<h4>Chapter 573: Someone dear to your heart</h4>
Carlos stepped out of the car just as a pce guard approached him, requesting his identification. The moment Carlos stated his name, recognition dawned on the guard’s face.
"I’ll take your luggage, sir," the guard said promptly.
"Thank you," Carlos replied, following him inside.
Lester, already informed of Carlos’s arrival, hurried to the outer pce to greet him. He weed Carlos with a respectful bow, holding a tablet neatly in both hands.
"You didn’t inform us of your arrival, sir," Lester said politely.
"I wanted to surprise everyone," Carlos replied.
Lester offered him a small smile as he guided Carlos forward.
"I heard about your grandmother," Lester added gently. "She was a kind soul. May she find peace in the other world."
Carlos hummed softly in acknowledgment when a familiar voice suddenly reached him.
It was Gabriel.
They both halted and turned to see Gabriel standing before them.
"Why didn’t you tell me you wereing?" Gabriel demanded, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye before pulling Carlos into a tight embrace.
Carlos smiled and returned the embrace without hesitation. "So," he asked as they pulled apart, "how was my surprise?"
"It truly caught me off guard," Gabriel replied, a smile curving his lips as he moved to Carlos’s side. "Come, let’s get you settled in your chambers first."
They soon arrived at a chamber in the northern wing of the pce, the same side where Gabriel and Amelie resided. A maidservant promptly poured Carlos a ss of water. He thanked her before taking it, and when he handed the empty ss back, she bowed quietly and withdrew.
"I hope my stay here won’t be an inconvenience," Carlos said, ncing around the room.
"Not at all," Gabriel assured him warmly. "You’re part of our family now."
"Carlos!"
Amelie’s cheerful voice rang out, drawing both men’s attention to the doorway. She stood there holding Noah close, one hand cradling the back of his head, the other resting protectively against his small back.
"Mimi!" Carlos eximed, using her nickname as he stepped toward her.
While they closed the distance, Gabriel quietly instructed Lester to move Carlos’s luggage into the bedroom.
Carlos wrapped an arm around Amelie in a side embrace, then leaned closer to Noah, who had lifted his gaze just enough to peek at him. "How are you, little one?" he asked softly.
Noah responded by turning his face away and burying it against Amelie’s chest.
"Noah," Amelie murmured with a fond sigh, "did you forget Uncle Carlos already?"
"Babies are like that," Carlos said with a light chuckle.
"Are you two nning to continue this conversation while standing?" Gabriel asked as he joined them, a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Of course not," Carlos said, gesturing for Amelie to take the sofa first.
The three of them settledfortably onto it when Noah suddenly began to cry.
"What’s wrong, my love?" Amelie asked, lowering her head toward him as Gabriel leaned in as well.
"Did he wet his diaper?" Gabriel asked.
"No," Amelie replied after a quick check. "I think he doesn’t want me to sit."
"Give him to me. I’ll take him outside," Gabriel suggested.
"No," Amelie said gently, rising to her feet. "You two should talk. I’ll take Noah out." She adjusted Noah in her arms and smiled down at him. "Mama will take you to the pce art gallery. Don’t cry, all right?"
With that, she left the chamber.
Once the door closed, Gabriel turned to Carlos. "So, have you fully decided to live with us, for good?"
"Yes," Carlos replied without hesitation. "That’s why I came here."
"I went to Aurevalis myself," Gabriel said quietly. "I felt it would be wrong to burden you with it."
Carlos studied him. "Did you find the answers you were looking for?"
"I did," Gabriel said. "And they brought me a sense of peace." His expression darkened slightly. "I can’t share the full truth, but I can tell you this, Ophelia can be killed. There exists a weapon capable of doing so. One that never rusts or degrades."
As Gabriel spoke, his thoughts drifted back to his conversation with the Moon Goddess. If such a weapon had once rested in his father’s grave, then it had to exist somewhere in the world even now. Yet he refused to disturb his father’s resting ce; doing so would mean the end of Cynthia’s existence, and that was a price he was unwilling to pay.
"I’ll look into it," Carlos said. "There’s another way as well, one I’ve discovered. But I don’t know whether it will truly work."
Gabriel frowned. "What way?"
"She bound both of you using blood magic," Carlos exined. "The curses still linger, even though you’ve found each other. The marks on your bodies haven’t faded. The first curse was cast on you." He paused briefly before continuing. "To break it, we would have to perform the very same ritual."
"And the cost?" Gabriel asked quietly.
"A sacrifice," Carlos answered. "Someone you love, someone dear to your heart, but not your mate."
Gabriel’s expression hardened. "Carlos, if you’re thinking what I think you are, then that path is closed. I won’t allow it. I won’t lose anyone. I’m not the man I used to be, the one who would have chosen that without hesitation."
"I don’t care about my life, as long as you—"
"No," Gabriel cut in sharply. "When I say no, it means no."
In that moment, Gabriel finally understood Cynthia’s words about why she had said there was no way to kill Ophelia. No way, except for the weapon hidden in his father’s grave. But he was confident that such a weapon must exist in this world.
"But the curses—" Carlos began.
"Carlos," Gabriel interrupted firmly, "it wouldn’t work, even if you attempted the ritual. She cast the curse using my blood, Amelie’s, and her own. Once she is destroyed, everything will return to normal."
Gabriel paused, then continued, "ording to yourte grandmother, Ophelia is already weakened. We cannot allow her to reim her strength during the uing moon event. The longer she remains deprived of her power, the greater our advantage."
Carlos studied him carefully. "And how do you n to stop her? Do you know where she is?"
"Yes," Gabriel replied, nodding.