"Why would I go back to her? What are you trying to imply? Tell me!" Alex’s voice raised. He didn’t wish to ruin his entire day and the important meetings he had later in the afternoon.
"I’ll be hanging up. I have to work," Alex muttered and cut the phone in annoyance.
Just then, Zander again entered the office with an envelope in his hands.
"I don’t wish to hear anything from you," Alex muttered.
"Well, you shouldn’t ignore this. It has come from Alpha Javerick," Zander replied, "of the Moon Stone Pack."
Alex opened the envelope and saw an invitation to a private party.
"That was unexpected," Alex muttered. "I was under the impression that his great-grandfather severed ties with our family long ago."
"Exactly why this is interesting," Zander said, crossing his arms. "Maybe Javerick is looking to mend old wounds and start a new alliance. Attending this party might be a wise move. Strengthening bonds with the Moon Stone Pack could bring us a strategic advantage."
Alex stared at the invitation. "Or it could be a trap masked with courtesy."
"Either way, it’s worth finding out," Zander added with a shrug. "You’ll never know if you don’t show up. Moreover, you need to earn favors with packs like Moon Stone to keep yourself safe from Prince Gabriel."
"You are right," Alex admitted.
"By the way, Amelie is getting married to Prince Gabriel in the upcoming week. Aren’t you going to see her? She carries your pup. You don’t feel even the slightest toward it?" Zander was curious to know.
"No, I don’t. I liked her once. But she was never suitable for me. It was my mistake that she got pregnant. Gosh! It’s so fucked up. I don’t even wish to think about it," Alex muttered in frustration.
"In my eyes, Flora isn’t a suitable Luna for you," Zander said. "You shouldn’t have cheated on Amelie, Dude. No matter how much you want to deny it, but you also regret it. You regret rejecting Amelie. Now, she has Prince Gabriel by her side, so your life is in danger because of that," he pronounced with a stern gaze.
"You think Amelie will ask him to kill me," Alex arched his eyebrow.
"Yes, she can. Think about the influence she has over a prince, who has never been persuaded by anyone before," Zander remarked. He took a few steps back and walked away.
Alex rubbed the temple of his forehead. "All of this has messed up," he muttered under his breath.
~~~~
"How did you find out about Zilia?" Casaio asked, narrowing his eyes at Gabriel.
"Someone tipped me off," Gabriel said coolly. "She was seen entering the hotel with an unknown man. Want to hear the most interesting part? She made sure no one recognized her—disguised, cautious. That kind of secrecy? It wasn’t just a fling, Casaio. She was here on a mission. A mission you failed to see for years."
Casaio’s jaw tensed as his fists clenched at his sides.
"And why exactly did you keep it from the rest of us?" Gabriel pressed. "You knew she was a spy, didn’t you?"
"Casaio only found out yesterday," Dominick interjected.
"Yet, he chose to hide it from me when we spoke last night," Gabriel said. "Interesting, isn’t it?"
"Don’t mock what I felt for her," Casaio snapped. "Do you think it was easy for me, finding out the truth about Zilia? Watching the person I trusted become a stranger overnight?" He exhaled sharply. "Forget it. I didn’t come here to bleed in front of you."
He leaned back against the car seat, and he closed his eyes.
"I have my wedding coming up. The last thing I need is trouble," Gabriel said firmly. "That’s why Zilia will remain in captivity, for now. After the wedding, you can take her. Do whatever you wish, as long as it’s far from San Ravendale."
He paused for a moment then. "Normally, no captive leaves this territory without a full investigation. But for you... I’ll make an exception. Consider it a gesture of our bond as brothers."
Casaio gave a small nod. Dominick, sitting on right of Gabriel, glanced at Gabriel with mild surprise. He hadn’t expected him to bend, even slightly, but he appreciated the rare show of empathy for Casaio’s torn heart.
Silence lingered between them as the car rolled to a halt.
Once inside the grand mansion, the silence was broken by the sight of Amelie, radiant in a wedding gown, her smile lighting up the living hall.
"I think this gown is the prettiest of them all," she said, turning slightly. The lacy high-neck design hugged her figure elegantly, with full sleeves and a dramatic flare that cascaded from the knees into a graceful train.
Katelyn, standing nearby, tilted her head thoughtfully. "It’s beautiful, but I thought the off-shoulder one with the heavy train looked more regal. Don’t you want to go all out for the ceremony?"
Amelie turned toward the mirror as her eyes lingered on her reflection. "More regal?" She murmured.
"Yeah. You’ll be the Luna Princess to my brother, a royal daughter-in-law," Katelyn declared with a proud smile, adjusting the hem of the gown slightly.
Gabriel stood still, utterly mesmerized by Amelie. She wasn’t fully dressed yet, her hair undone and makeup barely touched, but to him, she was perfect. His heart fluttered against his chest.
Casaio leaned in near Gabriel’s ear. "You should help your bride choose her wedding dress."
There was a faint bitterness in his tone. Casaio’s eyes lingered on the gown for a moment too long, not because of Amelie, but because of the memories it stirred.
He had imagined this moment before, but with Zilia, dreamt of a day she’d agree to be his, standing before him in a wedding gown, smiling like Amelie was now. Instead, all he had left were the shards of betrayal.
"Oh, Gabriel is here! Let’s ask his opinion, Amelie!" Katelyn noticed her three brothers while Amelie quickly turned to look at her man.