Since throwing me into the pool, Cain hadn’t returned home for three days. Not a call, not a text, not even a sneering insult. It was as if I’d ceased to exist. But I wasn’t rotting in my room. Today was the annual Wolf Pack Auction, and among the artifacts was my grandmother’s locket, a delicate silver piece with intricate carvings stolen years ago and now resurfacing.
I arrived at the auction house; my head held high. Cain was already there, of course; Athena draped on his arm, her laughter echoing loudly, grating on my nerves. He spotted me, and for a split second, his smirk faltered. Good.
My heart hammered when the auctioneer announced lot 27, “A silver locket, believed to be from the revered Shadowhunter lineage.”
“One million,” I stated, cutting through the murmurs.
Cain’s head snapped towards me. He hadn’t expected me to bid, let alone so aggressively. Athena whispered something in his ear, a triumphant smile on her face.
“Two million,” Cain countered.
“Five million,” I shot back, my gaze locked on his.
His jaw clenched. “Ten million.”
The room went silent. Confusion rippled through the crowd, wondering why we were locked in a bidding war over a mere locket.
“Twenty million,” I said, unwavering.
Cain’s eyes glared with desperation. He raised his paddle, then hesitated. He pulled out his phone, a sinister glint in his eyes.
My phone vibrated. I opened the message. A photo. My grandmother, frail and vulnerable, hooked to life support, a nurse adjusting the tubes. And a message: “Go higher, Esme. Your grandmother’s life support has an off switch. I could have it switched off anytime.”
My breath hitched. I closed my eyes, fighting back the rising bile. He couldn’t. But he had killed Noah. He had discarded our baby. He was capable of anything.
I lowered my paddle, my hand trembling.
“No bid,” I rasped, the words tearing through my throat.
Cain smirked, a cruel, victorious smile spreading across his face.
“Fifty million,” he announced, winning the locket.
Then, he came to me, holding the locket.
“Such a shame, Esme,” he whispered, his voice filled with malicious glee. “Your grandmother looked like a witch wearing this. It deserves to be worn by someone like Athena.”
I didn’t answer. I turned and sought refuge in the ladies’ room. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to compose myself.
The door creaked open, and Athena sashayed in, her dress shimmering.
“Oh, Luna Esme,” Athena purred, her eyes glittering triumphantly.
“Still reeling from losing that locket? Such a pity. I’m sorry I told Cain to give it to you, but he insisted that it looked better on me."
“You think you’ve won?” I sneered.
“You’re just a pawn, Athena. A convenience. Cain will discard you just as easily when he’s done."
Her eyes narrowed, then she cackled.
“Cain loves me! He hadn’t been home for days, right? Because he’s with me every night. Making love to me. He can’t look at you anymore. You’re a bitter, barren hag, Esme. A hen who can’t lay an egg."
Before I could respond, the door to the restroom burst open. Two burly men stormed in. They grabbed my arms, twisting them painfully behind my back.
“What...who are you?!” I struggled, but their grip was like iron.
Athena watched with a smirk.
“Just some friends, Esme. Here to teach you a lesson about respecting your superiors."
The men shoved me against the wall, one of them covering my mouth. I thrashed, my heart pounding, a desperate plea.
Cain! I sent a frantic mind link, pouring all my fear and desperation into it. Help me! Please!
Seconds felt like an eternity. Then, the door was kicked open, and Cain stood there, his eyes blazing. For a fleeting moment, I thought he had come to save me.
“Cain! Thank goodness!” Athena cried, rushing to him, feigning terror.
“She attacked me! She called these men to ruin my reputation! She’s trying to frame me, to make me look bad in front of everyone."
I stared at her, speechless. The audacity. The sheer, venomous manipulation. Cain looked from Athena to me, then back to Athena’s trembling form. His eyes, once filled with concern for me, hardened into disgust. He strode towards me.
“You pathetic, desperate excuse for a Luna!” he snarled, and his open palm connected with my cheek with a sickening crack. My head snapped back, a sharp ringing in my ears. Something broke inside me; my last shred of self-preservation. I lifted my hand, the pain in my ribs and face fueling a cold fury.
Slap.
The sound echoed through the silent room. Cain’s eyes widened, and his right cheek flared crimson. Before he could react, I hit him again, harder this time, across the other cheek. Then, I walked away, leaving them stunned in shock.
