Rejected and Pregnant Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince novel Chapter 206

Chapter 206: That ends now, Lester

The next morning, Casaio awoke later than usual. He sat up in bed, resting his head against the headboard as a dull ache throbbed behind his eyes.

Flashes of the previous night replayed in his mind, his drunken rambling in front of Gabriel, and a wry laugh slipped from his lips.

"I really do act like a fool at night," he muttered under his breath.

A knock sounded at the door, drawing his attention. He straightened slightly as the door opened and Lester stepped in, bowing respectfully.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Lester greeted. "Your mother has sent a special tea for you." He signaled to the servant behind him, who quietly entered and set a tray on the bedside table.

As the servant discreetly stepped out, Lester’s eyes scanned the room with his usual thoroughness. He saw only a single bottle of alcohol stood on the table near the sofa. It was a small improvement, but Lester noted it all the same.

Casaio took the cup in hand and brought it to his lips. The tea was bitter, leaving a faintly herbal aftertaste, but still tolerable.

"I didn’t drink more than a bottle last night," Casaio said casually, his eyes flickering to Lester. It was both a confession and a preemptive defense because Lester’s scrutinizing gaze was traveling all around the room. "I know Mom has put you into this work. But you don’t need to report her everything."

"Your Highness, keeping an eye on your well-being is a part of my duty," Lester affirmed.

"Your Highness, keeping an eye on your well-being is part of my duty," Lester said calmly.

"No, it’s not," Casaio countered, rising from the bed. He finished the rest of the tea and placed the cup back on the tray. "You’ve been reporting to my mother and making her worry even more. I hope that ends now, Lester."

Lester gave a respectful nod. "I understood, Your Highness." He turned to the servant and gestured for her to take the tray. The two bowed silently before exiting the room.

Casaio reached for the silk robe draped over the chair beside his bed and slipped it on. As he made his way toward the balcony, he grabbed his phone from the table.

Scrolling through his contacts, he paused at Zilia’s number and called her.

To his surprise, she answered on the first ring.

"Casaio," she said, "I was waiting for your call. I have something important to tell you. Last night, I got a call from someone in the Blood Dominion. He was asking about Berik."

Casaio’s brows furrowed. "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"It was well past midnight," Zilia replied. "I didn’t want to disturb your sleep. Besides, you’ve made it clear I’m not to call you. You said you’d reach out when needed."

"Estelle will meet you," Casaio said curtly. "Tell her everything. And you’d better not lie."

Without waiting for a response, he ended the call.

Rubbing his forehead with the edge of his phone, he sneered and lowered his hand a moment later. Looking at the green view from his balcony, he felt a little calm.

~~~~~

Gabriel absently ran his fingers along the edge of his ring, his thoughts far removed from the conversation. His mother’s voice reached his ears, but her words barely registered.

"Gabriel, are you even listening to me?" Mabel asked.

He blinked, lifting his gaze to her face. "No... Sorry, what did you say, Mom?" he replied, clearly not interested in the conversation.

Mabel sighed, shaking her head. "I said, you should seriously consider supporting Casaio. He needs someone dependable by his side, even in matters of work. I know you’re eager to leave for San Ravendale, but that place isn’t your home, Gabriel."

She paused, watching his expression carefully before continuing. "Dominick isn’t capable of handling Casaio the way you can. And I’ve decided, I won’t force any marriage proposal on your brother anymore. And if you stay here, even Amelie can get a better care in her pregnancy state."

"Casaio doesn’t want support," Gabriel said. "You’re worrying too much about him. And as for this place, it was never home to me. And that’s because of you."

Mabel’s eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at her son, unmoved by his pointed tone.

"Let Casaio fight his own battles," Gabriel continued, rising to his feet. "I helped him when he needed it. But you worry excessively sometimes, and then at other times, you don’t care at all."

He paused before leaving, glancing at her one last time. "I don’t know why you told Amelie about the mark. But if this is part of some plan against us, I’m asking you to stop."

"She deserved to know what she’s walking into," Mabel said without flinching. "Hasn’t she told you about the dream she’s been having?"

"She told me everything," Gabriel replied smoothly, though it wasn’t the full truth. Amelie had never mentioned talking about the dream with his mother, but he wasn’t about to let Mabel wedge herself between them.

With that, Gabriel simply walked away.

Just then, Raidan entered the room. He offered a quick bow to his mother but didn’t pause.

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