SONIA.

The moment the letter arrived, my eyes immediately caught the name written across it.

Anabel.

A soft chuckle slipped past my lips as I picked it up between my fingers, turning it over slightly as though it held some hidden meaning beyond the obvious. Of course, it was from her. Who else would bother sending me something like this?

For a brief moment, I didn’t even feel the urge to open it.

I wondered if it was just another one of her warnings,another desperate attempt to tell me to stay away from Noah. The thought alone almost made me laugh again. It was completely pointless.

No matter how many letters she sent, no matter how many times she tried to interfere, the truth wouldn’t change.

Noah would always be mine, I knew it and she knew it. Everyone would eventually come to accept it.

After all, what did Anabel really have? To Noah, she was nothing more than the precious little sister he never had, someone to protect, someone to tolerate. But me?

I was different.

There was something real between us. Something binding and far more deeper than whatever she believed she had.

If anything, we were practically already married. The only thing missing was the official ceremony, the formal declaration that would silence everyone else once and for all.

Still...It had been a while since she last sent anything. That alone was enough to spark a flicker of curiosity within me.

With a small sigh, I finally unfolded the letter and let my eyes scan through its contents.

And now...Standing here, watching Maria sit so calmly as if the world itself revolved around her... I found myself tightening my grip slightly.

For the first time, I had to admit something I never thought I would.

Anabel was right.

Maria wasn’t ordinary, she was... tough, and annoyingly so.

"Now get out of my room!" Maria’s voice cut through my thoughts sharply, dragging me back to the present.

She didn’t even look at me.

The audacity of it made something inside me snap. My jaw tightened instantly, irritation flaring up within me like a flame that refused to be extinguished.

Who the hell did she think she was?

Did she forget where she was standing? Did she forget who I was?

I wasn’t just anyone she could dismiss like that.

I controlled most of what went on around here. With just a single command, I could make her life unbearable. I could strip away whatever little comfort she thought she had.

And yet...there she was, acting like I didn’t matter.

"Maria," I said slowly, taking a deliberate step closer to her, my voice lowering into something more dangerous, more controlled. "You really don’t know that you’re playing with fire."

I paused, letting the weight of my words settle between us before continuing.

"And I should be the one telling you not to mess with me."

Finally, she turned, slowly and deliberately, her gaze met mine, steady and unshaken as she rose to her feet.

"I’m not afraid of you, Sonia," she said, her voice calm and it only irritated me more. "I know your kind of people... all talk, no action."

And then she smiled, a mocking smile.

"How dare you speak to me in..." I started, my voice rising, anger spilling over before I could contain it.

But I didn’t get to finish.

Maria moved.

She brushed past me with force, her shoulder hitting mine just enough to make a statement. Not an accident. Not a mistake.

A warning.

"I’m running late, Sonia," she said casually, as though nothing had just happened, as though I wasn’t even worth the effort of her anger. "I don’t have time for your drama."

She gestured toward the door, her hand moving slightly in a clear signal, for me to leave.

And then she stood there, right by the door, ready to walk out herself like I was the one in her way.

I felt the heat of embarrassment crawl up my skin at her actions, at the sheer audacity she had just displayed. For a brief moment, it caught me off guard, not because I was hurt, but because I hadn’t expected her to dare speak back to me like that.

And yet...the more I thought about it, the more a strange sense of amusement settled in. A slow, knowing smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

She really thought she had the upper hand, she really believed I was all talk and no action.

How amusing.

How utterly foolish.

If only she knew.

If only she understood the kind of person she was dealing with, she wouldn’t be standing there so confidently, throwing words around like they meant nothing. She wouldn’t be looking at me like I was someone she could easily dismiss.

But that was fine, let her think that way and feel bold because when the time came... when my actions finally unfolded, they would leave her stunned, speechless, even. And by then, it would already be too late for her to do anything about it.

I lifted my chin slightly, straightening my shoulders as I composed myself, carefully masking every trace of irritation behind a calm, elegant smile. I wasn’t going to let her see anything else. Not anger. Not embarrassment.

Nothing.

Without another word, I turned and stepped out of the room, my movements graceful, controlled, as though I hadn’t just been challenged in my own territory.

"We shall see about what you said earlier, Maria," I said, pausing just long enough to glance back at her, my eyes gleaming with something unreadable before I continued on my way.

I didn’t wait for her response, there was no need.

The game had already begun.

As I walked down the corridor, the faint echo of my footsteps following behind me, my expression slowly shifted. The smile on my lips deepened, turning sharper, more calculated.

No.

I wasn’t going to handle her directly.

That would be beneath me.

I didn’t need to get my hands dirty when I had something far more powerful at my disposal.

Influence.

Connections.

Support.

This pack wasn’t just a place I lived in, it was a structure, one built on hierarchy and authority. And I knew exactly where to go, exactly who to speak to.

The council of elders.

They were already aware of my engagement with Noah. They understood the importance of alliances, of promises made and upheld. To them, this wasn’t just about emotions, it was about order, about balance.

And that made them the perfect tool.

My steps quickened as the thought settled firmly in my mind, excitement bubbling quietly beneath the surface. Everything was falling into place.

"Noah, my love..." I murmured softly under my breath, almost as if he could hear me from wherever he was.

A quiet laugh escaped me.

"I can’t just sit back and watch you walk down the wrong path."

The words felt right, justified and convincing.

Because that was what this was, wasn’t it? I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I was simply correcting a mistake. Fixing what had gone astray.

"We are meant to be together," I continued, my voice dropping lower, more certain. "And no one is going to stop that."

I paused briefly, my smile widening as a darker thought crossed my mind.

"Allow me to help you get rid of... obstacles."

My eyes gleamed faintly, my resolve hardening with every step I took.

Because the truth was simple, in this game I had chosen to play...I didn’t care what happened to my opponent.

As long as I won.