Betrayed by My Ex, Marked by His Alpha Emperor Brother novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Chapter 144

Kaelen’s POV

The door swung open.

Finnian Morrison stood in the frame, sleeves rolled to his elbows, expression mild as pond water. Behind him, the hallway stretched warm and golden with firelight.

"Kaelen." He said my name like I was an old acquaintance dropping by unannounced. No fear. No surprise. Just polite acknowledgment. "It’s late."

"Where is she?"

"Where is who?"

I stepped forward. He didn’t move. His shoulder filled the doorframe, casual but deliberate, blocking the entrance with his body.

"Don’t." My voice came out low. Scraped raw. "Don’t play this game with me, Morrison. I heard her voice. Through the door. I heard her."

Finnian blinked. Once. Slowly. Then he glanced over his shoulder toward the living room, where a faint glow flickered.

"Ah." A sheepish smile crossed his face. "The memory stone. My mother insists on those frontier comedies before bed. The actress has this high, sharp voice—honestly, half the town’s complained about it."

"That wasn’t an actress."

"With respect, Kaelen, it was." He leaned against the doorframe. Relaxed. Open. Not a single tell in his posture. "You’re welcome to come in and see for yourself, but I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed."

I searched his face. Every line. Every flicker of his eyes. Every micro-expression I’d been trained since boyhood to read.

Nothing. Absolute stillness behind those blue eyes. Like staring at a frozen lake.

The sovereign inside me stirred. Dark. Restless. Furious.

Weeks. Endless days of tracking every rumor, every whisper, every report of a silver-haired woman traveling alone. I’d sent riders to every province. Deployed scouts along every trade road. Personally interrogated innkeepers, merchants, stable hands. Nothing. She’d vanished like smoke through my fingers.

And now—standing on this doorstep in a border town so small it barely appeared on imperial maps—I’d heard her voice. I was certain of it. That particular pitch. That cadence. The way her vowels softened at the edges.

"Step aside."

"Kaelen, I understand you’re—"

I let the pressure loose.

Not all of it. Not even half. Just enough sovereign command to flood the hallway like a tide of black water. The air thickened. The candle flames behind Finnian bent sideways, guttering. The floorboards groaned.

Finnian’s knees buckled. His hand shot to the doorframe for support. The muscles in his neck corded tight, veins standing out as his wolf instinct fought against the overwhelming compulsion to submit. Sweat broke across his forehead.

But he didn’t drop. His jaw locked. His eyes squeezed shut. He braced himself like a man leaning into a gale.

Impressive. His resistance was remarkable.

I pushed harder. The pressure doubled.

Finnian’s legs gave. He caught himself on one knee, breathing ragged, but his arm still blocked the doorway.

"You can... crush me flat..." he ground out through clenched teeth. "Won’t change... what’s inside."

I held the pressure for another heartbeat. Then released it.

He sagged. Drew a shuddering breath. Slowly pushed himself upright using the doorframe.

I stepped past him.

The living room was small. A memory stone sat on a low table, its surface dark and cool. The embers of a fire glowed in the hearth. Two armchairs faced the stone, positioned close together.

I stopped.

Two warm impressions in the cushions. Both chairs. As if two people had been sitting there moments ago.

I touched the nearest cushion. Still warm.

"Ela."

My voice cracked on her name.

I called louder. "ELA!"

The shout tore through the house. Somewhere deeper inside, a crash—a bowl or plate hitting the floor.

An old woman appeared in the kitchen doorway. White hair pinned under a cloth. Flour dusted her apron, her hands, the tip of her nose. Her eyes were wide.

"Merciful Moon—" She pressed a flour-coated hand to her chest. "Young man, you’ll wake every soul on this street."

Behind her, a silver-haired man emerged. Tall. Weathered. He said nothing. Just stood at his wife’s shoulder and watched me with careful, unreadable eyes.

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