Chapter 177

Sylvia's POV The moment I left Frostline Enterprises, a hollow emptiness settled in my chest. Mother's words still echoed painfully in my mind—harsh, dismissive, cutting through years of desperate attempts to earn her approval. "What did you expect, Sylvia?" I muttered to myself. "For her to actually see your worth for once?" Standing on the sidewalk, I stared blankly at the bustling city around me. People hurried past, their lives continuing undisturbed while mine felt like it had just crumbled beneath my feet. I couldn't go back to the office. Not after Mother had made it abundantly clear that she considered me inadequate to lead our pack. The humiliation burned like wolfsbane against my skin. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for my phone, checking it for what must have been the twentieth time in the past hour. No messages. No missed calls. Nothing. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. What had I expected? That Alpha Astra Frost, the most formidable female Alpha in the Northern t