Chapter 10
Kaela’s tear-streaked face was a blur beside Kael as they hurried through the hospital doors. Kael’s heart pounded as he held his mother close, doing his best to calm himself down as a man.
“Mother, please, stay with me,” Kaela sobbed, clutching her mother’s hand. “Don’t leave us.”
The bed was brought and he placed her on it gingerly before she was wheeled away into the emergency room.
Kael stood outside the emergency door his mind racing.
What could have caused this? His mother had always been strong. He could feel the tension in the air, and though he was desperate to know what had happened, his mother’s health came first. He wasn’t going to let fear cloud his judgment.
Shortly after, the doors to the emergency room swung open, and the doctor stepped out.
He was a tall, lean man, with an air of authority. Kael rushed forward, his eyes pleading. “How is she, doctor? What happened?”
The doctor adjusted his glasses and spoke in a calm, yet stern voice. “It was a mini panic attack, nothing too severe, but we need to monitor her for a little while longer.”
Kaela let out a shaky breath, wiping her eyes. “Can we see her?”
“Yes,” the doctor nodded. “She’s in the new room now. Follow me.”
Kael walked behind the doctor, his mind whirling. What could have triggered such a sudden breakdown in his mother?
As they entered the room, his gaze immediately found her. Lady Veridan was sitting up in bed, her face pale and tear-streaked. She was crying, and so was Kaela, her sobs heavy with the weight of fear.
“Mother,” Kael called softly as he approached her, his voice thick with concern.
She wiped her tears hastily, trying to regain some composure.
“Why are they crying, mother? What’s going on?”
Before he could respond, the door opened again. Lord Veridan entered, his expression grim, his brow furrowed deeply. Kael turned to him, his curiosity mounting. “Father, what happened? Why are they so upset?”
Lord Veridan’s gaze was dark, and his voice was low. “They were asking about Zorina. I told them you were divorced, that she was gone. But it seems that was too much for them to bear.”
Kael’s confusion only deepened. He glanced at his mother, whose eyes were now clouded with regret, and then back at his father. “What do you mean? Why are they reacting this way?”
His father sank into a chair beside the bed, his face hardening. “Zorina was not just anyone. I married her to you for a purpose.”
“Yes, I know that.” Kael replied nonchalantly.
“Zorina sent some guards to our house earlier,” Lord Veridan continued, his voice growing heavier. “They packed up everything—her belongings, but also some of your mother’s and Kaela’s things.”
Kael narrowed his eyes. “Is that what this is about? Her taking some things? Don’t worry, I’ll replace everything she took. It’s not a big deal.”
But his mother shook her head, her sobs starting up again. Kaela did the same, tears streaming down her face as she spoke through her pain. “No, Kael… it’s not that. It’s… it’s more than that. We treated her badly, and now… now I realize what we’ve lost.”
Kael’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? What’s going on?” His confusion deepened, and he turned to his father, desperate for some kind of explanation.
Lord Veridan took a long breath, as if the words weighed on him more than he was willing to admit. “I… I never told you everything, Kael. I didn’t want you to know. But now, you must.”
He paused, collecting his thoughts, and Kael stood silently, waiting.
“Zorina is not Zorina,” Lord Veridan finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kael’s heart skipped a beat. “What?” He leaned forward, certain he hadn’t heard correctly.
“I gave her the name Zorina,” Lord Veridan continued, his eyes avoiding his son’s gaze. “Her real name is Celestina Alvada. She is the only daughter of President Alvada.”
Kael stumbled backward as if he’d been physically struck. The room seemed to tilt, the air thickening around him. He tried to process the words, but they wouldn’t settle.
Celestina Alvada. The daughter of the president.
“Wait,” Kael’s voice cracked, his mind struggling to catch up with the revelation. “You’re telling me… that Zorina was the president’s daughter?”
Kael’s knees nearly buckled under him as his father nodded, the weight of the truth crushing him.
