Gabriel pushed open the door of the private lounge where Louis and Karmen had been waiting for him.
The two of them stood up and bowed to him.
Gabriel took his seat, telling them to sit. "Why did you lie about not having the information?" he inquired.
"Why do you think I’ve the information?" Louis arched his brow.
"I chose you to fulfill this task for a reason," Gabriel replied. "Let’s not talk in circles and give me the information for which I’ve come here," he asserted.
"The tiny sketch of a tattoo you gave me is a mark, which appears after someone is cursed," Louis repeated the same words that Glenice had told him. "The person also mentioned that it’s not an ordinary curse. It’s tied to destruction... and pain. The cure to invoke this curse has been lost for centuries. Also, Prince Gabriel, if someone possesses this mark, then they must’ve done something bad in their past life."
As Louis revealed the truth about the mark, Gabriel’s facial expressions remained neutral. His mother always talked about the destruction that he would bring. ’Then, why is the mark tied to Amelie? Could it be that there were twin marks? Perhaps there was a mark somewhere that I’m not aware of. But where?’
Louis, on the other hand, observed Gabriel’s reaction. ’He looks calm to me. This man is difficult to read sometimes,’ he thought.
"Where did you find this information, and from whom?" Gabriel asked.
"I’ll tell you if you give me something in return," Louis replied.
Gabriel cocked an eyebrow, clasping his hands together. "And what do you want?"
"The name of the person who bears this mark," Louis said.
"Why? What do you plan to do with that?" Gabriel questioned.
"Nothing," Louis shrugged. "I’m just curious. I want to know who carries it."
"It’s me," Gabriel answered calmly. "I carry this mark. I’ve been curious to know about it for a long time," he asserted, giving no room for doubt to Louis. Karmen glanced at Gabriel, wondering why he lied.
"Now, it’s your turn to tell me who told you about this," Gabriel asked.
"I met a witch in Elanior. Her name is Leena. She sent me to another witch named Glenice, famously known as the Mistress," Louis revealed.
"So, witches are aware of this," Gabriel murmured.
"Not all," Louis clarified. "Glenice was a powerful witch in her youthful days. However, she stopped practicing for some unknown reason. She’s the one who mentioned the ancient texts, now lost, that contained such information."
"Give me the location where she resides," Gabriel demanded.
"Pardon me, but you need a special pass to see Glenice," Louis stated. "Leena is a good friend of mine, that was why I could find the pass from her. But if I demand it again, I don’t think she will agree to it," he affirmed.
"I will convince Leena then," Gabriel answered. "Wait for my next call. I may ask you to accompany me to Elanior," he added.
"Why do you think I should work for you?" Louis asked.
"You need something again!?" Gabriel questioned.
"No. I just don’t want to be involved with the prince," Louis said rudely.
"Watch your mouth!" Karmen warned him.
Gabriel asked him to calm down. "Thank you for finding out the truth I wanted to know. You’re resourceful, as I expected. As our initial deal, I won’t be bothering or threatening you anymore," he assured Louis before walking out. Karmen closely followed him, leaving Louis alone inside.
Gabriel stopped outside his car while Karmen stopped behind him. "You should head home. We will talk in the morning," he suggested.
Karmen bowed and watched the prince leave in the car before returning to his own and driving back to his place.
~~~~
Gabriel quietly opened the bedroom door and found Amelie awake, watching TV.
"You’re back early!" she said, lowering the volume. "Look, I placed the photo frame next to the TV. Doesn’t it look nice?" She climbed off the bed, her eyes bright with anticipation.
’I don’t believe Amelie did anything wrong in her past life,’ Gabriel thought. ’But why did someone curse her?’
Amelie waved her hand in front of his face, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Where are you lost?"
Gabriel blinked, then caught her hand gently. "Into your beauty," he said, cupping her face with both hands. "Indeed, it looks nice," he added, looking at the baby’s photo.
Before she could respond, he pinched her cheeks playfully and kissed each one. "I’m going to freshen up and change first," he added with a wink.
"Alright," Amelie replied, her smile softening. "I’ve already laid out your clothes in the bathroom."
"Thank you," Gabriel said as he walked off toward the bathroom.
Amelie climbed back into bed, pulling the soft blanket up to her chin.
A few minutes later, Gabriel returned, dressed in comfortable clothes. He switched off the main lights, leaving only the soft glow of the bedside lamp. As he slid into bed, Amelie instinctively rested her head on his shoulder, drawing comfort from his warmth.
"Flora called me earlier," she said quietly.
Gabriel tensed slightly. "Why?" he asked, frowning.
"She was drinking... at some bar," Amelie murmured. "Started ranting about everything. She even talked about dying and said the entire pack has turned against her." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I told her to go home. That she shouldn’t talk like that."
Gabriel let out a slow breath, his arm tightening slightly around her. "Then why do you sound so low?" he asked in a sharper tone. "Don’t tell me she’s trying to make you feel guilty for things she brought on herself."
Amelie didn’t respond right away. Her fingers toyed with a loose thread in the blanket.
"She sounded broken," she finally said. "And it’s hard not to remember that I am her elder sister."
Gabriel turned his head, looking down at her. "Amelie... being kind is part of who you are. But don’t carry the weight of her mistakes. She made her choices and hurt you. So, don’t empathize with a culprit."
"Culprit?" Amelie was shocked to hear that word.
"Yes, she is a culprit in my eyes. You would’ve never wanted your sister to be dead, so I chose to free her," Gabriel opined. Then, turning to her, he peered into Amelie’s eyes, "Let’s not talk about her or another person." His nose brushed against her forehead before he leaned down and kissed her.