Damian kicked the door open, his hands trembling as he rushed to Chloe's side and gathered her into his arms.

"Chloe, don't be scared. I'm taking you to the hospital right now."

Elara opened her mouth, trying to explain.

But Damian strode past her, his shoulder slamming into hers as he focused only on the woman in his arms.

Elara stumbled back, losing her balance.

Damian didn't seem to notice, his attention solely on comforting Chloe.

He didn't say a word to Elara, but she felt a bone-deep chill that was colder than any verbal accusation.

Elara didn't know how she got to the hospital.

When she found the operating room where Chloe was, Damian was pacing outside, his anxiety palpable.

It was clear he had truly fallen for Chloe.

She said nothing, quietly taking a seat on a bench on the other side of the hallway, waiting for the results.

The corridor was silent.

The once-inseparable mates now sat on opposite sides of an unbridgeable chasm.

Only silence remained between them.

After what felt like an eternity, Damian lifted his bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse.

"Elara, I promised you the Luna's position would always be yours, that you were the only one I loved. Why did you have to go after Chloe?"

After seven years together, Elara knew Damian all too well.

He was on the verge of exploding.

The last time she'd seen him this angry was when she'd gotten accidentally injured on a film set, and he'd taken his fury out on the entire crew.

Now, his anger was for his lover, and the target of that fury was her.

How ironic.

Elara lowered her gaze, swallowing the thick lump of bitterness in her throat.

"I didn't push her. She framed me."

Damian let out a cold, cynical laugh, his disbelief obvious.

"Elara, when did you learn to play these petty games like the other she-wolves? Wasn't what I gave you enough? The Luna's position, my love—it was all yours. I was just having some fun with Chloe. Couldn't you tolerate even that?"

Just for fun. I only love you.

Hearing those words, Elara let out a small, bitter laugh that ended with her eyes turning red.

"Damian, if you repeat a lie often enough, do you start to believe it yourself? Put your hand on your heart and ask yourself, do you really still love me?"

If he loved her, why would he constantly seek out other women?

If he loved her, why would he let another woman carry his child?

If he loved her, why did he have absolutely no trust in her?

Seeing the desolate emptiness in her eyes, Damian flinched, and some of his anger subsided.

He reasoned that she was just acting out because she loved him too much. It was jealousy.

He had been so focused on Chloe this past month that he had indeed neglected her feelings.

Damian stood up and pulled Elara into an embrace.

"Elara, just wait a little longer. Once I get bored of the women on the side, I'll come back to you. Then, whatever you want to do, I'll do it with you."

It was the same old empty promise, one he would never keep.

Elara pushed him away, her voice devoid of emotion.

"There's no need."

Because they had officially severed their mate bond.

She didn't need to wait anymore. From now on, she could do whatever she wanted, by herself.

Damian thought she was still sulking.

"I'll make sure Chloe drops the matter. But you have to apologize to her when she wakes up."

Elara couldn't believe her ears.

He wanted her to apologize.

For what? She hadn't done anything wrong.

She was about to argue when the operating room doors swung open.

A nurse rushed out.

"Mr. Blackwood, the patient is hemorrhaging. We urgently need Type A blood."

Damian immediately pulled out his phone and called his Beta, ordering him to divert all Type A blood from every blood bank in the city to the hospital.

Seeing his frantic state, Elara was suddenly reminded of the year her stunt went wrong.

Damian had used his own body to save her, and he had been just as terrified then. He hadn't relaxed until he saw she was safe, at which point he had fainted.

Elara rolled up her sleeve and extended her arm to the nurse.

"I'm Type A. Take my blood first."

At her words, Damian's expression became incredibly complex. His lips moved as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

Elara ignored his reaction and followed the nurse to have her blood drawn.

They took 800cc before they stopped.

Her face was now deathly pale, her lips completely drained of color.

She pressed a cotton ball to the needle mark and walked slowly back to Damian, a relieved smile on her face.

"Now... I don't owe you anything anymore."

The life debt from seven years ago was repaid.

Damian, however, thought she was doing it out of guilt for pushing Chloe.

His gaze fell on her pale face, and a pang of protectiveness shot through him.

"Elara, you should go home and rest. I'll come see you after Chloe is stable."

Elara didn't answer. She simply turned and, dragging her weakened body, walked away.

For some reason, watching her retreating back filled Damian with a strange sense of panic. He opened his mouth to call out to her.

But just then, the light above the operating room went out. He had to turn to the doctor to ask about Chloe's condition first.

When he looked up again, Elara was gone.

Back home, Elara pulled her already-packed suitcase to the door.

She took the certificate of dissolution from her bag and placed it on the shoe cabinet. Then, she tore a piece of paper from a notepad and wrote one final message to Damian.

[Damian, the movie about us has officially wrapped. From now on, let's never see each other again.]

She placed the note under the certificate and took one last look at the home she had lived in for seven years.

All the love and hate of those seven years ended today.

She, Elara Vance, was going off to write a new script for her own life.