Chapter 342
Chapter 342
Chapter 342
Freya’s POV
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“I just hope this Parker Williams really turns out to be your brother,” Lana said over the WolfComm, her voice crackling faintly. “Oh, and did you hear? SilverTech Forgeworks has completely shut down operations. The suppliers pulled out–no payments, no raw material, nothing. Their stock’s in free fall. Yesterday, a mob of investors stormed the Silverfang headquarters. Word is, Caelum Grafton got beaten half to death p>
I froze for half a heartbeat, though deep down, I wasn’t surprised.
I knew Caelum too well–his pride, his stubborn belief that he could do everything on his own. He never understood limits. If, after I left, he’d hired a professional to manage the company, SilverTech might have survived. But he didn’t. He trusted his own Alpha instincts more than
reason.
“Give it a few weeks,” Lana went on, clicking her tongue. “SilverTech will be nothing but ashes. Caelum’s about to crash harder than he ever has. When that happens, don’t you dare pity him, Freya p>
“I won’t,” I said simply.
And I meant it.
The day he refused to come with me to retrieve my parents‘ remains–the day he chose power over me–was the day my heart stopped feeling anything for him.
Just as I ended the call, a voice came from behind me.
“You won’t pity Caelum Grafton p>
I turned. Silas stood a few paces away, framed by the soft glow from the window. His gaze was steady, unreadable.
“No,” I said.
He stepped closer. “Then what about me? Will you pity me, Freya p>
I frowned. “You don’t need my pity p>
“And if I did?” he asked quietly.
Before I could step back, his hands gripped the arms of the couch I was sitting on, caging me
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“Silas…” I murmured, meeting his eyes. “Why are you doing this to yourself? You’re the Alpha of the Ironclad Coalition. You could have anything–anyone. We only dated for a few months. It’s not worth holding onto. You’ll meet someone else p>
“Stop.” His voice was sharp, almost pleading. His amber eyes burned with something wild and desperate. “Don’t say it. I know our love was never equal. You never felt for me what I felt for you. You think it was just a few months–but for me, Freya, it was everything. My entire damn life p>
My breath caught.
“You can let go of me,” he said hoarsely. “But I can’t. I can’t stop loving you, and I can’t love anyone else. Not after you p>
He straightened, stepping back, his lips curling into a bitter smile. “You really think my feelings for you were shallow p>
“I-” The words stuck in my throat.
Silas let out a quiet laugh, the sound raw and self–mocking. “It’s pathetic, isn’t it? I was abandoned by my mother, despised by my father. All my life, I swore I’d never let myself be discarded again. But then came you. You took everything I gave, and when you walked away, I begged you to stay p>
He dragged a hand through his hair, a tremor running down his arm. “Even after you left, I didn’t regret it. I still don’t. Meeting you… loving you–it ruined me, but I’d do it all over again p>
The pain in his voice cut deeper than I wanted to admit. I had promised myself, long ago, that I’d never cry for him again. Yet now, my chest ached like something inside was tearing open.
It hurt–because I remembered.
Because I had once vowed to him that I wouldn’t abandon him, no matter what scars the world had left on him.
And in the end, I did.
Yes, he lied to me.
Yes, I was the one who said it was over.
Yes, we were wrong for each other.
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Chapter 342
But knowing all that didn’t make it hurt any less.
He turned away, shoulders rigid, walking out without another word.
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I sat there for a long time, staring at the empty doorway. My fingers drifted to my chest. The pain was still there, sharp and alive beneath my ribs.
He was right. He’d been abandoned by everyone he ever loved. And despite everything, I became one of them.
A sharp knock pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Come in,” I said quietly.
Kade stepped through the door, his usual calm replaced by concern. “You look pale. Are you feeling all right p>
“I’m fine,” I said. Then, after a pause: “Maybe just nervous about the DNA results p>
“It’s about time,” he said gently. “Come on, they should be ready p>
I nodded, grabbing my bag. As I followed him out, he glanced toward the hall. “Silas isn’t coming p>
“Leave him,” I said flatly.
Kade hesitated but didn’t push. I could feel his curiosity, his subtle hope. He’d never said it outright, but I wasn’t blind. He wanted a chance. And as long as I stayed away from Silas, that chance remained alive.
The drive to the Stormveil Testing Center was quiet, the kind of silence that fills every gap when two people have too much on their minds.
When we arrived, my pulse had already begun to race.
A nurse handed me a sealed folder. My fingers trembled as I took it.
My brother’s name–Parker Williams–was printed neatly across the top.
Could it really be him?
Could he really be alive?
My heart thudded so hard I thought it might burst through my ribs.
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If it wasn’t him—if it turned out to be another dead end–then where would I even begin again?
For years, I’d searched every record, every battlefield, every rumor. I had buried my parents with my own hands at the Ashbourne Legion’s Hall of Martyrs, but Eric’s body was never found.
And now, this test… this one fragile hope… could finally tell me whether my brother still walked this world.
I drew in a slow breath, steadying my shaking hands. The scent of disinfectant, cold and sterile, filled the room.
Kade’s hand brushed my shoulder briefly, grounding me.
“Whatever happens,” he said softly, “you won’t face it alone p>
I nodded, but my eyes were locked on that folder–on the truth sealed inside.
Please, I thought silently. Please let it be him.
Because if Parker Williams wasn’t my brother, then Eric Thorne was still missing somewhere in the endless dark–and I had no idea how to bring him home.
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