Chapter 300: For never abandoning you
"Gabriel, don't doubt her," Amelie said gently, stepping between him and her sister.
"I have every reason to," Gabriel replied, his gaze fixed firmly on Flora.
Flora took a breath, keeping her expression steady. "I know I've made mistakes. I won't deny that. Nothing can erase what I did before. But when someone offers you something that claims to fix everything, even if it seems too good to be true… you're tempted. But at the same time, you want to know why the person helping you, asking you that you were right when you were wrong."
Amelie turned to Gabriel. "The woman who gave her that locket relentlessly asked Flora to wear it. But she didn't. And yes, she made bad choices in the past, but she's not that same person anymore. I trust her, Gabriel. And so can you."
"Amelie, I'll confirm everything first," Gabriel said. "Denzel will give him a report soon," he added.
"Give me the locket," he asked Flora.
She stood up and handed the locket to him along with the note. He read the note first before looking at the locket.
"It's broken," Gabriel said.
"Ah, I curiously checked it when Flora wasn't in the room. But I got a sudden shock upon touching it, and it fell from my hand," Amelie explained.
"Are you alright? Why did you touch such a foreign object? What if–"
"Nothing happened," Amelie cut him off, "you should calm down. I think the ring did its work."
Gabriel glanced at Amelie, staring at the ring on her index finger.
"We can't go out to shop. It's way too risky," he finally announced. "Unless that bloody witch is caught, I've to keep you safe, Amelie. I know you'll question me about why I want to keep you locked, but that's for your own safety."
"I've no objection. Even I don't wish to create any trouble," Amelie whispered.
"You aren't the one who creates trouble. So, don't think like that," Gabriel stated. "I'll be waiting for you downstairs." With that, he left the room.
Flora glanced at Amelie and began, "Prince Gabriel is taking precautions in everything. But what's happening? You didn't share anything. If you need help or if you need someone to ease your burden, you can either ask or share it with me."
"I don't want to trouble you with anything. You're already fighting with your own problems," Amelie said in a tone of understanding. "Also, don't meet people whom you don't know. Think about your own safety first."
"Sure. Because it was a café, I chose to go," Flora stated. "Amelie, we did so badly with you. You were always an alpha she-wolf, but we labelled you as an omega and that too a wolf-less one. Aren't you angry at us? We never understood the fact that you were still a part of our family. I, as your sister, didn't do anything either."
Amelie took a moment before replying, "If I keep thinking about all of this, I won't be able to move on. Gabriel taught me to even with my flaws and take pride in that because that's who I am. Also, I've moved on so far in my life that all these things stopped bothering me. It's all about me and Gabriel."
Flora looked at her sister with a gaze of admiration. 'I pray you receive much more than this. All the happiness, good things come your way,' she thought.
~~~~~
"Your Highness, you've returned?" Samyra's voice held a note of surprise as she stepped into the living room, pausing from her work to catch her breath.
Gabriel, seated with his attention on his phone, lifted his gaze to her. "Yes," he replied simply, rising to his feet. With a courteous gesture toward the sofa, he said, "Please, have a seat."
"I can't stay long, there's still much to do in the kitchen," Samyra replied, though she accepted the gesture and sat for a moment. "But I'm truly glad you came back earlier than expected. Since I'm still in the middle of preparing lunch, I thought I should ask, would you like something special added to the menu? Just tell me, and I'll make sure it's served."
It would be Gabriel's first lunch with them, and Samyra was determined that nothing should be lacking in her hospitality toward her son-in-law.
"Anything Amelie likes, I like as well," Gabriel said without hesitation. He knew Samyra had likely already prepared dishes to suit Amelie's taste. "There's no need to make anything separately."
Samyra's lips curved in a small, approving smile, and she nodded slowly.
"I'll call Amelie to come downstairs," Samyra said.
"No need, Mrs. Conley. She and Flora have to speak a lot with each other," Gabriel stated. "By the way, your daughter isn't an omega, nor is she wolf-less."
"What?" Samyra was shocked to learn that. She did notice something strange earlier when she hugged Amelie, but she didn't pay much attention to it.
"You and your husband always mistreated her and even ridiculed her for something she never was. You called her the 'Curse of the Conley Family'. The mark about which I asked you had sealed her true strength. Amelie is an alpha she-wolf," Gabriel revealed to her.
Samyra stopped blinking as she recalled every single moment when she made her daughter feel low. Everyone in the Red River Pack taunted them and their daughter. And she took that anger out on Amelie. She made her childhood worse. As a mother, she was supposed to stand for her, but she did the opposite.
Words of a mother inflict a lot of pain than anything else. Amelie was way too forgiving of them. Samyra was filled with a heavy guilt.
"I hope all you provide Amelie is love. What you did in the past can't be erased from her life. I must say Amelie doesn't speak much of it. Even after knowing she's an alpha, she kept that smile on her face and asked me to bring her here. You should be grateful for your daughter for never abandoning you and the others."