(Selene's POV)
My words echoed loudly in the tense air.
They were completely calm and absolutely firm.
A heavy, suffocating silence instantly fell over the luxurious lounge.
I could see pure shock rapidly spreading across their faces.
My parents stared at me with wide, unblinking eyes.
The Gloom family looked as if I had just slapped them.
Even the servants lingering near the door froze in place.
One maid accidentally dropped a crystal glass, shattering it on the marble floor.
The sharp sound finally broke the heavy spell in the room.
Luna Cassandra was the very first to recover her senses.
She quickly stepped toward me with a perfectly crafted look of concern.
Her heavily jeweled fingers trembled as she reached out to touch my arm.
"Sweetheart, you are just terribly emotional right now," she cooed softly.
"Dominic is just running a little late, that is all."
I politely took a step back, completely refusing her fake comfort.
Her hands awkwardly grabbed nothing but empty air.
"I am not emotional at all, Luna Cassandra," I stated clearly.
"Dominic and I are simply not compatible for each other."
Alpha Magnus immediately stepped forward, his face turning a dark shade of red.
His loud, booming voice shook the crystal chandelier above us.
"This is absolute nonsense!" he shouted angrily.
"You are just throwing a childish tantrum because he is late."
He aggressively pointed a thick finger at me.
"I promise Dominic will properly apologize to you the second he arrives."
Cassandra's face instantly shifted from fake concern to genuine anger.
She completely dropped her carefully constructed, sweet mask.
Her true, calculating nature was finally exposed for everyone to see.
"You are making a massive mistake," she hissed viciously at me.
"Dominic is the future Alpha of the powerful Shadow Fang pack."
She glared at me with cold, disdainful eyes.
"Giving him up over a slightly bruised ego is incredibly foolish."
She crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
"You will definitely regret this rash decision for the rest of your life."
I stared back at her, feeling absolutely no anger at all.
If this were my past life, I would have felt deeply hurt.
I would have desperately tried to defend myself and win her approval.
Now, I only felt a profound sense of pity for her.
Her desperate need to protect her son's status was truly pathetic.
I completely ignored her harsh, insulting words.
I turned away from the Volkovs and looked directly at my own parents.
"Mother, Father," I said, keeping my voice incredibly steady.
"I want to officially cancel this engagement right now."
My mother's gentle eyes were completely filled with deep worry.
She nervously wrung her hands together in front of her elegant dress.
"This is a very major decision, my sweet girl," she whispered anxiously.
"Perhaps we should just wait for Dominic to return and talk things out."
But my father slowly stepped forward, radiating his powerful Alpha authority.
The heavy pressure in the room immediately shifted to respect him.
He looked deeply into my eyes, carefully studying my expression.
He was searching my face for even a single trace of hesitation.
"Are you absolutely certain about this?" he asked me seriously.
"Have you completely thought this through?"
I met his intense gaze without blinking once.
"I have never been more certain of anything in my life," I answered without hesitation.
My father firmly nodded his head, showing his complete support.
He possessed an unconditional trust in my personal judgment.
A strong wave of intense gratitude suddenly swelled inside my chest.
Alpha Magnus looked like he was about to explode with rage.
His face was completely flushed purple with pure fury.
"You cannot do this!" he protested loudly, waving his arms.
"This is nothing but a silly lovers' quarrel!"
My father turned to face him, his expression completely cold and unyielding.
"My daughter has made her final choice," my father stated flatly.
"This engagement is now officially and permanently canceled."
He gently placed a protective hand on my shoulder.
"We will not force her to bind herself to a man who abandons her."
With those final words, my parents turned around together.
They walked downstairs to the main ballroom to announce the news to the guests.
Magnus and Cassandra glared at me one last time before storming out.
They slammed the heavy wooden door forcefully behind them.
I was finally left completely alone in the spacious lounge.
I slowly walked over to the plush velvet sofa and sat down.
I took a deep breath, trying to digest everything that had just happened.
My mind immediately drifted away from the angry Gloom family.
The handsome face of Kassian Blackthorn involuntarily popped into my head.
I vividly remembered the terrifying heat of the fire from my past life.
I remembered how he fearlessly rushed into that deadly sea of flames.
He had used his own body to shield me from the scorching heat.
A sudden, agonizing thought struck me right in the chest.
Did Kassian actually die just to try and save me?
The painful realization made my breath hitch in my throat.
My past self had been so incredibly blind and utterly foolish.
I had focused all my time and energy entirely on Dominic.
I had completely ignored Kassian's genuine, deep feelings for me.
I remembered the day he had bravely confessed his love to me.
I had rejected him without a single moment of hesitation.
I had cruelly broken his heart because I thought Dominic was my destiny.
Yet, Kassian was the only one there when I truly needed saving.
He had risked absolutely everything for me without a second thought.
His selfless, pure love weighed heavily on my heart like a massive stone.
A sudden, loud knock on the door violently interrupted my deep thoughts.
The heavy door swung open before I could even answer.
Talia Blackthorn, Kassian's younger sister, quickly marched into the room.
She was also my absolute best friend in the entire world.
Her face was completely twisted in absolute disbelief.
"Is it true?" she demanded, rushing over to the sofa.
"Did you really just cancel the engagement with Dominic?"
Seeing her familiar face brought a sudden sting of tears to my eyes.
It forcefully reminded me of our profound friendship in both lives.
In my past life, we had slowly drifted apart because of my blind obsession with Dominic.
I had pushed away my best friend just to please a traitor.
I quickly blinked away the tears and looked up at her.
"Yes, it is completely true," I confirmed with a calm nod.
"The engagement is officially canceled."
Talia immediately exploded with a fierce, protective energy.
She threw her hands up in the air in pure frustration.
"Why is that idiot even absent today?" she questioned angrily.
Her sharp eyes narrowed as she quickly pieced the puzzle together.
"Let me guess, it is because of that weak junior girl, Elara, isn't it?"
She began pacing rapidly back and forth across the carpet.
She angrily cursed Dominic with words unbefitting a high-ranking lady.
"He is completely humiliating you in front of the entire pack!"
I simply shrugged my shoulders, feeling entirely indifferent to his actions.
"It really does not matter to me anymore," I said softly.
I leaned back against the comfortable cushions of the sofa.
"I honestly did not want to be engaged to him anyway."
Talia stopped her angry pacing and stared at me in total shock.
Her jaw practically dropped to the floor in extreme surprise.
"Are you serious?" she asked, her voice squeaking slightly.
"You were literally so excited about this ceremony just last week!"
I smiled gently at her, feeling a strange sense of peace.
"I recently realized that I do not actually like Dominic that much," I explained calmly.
"My feelings for him were just a silly childhood habit."
I slowly smoothed out the wrinkles in my ivory gown.
"Since he is clearly entangled with another girl, I do not want to continue this."
"I refuse to share my future mate with anyone else."
Talia's shocked expression quickly transformed into pure joy.
She rushed over and threw her arms around my neck in a tight hug.
"I am so incredibly happy to hear you say that!" she cheered loudly.
"Dominic absolutely does not deserve a wonderful woman like you."
She pulled back and looked at me with bright, excited eyes.
"Do not worry about that stupid jerk for another second."
She confidently placed her hands on her hips.
"I promise I will introduce you to someone much better."
Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous, determined light.
"I will find you someone taller, handsomer, richer, and far more loyal!"
"Okay," I agreed with her declaration with a smile.
But even as I smiled, my thoughts drifted back to Kassian.
The Moon Goddess had given me a second life.
Although revenge was important, I also had to find my true happiness.