Chapter 26 A Show–i
|| Lilac’s POV ||
The air was thick with the mingling scents of expensive perfumes and gourmet food, the atmosphere both luxurious and suffocating. We sat at the table, the tension palpable, our fake smiles plastered on like masks. The server had just poured us one of the most expensive wines on the menu, the deep red liquid swirling in the crystal glasses like liquid fire. I took a sip, the taste rich and bold, but it did little to ease the knot of unease in my stomach.
“Thank you, Benson, for obliging the request,” Alpha King Darius said, his voice smooth and composed as he addressed my father. His golden eyes were sharp, his expression unreadable, but there was a flicker of something, guilt, perhaps, or regret, that I couldn’t quite place.
J“Not a problem,” Dad replied, his tone polite but clipped. He leaned back in his chair, his posture
relaxed but his eyes sharp. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
Luna Cassandra smiled, her warm eyes turning to me. “First, we wanted to apologize for the incident and the inconvenience it has caused for Lilac,” she said, her voice soft and sincere. “Lilac, dear, trust us, we had no clue that Kael would find his mate during the ceremony.”
Of course you didn’t know. After all, I staged the show on that day.
The word echoed in my mind, sharp and bitter, slicing through the remnants of the illusion I had once clung to. I knew the truth. And worst of all, I knew that Kael knew it too.
He had known Coco long before our wedding, long before she showed up that day pretending to be some helpless victim. He had known her when he stood before me, looking me in the eyes
word he had spoken, every promise he had made, it had all been a beautifully crafted deception.
and vowing his love. Every single
I clenched my fists, as the memories played back in my mind, each one a stab to my already
shattered heart.
Elara had seen them first. She had been at the bar that night, her sharp gaze catching the way Kael and Coco had been wrapped up in each other, lost in their little world.
And then there was Alaric and, a single photograph, damning and undeniable. The truth, staring
me in the face..
I could have ruined them both that night. I had the means. I had the evidence. The moment those pictures found their way into the hands of reporters, the scandal would have spread like wildfire.
But I didn’t
Because that would have made me a target, too.
If I had exposed them so recklessly, if I had been the one to leak the scandal, the Reventhorns would have struck back. They would have denied it all, dismissed the photos as fabrications,
Chapter 26 A Show–l
vengeance on my family, dragging them into the storm I had created.
No. That wasn’t an option.
I needed something stronger. Something they couldn’t deny.
So I played the long game.
I brought Coco into the palace. Alaric helped.
An attack on her. Fake, but convincing.
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The kind of terror that left her shaken and vulnerable. The kind that made her seek protection in the one place where everyone could see the truth unfold.
She had walked into that grand hall, broken and afraid, and before the eyes of the entire court. the truth had unraveled itself. They saw it. The way Kael looked at her. The way his mask slipped. his carefully composed facade cracking under the weight of his own guilt.
The Reventhorns had no way out.
They could not deny it.
I sighed.
I forced a smile, my voice calm and steady as I replied, “Of course, Luna. I don’t blame anyone. This is fate, after all. A blessing from the goddess.”
As I spoke, Kael stiffened, his golden eyes flicking to the entrance of the restaurant. I followed his gaze, my heart sinking as I saw Coco walking in. She looked timid, her head bowed as if she were walking into danger. Her dress was simple, a pale pink that made her look even more fragile. Ezra let out a low growl, his hands clenching into fists as she approached the table.
“Sorry, Alpha, Luna… I… I was lost,” Coco said, her voice trembling as she stood awkwardly at the corner of the table.
Darius and Cassandra didn’t acknowledge her, their expressions carefully neutral. Kael, too, remained silent, his jaw clenched as he stared at the table. Coco stood there, her presence a stark reminder of the chaos she had brought into our lives.
“Since she is also here now, let’s start the discussion,” Alpha King Darius said, his voice firm and commanding.
Luna Cassandra turned to me, her smile warm but strained. “I know Kael has found his mate, but in his heart, it is still you, Lilac.”
My dad’s jaw tightened, his hands gripping the edge of the table. I could feel his anger simmering just beneath the surface, but I shot him a quick glance, silently urging him to stay calm. Mom pressed her hand on top of his. He took a deep breath, his expression carefully neutral as he leaned back in his chair.
12:02 PM
Chapter 26 A Show–i
the storm raging inside me.
Kael turned to me, his golden eyes filled with desperation as he took my hand.
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“I don’t care about any of this,” he said, his voice louder than necessary. The sudden noise drew the attention of the entire restaurant, the hum of conversation fading as all eyes turned to us.
Slowly, Kael stood up, and then he was on his knees before me. My eyes widened, my heart pounding in my chest as I realized what he was about to do.
“Please, Lilac, give me a chance,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion. “That was my first time meeting my soulmate, and I couldn’t control myself. But please trust me. I feel nothing for her. My heart belongs to you and you only.”
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