88. My Sacrifice!

When Alpha Callum and Beta Amir appeared at Viviana's beachfront property, two fire trucks were already on the scene. The firefighters were holding a hose, dumping water onto the burning house. The visibly shaken Viviana was holding her baby daughter close to her chest, while her maids huddled around her. The two bodyguards stood nearby, guarding the terrified women. Although there were tears in Viviana's eyes, her eyes lit up the moment her ex-husband appeared out of nowhere, approaching her location. Alpha Callum quickly took his sleeping daughter into his arms and looked at his ex-wife. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Yes. Our daughter and I were fine. The servants were also okay. Thankfully no one was harmed," Viviana replied, wiping tears from her eyes. "Why did the house burn down? What caused the fire?" Alpha Callum asked right away. "It's all my fault. I admit to my mistake. It was an accident," Viviana said, and began sobbing hard out of guilt. "What did you do?" Alpha Callum asked. His brows drew together in puzzlement. "I was meditating... surrounded by lit candles in my bedroom. Later on, I fell asleep and forgot to put one candle out, causing the fire. Thankfully, our daughter was safe in another room with her nanny. The fire spread fast. I was only able to bring my bag with important documents on it. The rest were burned down by the fire," Viviana said between sobs. She decided to tell the truth because she didn't want to appear a liar in her ex-husband's eyes once the investigation was over. The truth is, she intentionally lit the curtain with the candle and when everything in her room was already burning in flames, she quickly screamed fire and ran to the other room to rescue her daughter, saving her and alerting the maids and guards outside. It took almost an hour before fire trucks arrived on the scene, but the house was already in ruins. It was a deliberate plan on her part. She doesn't care about the value of the house she lost in the fire. She can buy another house with her money. As long as no one dies in the fire, it will serve her purpose in reclaiming her original position as the Luna of the Savage Howl Pack and back in the scene as her ex-husband's wife again. "Alright, stop crying. It was an accident. I'm glad everyone is safe," Alpha Callum said sympathetically, planting a kiss on his daughter's head in great relief. Viviana and the other maids were shivering due to the coldness of the night. Beta Amir noticed the women's discomfort. "Alpha, we need to bring the women to a shelter or a hotel so they can rest for the night," he suggested. Viviana quickly jumped at the opportunity. "The mansion is big, why don't you take us there? Our daughter would appreciate it if we stayed at her father's house. Your house is a much safer place for us to stay than in the germ-laden rooms in the hotel. Your house is big enough to accommodate us all," she suggested casually. An awkward silence filled the air. Beta Amir scratches his head after he realizes Viviana's intention. Alpha Callum fell silent for a few minutes. He doesn't want to bring his ex-wife to his house, but she has a valid point. The safest place for his daughter to stay is in his own home. Besides, what kind of father is he if he can't offer the comfort of his own house for his baby daughter's well-being and safety? The silence is deafening... Viviana doesn't like her ex-husband's prolonged silence. "Please, even for just a few days stay? I just want a proper rest tonight after the fire incident," she begged, teary-eyed. Alpha Callum finally nodded his head. "OK." Viviana was ecstatic. She quickly instructed the maids to put their bags in the trunk of her car, afraid her ex-husband would change his mind. Alpha Callum gives instructions to Beta Amir. "Take them to the mansion. I will remain here and talk to the firefighters and investigators," he said, gently putting his daughter's sleeping form into Viviana's awaiting arms. "Copy Alpha," Beta Amir replied. Viviana smiled inwardly, feeling victorious as they piled into her car. The first part of her plan is already taking place. She can't wait to be back in her ex-husband's world and become his wife and Luna again. As long as she remains in the mansion, she will try her best to fill the void that Clarice left behind in Alpha Callum's heart. She will gain Caden's trust and become his second mommy. Once she is back in the mansion, it will be easy for her to get back into her old routine and eventually conquer her ex-husband's love in the months to come. Time will come when they will become one happy family, the four of them. Beta Amir started the engine and drove the car out of the beach property. As the car started moving away from the beach, Viviana looked over her shoulder, looking at her burning house, smiling inwardly. She paid such a big price for a chance to enter her ex-husband's world again. This time, she will never leave. No other woman can make her leave again! She planted a loving kiss on her daughter's head. 'Baby, from now on, you will see your father every day. You will have a happy family when you grow up. I promise you that. The three of us will be together forever. No one can separate us from each other. No one!' She smiled in merriment but noticed too late that Beta Amir's eyes were fixed on her face in the rearview mirror. Damn! How long was he observing her? She quickly avoided his gaze by lowering her head, fixing her attention on her baby daughter's face. She hasn't had issues with Beta Amir in the past, and she hopes this time he will not stand in her way of reclaiming what is rightfully hers. She closed her eyes, pretending to rest, imagining her glorious return to the Savage Howl Pack as their true and original Luna. After a few hours of journey, they finally arrived at the mansion. It was already 4:00 in the morning, but the sun would come up soon. "Madam Viviana, what room do you want to sleep in tonight?" Beta Amir asked, after opening the car door. "The guest room on the second floor," Vivian replied. "OK. I'll have the room ready in a few minutes," Beta Amir said, and went upstairs with the maids to get the room ready. Viviana settled on the sofa in the living room. She roamed her eyes around the familiar place, smiling brightly. She missed this house so much and now she's back! She's home at last! Her senses were overwhelmed with happiness. She originally wanted to stay in her ex-husband's room tonight but changed her mind. She doesn't want to start on the wrong side. Alpha Callum's heart was still grieving his wife's disappearance. His wound is not completely healed yet. She should proceed with her plan with caution to avoid angering him. This time, she is willing to wait patiently and plan her moves accordingly. She will develop and establish a stepmother relationship with Caden first, then forge the bond between the siblings. She wants to paint a good picture of herself in her ex-husband's eyes. She wants him to think that she is a silent and dependable ally, a friend that he can depend on and talk to during the hardest moments of his life. Forcing herself on him aggressively will only make him kick her out of the house in the blink of an eye. No need to hurry. She had all the time in the world. Clarice is already dead. No one can stop her from reclaiming her ex-husband's heart again. A few minutes later, the guest room was ready. Viviana and her daughter settled in the room while the maids proceeded to the servants' quarters for a much-needed rest. That night, while lying on the bed, Viviana couldn't stop smiling, feeling victorious that her plan and sacrifice had worked. She's back home, and it's the most wonderful feeling ever. Viviana finally slept at 5:30 in the morning, just when the sun was about to rise on the horizon. Meanwhile, Alpha Callum was still at Viviana's beachfront property, having a serious discussion with firefighters about the fire accident. At another place... A thousand miles away on Demetria's territory, Clarice was already wide awake early in the morning, thinking about Demetria's offer. The vampire was kind enough to extend her offer up to one year. She thinks about the tempting offer every single day. A big part of her yearns to be reunited with her family, but at the same time, she can't forgive herself if she sacrifices her family's freedom and bright future because of her selfishness. Every day, her mind and heart were in a constant battle. It's the same ongoing debate that keeps her restless and her mind in jumble. Is it worth it to be reunited with her husband and son and live with them in this prison-like environment for the rest of their lives? Or let them believe she is already dead so they can continue living in peace? She will go crazy if she can't make up her mind. Soon, she will reach a breaking point and have to decide what is the best decision for everyone involved.