MARIA.

There was something about the way Adrien was staring at me that almost made my heart soften.

His eyes carried desperation, regret, pain and for one dangerous second, I almost pitied him but I immediately pulled myself back together mentally.

No.

I could not allow myself to become weak now, not after everything they had done, not after all the humiliation and pain they had put me through.

"There is nothing like a second chance, Adrien," I said coldly, forcing my voice to remain firm.

Adrien shook his head immediately.

"No, Maria... there is," he replied stubbornly. "Even the Moon Goddess gives second chances."

I almost scoffed at his response.

The confidence in his voice irritated me deeply.

Why did he keep acting as though fate alone was enough to erase everything?

"You are delusional," I replied sharply. "And I truly hope you wake up from whatever fantasy you are living in soon." I folded my arms tightly against my chest before continuing. "There is absolutely nothing that can ever happen between us anymore." I paused briefly before adding coldly... "Not even with your brothers."

The moment those words left my mouth, the expression on Adrien’s face shifted painfully.

But honestly, I could not bring myself to care.

I was tired.

Tired of being pulled emotionally from one side to another because of this cursed mate bond.

"To prevent making my life any harder than it already is," I continued, turning my face away from him, "I would appreciate it if you left my room and spared me unnecessary rumors."

But instead of backing down, Adrien moved even closer.

"And I am willing to take responsibility for whatever rumors may come," he said softly, then he paused slightly before adding, "We are."

We?

My brows furrowed instantly in confusion.

Before I could even process what he meant, the door suddenly pushed open wider.

And the rest of the Quadruplets walked inside.

I froze instantly.

Seriously?

Did they all suddenly lose the ability to respect boundaries?

"Maria," Damien said calmly as he stepped into the room fully, "you are our responsibility. We cannot allow another man to do what we are supposed to do."

I stared at him in disbelief.

Responsibility?

Now I was suddenly their responsibility?

The same people who once humiliated me publicly now wanted to act protective and possessive. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Honestly, the irony was almost laughable.

"That is the only proper thing that should happen, Maria," Davian added as he moved toward me slowly.

The moment he stretched his hand forward, intending to grab mine, I immediately stepped backward before he could touch me.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense but I did not care because none of them had the right to touch me whenever they pleased.

"Maria, we need you," Aidan said suddenly.

Unlike the others, his voice sounded calmer, almost pleading and then he continued softly.

"Come back home with us. We can explain everything to the invited guests. They will understand... they might even support us."

I stared at him blankly.

Honestly, I could not believe the nonsense leaving his mouth.

Support them?

After everything?

Did they truly believe people would applaud them for trying to stop another Alpha’s wedding only days before it happened?

At this point, I genuinely wondered if the four of them had completely lost their minds together.

I let out a slow breath before looking at each of them carefully.

"You all truly hear yourselves speak and still think you sound reasonable?" I asked quietly.

The room fell silent instantly.

But the frustration boiling inside me only deepened further.

"We are truly sorry, Maria... just give us another chance," Davian said quickly, almost desperately.

His eyes stayed fixed on me as though he was afraid I would disappear if he blinked.

"We are not getting any younger," he continued softly. "And our pup can only come from you."

The moment those words left his mouth, my eyes widened in disbelief.

From me?

Seriously?

Who exactly was he trying to fool?

I stared at him blankly as countless memories flashed through my mind.

Had he not already considered all these things before announcing his engagement with Vanessa?

Before humiliating me?

Before treating another woman like she was worthy of standing beside them while I was pushed aside repeatedly?

Weren’t they all supposed to be preparing for a wedding with Vanessa before everything suddenly fell apart?

So why were they suddenly acting as though I had always been the only option?

Honestly, the hypocrisy irritated me deeply.

"Spare me all this pretense," I said coldly. "I am not ready to entertain any of it."

Without waiting for another response, I walked away from them and sat down on the edge of my bed.

At that moment, I truly did not want to continue arguing anymore.

I was exhausted as everything about the Quadruplets had become overwhelming. I leaned back slightly against the bedframe before shutting my eyes briefly.

"When you are all ready, you can leave," I added dismissively.

Honestly, I only wanted a moment of peace.

Just one moment.

But apparently, peace refused to exist anywhere around the Quadruplets.

Because the instant my eyes remained closed for a few seconds longer, I suddenly became aware of the warmth surrounding me.

At first, I thought maybe I was imagining things but then...a soft touch brushed gently through my hair.

My brows furrowed instantly.

At the same time, I felt another touch near my feet, and then another against my hand.

Confused, I opened my eyes immediately... Only to freeze completely.

Adrien sat beside me carefully brushing my hair with his fingers as though I was something fragile.

Davian was crouched near my feet, gently holding my ankle while inspecting my toenails like he intended to clean them himself.

Damien sat close enough for his fingers to move slowly against my hand in soft circles.

Meanwhile, Aidan stood nearby fanning me calmly like some devoted servant.

For several seconds, I could only blink at them in complete disbelief.

Once.

Twice.

Surely I was imagining this.

Surely this was another strange dream caused by stress.

But no matter how many times I blinked, the scene remained exactly the same.

Reality finally hit me hard, I was not dreaming. The Quadruplets were actually surrounding me like this.

"What are you all doing?" I asked breathlessly.

None of them answered immediately, instead, Adrien continued brushing my hair gently. Davian’s touch against my ankle remained careful. Damien kept tracing slow circles against my palm and Aidan continued fanning me with complete seriousness.

My heart instantly began racing wildly inside my chest, not because I enjoyed it but because the mate bond reacted terribly to their closeness as warmth spread through my body uncontrollably.

My breathing became uneven.

And that only irritated me further.

"Get off me!" I suddenly yelled, standing up from the bed so quickly all of them immediately paused.

I stepped away hurriedly while trying to steady my dangerously racing heart.

Honestly, what exactly was wrong with them?

Had they all completely lost their minds overnight?

The four of them stared at me silently.

But somehow, the look in their eyes made the entire situation feel even more dangerous than before.