Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 237

ADELE’S POV

The cold morning air hit me the second I stepped out of our room. It whipped through the corridor, tugging at my hair and slipping under the thin sweater I’d thrown on.

I hugged my arms tighter around myself, walking faster toward Andrea’s room. I just wanted to check on him-make sure he’d slept okay after last night’s nightmare.

The little guy had fallen asleep in Lucien’s arms like the world had finally stopped hurting him, but kids that small Carry things longer than we think. I needed to see his face, maybe sit with him for a bit before the day turned chaotic again.

The palace felt different in the early light. Quieter. My footsteps echoed softly on the floor as I turned another corner.

That’s when my heart skipped.

Hard

Leaning against the wall ahead of me, arms folded across his chest, was a man.

He looked exactly like Lucien.

Same hair, though streaked with silver at the temples.

Same sharp jawline, same broad shoulders. But older.

Harder. The lines on his face weren’t from laughter-theywere carved deep, like someone had spent years frowning at the world. And those eyes… the same rich brown as Lucien’s, but colder. Empty. Like looking into a winter lake.

I stopped dead.

He turned his head slowly, like he’d been waiting for me.

Our eyes locked.

A slow, chilling smirk curled across his mouth.

My stomach dropped.

He pushed off the wall and started walking toward me, casual, like we were old friends meeting for coffee. Every step felt louder than it should, the sound bouncing off the walls.

I couldn’t move.

My feet felt glued to the floor.

He stopped a few feet away, hands sliding into his pockets, head tilting as he studied me.

“You must be Lucien’s mate,” he said. His voice was deep, smooth, but there was something rotten underneath.

I took one small step back. My pulse hammered in my throat.

“Who the hell are you?” I whispered.

He chuckled-low, amused.”Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce myself.” He gave a mocking little bow. “My name is Harrison. Lucien’s father.”

The world tilted.

My heart slammed so hard against my ribs I thought it might crack them.

Harrison.

Lucien’s father.

The man who was supposed to be dead.

The monster who’d starved him, beaten him, blamed him for his mother’s death every single day until Lucien believed it too. The man who’d made Lucien terrified of ever having a family, terrified of ever touching anyone, terrified that happiness was some kind of curse he’d pass on.

How the hell was he standing here?

Alive?

“How..” My voice cracked. “How are you alive?”

He took another step closer. Threatening now. No more pretense.

“I told that boy,” he said, voice dropping low, venomous. “I told that boy he didn’t fucking have the right to be happy.

One of the men yanked my head back by my hair. I cried out.

Then something rough pressed over my nose and mouth-a cloth.

jerked my face away, holding my breath, lungs already burning.

Don’t breathe. Don’t breathe.

But I couldn’t hold it forever.

My chest heaved.

I sucked in air.

The sharp, bitter smell flooded my nose-wolfsbane.

It hit like fire.

My vision blurred instantly.

Legs turned to jelly.I tried to scream again, but it came out muffled, weak.

Through the haze, I reached for the mind link—the one connection that never failed, the one thread that always reached him.

Lucien!’

My voice cracked even in my head, desperate, terrified.

Your father!…Your father is alive!’

The darkness rushed in fast.

The last thing I saw was Harrison’s smirk widening, like he’d been waiting years for this moment.

Then everything went black.