Chapter 625
Dominick stood with his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, his gaze fixed on the skeletal frame of the giant building.
“We found a young kid injured at this place. After an investigation, it was found that an unknown shifter hurt the boy. Thankfully, the boy is a born Alpha, so his wounds healed, not quickly, but they are closing,” Jeniva reported. She reached up to tighten the thick muffler around her neck as a sharp gust of wind whistled through the construction site.
“Why would a shifter drag a boy to a place like this?” Dominick murmured, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the upper floors.
“Maybe they wanted something from the boy,” Evan suggested, glancing toward Jeniva. He could tell she was holding back more details. “Was there anything else in the report p>
“The boy has been injured twice,” Jeniva replied, her breath hitching slightly from the cold. “The strange part is that the first time, he came to this building on his own p>
“That’s strange,” Dominick replied, his brow furrowing. “Who are the parents p>
“His father is the Mayor of Gridlock, and his mother runs a local business. Mr. and Mrs. Banes have lived here for fifteen years,” Jeniva answered. “And Brady is their only child. They finally had him after fifteen years of trying p>
Dominick turned away from the building, his expression grim. “The Mayor’s son. This isn’t a random attack. We need to meet the boy and his parents immediately p>
“Yes, but it seems a snowstorm is on its way,” Evan informed. “I checked the weather report earlier. The local authorities have issued a stay-at-home order for the next eight hours. We should head back to the residence before the roads become impassable p>
“Okay. Let’s go back,” Dominick replied as he climbed into the passenger seat. Once they were settled inside the vehicle, Evan navigated the winding roads back to the residence.
The moment the car pulled into the residence driveway, the first flakes began to fall. Before the men could even step out, Jeniva bolted from the car and vanished into the house.
“What’s gotten into her?” Evan murmured, frowning at the empty doorway.
“Go check on her,” Dominick commanded, though he didn’t follow. He watched the snow pile up on the stone steps.
Evan made his way to Jeniva’s room and gave a gentle knock on the door. “Jeniva? Are you alright? You disappeared rather quickly p>
The door creaked open just a fraction later. Jeniva stood there. “I was… I was just feeling the cold,” she admitted breathlessly. “I am extra sensitive to the frost, especially when the snow starts to settle. It feels like it’s in my bones p>
“I see,” Evan softened his tone, noticing the way her fingers clutched the door frame. “Would you like me to bring you something hot? A tea or a broth might help stabilize your temperature p>
“No, thank you. I’ll just sit by the fireplace for a while,” Jeniva replied, her voice trembling slightly. She hesitated, looking past him toward the hallway. “And please… Don’t tell the Prince. He’ll only get angry with me for being unable to withstand the weather. I don’t want to be a burden p>
“Your secret is safe with me,” Evan promised with a small, reassuring nod. “Get some rest p>
With that, he turned and walked away.
Flora returned to the palace late in the afternoon. After a long, steaming bath, she was just settling into fresh clothes when she noticed Amelie standing in the doorway and about to knock on the door. Flora stood up from the edge of the bed, lowering the towel she had been using to dry her hair, and gestured for Amelie to come inside.
“Mom and Dad mentioned you were with Zander at a hotel last night,” Amelie said, her voice curious but soft as she stepped into the room.
“Ah, yes. He… he insisted that I should stay with him for the night,” Flora replied, her gaze dropping to the floor. She began nervously fiddling with her fingers, burying them in the soft dampness of the towel. “And I found that I couldn’t really say no to him p>
Amelie noticed the slight flush on Flora’s cheeks and the way she avoided eye contact. “He can be very persuasive when he wants to be. But you look like you didn’t get much sleep, Flora p>
“Wait, no! I slept a lot,” Flora replied quickly. “Nothing happened. For real p>
“Why are you so flustered?” Amelie chuckled, shaking her head at her sister’s nervous energy. “You’re an adult, Flora. You don’t need to explain yourself to me p>
“It’s just… nothing happened,” Flora admitted, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I felt terrible for rejecting Zander at every turn lately. He just wanted me to stay near him, and I felt like I owed him that much.” Flora bit her bottom lip, her eyes filled with a quiet anticipation until Amelie reached out, placing both hands firmly on her shoulders.
“You are still unable to forgive yourself, aren’t you?” Amelie asked gently.
Flora looked into her sister’s eyes and nodded, the regret finally surfacing. “How can I? I am trying so hard to be a better person now, but my past can’t be erased. It’s stitched into my memories,” she added, her voice trembling. “I feel so much guilt. You can’t truly understand what I’ve done to my own conscience. I keep recalling those moments, over and over p>
Amelie’s brows furrowed in deep concern. She tightened her grip on Flora’s shoulders. “I know you did wrong. Very wrong. But I have moved on. I have Noah in my arms and Gabriel by my side, along with the support of the entire family. That past has no space in my life anymore, and I don’t waste my energy trying to recall it p>
Amelie leaned in closer. “It is called the ’past’ for a reason, Flora. Live in the present. Don’t burden your future with what has already gone p>
Flora nodded slowly before leaning forward to wrap her arms around Amelie in a tight hug. Neither of them said a word as they held onto each other.