NOVEL WEB Chapter 318: Playing riddles with everyone
"Karmen? What's he doing here? And why did he pick up Flora?" Katelyn murmured under her breath, her gaze lingering in the direction the car had disappeared.
Sage glanced at her, his brows knitting in confusion. "What is it? What were you saying?" he asked.
"Nothing," Katelyn replied quickly, brushing it off. "Let's just hurry to your place. I still have to leave for my brother's house. My parents have come here."
"Alright," Sage said, studying her momentarily before unlocking the car. He gestured for her to get in. Once they were seated, he started the engine as he drove them out into the open road.
Kate's mind wouldn't stop spinning. 'Why would Karmen come to pick up Flora? Did Brother Gabriel ask him?' Her thoughts tangled restlessly. 'But my brother doesn't even like Flora, not after what she did to Amelie. Then… could it be that Karmen is seeing her? No, no, I shouldn't let my mind wander like this.'
Her troubled expression deepened, and Sage, who kept stealing glances at her, noticed every flicker across her face.
"What's going on? You're acting strange," Sage finally said, his tone edged with concern.
But Katelyn was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even hear him. Sage's grip on the wheel tightened slightly. 'What's wrong with her? Why does she look so distracted like she's holding something back from me?'
Choosing not to press her further, he exhaled softly and fixed his focus on the road ahead.
~~~~
"Gabriel, my son!" Raidan's voice boomed with warmth as he spread his arms wide, pulling his son into a firm embrace. "Even though I only saw you a few days ago, I can't help but miss you the most," he murmured, patting Gabriel's back with paternal pride.
As they pulled apart, Raidan's gaze shifted to Amelie.
"Welcome, Father. We were eagerly awaiting your arrival," she greeted with grace. Turning to the Queen at his side, she lowered her head respectfully. "You are also welcome, Royal Mother."
The atmosphere immediately grew taut, thick with the unspoken tension that followed the Queen wherever she went.
Mabel returned Amelie's words with a faint smile, though her attention barely lingered on her. Instead, her eyes sought Gabriel's face. They were hungry for a response or a glance. Yet Gabriel never once looked her way, treating her presence as though she were little more than a shadow in the room.
The other two alpha princes and their mates also stepped forward to greet the King and Queen before everyone settled into their seats.
"Albus, please call Carlos and his grandmother," Gabriel requested in a humble voice.
Raidan's brows knitted as he leaned forward. "Did you manage to find out who's behind all of this?" His eyes carried both worry and frustration.
"Not yet, Dad. It isn't easy to track Ophelia," Gabriel admitted.
Dominick cleared his throat and added gravely, "Gabriel and I searched one of her suspected locations. She wasn't there, but… we found dozens of wolves, who were already dead. From the remains, it looked like she had carried out some kind of ritual."
Gabriel's jaw tightened. "My guess is that it's the same ritual that affected Amelie in her sleep."
Raidan's expression darkened as his concern grew further. "I only hope this nightmare ends soon. Amelie is in a crucial stage of her pregnancy." His gaze then shifted toward the Queen. "And since we are all gathered here, Mabel, you should apologize to Amelie. A simple apology won't erase what you've done, but it's the least you can offer."
Amelie's lips parted slightly, her eyes flickering between the King and Queen. "Father, that isn't necessary," she said softly, almost pleading to ease the tension.
"It is necessary!" Raidan snapped, his voice cutting through the room. "Every time I recall how Mabel tried to hurt you, the guilt weighs heavier on me."
"The Queen didn't do it to harm Amelie," Carlos declared, his words echoing through the living room as all eyes turned toward him. Beside him was standing his grandmother.
They both greeted Raidan and Mabel respectfully before taking their seats.
"Why did you say that, Carlos?" Casaio asked with a hint of curiosity, his gaze shifting between him and the Queen.
Carlos leaned forward. "Because the Queen must answer why she truly did that to Amelie. The truth, without evasion." His eyes locked onto Mabel with amusement.
"I already told the truth to everyone and I bore the punishment for it," Mabel replied as though the matter no longer deserved explanation.
Gabriel's patience finally snapped as his voice suddenly rose with anger, "Do you love playing riddles with everyone? Aren't you exhausted from spinning half-truths and hiding behind them? You've done it with me for years. And yet you expect me to forgive you, to mend what's broken between us, when all your actions scream otherwise."
Amelie reached for Gabriel's hand, her fingers curling tightly around his. A silent plea passed through her touch, 'Don't lose yourself to anger.'
With Carlos' grandmother present, she knew an outburst would only deepen the rift in the family.
Carlos' voice broke the silence that followed. "Your Majesty," he said, turning toward the Queen, "why don't you share the truth yourself the part that even I wasn't able to see that day?"
All eyes shifted to Mabel, hoping to know why she did it.
"The pendant I gave Gabriel," Mabel began, "was not mine to begin with. It came from a woman of the witches' land. I never even learned her true name, we crossed paths only once, by chance, at a moon temple where she was serving as a priestess of sorts."
Her fingers tightened in her lap as she continued, her gaze lowering for the first time. "She told me the charm in the pendant would shield Gabriel, that so long as he wore it, no enemy could truly overcome him. But she also warned me of its flaw. One day, she said, its power would wane, that after a certain time, the essence woven into it would fade."
"I asked her why it would lose its strength," Mabel went on, her voice trembling just slightly. "Her answer was simple: nothing bound by magic lasts forever. And when its end came, it could not be renewed."