Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Freya’s POV
D
+8 Pearls
“It was what my parents left me,” I whispered, my voice barely steady. My eyes lingered on the money that had once meant survival, but to me it carried only grief and the scent of loss.
He didn’t notice. Caelum’s joy, his ambitions, had blinded him then. He hadn’t seen the sorrow in my gaze.
Step by step, he came closer, his voice rough like a wolf’s growl caught in his throat. “Why didn’t you tell me? That the money… came from your parents‘ death benefit p>
His words slammed into me like claws to the chest. I could feel his guilt wrapping around him, heavy as iron.
“Because,” I said quietly, “I didn’t want you to think of it as a burden. I didn’t want that weight on you p>
When I handed him that money, I had also handed him my hopes for our bond–our future. I had believed we would walk side by side until our final days. But reality had torn us apart, left our vows in ruins.
“Brother, don’t believe her!” Giselle’s shrill voice cut through the air, full of spite. “She just wants the money–she’ll spin any lie she can p>
“Enough!” Caelum’s roar silenced her. His eyes burned with regret, anguish, and a torment I could almost taste in the air.
If he had known back then that SilverTech Forgeworks was built on my parents‘ sacrifice, perhaps he would have treated me differently. Perhaps he would have stood beside me when I went to claim their ashes. Perhaps he would not, on the eve of our Lunar Severance Phase, still have dared to suggest replacing the debt with worthless shares.
That grief clawed at him now–I could see it in every taut line of his body.
“ I’ll
get the money to you tomorrow,” he rasped, bitterness lacing his voice.
Tomorrow–the day of our final severance, when the bond would be dissolved under law.
There was no way he could replace the money with equity now. He knew, as I did, that it had always been mine. That he owed
“ Good,” I said coldly. “Then I’ll wait for tomorrow p>
If he dared to withhold it, then I’d drag him through every court in The Capital until he bled.
His gaze locked on me, and for a heartbeat, I saw the echo of what had been–how once I had looked at him with warmth, steadfast and loyal, the way a mate would stand through every storm. But that fire had long since died.
All that was left in me was ice.
And Caelum realized it. The loss in his eyes was raw, the kind of emptiness an Alpha feels when his mate slips forever beyond
his reach.
The press conference had been a spectacle, little more than a farce.
After it ended, I told Kade and Lana to leave ahead of me. I stayed behind to sit with Aldred, the old commander who had been like a second father after my pack was shattered.
“Tomorrow’s your severance. Should I come with you to the courthouse?” Kade asked, his dark eyes restless.
No,” I said firmly. “ If Caelum dares drag this out, then so be it. I’ll take him to court, and when I do, I’ll demand far more than one and a half million p>
Lana cursed under her breath about the Graftons, her fury sharp enough to cut.
When they were gone, I turned to Aldred. “Uncle Aldred, forgive me. Today must have been unpleasant to witness p>
12:51 PM P P
Chapter 61
+8 Pearls
His eyes softened with something like grief. “Child, if I had known you carried so much on your own… I should have stepped forward long ago. Never forget–you always have me at your back p>
My throat tightened, and I could only manage a thick, “Mm p>
“When will you take your parents‘ ashes home?” he asked gently.
“Tomorrow. After the papers are signed, I’ll head straight for the airport p>
He nodded, resolute. “Then I’ll see them off with you. Your father and mother deserve that honor p>
A cough sounded behind him. I lifted my gaze and saw Silas Whitmor, striding forward. His presence carried the weight of steel and blood, and even the shadows seemed to bend.
Aldred cleared his throat. “There is something I must discuss with you, Freya p>
My brow furrowed. “What is it p>
The old commander seemed almost sheepish. “The Whitmore enterprises and the military maintain close cooperation. But with the recent death of the Whitmore patriarch, succession has been… unstable p>
Silas has already faced multiple assassination attempts in a matter of weeks. His safety has become a matter of grave concern. If something happens to him, we don’t know what hand will seize control afterward. Stability is paramount p>
I understood immediately. For the sake of security and alliance, they couldn’t allow the Ironclad Alpha to fall.
“But here is the matter,” Aldred continued. “Silas requested specifically that you be assigned as his guardian p>
“What?” My shock slipped out before I could stop it.
Silas inclined his head, his voice carrying quiet command. “I’ve seen what you’re capable of, Freya Thorne. You’ve saved Aldred more than once. I trust you more than anyone else to guard my life p>
I almost laughed at the irony. “If protection is what you seek, there are warriors in the Iron Fang Recon Unit whose skill far exceeds mine. You’d be better served by them p>
His eyes locked on mine, unflinching, wolf to wolf. “Perhaps. But trust cannot be replaced. And the only one I trust-” his lips curved into something that was not quite a smile, “-is you p>
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