Fated To Three Betrayed By All Until She Rose (Leilani) by Ahvahh novel Chapter 135

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
By R. Joseph

135 At long last.

135 At long last.

Chalice.

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My body still throbbed from the passionate encounter with Louis the previous night. So, when Gavin stormed into my room, breathless as though he had just sprinted a marathon, I felt a surge of irritation bubble up inside me.

I glared at him, my voice sharp, “God, Gavin, what if I had been naked?!”

He shot back, defensive, “I checked with Agnes first!” His tone was clipped, “She told me you’d just finished getting dressed, so I knew you weren’t!”

I froze in place, taken aback.

It wasn’t just his words that surprised me; it was the edge in his voice. Goddess, he had never raised his voice at me before.

This was a side of him I had never seen, and instead of the warm adoration that usually radiated from him, there was now a flicker of anger… and something else—was it suspicion?

My heart raced as I turned away from the vanity mirror, facing him fully. I crossed my arms defensively over my chest, trying to mask the unease bubbling inside me. “What is it this time?” I asked, my tone deliberately cool, though it betrayed the turmoil within.

His gaze drifted slowly over my body, and I felt exposed under his scrutiny. Then, with a voice that dripped disdain, he demanded, “Tell me, Chalice, did you lie about seeing Leilani push Grandma down the stairs?”

The moment those words left his lips, I felt as if time had stopped. My heart plummeted to my stomach, and a wave of icy fear washed over me. Goosebumps erupted across my skin. I struggled to maintain my composure, forcing a frown onto my face. “Gavin?”

“Don’t call my name,” he snapped, his eyes narrowing. “I asked you a simple question, and I expect a straightforward answer.”

I lowered my gaze, shaking my head in disbelief. Tears began to pool in my eyes, and I hoped to guilt him into softness with my sorrow. But when I looked up, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he scoffed, “Chalice, this is not the time for tears! What I need from you is a simple yes or no!”

“I know!” I shouted back, my frustration boiling over, “But it hurts that you would even ask me that! It feels like you don’t trust me!”

At my words, he stopped, his expression softening for a fleeting moment. A flicker of hope ignited in my chest; perhaps I had successfully deflected his question and played on his emotions.

But I was mistaken.

I was so, so wrong.

He sighed deeply, pulling me into a brief embrace before stepping back, his hands warm against my cheeks. But his voice, low and chilling, cut through me like ice. “Right now, you’ve made it incredibly difficult for me to believe you.”

“Gavin?” I whispered, my heart racing.

“It’s hard to trust you when you won’t even answer my question directly. And, Chalice, it sounds like you have secrets that you’re hiding.”

Slowly, she folded the paper and placed it on her lap, her gaze darting between my face and that of my brothers. “No,” she replied simply, her tone firm.

“But Mom—” I began, but she cut me off.

“Prominent Alphas from across the continent have already been invited. Your ‘woman’ is pregnant, and goddess knows I love you three dearly, but I must return to your father. He’s ill and alone on his island, and he’s given me this one task. Please don’t ruin it for me!”

“But we’re your sons!” Zevran interjected, his voice pleading. “We’re begging you for this one thing.”

“Yes, you are!” She softened for a moment, her gaze warm as she looked at Zevran. “But he is my mate, and he’s sick. I’m not like you three, who abandon your mate. I love mine!”

That subtle jab hit me like a blow. I closed my eyes briefly, exhaling a heavy sigh as I tried to silence my wolf, who was incessantly reminding me of how he had predicted this. I said to her, “We just want to ensure we’re not making a mistake.”

“Oh, you are!” she replied gently. “You’ve been making a mistake for over a decade, and trust me, it’s a little too late to make amends. If you love me, you’ll be smart enough to marry and inherit everything your father wishes for you. Honestly, I don’t know if he’ll recover from this illness, and if he dies before you marry, you’ll have nothing.”

My tongue felt heavy, stuck to the roof of my mouth as I turned to my brothers, who wore expressions of shock and disbelief. But what surprised me most was Caelum’s silence.

He, of all people, was not opposing our idea of delaying the wedding.

I raised an eyebrow at him, seeking an explanation, and he merely shrugged, muttering, “Let’s just say I’m conflicted too, just like you two. I have my own suspicions.”

This was odd. Very odd.

It seemed, at long last, he was beginning to break free from his obsession with Chalice!