<h4>Chapter 654: Voicing such dark thoughts</h4>


    The crackle of the firece was the only sound in the grand living room until Raidan’s footsteps broke the silence. He lowered himself into the velvet chair.


    "Did the Queen get any news regarding Flora?" he asked.


    Mabel settled into the chair across from him as she slowly shook her head. "Thest I heard from Casaio was that she was still under treatment. The healers are doing everything they can, but the situation is delicate."


    A servant stepped forward with silent grace, bowing low before cing a tea tray on the table between them. With a small gesture from Mabel, the servant retreated, leaving the royal couple to their privacy. Mabel began the familiar ritual of preparing the tea.


    "Both Gabriel and Amelie have new troubles in their way," Mabel murmured as she handed a cup of the green tea to the Alpha King.


    Raidan took a slow breath, blowing softly over the surface of the tea before taking a sip. He set the cup back onto its saucer and met the Queen’s gaze.


    "Who doesn’t have troubles in their lives, Mabel?" he said. "Life is never a smooth path. Sufferings are the fires that forge us, and our children are more than capable of fighting through them. They have the strength of our blood." He reached out, his hand momentarily covering hers. "For now, all we can do is hold the line and pray that Flora wakes up soon."


    Mabel nodded, a small smile touching her lips as she foundfort in the Alpha King’s words.


    "I talked with William Nightshade earlier today," Raidan began, his voice softening as the conversation shifted to their daughter. "The priest has finalized the auspicious dates, so I’ve requested that he and Sagee to the pce soon so we can finalize the arrangements together."


    "It is for the best that both families are present to decide," Mabel agreed. "Can you truly believe it, Raidan? Our daughter has grown so much that she is already on the verge of marriage." Her eyes suddenly shimmered with unshed tears. "Ever since she left to work in San Ravendale, the pce has felt a bit empty. And a bit too quiet."


    "I agree," Raidan replied with a nod. "I still remember the day Katelyn was born. She was the most serene infant, the quietest child we had. Unlike Gabriel." He let out a sudden, heartyugh. "He was the wildest of the lot. I recall him crying loud enough to shake the pce walls."


    Mabel forced a smile to match his, but the mention of Gabriel’s childhood caused a sharp pang in her chest. The memory of his cries didn’t bring her joy; instead, it brought back the cold reality of how she had treated him in the years that followed. She had been unnecessarily cruel to her own son, pushing him away when he likely needed her most.


    Once again, her past actions began to throb behind her temples. She knew that dwelling on her regrets would only bring a heart ache, so she took a long sip of her tea, trying to wash such memories away.


    Suddenly, the phone bell’s rang loudly and Raidan quickly took it out from his pocket.


    "It’s Casaio," he said, quickly answering the call and putting it on the speaker.


    "Dad, good evening," Casaio’s voice came through.


    "Good evening. Give me the news, how is Flora?" Raidan asked, leaning forward as Mabel watched him with anxious eyes.


    "Flora has been saved, Dad. The transfusion worked, but..." Casaio trailed off, the sound of a sharp, shaky breath audible over the line. "She’s slipped into aa. The healers and doctors have no idea when she’ll wake up. It’s chaos here, and Gabriel is being med for everything."


    "What? Why would Gabriel be to me?" Raidan’s voice rose, his protective instincts ring. "What exactly did he do?"


    "He’s the one who suggested using Flora as bait to lure Alex out," Casaio admitted, his voice dropping an octave as if afraid of being overheard. "There was a dy, and he didn’t reach her in time. I have to go, Dad, things are getting heated here. I’ll talk to youter."


    The line went dead before Raidan could demand more answers. He stared at the phone in silence, his face pale. Across from him, Mabel had gone rigid, the mention of Gabriel’s failure hitting her.


    "Let’s head to San Ravendale," Mabel advised her husband.


    "I’ll talk to Gabriel first," Raidan said with a worried gaze.


    ~~~~~


    "Your Highness, if anything happens to Flora, if she never wakes up, what will you do? Will you take the full responsibility?" Zander demanded, his voice echoing through the hospital corridor. He stepped toward Gabriel, his grief manifesting as anger.


    "Zander, you need to calm down," his mother pleaded, reaching for his arm to keep him from shouting at the Alpha Prince.


    "ming Gabriel won’t wake Flora up," Amelie intervened, stepping firmly in front of her husband. She met Zander’s gaze with unwavering resolve. "Let’s not start this me game. Flora was supposed to give a ring to Gabriel as a signal, but she didn’t. That is why the dy happened. That is why he couldn’t reach her in time."


    Zander’s eyes narrowed, his expression turning venomous. "Amelie, you wanted Flora to die," he hissed.


    "Shut your mouth!" Gabriel finally snapped. A low, thunderous growl vibrated in his chest as his violet eyes shed with a predatory light. He lunged forward, his fingers wing into thepels of Zander’s coat, pinning him against the wall.


    Amelie instantly turned, pressing her hands against Gabriel’s chest to anchor him. "Please, Gabriel. Don’t do this."


    "Amelie, don’t stop me. He’s been spewing nonsense since the moment we got here," Gabriel stated, his gaze never leaving Zander’s. "Say anything you want to me, but you do not speak to Amelie that way."


    "You both need to calm down," Casaio intervened, cutting through the tension. "We are in a hospital, for God’s sake," he muttered, ncing at the startled staff nearby.


    Casaio stepped between them, slowly prying Gabriel’s hand away from Zander’s coat. Once the physical contact was broken, he turned his full attention to Zander. "Follow me. Now. That is amand," he stated, utilizing his Alpha authority.


    Without waiting for a response, Casaio turned and walked down the hall. Zander with his jaw tight and fists clenched, had no choice but to follow in his wake.


    Amelie wiped the tears from her eyes. Without a word, she turned away and hurried toward the adjacent room where her mothery unconscious.


    Gabriel watched her go, his heart tightening at her distress. Carlos stepped beside him. "It wasn’t because of you, Gabriel. Flora was destined for this path. The threads of fate were already woven."


    Gabriel remained silent, his gaze fixed on the door Amelie had just passed through. To the rest of the world, he was the guilty leader, but internally, a cold indifference reigned.


    He didn’t care for Flora’sa or the healers’ grim prognosis. In his mind, Flora was simply reaping the harvest of the pain she had sown for Amelie. The cruelty she had inflicted on his wife was unforgivable, and this was merely the universe bncing the scales.


    However, he kept his expression guarded. He knew that voicing such dark thoughts would cast him as the viin in everyone else’s eyes. More importantly, he knew Amelie. If she ever discovered that he felt no remorse for her sister’s fate, she would look at him with a hatred he couldn’t endure.


    And for her sake, he would y the part of the concerned prince, but his only true loyalty remained anchored to Amelie, who was now weeping in the next room.