Lady Elizabeth gently knocks on Taylor's bedroom door, seeking permission to enter and veying her genuine . Taylor, a mix of apprehension and curiosity, grants Lady Elizabeth access to her most personal space, giving her room to speak.

  As they settle in a cozy er of the room, Lady Elizabeth pauses for a moment, log eyes with Taylor. In that instant, Taylor feels as if a colossal wreg ball is about to hit her. She tries to maintain optimism, even in the face of uainty.

  Lady Elizabeth begins to speak, her words flowing slowly. She leaves no room for questions, expining that Adam is responsible for everything, and the omega was merely a victim of circumstahe news shakes Crice, as it tradicts her own desires for her life.

  Lady Elizabeth bmes herself and expresses her anguish for not pushing harder for Adam to marry Taylor earlier. She struggles to find the right words to vey her .

  Taylor feels her heart rag untrolbly, but Lady Elizabeth, deeply ed, takes her hand, trying to provide fort and soce.

  Amidst the whirlwind of emotions, Lady Elizabeth gazes into Taylor's eyes and says, “Don't let it e you.” Her voice carries a blend of passion and hope.

  Pale, Taylor looks at Lady Elizabeth and responds with a shy smile, “I'll be alright.” In a gesture of gratitude, Taylor holds Lady Elizabeth's hand, feeling embraced and uood.

  At the Phillips residehe atmosphere resembled a corporate meeting. Several people were present, including Callum's own family: his grandfather, Mallet Campbell, and his mother, Sarah Campbell.

  Robert Phillips, a personal friend of Callum's grandfather and patriarch of the Phillips Family, gathered with his son, Jared, Jared's wife, Beatrice, and their eldest son, Oliver, and Crice. They all anxiously awaited an expnation.

  Oliver had attempted to expin multiple times that everything had happened so quickly, they barely had time to start a versation when Adam and Callum abruptly stood up and walked off together.

  Moments ter, an overwhelming wave of pheromones swept through the room, causing several people, including Oliver, to faint.

  Upon waking up, Oliver realized Adam and Callum were o be found, and he couldn't gather any information about their whereabouts. Initially, he sidered the possibility of a targeted criminal atta Adam or Callum, as they had both stood up simultaneously, as if they had sensed something. Oliver didn't rule out any theories.

  It was Crice's mother, Beatrice Phillips, who spoke first, which surprised no one. Callum was eo her daughter, and i months, Crice had been experieng mysterious persecutions and threats.

  Beatrice began to speak, highlighting the public image of Crid Callum as the perfect couple, paring them to well-known figures. She emphasized the significe of their itment to society and how Crice had ied her time aions into the retionship. However, Beatrice also expressed her about how Callum hahe situation, publicly humiliating Cri front of her family and friends.

  Her eyes, adorned with ornate golden eyegsses, gleamed with calcuted ambition, hinting at the depths of her maniputive nature.

  As Beatrice spoke, Crice kept her head low, feeling exhausted and fused. She feared what it meant for Callum to have spent three days with the mysterious omega, imagining the possibilities s, manipution, or threats during that time.

  The idea of Callum being with someone else ainful, especially after believing they were growing closer i months and that he would be the person she'd spend his rut and life with.

  When Callum began to speak, Crice lifted her head and immediately sehat something had ged. His usual ess was there, but there was something different in the air. Callum assumed a solemn tone, as if dug a corporate meeting, and expihat the i ontaneous pheromone shock caused involuntarily by him and Adam. He emphasized that there was no crime or manipution involved.

  The room fell silent as everyone processed Callum's words. He then tinued in a professional tone, assuring the tinuity of projects and eic partnerships between the Phillips and Campbell panies, emphasizing his itment to business success.

  Despite his advanced age, Mr. Mallet stood firmly by Callum's side, believing that an Alpha Prime would not be drugged into spending three days with an Omega. Robert Phillips shared the same thoughts as his friend Mallet and was ed about Crice's well-being. Both anticipated a plicated oute, as Callum had postpohe marriage proposal they had proposed, revealing his unchecked ambition.

  A sense of e swelled in Jared Phillips' chest. His eyes narrowed, and his voice practically shouted as he addressed Callum, “What do you mean by this? What is the meaning behind these words?”

  Callum responded coldly, “It sighe end of a cycle.”

  Jared's eyes sparked with anger as he asked, “So, it's the end of a cycle? I thought you were here to expin the sdalous three-day sexual involvement you had with an Omega. And now you say there are no apologies, s, just the end of a cycle? All because of an Omega whose in no one knows?”

  Jared was furious, and sensing the temosphere, Oliver interveo try to alleviate the situation. However, Callum uood that ending an e ainful process, and he sought ways to intervene and bring the matter to a close as quickly as possible.

  “This marriage proposal was always a business partnership and an agreement to maintain appearances,” Callum stated, feeling remorse for Crice but aware that what had been done could not be ged.

  He tinued with an argumentative speech, asserting, “In ABO retionships, there is a need for belonging, and it implies attat. There is a baween giving and receiving. In our ABO system, we have a need for the order provided by vention and, to some extent, the predictability of pheromones. Although these abilities sometimes limit maionships, they also make them possible, as they refled meet the fual needs of an individual in an intimate retionship.”

  “Even as an Alpha Prime, these needs restrict me, challenge me, demand obedience, coerce or trol me for a moment or days. Our pheromones affect us, whether we want them to or not, as they put us in flict with our personal desires and pleasures. Because of my status as an Alpha Prime, I ot deny that pheromone bonding is a valid method of e, as it goes beyond beliefs, prejudices, superstitions, csses, names, and mohough rare, it is crucial for our survival and well-being.”

  “People ot always choose the roles that destiny assigns them, but when it es to pheromohere is nht , guilty or i. Pheromones are maions of who we are.”

  Pheromones make us unique beings, and as Callum looks at Crice, he feels the o express his feelings sincerely. He takes a deep breath and addresses her with hoy:

  “Crice, I uand that my words and as have caused you pain and fusion. I'm sorry for any suffering that has been caused during our retionship. I never wahings to e to this point, and I aowledge that there are things that ot be ged. Please know that I respect you and value the moments we shared. I deeply regret any pain I may have caused you.”

  He looks into her eyes, seeking to vey his siy and remorse. Even though their retionship is ing to an end, Callum wants to make it clear that his feelings are genuine and that he regrets the ive impact his decisions have caused.

  Crice is left speechless, but at the same time, there is so much to say, so many things she could say and feels she should say.

  To her, Callum is being an addictive habit, a love that funs on its own terms. It's all being toe. She feels the darkness engulfing her.

  Crice realizes that all that love is like an iron anchor, not a remedy for her heart.

  She gathers strength aermination from the depths of her soul, stands up, and walks out of the room towards her chambers without saying a word. She won't cry, scream, or humiliate herself in front of Callum Campbell.

  Crice's gesture surprises everyone, but it's a relief as the dignity and honor of the Phillips family remain intact.