The betrayal was unexpected.

And that was why it cut so deeply.

Tristan Mendez only had two things he held dear: his family and his music. After his dazzling debut at the opera house, the world seemed within reach. Applause still echoed in his ears, the bow still warm in his hand. For one fragile moment, he believed the future was bright.

Then the ground was ripped from beneath him.

Accused of theft by his own brother, and met with silence from the family who should have defended him, his sentence was sealed, and he was cast into a merciless mining camp under the orders of Lady Arriane.

There, days blurred into years. Cruelty, hunger, and despair stripped him down until even his music was silent. The boy who once lived for melody nearly vanished in the dust.

But one man remembered.

Lord Shannon, Alpha of his clan, had been among the audience that night, transfixed by the young musician’s song. When Tristan disappeared, disbelief turned to determination. Refusing to accept the impossible, Shannon searched, uncovered the truth, and found what no one else dared to look for.

Freed from chains, Tristan faces a world both familiar and foreign. The past has left scars that will not vanish overnight. Healing will not be easy. Trust must be relearned. But at his side stands the Alpha who swore to protect him, even against shadows that wait to strike again.

This is a tale of betrayal and survival. Of music once silenced and a voice reclaimed. Of an Alpha’s unshakable vow and the fragile soul he refuses to let fall.

The study room was warmer than usual, probably due to the body heat of four people awaiting their turn to report. Therese laid four ledgers side by side, with the manor's book of accounts on top.


Tristan leaned forward, his hands restless, as if the whole venture balanced on his shoulders. Shannon leaned back in the high chair, steady and watchful, anchoring Tristan with quiet calm. Therese, efficient as ever, kept the coin chest near her elbow and a quill poised.


"This is the first time we've brought all the ledgers together," Tara said, tapping the covers one by one. "The manor, the warded road, the storehouse, and the waystation. Today we see if they agree—or if they unravel."


Tristan swallowed. "And if they agree?"


"Then," Tara replied, "you'll know this thing you've built can stand."


Shannon's blue eyes flicked to him. "You've done the work. Let the record speak."


Chapter 135 - Break-even