Vanessa.

"I don’t understand, Aidan..." My voice came out quieter than I intended, almost fragile, as I took a slow step back.

The space between us suddenly felt necessary, like I needed distance just to think, to breathe. My eyes stayed on him, searching, questioning.

"Are you trying to cancel our wedding?"

The words hung in the air, heavier than I expected, carrying more than just curiosity, there was doubt in them now, and something dangerously close to fear.

"No, Vanessa!"

He reacted immediately, pushing himself up from where he had been sitting. The sudden movement made me tense slightly, my gaze sharpening as I watched him.

"I’m not canceling anything," he added quickly, his tone firm, as if trying to correct the impression before it settled.

But I didn’t respond, I just stood there waiting.

"I’m just saying..." he continued, his voice lowering slightly as he tried to sound more reasonable, more controlled. "We should postpone it."

Postpone.

The word echoed in my mind.

"I need you to rule a secured pack, Vanessa."

I scoffed softly, the sound slipping out before I could stop it. My head turned slightly, my gaze drifting away from him as I tried to process what he was saying, or rather, what he wasn’t saying.

"Are you saying I’m unfit?" I asked, my voice steady but edged now, sharper than before. "Unfit to carry out the duties of the pack as your Luna?"

The question wasn’t just a question.

It was a challenge.

He paused.

I could feel it without even looking at him.

"Don’t get me wrong, Vanessa," he said after a moment, his tone softer now, almost careful.

I finally turned back to face him as he took a deep breath, like he was choosing his next words very deliberately.

"I just want you to be safe," he continued. "The moment you become my Luna... you become a target."

His gaze held mine, steady, serious but something about it didn’t sit right.

Was he trying to make it sound reasonable?

Or was he trying to buy time?

Time for what?

Or rather...

For who?

Maria.

The thought slipped into my mind instantly, uninvited but impossible to ignore. My expression didn’t change, but inside, something tightened.

For goodness’ sake...I’m already his fiancée.

Doesn’t that make me a target already?

Why was he acting like the danger would only begin after the wedding?

Why delay it now?

Why hesitate?

"Really, Aidan..." I said slowly, my voice dropping, quieter but more intense this time. I took a small step forward, closing the distance I had created earlier. "Tell me the truth." My eyes locked onto his, refusing to let him look away. "Is there something you’re hiding from me?"

The question lingered between us, heavy, demanding.

I searched his face carefully, watching every flicker, every movement, every shift in his expression. I wasn’t just listening to his words anymore, I was looking for what he wasn’t saying.

For what he was trying to keep hidden.

Then, after a brief pause, I added...

"Do you still love me?"

My voice softened slightly on the last words, but my gaze didn’t waver.

I watched him closely, carefully, waiting and hoping to catch even the slightest reaction, something real, something honest, anything that would tell me exactly where I stood.

But Aidan looked away instantly.

The moment the question left my lips, his gaze broke from mine, shifting to the side as though the answer I was looking for had suddenly become too heavy to hold. It was subtle, but I saw it.

And it was enough.

"Vanessa... why are you suddenly asking that?" he said, turning back to face me, his expression carefully composed now, as if he had already decided what I was allowed to see. "Are you suddenly doubting our love for you?"

His tone carried a hint of confusion, but there was something else beneath it, something guarded.

I let out a small breath, my eyes narrowing slightly as I studied him.

"You know what, Aidan..." I began, my voice no longer as soft as before. There was an edge to it now, one I didn’t bother to hide. "With the way you’ve been behaving..." I paused briefly, letting the weight of my words settle. "I really don’t know what to think."

My voice rose just a little, enough to show the frustration I had been holding in, enough to make it clear that I wasn’t going to brush this aside so easily.

"Enough!"

The sudden sharpness of his voice cut through the room, making me flinch instinctively. My body reacted before my mind could catch up, a slight step back, a brief tightening in my chest.

His reaction was immediate.

Aidan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply as if trying to regain control over himself.

"Everything we are doing is for your sake," he said, his voice lower now, calmer but still firm. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "I’m sorry I shouted."

I held his gaze for a second longer before nodding slightly.

"It’s fine," I said simply.

I turned away from him then, my steps slow and deliberate as I walked toward his table. My fingers brushed lightly against the surface before I reached for the jug, lifting it carefully.

The silence between us returned.

I picked up a cup and began to pour the water into it, the soft sound filling the quiet space. My movements were steady, controlled, giving nothing away.

And in that moment...I added it.

The substance slipped in seamlessly, dissolving into the water without a trace, as if it had never been there to begin with.

Perfect.

I set the jug down, my expression already shifting as I turned back to face him.

A smile spread across my lips, soft and convincing.

"Here," I said, extending the cup toward him. "Drink."

My voice was gentle now, almost apologetic.

"I’m so sorry... I wasn’t thinking," I added, maintaining the smile, making it believable, making it real enough for him not to question it. "So sorry for being unreasonable Aidan."

For a second, he looked at me, then at the cup, then back at me and without hesitation, he took it.

He lifted the cup to his lips and drank the water in one gulp, not leaving a single drop behind. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

I watched carefully and silently. Every second stretched as I waited.

A few minutes passed.

He shifted slightly, his brows pulling together as something seemed to settle in.

Slowly, he turned to look at me, his expression had changed—confusion, suspicion.

"Vanessa..." he started, his voice slower now, uncertain.

My smile didn’t falter.

"What did you...?"