Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 232

LUCIEN’S POV

I stood frozen in the shadowed corridor, heart hammering so hard it felt like it might crack my ribs.

The moonlight had caught his profile for less than two seconds, but that was enough.

The sharp jaw. The scar slicing down the left temple. The way he rolled his shoulders when he walked away.

My father.

The man I’d killed.

The monster I’d driven a silver dagger through the chest years ago, watching the light fade from his eyes while he cursed my name with his last breath.

There was no way.

No fucking way.

I shook my head hard, once, twice, like I could shake the image loose.

My mind was playing tricks. Stress. Exhaustion. The night had been too long, too heavy-Andrea’s bruises, Naomi’s threats, Adele’s quiet strength holding everything together. My brain was just stitching shadows into old ghosts.That had to be it.

1 dragged a hand down my face, breath ragged. The corridor smelled of cold stone and old wax from the wall sconces. Everything felt too quiet, too still, like the palace itself was waiting for me to lose it.

Before I could talk myself out of it, my legs were already moving.

Naomi was still standing where he’d left her-back pressed against the wall, one hand cradling her slapped cheek, eyes wide and glassy. She looked smaller than I’d ever seen her, like the fight had drained right out of her the second his hand connected.

She didn’t hear me coming.

When I was three steps away, I spoke.

“Naomi.”

She jumped-actually jumped-spinning toward me with a sharp gasp, hand flying to her throat like l’d pulled a weapon.

For a heartbeat she looked genuinely terrified.

Then recognition hit, and the mask snapped back into place-anger, defiance, that familiar bitter edge.

“What the hell do you want now?” she snapped, voice shaking just enough to betray her.I didn’t answer right away.

I stepped closer, deliberately slow, letting my boots echo on the stone so she could feel every inch of distance closing between us..

“Who was that?” asked, voice low. The kind of low that made even seasoned warriors shift uncomfortably.

Her eyes darted to the side, then back to me. “How is that any of your business?”

I narrowed my eyes on her.

She tilted her head, folding her hands. “Afraid I’ll take your son and run away?”

I laughed..short, ugly. “You can’t. So I have nothing to worry about.”

Silence stretched between us, heavy and deliberate.

Then I leaned in just enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet my eyes.

“What I’m curious about,” I said slowly, “is what kind of conversation you were having with that man… and what you said that made him slap you.”

Her breath hitched.

She tried to cover it with a scoff, but I heard it-the tiny crack in her armor.” don’t owe you a damn thing,” she spat.

The corridor seemed to shrink around me.

Everything went still.

I grabbed her arm harder this time. “Who is he, Naomi?

Really?”

She winced, trying to pull away. “I told you-my mate!”

“Liar.”

Tears welled in her eyes-real or fake, I couldn’t tell.

“Please, Lucien -Beta-just let it go. For Andrea’s sake.” The mention of his name snapped something in me.

Andrea. Bruised. Scared. Running from her.

I released her arm, shoving her back a step. “If I find out you’re lying-if that man has anything to do with hurting my son-Ill end you both.”

She stared at me, face pale, eyes wide.Then she turned and fled down the hall, footsteps echoing like a fading heartbeat.

I stood there, alone in the shadows, chest heaving.

My mind raced-pieces slamming together, questions multiplying.

Who was he?

Why did he look like…him?