Chapter 3

Elena POV:

Under the watchful eyes of the entire hall, Burdell pushed himself up from the throne, cleared his throat, and puffed out his chest to mimic the dignity of a ruler.

"For the sake of our two packs' friendship and the greater good," Burdell announced loudly, "as Pack Alpha, I formally agree to the bride swap! Carmen shall take over this marriage contract!"

The instant the words left his mouth, a flash of pure triumph lit up Concetta's narrow eyes, while Kade crossed his arms with a victorious smirk.

Low murmurs swept through the guests. Several nobles cast pitying glances my way, while others watched with undisguised amusement, waiting to see how an abandoned daughter would survive being cast aside.

I didn't shed a tear. Instead, I took a calm step forward toward the high dais, my clear voice cutting straight through the noisy chatter.

"Since the Pack Alpha has decided to change the bride, then according to the Moon Goddess Law and the royal inheritance statutes, the one million gold coins from my late mother Emmalee's dowry must be returned to me in full right now."

The money was never part of the Rich Pack's public treasury. My mother had brought it from the French Duchy as an independent noblewoman, and before her death, she had legally designated me as its sole heir. It was my inheritance, not an asset my father could hand over to another bride.

Dead silence dropped over the Silver Hall. I could hear the sharp intakes of breath from the front row of nobles.

The smug smile froze on Burdell's face, his neatly trimmed goatee trembling violently.

"W-what did you just say?"

Concetta bolted upright from her chair, the blood draining from her cheeks as she shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"Absurd! That money became pack public property years ago! How dare you demand to take it away?"

I let out a cold laugh, turning slightly so the entire hall of aristocrats could hear every word.

"Public property? My mother brought that wealth from the French Duchy as an independent noblewoman, protected by royal statute. When did her private inheritance become pocket money for you two to squander?"

Without pausing, I pointed a finger straight at Concetta's pale face.

"You orchestrated this bride swap today not just to steal my fiancé, but to quietly transfer my dead mother's one-million-gold dowry under your own daughter's name!"

An uproar broke out among the guests. Nobles who had been smiling politely a moment ago now looked at Burdell and Concetta with open disgust, whispering behind their hands about the shameful theft of a deceased Luna's estate.

Beside the altar, Kade's brows knitted tightly together. His jaw clenched as the whispers of greed and theft tarnished what was supposed to be his glorious wedding day.

Up on the throne, Burdell slammed his palm against the oak table, his face flushing purple with rage.

"Shut your mouth! Pack finances are not for a cripple like you to slander in public!"

Calmly, I pulled the yellowed sheepskin scroll from my sleeve and held it high above my head. It was the royal notarized inheritance record and inventory of my mother's dowry, which I had brought to the ceremony as proof of ownership. At the bottom of the parchment, the dark gold wax seal of the Royal Notary gleamed brightly under the chandelier's candlelight.

"The royal notarized inventory is right here in my hand!" My voice rang out like iron striking stone. "If a single copper coin is missing today, I will take this scroll to the capital and ring the Bell of Justice at the Royal Tribunal myself!"

Under royal law, neither the Pack Alpha nor the pack council had the authority to seize or transfer a legally registered inheritance. And with the original marriage contract now broken, there was no lawful basis for retaining my mother's dowry or transferring it to Carmen.

At the sight of the royal dragon-wolf emblem, Burdell's knees gave out, and he dropped heavily back into his throne, his chest heaving. Across the hall, aristocrats craned their necks to stare at the undeniable legal proof.

Concetta bit her lower lip until it turned white, her eyes fixed on the parchment in my hand with pure venom as the grand ceremony turned into a public trial of their greed.