying a space I no longer deserved.
I poured all my hope into tonight. Eros was my last refuge, the one person I thought might stand by me when everyone else had abandoned me.
For years, I lived under the illusion that I belonged. That I mattered. My parents‘ love was gone. My position as the Alpha’s daughter stripped away. And now, the one person I thought would stand by me had just crushed my last hope.
I had done everything for Eros–sacrificed, endured, loved. And yet, it was never enough.
My hands trembled as I pressed the button inside the box, causing it to open with a soft click. I stepped out, my vision blurred by tears. My gaze fell on the glowing Moonstone in my hand, the rare and precious gift I had painstakingly obtained for him. It was supposed to symbolize my devotion, my belief in him.
But he didn’t deserve it.
With a resolute breath, I absorbed the Moonstone’s power The radiant glow dimmed, leaving behind a dull,
lifeless stone. It no longer held its brilliance, just as my love for him no longer held its meaning.
I threw the stone into the trash can alongside the gift box and wiped my tears.
As I walked out into the chilly night air, my phone buzzed. I answered it without thinking
“Where are you?” Eros’s impatient voice barked through the line. “Get back here immediately. We’re throwing a party tonight for Daisy’s return.”
Daisy’s return. The real daughter. His first love.
I hung up without responding, my heart heavy with despair. The streets blurred around me as tears fell freely. My world had crumbled, and I was left standing in the ruins, completely alone.
