Three days after the gala dinner.

Emily stood with her back to the door, gazing out at the city through the giant glass wall. She held her phone to her ear. Nearby, Leon stood straight, holding a folder with the latest merger documents.

"Ma'am, your guest is in the lobby," came the receptionist's voice over the line.

Emily curled her lips into a cold smile. "Send him up."

"Do you want me to stay here?" Leon asked as he stepped closer.

Emily turned to him, her eyes icy. "No need. Let Alexander see for himself that in this room, there's only me."

"Understood," Leon replied.

When the elevator doors opened, heavy footsteps echoed inside. Alexander Blackridge — Alpha of the Carter Pack, Emily's former mate, the man who had rejected her five years ago — stepped in. His black suit was immaculate, his silver tie perfectly knotted, but his face looked worn, his eyes dull. The once-feared Alpha now looked like a broken man.

"Mr. Blackridge," Emily greeted him as she turned around.

Alexander met her gaze. "Emily..."

"Sit down."

Alexander took a deep breath and sat in the chair opposite her desk. Emily grabbed a thick folder and flipped it open. The first page displayed Carter Corporation's stock graph — the red line plunging, profits bleeding dry. Emily slid the folder across the table toward him.

"This is what you came here to talk about, isn't it?"

Alexander stared at the numbers, disappointment clouding his eyes. "Why are you doing this, Emily?"

"Doing what? Business? Isn't this your world? Alpha Blackridge — ruler of the largest pack in the East."

Alexander looked up at her, his hoarse voice almost a growl. "I want to fix this. I want to—"

Suddenly, small footsteps ran past the glass door. A little boy in a white shirt and blue sweater appeared at the doorway, his nanny close behind. His black hair and green eyes mirrored Emily's, but if Alexander looked closely enough, he'd see that the boy's jawline was all his.

"Mommy?" the boy said softly. Emily turned to him, her expression softening for a heartbeat.

"Hey, sweetheart. Mommy's in a meeting. Why did you come up here?"

The boy buried his face in Emily's neck. "Grandma's gone home. I want to stay here."

Emily kissed the top of his head. "Just a moment, Evan. Mommy will be with you soon."

Alexander froze, his jaw clenching. "Evan?"

"Meet Evan. He's four years old," Emily said, locking eyes with her former Alpha.

Alexander sat in stunned silence, his eyes wide. The boy's scent hit his Alpha senses — faint but unmistakable — carrying his bloodline. Alexander's hands trembled on the table.

"He's mine?" Alexander asked.

Emily gently patted Evan's back and handed him to the nanny.

"Take Evan to the lounge."

When the door closed again, Alexander shot to his feet.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?!"

Emily rose too, standing face-to-face with him. "Why? Because you threw his mother away. Because you traded your rightful Luna for another female."

"He's my son! You can't hide him from me!" Alexander's voice trembled with rage.

Emily stepped closer, her voice a whisper of steel. "You want your rights? You want to be a father? Prove you deserve it."

"I'll do anything, Emily. Anything. I swear — by the blood of the pack — I'll make it right," Alexander said, his regret clear in every word.

Emily leaned in, letting Alexander pull her into his arms. The scent of his Alpha aura wrapped around her again — a smell she had once loved. She only patted his back lightly.

"You want us back, Alex?" she whispered.

"Yes. I want you back. You and Evan."

Emily gave him a cold smile, her hand brushing along his jaw. "Fine. Hand over thirty percent of your shares to E.D Holdings. Let me take control of Carter Corporation."

Alexander stepped back half a pace. "Emily, that's—"

"If you're a true Alpha, prove it! Surrender the throne! Show Evan which Alpha deserves his loyalty — his weak father or his mother who rose from the ashes."

Alexander stared at her for a long moment, weighing a decision heavier than any he had ever made.

"If I agree, you'll come back to me?" he asked.

Emily leaned in, her lips brushing his. The kiss was heated — to Alexander, it felt like a gesture of forgiveness. To Emily, it was a seal that would bury Carter Corporation six feet under.

"I'll come back to you, Alex. But be ready to bear it all."

"I'll do it. I'll hand over the shares — as long as you and Evan come back to me," Alexander breathed.

Emily caressed his cheek, looking deep into his eyes. "Good."

She stroked his face slowly, her fingers tracing his jaw. She studied him for a moment, as if storing his face in her memory, though the heart inside her chest had frozen solid five years ago. Slowly, she reached for his neck, pulling him into her arms. His chest shuddered as Emily pressed her cheek to the broad shoulder that had once been her haven.

So warm — the scent of an Alpha — and now, nothing more than fuel for the fire of her vengeance. Emily closed her eyes, hiding a smile. In the silence, she whispered in her heart:

"Look at you now, Alexander Blackridge Carter. The arrogant Alpha who once threw me out like garbage, now bowing before me for a shred of forgiveness. You cast me onto the snowy streets that night."

She tightened her embrace, her delicate fingers pressing into his back.

"You think I came back because I missed you? You think I kiss you because I still love you? No, Alex. I came back because I crave blood. I kiss you because I want to watch you fall — strip away every feather from your mighty mantle until you stand bare before the Alpha Council, your pack, and the humans you once crushed underfoot."

Alexander sighed, returning her embrace as if clutching onto life itself. In Emily's ears, his heartbeat thudded fast — a rhythm that might have once soothed her. Still, now she only gazed over his shoulder, picturing Carter Corporation's boardroom empty, Alexander's name smeared in the press, Victoria cast aside like a starving stray.

"You abandoned me on a full moon night, Alex. You forced your pack to bow to a new Luna who couldn't even hold your bite. And now? Look what you have left. Your pack crumbling, your shares drained, the Carter name ripped apart like weak prey in a wolf's jaws."

Emily slowly pulled back but kept her hands around his neck. She looked him straight in the eye.

"Alex?" she whispered sweetly.

"Yes, Emily?"

She brushed the corner of his mouth. "Are you sure you still want me back?"

Alexander nodded. "I do. For you and for Evan. We can fix this."

Emily smiled — soft, lethal. "Good. Then we start with Evan."

Alexander held his breath. "Evan?"

Emily took his hand and guided him to a chair. She pressed down on his shoulder until he sat, then stood before him, tall, regal, the true Luna ready to shred anyone who dared challenge her.

"Evan will not stay in your mansion until I'm certain you're completely under control. I won't have my son watching his father keep playing around and betraying his Luna."

Alexander stammered. "I swear, Emily, I won't—"

Emily lifted a finger to his lips. "Shh. Prove it with a contract. Hand over the shares. Dismantle the board that opposes me. Bring your Beta and Delta to heel. Then Evan will sleep in his room — in your house."

Alexander stared at her for a long moment. Slowly, he reached for her waist, pressing his face to her flat stomach beneath the expensive blouse. He breathed in the scent of the mother of his child. Emily looked down at him, stroking his hair.

"Look at me, Alexander. The woman you once crushed now holds you with ease. I won't stop until the Alpha who rejected me bows before me, begging for a bite of forgiveness he'll never get."

Emily pulled Alexander to his feet and sealed her promise with another kiss. To Alexander, the kiss tasted sweet — but to Emily, it was poison on her tongue. She whispered into his lips,

"I'll give you a second chance, Alex."

Alexander responded, pulling her deeper into his embrace, blind to the fact that the Luna in his arms was no longer a helpless mate. She was the Queen of Ice — a predator waiting for the perfect night to strike.

Over his shoulder, Emily opened her eyes, and her smile was pure venom.

Enjoy your second chance. I'll make sure you remember it for the rest of your miserable life.