Helena's face contorted with fury. "I know EVERYTHING about love! I know Caesar better than anyone! His favorite coffee blend, how he likes his steaks cooked, the nightmares he had after losing his parents—I was there for ALL of it!"
"But you never knew his heart," Sylvia interrupted, her voice cutting through Helena's rant like a blade. "You catalogued his preferences like collecting trophies, but you never saw him as a person with his own agency. To you, Caesar was never a mate to be loved."
The words hit like silver bullets straight to the heart. Something flickered in Helena's eyes—a moment of soul-crushing clarity before rage consumed her like wildfire.
Caesar stepped forward, his presence devouring the space like an approaching hurricane. When he spoke, his voice carried t
