Amelie stopped slowly upon reaching the main hall. She saw her parents and sister greeting the Queen, who was warmly welcoming them. Seeing her own parents felt strange. Because she had completely detached herself from them.
"Amelie, come here! Your parents have come," Mabel said, turning slightly toward her.
She walked to them and with half-hearted expression, she greeted them.
Samyra embraced Amelie with maternal warmth, gently caressing her back.
"The bump is starting to show," she said with a tender smile. "Are the symptoms getting worse? How are your mornings these days?"
"Not worse. They are usually better," Amelie replied softly, managing a gentle smile. Her eyes shifted toward her father. "I thought you would be arriving in the afternoon or evening."
"Her Majesty was kind enough to send a private jet for us," David responded gratefully.
Amelie’s gaze moved to the Queen, who stood a short distance away, her expression poised with a faint, graceful smile.
"Your Majesty," Samyra said, stepping forward, "we brought a few small gifts for you and the royal family."
"That wasn’t necessary," Mabel replied with a courteous tone. "But you’re welcome to present them."
"Ooh! Let’s see what Amelie’s parents brought for me!" Katelyn chimed in playfully.
Samyra chuckled and handed two elegant gift bags to the princess, who accepted them with a bright smile and a cheerful thank-you.
"You may place the rest of the gifts here. His Majesty and the princes have gone to attend the council meeting today," Mabel instructed. "You all must be tired from the journey. Lester, are the rooms ready?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Lester replied with a respectful bow. "Please come this way," he told Amelie’s parents, including Flora.
"I’ll show the room to Flora. Which one is it?" Katelyn volunteered, rising to her feet. "Amelie, go with your parents."
Lester politely told the directions to Katelyn, who nodded and took Flora with her.
The Queen simply watched them, especially Amelie, whose indifference toward her family was more than visible.
As Katelyn and Flora arrived in the guest room prepared for her, Katelyn turned around to look at Flora.
"Aren’t you ashamed of your act?" Katelyn questioned bluntly.
Flora didn’t utter a single word, but lowered her gaze in shame.
Flora remained silent, her eyes dropping to the floor in shame.
Katelyn halted in her tracks and slowly turned around to face her. "Amelie is far too kind to you. That’s the only reason you’re still allowed to tag along beside her," she said coldly. "But how could you? How could you do something so vile to your own sister?"
Her voice sharpened with fury. "Do you even manage to look at yourself in the mirror every morning? If you can, then perhaps you truly are as wicked as I feared. I know everything, Flora. I know you tried to harm Amelie, and that you ordered Alex to kill her, no matter the cost."
Flora flinched at the words, but Katelyn continued in her brutal tone.
"And yet, you had the audacity to show up here, to her wedding reception, as if nothing ever happened." Her eyes narrowed as they filled with disgust. "If you’re here hoping for Amelie’s forgiveness, don’t bother. Forgiveness is reserved for mistakes, not crimes. And what you did wasn’t a mistake, it was a crime."
Katelyn’s voice dropped to a scornful whisper. "You’re unbelievably lucky that Amelie still calls you her sister. But for your own good, don’t show your face at the reception. Stay here. Reflect on the damage you’ve done, and maybe then you’ll understand what it means to lose someone who only ever tried to love you."
With a final glare, Katelyn gave Flora a hard shove on the shoulder and walked out, leaving behind a suffocating silence for her.
Tears streamed down Flora’s cheeks, but for once, she didn’t bother to wipe them away.
Katelyn’s words hadn’t just pierced her heart, they had struck her like a slap of truth she could no longer deny.
In that moment, she finally understood why she no longer belonged why she would never be accepted among her own. In their eyes, she wasn’t just a mistake, they would forever see her as a woman stained by sin.
Her knees buckled beneath the weight of guilt, and she collapsed onto the floor, her sobs echoing in the quiet room.
’I thought if I stayed close to my family, if I truly repented, things would slowly begin to heal,’ she thought, clutching her arms tightly around herself. ’But nothing will change. Not for me. I have to leave, disappear for good. Go somewhere far away, where no one knows what I’ve done. Only then will I be able to breathe again... even if it means living alone for the rest of my life.’
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