This thought helped me calm down considerably.
Then, I turned to Andrew and asked, âAre you truly prepared to marry Shirley just to ensure Abbyâs safety? Once you are married, the witch clan will see you as husband and wife.
â
Andrew nodded, his expression tinged with regret.
âIt wasnât clear to me until today how severely the fire in the study injured Shirley.
I was responsible for that fire.
Now that sheâs come to me, asking me to take responsibility, I canât avoid it.
â
Andrew apologized to me again.
âIâm sorry.
This is all my fault.
I need to face the consequences.
â
I sighed, unsure of what to say.
Shirleyâs POV:
After Debra and the others left, my mother barged into my room.
Before I could react, she tore off the gauze covering my head and face and slapped me twice.
I instinctively covered the unharmed side of my face, unsure how to respond.
I wasnât disfigured, not really.
The burns from the fire were minor and had already healed, leaving only a faint pink scar.
It was all part of my plan to make Andrew feel guilt and agree to marry me.
It seemed my act had worked, but my motherâs anger confused me.
She glared at me, her voice sharp.
âWhat were you thinking, involving that child of Debraâs? First, you harmed yourself, and now youâve put an innocent child at risk.
Do you even realize who the child is? Her father is Caleb, the Alpha of the Thorn Edge Pack!â
âCaleb?â I was stunned, momentarily forgetting the pain in my cheek.
So, the man beside Debra was Caleb, the Alpha of Thorn Edge Pack.
My motherâs tone turned scornful.
âYou have some nerve, trying to kidnap his daughter.
Do you understand the consequences? This could bring disaster upon our entire clan!â
I was taken aback by the fury in my motherâs eyes, but I stood my ground stubbornly.
âI didnât know that Debraâs child had any connection to Caleb.
Had I known Debraâs Calebâs Luna and wouldnât really marry Andrew, I would have informed Caleb and let him take her away.
None of this would have happened.
â
My mother trembled with anger, pointing accusingly at me.
âHow dare you say that? Do you honestly believe what you did was right?â
âAnd what about you?â I shot back, unable to hold back my frustration.
âYou know how much I love Andrew, yet you never consider my feelings.
I had to take matters into my own hands.
â
Her gaze turned cold, as if I were a stranger.
âIs this the despicable, shameless path youâve chosen to pursue your so-called happiness? Youâre not worthy of being my daughter, let alone the future leader of our witch clan!â
Her words struck deep, and fear coursed through me.
I immediately apologized.
âMom, I know I was wrong.
If youâre unhappy with what Iâve done, Iâll return the child to Debra right away.
â
With that, I hurriedly left the room.
I knew my own shortcomings.
I was quick to anger, and not particularly clever.
That was why I always listened to my mother and Addy.
As for Andrew, I admired his ability and believed he was capable of leading our entire witch clan.
I loved him and would make him my future husband.
Only by securing him could I guarantee my position as the future leader of the witch clan.
I knew I couldnât let my mother down now.
If she decided not to pass the throne to me, everything would be over.