Chapter 6

"Eduardo, don't blame her. We can't foresee who the Moon Goddess wishes to bless." Paulina said kindly, extending her hand towards me.

The pain on my cheek was still burning, and everything before my eyes seemed to fade into darkness.

Eduardo looked at me, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.

His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to explain something to me, but with Paulina present, he said nothing.

His jaw tightened, the hesitation disappeared in an instant, completely replaced by cold disdain.

It was as if the slap mark on my face was nothing more than an unsightly stain.

The last flicker of hope in my heart extinguished completely at that moment.

I had thought that after ten years, even the hardest heart would have softened over time.

But since Paulina returned, everything reverted to the starting point.

The little warmth he had left for me vanished without a trace.

He forgot the tears I shed for him, the suffering I endured.

All that remained in his eyes was suspicion and accusation, as though my every effort was a calculated scheme.

Under Paulina's gaze, I withdrew my hand.

My fingertips were icy, and a chilling coldness seeped into my heart, spreading to my limbs.

"Long time no see." Millie Clark, Eduardo's cousin, said with a false smile.

She grabbed my hair with one hand, pulling it so hard that I screamed.

"If it weren't for your scheming, Paulina would have been Eduardo's Luna for a long time."

Her voice was loud, not caring at all whether the people nearby would hear.

Millie's words were like knives, piercing my heart and shattering my dignity.

She dragged me to a small room in the corner, grabbing the neckline of my dress and pulling hard.

With a ripping sound, the neckline tore open, exposing the skin at my collarbone.

"Go find the Moon Goddess now and refuse her blessing! What right do you have to receive what Paulina didn't?"

No! No way!

I struggled desperately, but Millie's strength was far greater than mine.

Her hands continued to tear at my dress, the hem shredding, and her nails leaving scratch marks on my arms.

"It seems you're unwilling. Then you must face the consequences."

Suddenly, she stopped, excitement flashing across her face.

"You like seducing men, don't you?"

She waved her hand.

From the shadows, three rogues emerged, leering at me, their eyes scanning me from head to toe.

One of the rogues approached, grabbing my wrist, while another began tearing at my already tattered dress.

"Eduardo, save me..." I cried out in despair, my voice hoarse.

Just as the last rogue's hand was about to touch my chest, Eduardo's voice cut through the air.

"Stop." He commanded, standing not far away, his gaze terrifyingly dark.

"Eduardo, this woman is covered in kiss marks... She must have been with countless men, betraying you every day!"

Millie looked down at me with disdain.

Eduardo frowned but didn't defend me.

It was not long ago that he, in a drunken haze, had left those marks himself after a day of passion.

He knew they were his doing, yet he chose silence.

His silence was seen by everyone as acquiescence.

"I didn't..."

My voice trembled, tears uncontrollably streaming down my face.

My heart broke into pieces.

"Didn't you? The evidence is right here, and you still want to deny it? Pattie, can't you live without men?"

Eduardo cruelly supported Millie's argument.

Looking at his indifferent face, the ten years of grievances and anger I had bottled up exploded.

"You accuse me of infidelity? If I really cheated, you should feel a sharp pain in your heart. But you don't! You're a liar. You have betrayed the Moon Goddess! Because you took the drug that blocks the bond of the heart, you feel no pain. You did all this just to have sex with Paulina! My cubs are dead because of you!"