Kaden’s grip tightened around the parcel as he stared at its contents. The paper crumpled beneath his fingers, his eyes turning cold as he looked through the photographs one after another. They were pictures of the wedding preparations for Aevia and Alexander, the decorations, the flowers, the arrangements being carried into the Alpha’s residence. Then his gaze stopped on one particular photograph.
The moon lilies.
His jaw tightened. He immediately understood why his mother had broken down. Estelle had never truly recovered from Alexander. She had learned to hide the pain, had forced herself to stand tall, but that did not mean the wound had ever closed.
Seeing the effort Alexander had poured into his upcoming wedding must have torn it open again. He had gone out of his way to make Aevia’s wedding beautiful, spending a fortune on rare flowers from Lunaria. He had put more effort into this wedding than he had ever put into his own marriage to Estelle.
The moon lilies had probably been the final blow.
Kaden’s teeth ground together as he looked at the photograph again. Whoever had sent this knew exactly what they were doing. This was not some harmless package. Someone had deliberately chosen the photographs, knowing precisely how badly they would affect his mother. His lips curled into a humourless smile. It looked exactly like the kind of move a mistress would make.
Aevia.
His eyes swept across the servants gathered around the bathroom. "Everyone leave," he ordered, his voice carrying enough authority to make the room fall silent. "I need some private time with my mother."
The servants exchanged uncertain glances, but nobody dared question him. One after another, they hurried out of the bedroom, their footsteps fading into the corridor. Only Estelle’s longtime personal maid remained beside the doorway. She looked torn, glancing repeatedly between Kaden and her mistress.
"Lord Kaden, Madam..." she began hesitantly, her voice trembling with concern.
Kaden sighed and held out one of the photographs. "You should see this."
The maid stepped closer and accepted it with trembling fingers. She had been so occupied with Estelle that she had never had the opportunity to examine what was inside the parcel. The moment her eyes fell on the photograph, her breath caught sharply. Her free hand flew to her mouth, and the colour drained from her face.
"The moon lilies," she whispered, staring at the image in disbelief. "Who would do this?"
Kaden’s jaw tightened. He had a very good idea, but he wasn’t ready to accuse anyone without proof. He took the photograph back and folded it into the parcel.
"I’ll handle it," he said firmly.
The maid looked towards Estelle. Her mistress was still leaning against the bathtub, drenched clothing clinging to her body, the silver dagger trembling in her hand. The maid’s heart twisted at the sight.
"But, my lord..."
"I said I’ll handle it," Kaden repeated, this time more gently. "Please leave us."
The maid hesitated for another moment before releasing a heavy breath. She bowed her head and reluctantly stepped outside. The door closed behind her, leaving Kaden alone with his mother.
The bathroom suddenly felt much smaller. The sharp metallic scent of blood hung heavily in the air, mixing with the dampness that clung to the tiled floor. Kaden took one cautious step forward. Estelle’s fingers tightened around the dagger, and the blade shifted against her neck.
"Mum," he called softly.
She didn’t look at him.
Kaden stretched his hands towards her, keeping his movements measured. "Look at me."
Estelle shook her head, tears slipping silently down her cheeks.
"Please, Mum," he urged, his voice carrying the quiet weight of his Alpha authority. "Look at me."
She resisted for a few seconds, but his command was difficult to ignore. Her trembling gaze eventually lifted to meet his. The sight of her hollow eyes and the blood at her wrist sent a sharp ache through his chest.
"Leave," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Please, Kaden. I don’t want you to see me like this."
He shook his head. "I’m not leaving," he insisted.
"You shouldn’t have to see this," she choked out, looking away. "I don’t want my son looking at me and seeing a pathetic woman who can’t even hold herself together."
Kaden’s expression softened. "It’s okay to break down, Mum."
A broken laugh escaped her lips. "No, it isn’t."
"It is," he insisted quietly. "You loved him. There’s nothing shameful about being hurt because someone you loved destroyed everything you believed you had."
Her lips trembled.
"It wasn’t just the bond, Kaden," she whispered. "I loved him. I truly loved him. I thought he loved me too." Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. "I built my entire life around that belief, and now everything I thought we shared feels fake."
Kaden’s chest tightened. He could feel the weight of her words settling heavily between them.
Estelle stared at him through tear-filled eyes. "What if he never loved me at all?" she asked.
"You know that’s not true," he refuted.
"How would you know?" she demanded, her voice suddenly breaking. "How would any of you know what was real anymore?"
Kaden lowered himself into a crouch in front of her, keeping his eyes on hers. "Give me the knife."
She shook her head.
"Please," he pleaded.
"You don’t understand," she whispered, her fingers trembling around the handle. "It’s not that easy, Kaden."
"I know," Kaden replied, still holding her gaze as he slowly approached. Seeing the knife pressed to her neck and the thin trickle of blood twisted his stomach.
"No, you don’t." Her voice cracked again. "It feels as if the best years of my life were a lie. Every memory I have with him feels tainted now. Every promise, every smile, every time he told me he loved me." She squeezed her eyes shut as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "He never really loved me."
"I can’t do this anymore," she whispered. "Just leave me. I don’t want you seeing me like this. I’ve spent my whole life pretending I was strong enough to handle everything, but I’m tired, Kaden. I’m so tired."
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