Olivia’s POV

I turned to Lennox, whose watchful, intense eyes had been on me the entire time. “I would like to speak to my husband, Alpha Gabriel,” I said softly but firmly, “privately.”

His jaw tensed slightly; hesitation flickered in his eyes. His fingers drummed against the table before he reached into his pocket and produced his phone. He held it out, the screen displaying Gabriel’s contact. “Here,” he said, his voice neutral. “You can call him when you return to your room.”

I stared at the phone. A warning echoed in my mind: What if it’s recording? Tracked? Tapped?

Offering a small smile to mask my suspicion, I murmured, “Thank you,” and gently took the phone. I didn’t dial. Instead, I memorized the number, repeating it over and over, committing it to memory: +64-9-3… My eyes scanned each digit like a mantra. I would not forget.

Once certain I had it, I handed the phone back to Lennox with a composed expression. “On second thought, I’ll wait for his call. I wouldn’t want to disturb him unexpectedly; he doesn’t need distractions now.”

Lennox studied me a moment before nodding. I pushed back from the table, placing a hand on my temple. “I’m feeling a headache,” I said quietly. “I’ll return to my room.”

Lolita and Nora were instantly at my side. “We’ll walk with you,” Lolita said, a fake worried frown on her face.

As we walked down the hall, I continued repeating the number, refusing to let it slip. Once inside my room, I closed the door and turned to Lolita immediately. “I need your handset,” I said urgently. “Please.”

She didn’t question me, reaching into her apron and handing it over. I told them to remain in the room while I went to the bathroom to make the call, ensuring privacy.

Inside, I closed the door, quickly typed in Gabriel’s number, and pressed call. As it rang, my heart pounded. What if he refuses to help? Betrays me? I was terrified. Truly terrified.

“Hello!” came Gabriel’s familiar voice.

I swallowed hard, composing myself. “Good morning, Alpha Gabriel… this is Olivia,” I whispered, biting my lip as I waited for his reply.

Two seconds of silence passed before he spoke. “Olivia? You’re calling? What is it, baby?” he asked, still playing his role.

I smiled, then continued. “Alpha Gabriel, can I trust you?” I whispered, lowering myself onto the toilet seat.

Another second of silence preceded his response. “Yes… You can trust me, Olivia. I swear on my life.” His voice held the weight of a vow.

I bit my lip before admitting, “I didn’t lose my memory; it was all an act.”

I waited; after a few minutes, a soft chuckle came from the other end. “Wow, Olivia… you acted so well… even I believed it.”

I pressed the phone closer to my ear, whispering as if the walls themselves might betray me. “My plan…” I began, pausing for breath, “…is to leave this pack, Gabriel. I want out.”

A long silence followed. I could sense his shallow, tense breath on the other end.

“I’m going to pretend I can’t live without you,” I continued, keeping my voice calm and low. “I’ll act broken, devastated. I’ll fall ill—emotionally, physically, whatever it takes. They’ll panic and want to send me back to you, believing you’re the cure.”

I swallowed, anxiety tightening in my stomach. “That’s when I’ll need you most. I need you to help me escape. Once I’m back with you, I’ll vanish. Far away. Somewhere they can’t reach me. A place I can finally breathe again.”

I paused, letting the words settle. “And when I’m safe—far from their grasp—I’ll tell them the truth. Everything. No more pretending.”

A lump formed in my throat, but I forced myself to finish. “Will you help me disappear, Gabriel?”

I hesitated, my heart pounding. “I’ll understand if you say no. This is… a lot. And it’s dangerous. I won’t hold it against you if you don’t want to be involved.”

Silence. My heart raced as I waited.

Then Gabriel’s voice: “You think I’d let them keep you like this? You think I’d let you go through this alone? Olivia… the moment they send you to me, I won’t just help you escape. I’ll burn the world if I have to.”

A shaky breath escaped my lips; the knot in my chest loosened. “I’ll get everything ready,” he continued. “Passports. Safe house. New identities. Whatever you need.”

“Thank you…” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“You don’t have to thank me. Just stay strong. Keep pretending. And when the time comes… I’ll be there.”

“I’ll hold on,” I whispered.

“Good. And Olivia?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have to fear. I won’t tell the triplets. Trust me.”

I closed my eyes, gripping the phone tighter. “Thank you so much,” I whispered, genuinely grateful.

“You’re welcome. Let’s keep acting, okay?”

“Okay,” I said.

A comfortable silence followed before Gabriel spoke again. “I’m ending this now… call me anytime.”

“Thank you,” I said, and the call ended.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips, but my wolf spoke. “I have a bad feeling about all this,” she murmured.

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

She stirred. “I don’t know. I just have a bad feeling about this, Olivia… be careful.”

“I’ll be careful,” I whispered to my wolf, drawing my hand across my face. “I’ll trust Gabriel… but not blindly.”

A knock sounded on the bathroom door, and Lolita peeked inside. “Luna, you have to come… the healer is here to check on you.”

I froze. My heartbeat accelerated. The healer. Shit. What if he discovers I’m perfectly fine?