Chapter 15
1364words
Cautiously, I intensely stared at my brother and asked, “What do you mean?”
He looked at me for a moment, seemingly thinking, before he finally sighed and replied, “Fine. I’ll tell you the bad news first, then.”
Pushing the glass of water near me, he continued, “I received news that Kylian spent five million dollars just to exempt Flora from taking any liability in the previous car accident.”
‘What? Did I hear him right?’ I thought in disbelief.
I fell into a daze, processing what he told me. As the realization hit me, frustration and fury crept into my heart like a bomb.
So… after all that chaos, it’s really not necessary for me to take the blame on Flora’s behalf?
I scoffed and inwardly thought, ‘Then why in the world did Natasha and Kylian ask me to do so?’
“As long as you’re willing to take the blame for Flora, I’ll give you one million…”
Those words of Natasha played in my mind over and over again. What was Natasha even thinking when she offered that to me?
Did she really believe that one million was a huge sum of money? Enough to buy my freedom and reputation? Or did she see me as a very lowly being, and did she believe that’s just my worth?
And yet… there was Kylian, readily giving five million away for Flora’s sake.
What a joke!
My head went in a tangle of mess as shock, despair, and heartache stabbed me one after another in the heart. I hastily stood up to walk my frustration out, but my trembling body from fury weakened my legs, and I always fell down.
“Hey! Are you okay?” Fae asked in worry.
If it hadn’t been for Fae, who had supported me in time, I would have fallen on the floor.
However, as soon as she touched me, I pushed her hand away in an instant. I was fuming mad as I turned my gaze at her.
Disbelief filled me, and before I could control myself, I was already venting out, “Five million?”
I laughed sarcastically and spread my arms wide. “That’s not even fucking enough to buy me a manor! They wanted to use it to buy my life!”
My chest heavily rose and fell from the heaviness I was feeling. With a clenched jaw, I slammed my hands on the table near us, which jolted Fae and Jackson.
When I shifted my gaze to Jackson, I saw how his eyes turned solemn, seeing the overflowing emotions radiating all over me.
I huffed a breath, knowing he could see the melancholy and rage in me.
Once I calmed down a bit, he continued, “The good news is… Flora escaped from her prior lawsuit. This means the case against her for stealing your necklace will be put on the list soon.”
Shrugging his shoulder, he gave me a smirk and smugly said, “I believe, in just a few days from now, you’ll see Flora kneeling before you and apologizing.”
Hearing that, I immediately became alert and intently looked at him, seriously saying, “You must promise me, Jackson, never ever let anyone know I’m a princess. Never!”
Jackson furrowed his brows and looked confused at me.
Hearing no reply from him, I said again, this time more firmly, “Promise me!”
He stared at me for a long time, seemingly trying to pry my head open and see what was going on in my mind.
Finally, he couldn’t bear it anymore, he asked, “Why?”
“Why what?”
“When our father declared you as the heir, you insisted on wearing a mask. Why do you find it a need to hide your identity.” Solemnly staring at me, he continued to ask, “Won’t it be for good for you to reveal who you really are?”
I sighed, “What good can that bring exactly?”
Omega, Beta, Gamma, Alpha, or royalties… Does one really need to be a ranked wolf to be given the respect and treatment everyone deserves to have to begin with?
His eyes sharpened. “Then you’ll get everything that’s rightfully yours, and no one will dare to come your way.”
Of course, that’s the advantage of having power. But it's not respect, and it's only because of fear. Besides, I didn’t want to be used as a ladder to power by others in the Dark Moon Pack once the truth came to life. Especially Luke, who was vividly greedy and powerful.
Shaking my head, I replied, “It’s not the right time yet. I haven’t signed the divorce paper with Kylian yet. Once they know, I’ll have trouble signing it.”
Not to mention Kylian’s selfish and snobby mother, Natasha. If they learn the truth, they’ll do anything to stop my divorce from Kylian so they can smooch as much benefit as they can from my identity as a princess.
I didn’t want that. Even though my heart was still foolishly beating for him, after all the heartache I experienced from Kylian and his family, I just knew I couldn’t be involved with him ever again.
I’m not a masochist to let him hurt me over and over again when it's as clear as day that he didn’t love me anymore and that he only had eyes for his fated mate.
Whereas me, his chosen mate, his wife, and his Luna were just thrown aside, completely forgotten.
“Remember, I’m always here,” I heard Jackson whisper in a gentle voice as he pulled me close to him.
“I…” Before I could speak, I felt his warm palm on my jaw while his thumb thoughtfully wiped away the tears I only realized streaming down my face.
Once dry, he pulled me into his arms, letting his body warm my cold heart, just like what he did thousand times when we were still puppies.
Gently, Jackson patted my head and whispered in my ears, “Don’t be sad anymore. I prepared a remarkable surprise for you.”
Pulling away a bit, he gave me a knowing and encouraging look as he added, “You’ll like it, I swear.”
I let out a smile. He didn’t have to swear because I knew he’d do anything for me.
Since my childhood, my brother and father both had been supporting me in my every wimp and need.
Seeing the worry glinting in his eyes, I couldn’t help but burst out in laughter and jokingly said, “Is it a lakeside villa? A precious piece of jewelry?”
“Oh!” I clapped my hand in an exaggerated manner. “Is it the latest sports car?”
Ever since I could remember, I’ve received countless ridiculously luxurious gifts. And I didn’t mean just during holidays or special occasions no… they’d pamper and surprise me on random days whenever they felt like it.
But I was too stupid that forgot everything and every love I have received. Instead, I was captured by Kylian’s manipulating, even if he forgot our wedding anniversary.
I scoffed just at the thought of it. Somehow, so conveniently, Flora would fall ill on that day and would always ask him to stay by his side like the bicth that she was.
But while I knew better than to believe her pretense, Kylian was either too stupid to notice it or he really just didn’t care about me anymore.
Jackson laughed with me and shook his head. “This time, it’s different.”
With a proud smile lingering on his face, he pulled out a thick folder from behind him and handed it to me. Solemnly, he said, “This will be the most important gift you’ll ever receive since you’re a child up to now.”
I skeptically look at it. More than lands, cars, and jewelry? How expensive could this one be?
Cautiously, I took the folder and momentarily stared at the official folder in my hand. It had a huge gold-stamped logo in the middle with a watermark of the Kingdom's name.
Of course, I knew what those kinds of folders were for. Only the most important things were placed in folders like this. Instantly, my heartbeat increases with tension.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly reached for it with my other hand and anxiously opened the folder to see…
