Chapter 363: The Truth She Feared

[Music recommendation: Pen Y Fan (Felt Version) Original by Jacob’s Piano]

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When morning arrived, Aliana sat before her vanity mirror, her fingers mindlessly fidgeting with the clasp of her platinum necklace. She looked sharp and elegant, dressed in a tailored burgundy business suit. Her long blonde hair was gathered into an elegant low ponytail, with a few soft strands framing one side of her delicate face.

She had been struggling with the clasp for a good fifteen minutes, but it had little to do with the necklace itself. Her mind remained consumed by the brief conversation she had shared with Gavriel the previous night.

Last night....

Aliana sat on the sofa in their bedroom, her gaze fixed beyond the window. Gavriel sat opposite her, dressed in all black, holding the plate with the half-eaten slice of cake she handed him after he failed to respond to her offer.

Under normal circumstances, Gavriel would have gladly indulged in such a treat. But right now, he knew he wouldn’t be able to swallow even a bite. He could practically taste the gloom hanging heavily over Aliana.

Several times, he considered asking her to simply tell him what was bothering her. But he knew that direct questions did not necessarily earn direct answers from Aliana when she was struggling beneath the weight of her own emotions.

So he remained motionless, offering her his quiet, unwavering patience until she asked softly, "If I ask you something... will you tell me honestly?"

"Always," he answered instantly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Taking a long, deep breath, she finally lifted her eyes to meet his, her mind racing with a hundred questions.

What is a fated mate?

How does one know when you’ve found one?

What does that bond even mean?

And above all... did you have a mate before? If so, what happened to her? Where was she now?

What troubled Aliana about this particular line of questioning was that Gavriel, having lost most of his memories, might not even remember whether he had ever had a mate.

What if that woman suddenly showed up one day? What could Aliana do then, knowing that woman could offer him the joy of fatherhood... a joy she could never give him?

Aliana’s mind spun out of control.

Every instinct urged her to demand clarity, to seek answers as she always did.

But meeting those brilliant icy blue eyes, the courage drained from her veins.

She was afraid.

She was terrified of the reality his answers might bring.

What if the truth broke her beyond repair? What if hearing her fears confirmed by his own lips shattered her heart completely?

Knowing she would crumble, the questions burned silently on the tip of her tongue, refusing to come out.

Gavriel noted the flicker of panic in her eyes. He leaned over and placed the plate onto the coffee table. "Ana... ask me. Anything."

"Why?" she finally whispered. "Why didn’t you tell me before? About..." She swallowed hard around the tight lump forming in her throat, struggling to find her voice. "...about humans being unable to bear a demon’s child?"

Well... that certainly hadn’t been the question at the top of her list. But she wanted to know the answer all the same, so she didn’t take it back.

Aliana watched as Gavriel’s eyes widened ever so slightly at her words.

’It seems that caught you off guard as much as it did me,’ she thought bitterly.

She saw the rare flicker of hesitation in his eyes as Gavriel searched for the right words. "Ana... you were unaware of my true nature when-"

"I know," she cut him off, her gaze dropping to her fidgeting fingers as her voice sank into a low murmur. "I know I didn’t know the truth about you, and you couldn’t have possibly told me before we were married. But still... you knew. You believed at the time that I was entirely human. Which meant that I... I would never be able to..." Her lips quivered, refusing to finish the sentence.

No matter his reasons, Gavriel had known. He had known the truth about her inability to bear his child as a human, yet he had proceeded to marry her anyway.

But if she voiced this to him now... wouldn’t it be cruel to make him feel guilty? Yet... wasn’t it equally cruel to her? Did he truly believe she would never want a child of her own?

Aliana’s thoughts were a chaotic mess. She knew she had to stop herself from spiralling further, so she simply shook her head and rose from her seat. "Forget I said anything," she whispered, turning to walk away.

But Gavriel caught her wrist and rose to his full height.

"Ana... please don’t walk away."

He stepped closer behind her and rested his forehead against her shoulder, his voice dropping to a quiet plea.

"Talk to me... please."

Aliana closed her eyes as another wave of heavy emotions rose within her. She knew that if she continued talking now, neither of them would come away from the conversation unscathed.

So, gathering what little strength she had left, she whispered, "Not now, Gav. I need time... I don’t think I can do this right now."

Gavriel went still.

When he made no move to release her hand or pull away, she pleaded softly, "Please. I need time to sort through my thoughts. It’s... late."

Weakly, she pulled her hand from his grip.

Feeling her gentle pull, Gavriel lifted his head from her shoulder, his tone filled with quiet concern. "Will you... speak to me when you feel ready?"

Aliana gave a small nod. "I will."

Only then did he reluctantly let go of her hand.

She walked towards the bed without looking back. Had she done so, she would have seen the utter pain and powerlessness etched across his eyes.

Coming back to the present...

Aliana released a frustrated sigh before carelessly tossing the platinum necklace onto the table in front of her. Her eyes drifted back to the mirror, only for her to freeze when she saw him standing right behind her.

His magnetic eyes met hers through the reflection as he quietly extended his palm towards her in a silent request.

Aliana pressed her lips together before wordlessly picking up the necklace and placing it in his hand.

Gavriel expertly unclasped it, something she had struggled to do herself, before meeting her eyes in the mirror and gently fastening it around her neck. Goosebumps prickled across her skin when his fingers brushed against her nape.

Silently, she cast her gaze downward. "Thank you."

Gavriel could see that she was still very much withdrawn behind the emotional walls she had built around herself, so he simply stepped back, choosing to respect her boundaries.

Aliana stood up and straightened the lapels of her burgundy suit. "I’ll be skipping breakfast this morning. I have an urgent press conference regarding the Atlas Gateway site accident."

She grabbed her leather handbag, preparing to head for the stairs when his voice cut through the quiet.

"Aliana."