Amelie and Gabriel didn’t stop until they reached his bedroom. Gabriel gently let go of her hand and turned to face her, his gaze searching her features.
"I feel... so light," Amelie said, a soft breath leaving her lips as a smile tugged at the corners. "Like I can finally breathe. And I’m sorry... that you had to hear all those things because of me."
Gabriel stepped closer. "You have nothing to apologize for," he said. "My mother’s toxicity didn’t start today. She’s always been like that. But Amelie..." He paused, his hands lifting to rest gently on her arms. "I saw a new side of you today. The way you stood up for yourself... for your pup. You didn’t flinch. You didn’t hide. You were brave."
She looked up at him, breath catching slightly when his hand slid up, fingers curving around the side of her neck, his thumb brushing tenderly across her cheek.
"Say it again," he murmured in a more intimate tone. "Say you like me."
Amelie’s heart fluttered.
"I was surprised," he whispered, "when you confessed something so deep for me."
Amelie opened her mouth and speak, "Everything came out in a rush... but it was the truth. I like you."
A slow, genuine smile curved Gabriel’s lips. "That’s all I wanted to hear."
He leaned down, his breath mingling with hers. His lips brushed against hers, which were soft at first, and when she responded, their kiss deepened. Amelie clutched his shirt tighter, anchoring herself to the moment.
Amelie was the first to pull away, her chest rising and falling as she tried to steady her breath. She peered into Gabriel’s eyes.
"I have something to ask you," she said.
"Go ahead," Gabriel replied, curiosity flickering in his gaze.
"You declared the pup as yours," she said cautiously. "Do you... really mean to be—" She hesitated, the thought of marriage flashing through her mind, making her falter. ’Why did I even think of that?’
Gabriel chuckled. "You think way too much," he said, stepping closer. "Since you’ve already told me how you feel... isn’t it time I claim you as mine completely?"
His violet eyes gleaming with mischief and desire, and a smirk curled on his lips.
"What?" Amelie blinked at him in confusion.
But before she could gather her thoughts, she found herself lying on the mattress, Gabriel hovering above her. Her breath hitched at the warmth of his body and the intensity in his eyes. She shivered when his breath brushed her neck, and her heartbeat quickened when his fingers grazed the sensitive skin where her neck met her shoulder.
"Remember?" he whispered with possessiveness. "I told you I’d mark you here... so everyone knows you’re mine."
Amelie gasped when his lips found the spot. Her knee lifted instinctively, her back arching as he sucked gently on her skin. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, bracing herself against the overwhelming sensation building within her.
But then, someone knocked on the door.
Gabriel didn’t even flinch. His attention remained fixed on her.
"Let’s check who it is," Amelie whispered, her voice shaky as she pressed her palm against his chest, gently pushing him back. "It might be something urgent. We shouldn’t keep someone waiting."
Gabriel groaned, frustrated, and rolled off the bed. "Fine. I’ll check."
With a final glance at her, he walked to the door and opened it, only to find one of the palace maids standing there.
"Sir," she said with a slight bow, "Miss Amelie’s father is here. He wishes to speak with her."
From behind him, Amelie approached, now composed with her hair pulled up into a neat bun. She had overheard the maid’s words.
Gabriel turned to her. "Do you want to see him?"
She gave a faint nod. "Hmm."
"Go ahead then," he said, his phone buzzing in his pocket at that moment. With a sigh, he pulled it out and headed toward the balcony to take the call.
Amelie came to a halt just a few steps away from her father, her heart already bracing for disappointment.
"Did you really tell that story in front of the Queen?" David asked. "Flora would never go after the man you liked. And Alex... he’s the Alpha of the pack. He won’t do something like that. Tell me the truth. Did you lie in front of everyone?"
For a moment, Amelie couldn’t breathe. She stared at him, stunned, not by his accusation, but by how unsurprising it was. Still, it stung.
"You... don’t believe me," she whispered.
She turned her back to him. "I have nothing more to say to you."
"Amelie, you can’t just accuse—"
"Accuse?" She spun back around, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "You think I accused them? Why don’t you ask Alex what he did to me that night? Ask Flora how she laughed in my face after he rejected me, like it was some kind of joke."
Her eyes burned, but she refused to shed tears this time. "I was the dutiful daughter of the Conley family. I stayed quiet, respected you and Mom, never questioned your decisions... but what did that give me? Nothing but pain. You never saw me. You never protected me. You always thought I brought wrong into your family. Why didn’t you abandon me right after my birth? Why did you raise me up as your daughter when all you’ve to do is humiliate me?"
"I want to correct your present mistakes!" David raised his voice.
"Mistakes? I never made them. The only mistake I made was never standing for myself," she yelled.
David opened his mouth, but words didn’t come out of her mouth.
"Please leave," Amelie said coldly. "Before I ask Gabriel to kick you out of my sight."
She hated using Gabriel’s name like that, as a threat. But right now, that was the only name that could made David leave her sight.
"The entire Conley Family disgusts me. You, Mom and Flora all are same. You all called me a ’curse’. Then, I curse you all suffer the pain I’ve undergone all these years," Amelie said while clenching her fists.