"It looked like you were in pain earlier. Are you sure you don't want to get checked out at the hospital?" Alpha Lucien's gentle voice cut through the silence, pulling Valessia from her thoughts.
Valessia didn't respond right away. Her gaze remained locked on the city lights blurring past the window, her reflection ghosted faintly in the glass. Lucien glanced sideways, studying the hardened line of her jaw, the distant emptiness in her eyes.
He knew this wasn't a real marriage, more arrangement than affection but she made no effort to hide how little she cared for him. It stung, more than he expected.
"I'm fine," she replied quietly, her voice void of feeling.
A long pause settled before she finally turned to face him. "Also… about my in-laws. You don't have to lock them up for what happened earlier at the magistrate. I'm sure they were just bitter and felt betrayed. That's why they acted that way."
Lucien stiffened beside her. "Being angry doesn't give them the right to hit you after humiliating you in front of everyone," he said coldly, his voice low but firm.
"People like them need to be taught a lesson so they dare not repeat something like that again."
"I understand your point, alright…" Valessia began, her voice faltering as she carefully chose her next words. She ran her hand over her chest, trying to calm the storm swirling inside her.
"But I don't want this blown out of proportion. The lawsuit alone is already draining me. Adding this... it might really push me over the edge."
All she wanted was peace, a quiet life with her pups far away from the drama of the past.
Lucien didn't speak right away. He stared ahead, jaw tight and fist clasped. When he finally answered, it was with reluctant calm.
"If that's what you want… then I'll let it go."
Silence wrapped around them like fog, thick and oppressive, until the car pulled to a stop in front of the towering apartment complex known as The Night Watcher's. Her residence.
"Thank you for the favour. I'll forever remember it," Valessia said, bowing slightly before stepping out.
Lucien remained in the car, eyes tracking her until she disappeared inside. Only then did he signal the driver to move.
"Should I call Beta Varek and have him release the two women?" the young man asked, glancing at Lucien through the rearview mirror.
"That was what she desired, not me," Lucien replied sharply, his voice cold like ice.
…
Inside her apartment, the chill of the silver-accented decors seemed to echo her mood, sleek furniture, polished marble, and walls that offered more style than warmth.
Valessia walked back into the living room with two glasses of chilled water. Her footsteps were soft against the white tiles, but her thoughts were anything but quiet.
She handed one of the glasses to Virema, who sat stiffly on the silver couch, eyes burning into her fire.
"If you have something to say, then say it," Valessia snapped, her patience fraying. "That creepy look you're giving me is really getting on my nerves."
She set the glass down harder than intended on the marble coffee table, her irritation barely contained.
Virema didn't flinch. "Are you sure this is really right?"
Virema folded her arms, eyebrows lifting in disbelief. "Yes, I admit Madam Fiona was a bit harsh with her words~"
"No," Valessia interrupted, shaking her head. "She wasn't just a bit harsh, Rema. She was damn mean. Her accusations were despicable."
Valessia flinched. The memory hit like a slap. Fiona's venomous words still rang in her head, each one laced with judgment and cruelty.
"But there was some truth in what she said," Virema added more quietly, glancing away. "Cullen's mourning period isn't even over and… boom, you're married again. And not just married but pregnant with his pup."
Her gaze dropped to Valessia's rounded belly.
"I've never seen anything like this," Virema whispered. "And worse, it's Alpha Lucien. A man already fated to another. Everyone knows that. Are you trying to bring the wrath of the Moon Goddess on yourself?"
Valessia's heart twisted. She could take judgment from others, but not from Virema.
"I know a man like him wouldn't just marry a mess like you," Virema continued, her voice gaining edge.
"So what did you whisper into his ears to agree to this ridiculous marriage, hmm? Did you promise him co-ownership of Silver Crest Construction or do you have some other hidden treasure you haven't told anyone about?"
She chuckled bitterly.
Valessia's eyes widened. "A mess like me?" she repeated, voice rising. "Is that what you think?"
She shot to her feet, the glass trembling slightly on the table from the force. "Yes, this marriage may look ridiculous to you and to everyone else but do you think I wanted this?"
Her voice cracked. She clutched her chest, pacing behind the couch.
"I was minding my own damn business, mourning the man I loved, when his family accused me of killing him. Me… his mate!"
Her breathing quickened, fury and pain tangled in every word.
"They tried to steal my daughter. They dragged me to court like a criminal and now, I hear they plan to accuse me of being mentally unstable. That I'm unfit to raise her."
She could barely speak now, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"They'll win, Virema. With all their lies and fake evidence, they would have succeeded in taking her from me."
Her hand shook as she lifted it, gesturing toward the wedding ring still warm on her finger.
"They pushed me into a corner. This was the only escape left."
Virema stood, her earlier sharpness melting into worry. "Val, please… calm down."
Valessia had one hand over her belly, her breathing ragged. Panic flickered in Virema's eyes as she hurried to her friend's side.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Virema murmured, gently rubbing Valessia's back. "I shouldn't have said those things. I should've known you had your reasons."
She guided Valessia back to the couch, her voice soft and steady as she whispered comfort. Bit by bit, the tremors in Valessia's chest slowed.
When the silence returned, it felt lighter than before.
"That was a close call," Virema said with a shaky chuckle, brushing a strand of hair from Valessia's face.
Valessia gave her a faint, exhausted smile. For now, the storm inside her had quieted.