Ayesha's breath came in ragged pulls, each step heavier than the last. The pristine marble of the hallway blurred through her tears. She pressed a trembling hand to her mouth, as if holding back the truth could somehow make it disappear.
'If Aries is telling the truth… then everything I've believed for years… is a lie.'
Her knees buckled again, and she sank to the cold floor, her palms flat against it as though the ground itself might steady her spinning world.
The image of Levi's smile flashed in her mind, how he looked at Marie and how Marie looked at Levi, so devoted, so certain. Could that have all been a facade?
No… Levi adored her. He would never…
But then, what if… what if the Alpha King was right?
The thought was like ice in her veins. If Lyra wasn't Levi's… then she wasn't truly her niece. And if that was true… her claim to protect Lyra could be ripped away with a single royal decree.
