"We’ll take our leave," Casaio announced, rising from the sofa. Dominick mirrored his movent, and the two brothers stepped away together. Katelyn, however, remained seated, watching the others go.
"May I say sothing?" she ventured softly.
Samyra inclined her head, curiosity mingling with patient expectation.
Before Katelyn could speak, Gabriel’s voice cut through the hush. "You should go as well," he said in his firm tone.
Katelyn’s eyes widened at the edge in his voice. "But, brother—" she began, only to falter when she t his stern gaze. Swallowing her words, she offered a hesitant nod and quietly slipped out of the room.
"What happened to Dad?" Flora asked, her voice trembling as her heart pounded with fear.
Samyra explained everything to her, and with each word, Flora’s expression crumbled. Her heart felt like it was being shattered into a thousand irreparable pieces.
Once the truth shad ettled in the room, Alie finally spoke. "Now that you’ve heard it all, you should understand, I never intended to involve myself in your affairs again after what you and Alex did to ." She stood up, her eyes locking onto Flora’s with unwavering firmness.
"I can never forgive you. Maybe deep down, you once wanted the sa fate for . But for the sake of our parents, I’ll let you walk away. Still, I hope we never cross paths again. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no relationship left between us."
Before Samyra could say a word to stop her, Alie turned and walked away.
"Mrs. Conley," Gabriel spoke up, "make sure Flora keeps her distance from Alie while you’re here. And rember, she’s alive right now because Alie allowed it. So, it would be wise to remind her not to follow in Alex’s footsteps. That said, don’t mistake rcy for pardon. Her punishnt is still due."
Flora’s chest tightened, her breath catching in her throat.
"But I didn’t do anything this ti," she whispered, fear lacing her tone.
Gabriel tilted his head slightly, fixing her with a glare so cold it made her blood run icy. She promptly lowered her head.
"You hurt Alie more than anyone. She was pregnant with Alex’s child, and you prayed for her death. I know everything, so don’t even dare to lie before . You will be punished for the wrong you’ve done. Keep that in mind. Try running away, and I’ll make sure you never walk again," Gabriel threatened her.
"Albus!" He called the butler’s na with an angry tone.
"Keep the guards around this woman till the ti she’s here," Gabriel instructed. "And Mrs. Conley, don’t try to reason with Alie. Let us enjoy our wedding ti. It will be better if you two stay in the sa room," he asserted and left their sight.
Samyra furrowed her brows together while Flora was terrified. ’What kind of punishnt will he give ? And Alex... Why... Why did he do this to ?’ she thought.
~~~~
Alie sat quietly on the high counter chair, nibbling on a cupcake. She chewed slowly now, but the crumbs clinging to her lips betrayed how quickly she’d devoured most of it.
Gabriel stepped into the kitchen, his gaze softening at the sight of her. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
Alie turned her head slightly, eting his eyes. "Not hungry," she replied with a small smile. "I just... craved sothing sweet."
Gabriel moved closer, his fingers gently brushing the corner of her lips. He caught a crumb with his thumb and lingered for a second longer than necessary. "You look happy," he said softly, "but are you really... or are you pretending to be? You can be truthful with ."
Alie gestured for Gabriel to sit beside her, and he took the seat without a word.
"If you’re asking whether I’m still upset about what Flora did to ... then no," Alie said calmly.
Gabriel raised a brow, slightly amused by her composed response.
"I was upset in the beginning," she continued. "It hurt, I won’t lie. But all of that faded the night I was hunted down by those predatory wolves. Strangely, I felt relieved... relieved that I got to see Alex’s true colors. And Flora?" She let out a dry chuckle. "She ended up with the trash she chose. Poetic, don’t you think?"
Her gaze turned distant as she added, "Flora and I never had a close bond. As an alpha she-wolf, she always looked down on , ridiculed for being different. So no, I don’t feel sad for her. Maybe now, she’ll finally understand the kind of pain she made endure. And why shouldn’t she judge people?"
"Hmm." Gabriel’s eyes lit with pride when Alie pushed the cupcake into his mouth.
"Enjoy this," Alie said. She recalled her earlier conversation with the Queen.
"What did my mother say to you? I didn’t get the chance to ask you earlier," Gabriel said between chews.
"That she hopes the wedding goes smoothly, without any trouble," Alie replied softly. "Apparently, your mother is gentle at heart. She didn’t scold ... not even once. I saw a certain tenderness in her eyes, and a genuine happiness for our marriage."
Gabriel paused mid-bite, staring at her. A quiet doubt lingered in his mind.
Was she just saying that to ease his heart?
"It won’t hurt if you say the truth," Gabriel said.
"It’s the truth," Alie replied. "I’m not lying," she stated and picked up another cupcake. "Didn’t you see earlier how your parents went out for dinner and even to distribute invitation cards to so of their known people? Your mother must have her reasons to treat you like that, but I feel she loves you the most," she asserted.
Gabriel did feel nice to hear those words, but he didn’t believe them. No one could tell what was in the mind of his mother.
"When I was a teenager, I used to think the sa. But as the ti passed, I realized I was wrong about my mother. She was the villain of my life," Gabriel said.
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