After Refusing to be Luna, I Marked the Alpha's Shadow Chapter 5

"I blame myself for misjudging people, for trusting a wolf I shouldn't have trusted. That's why I failed."

I looked at Liam indifferently.

It was probably the first time someone spoke to him like this. His face visibly turned cold.

Right, the Alpha heir was always surrounded by sycophants. Who dared speak to him like this?

I thought he would unleash his Alpha rage.

Instead, Liam pressed his lips together and said in a low voice, "Sorry."

I paused, then couldn't control a laugh. It was bitter and went straight to my heart.

I would rather Liam fight with me. I would rather Liam lose his temper.

I didn't expect Liam could endure this much for Chloe's sake.

His feelings for Chloe were truly deep.

...

The competition slot was ultimately given to Chloe.

Before Chloe left for the competition, she deliberately looked at me.

"Sorry, Sister. It's the academy's arrangement, I can't help it. The championship has to be mine."

A classmate sneered. "Harper doesn't even qualify to compete. She must be dying of jealousy."

I silently swiped through tactical maps on my tablet, not responding.

The next day, Chloe came back from the competition. Everyone immediately looked at her.

"Chloe, you definitely got first place, right?"

Chloe's face went pale. She stammered and didn't answer.

Just then, my phone beeped. A text message came in: [Pity you didn't come. I took first place.]

My hand paused. Then I heard someone in the class exclaim.

"This year's champion is Ethan!"

"Ethan? Not that rumored cursed rogue wolf? I heard in any competition he's in, others can only fight for second place."

Chloe immediately made excuses for herself.

"Because I ran into that lunatic, I didn't get first place this time. If Sister went, she would have lost even worse."

Classmates nodded in agreement and comfort.

At this moment, the student checking the info widened his eyes and looked at me.

"But the champion for the previous two years was Harper Evans!"

This news exploded in the classroom like a bomb.

Chloe's expression instantly froze.

The classroom fell dead silent. Everyone's eyes turned to me.

Even Liam couldn't help looking up, staring at me fixedly.

Someone said in disbelief, "Impossible? Same name, right?"

"It is Harper! Her photo is right there..."

The murmurs grew louder.

"Then Harper should have gone..."

"Harper might have won a prize."

Amidst the discussion, Chloe's face turned green then white. She gritted her teeth looking at me.

I looked up and saw Chloe walk pale-faced to my desk, covering her head and sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Sister. It's all my fault for taking your spot..."

What kind of maneuver was this?

I frowned, about to speak, when I saw Chloe suddenly fall backward.

I froze. Then I saw Liam rush up and catch Chloe.

He glanced at me coldly, picked Chloe up, and anxiously walked out.

I stood there for a few seconds, pursed my lips, and followed.

School Hospital.

I walked to the clinic door only to have my wrist grabbed heavily by Liam. He demanded:

"Is an award that important to you? Just to show off, you don't even care about your sister's health?"

My wrist was gripped so hard it felt like it would shatter, but stubbornly, I didn't struggle. I just looked at Liam and gritted my teeth.

"I didn't say a single word from start to finish."

Was it me wanting to show off, or Liam unable to stand seeing Chloe suffer a tiny grievance?

Liam stared at me and let out a cold laugh. "Sometimes appearing not to fight or compete is the deepest manipulation."

This sentence was like a needle coated in wolfsbane poison, stabbing fiercely into my heart.

I stared blankly at Liam. It took a long time to find my voice.

"Is that what you think of me?"

Even if I did nothing, he thought I was wrong.

And whatever Chloe did, she was pure and flawless.

Liam looked down at me, as if suddenly remembering his disguised identity as a weakling. The anger on his face froze, and he slowly let go.

"I just hope you remain the kind, just, uncompetitive Harper I first met."

I smiled self-deprecatingly. "And I hope you remain the Liam I knew."

The one I knew was the Liam who always stood behind me, who would never blame me for others.

But I knew clearly that Liam was fake and would never be real.

Liam's heart seemed to tighten. He subconsciously said, "Of course, I will always be Liam."

I looked at him until my eyes burned, then extended my hand.

"Okay then, let's make a blood oath. We will never change, okay?"

Liam frowned at my extended pinky finger. He didn't move, seeming to think it was childish.

I watched him quietly.

A moment later, he extended his hand as if compromising and hooked his pinky with mine.

"Okay, pinky promise. Never change."

My heart soured. I knew Liam was lying.

Yet I still stamped my thumb heavily against Liam's fingertip.

"Liam, a wolf who betrays an oath will be abandoned by the Moon Goddess and swallow ten thousand silver needles."