​Leo’s POV

​I met my brothers in Liam’s room. The air was thick and heavy, as if we were all drowning in the same dark water. Liam was standing by the window, staring out at the pack grounds, his back to us. Leonard sat on the couch, his face buried in his hands and his fingers tangled in his hair as if he were trying to hold his head together.

​I walked in, shut the door quietly, and leaned my back against the wall. The silence stretched between us. It was a suffocating, heavy silence that felt like it was crushing my chest.

​"Everything we did," Liam finally spoke, his voice sounding raw and hollow. "Every word we spat at her. Every time we let her get bullied or treated like trash... all of it was for a lie. We hated her for a crime that didn’t even happen."

​"They had no right," Leonard whispered, finally looking up. His eyes were bloodshot. "The prophecy was about us. It was our life, our future. They should have told us the truth and let us face it. They shouldn’t have gone behind our backs and played with our souls like this. Because of them, Scarlett suffered. Because of them, she died alone and in pain. I will never forgive them. Never."

​From where I stood, I swallowed hard. The guilt was like a heavy, cold stone in my stomach. Scarlett is alive, my mind screamed. But telling them was never an option.

​Sorry, brothers, I said to myself, my grip tightening on my own arms. I looked at them and felt a dark, selfish possessiveness flare up in my chest. Scarlett was my mate. I couldn’t share her. I couldn’t go back to the days of fighting over her with you two. If you think she’s dead, you won’t look for her. You won’t try to take her from me.

​"What next?" I asked, my voice coming out steady despite the chaos in my head. "What should we do?"

​Liam turned around, his eyes cold and sharp. "What’s next is divorcing those women. I am not staying married to Camilla for another second. I’m not living a lie for parents who don’t exist to me anymore."

​"We can’t just divorce them, Liam," Leonard said, his voice weary. "Not without a scandal. The pack laws are strict. Unless they are caught cheating or they commit a crime against the pack, the elders won’t grant it."

​"I don’t fucking care about the elders!" Liam roared. His Alpha aura flared for a split second, shaking the lamps on the side tables. "I’ll burn the law book myself if I have to."

​The room returned to that heavy silence. I stood there, watching them, just waiting for the right moment to bring up my trip. I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t look at my brothers’ grief while I was hiding the very thing that would cure it.

​"This house is suffocating," I said, pushing off the wall. "I can’t breathe here. Every corner of this place reminds me of the lies. I’m going to go pack for my trip to handle the port business. I need to get out of this territory."

​Liam looked at me, his gaze lingering a second too long, searching my face. I kept my expression like stone.

​"Go," Liam said, turning back to the window. "Someone should get away from this hellhole."

​I didn’t wait for him to change his mind. I walked out, my heart already racing toward the airport. I hurried to my room, the walls feeling like they were closing in on me. As soon as I was inside, I mind-linked my pilots.

​"Get the jet ready. I’m leaving in an hour," I commanded.

​"Yes, Alpha. Where to?" the pilot asked.

​"Back to Nigeria," I countered, my voice sharp even in my head. "But listen to me—you must not let anyone know. Especially my brothers. If they ask, you tell them we are heading for Australia. Is that clear?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

​"Understood, Alpha. We’ll be ready."

​I ended the link and started throwing clothes into a suitcase. My hands were moving fast, fueled by a mix of excitement and nerves. I mind-linked my Beta, Jackson. There was no point in lying to him; he was my personal Beta, and his loyalty was to me, not the pack or my brothers.

​"Jackson, I’m heading back to Nigeria for a few days. My brothers think I’m going to Australia. Keep things quiet here."

​"Copy that, Alpha. I’ll make sure no one asks too many questions. I’ll let you know if anything comes up."

​Next, I made a quick call to the business partners in Australia. I told them I was delayed but would be there in three days to sign the papers. They agreed without an issue. My plan was simple: I’d spend a few days with Scarlett in Nigeria, then I’d take her with me to Australia for a romantic trip. After the contract was signed, I’d take her to France, or Italy—anywhere she wanted to go. I wanted to give her the world.

​Suitcase in hand, I slipped out of my room and headed toward the back stairs to avoid seeing anyone from my family again. But as I passed the small sitting room near the study, I heard voices. Low, hushed voices.

​I froze, my Alpha hearing picking up every word.

​"We should have told them, Zane," a woman’s voice whispered. It was Scarlett’s mother. "We should have told the boys that she’s alive. Watching them like that... it’s too much."

​"No," Zane’s voice answered, sounding tired. "If they know she’s alive, they will find her. And if they find her, the prophecy starts all over again. We have to let them believe she’s gone for their own safety. It’s the only way to keep them from killing each other."

​My heart nearly stopped. A cold realization washed over me. They knew.

​Scarlett’s parents knew she was alive this whole time. They weren’t mourning her; they were part of the lie, too. They were helping keep her away from us. It hit me then—I wasn’t the only one playing a dangerous game. But while they were hiding her to keep us apart, I was the one who actually had her.

​I gripped the handle of my suitcase and turned away. I didn’t stick around to hear more. I didn’t care about their reasons; getting to Scarlett was the only thing in my heart.