Chapter 90: Learn the truth

"Yes, I’m ready," Andrew replied.

"Good. Just make sure you keep your temper under control. We know very little about their administration and leadership, so we shouldn’t provoke them unnecessarily," Ilias advised.

Meanwhile, Caroline noticed an opened envelope lying on the table, with a letter placed beside it. Curious, she picked it up and began reading its contents. As soon as she came across the name mentioned in the letter, her expression changed.

"Lyra?" she murmured, drawing the attention of both princes.

She lifted her gaze toward Andrew, holding the letter in her hand. "Andrew, when did you receive this?"

"When you were asleep," he replied. "I was about to ask you whether you have a distant cousin named Lyra."

"Yes, I do. She lives in Silver Pine Pack," Caroline answered. "We used to meet once a year."

Andrew exchanged a brief glance with Ilias before looking back at Caroline, waiting to hear more about her cousin. "For your information, the letter didn’t have an address on it. How could she have sent it here? And how did she even find out where you live? Don’t you find that strange?" Andrew asked, his gaze fixed on Caroline.

"Perhaps she asked the courier to leave the letter here without specifying an address. Besides, this is Lyra’s handwriting," Caroline asserted, sounding confident in her judgment.

Ilias remained quiet, listening to their exchange without interrupting.

"I’ll find out more once I call her," Caroline said, rising from her seat.

She hurried upstairs with the letter in hand, eager to speak with her cousin and learn why she had sent it. Andrew watched her leave before settling back into his seat. He decided to give Caroline some privacy to speak with Lyra, rather than follow her and listen to their conversation.

~~~~~

Caroline paced back and forth across the room while waiting for Lyra to answer her call. She had no idea what had prompted her cousin to send such a letter, and the uncertainty only made her more anxious to hear what Lyra had to say.

Finally, the call was answered just as it was about to disconnect.

"Lyra! It’s me, Caroline," she said immediately.

"Caroline," Lyra whispered from the other end.

The unusually quiet response left Caroline confused. She stopped pacing and tightened her grip on the phone.

"Why are you speaking so quietly?" she asked.

"Because I’m at work, in the Alpha’s residence," Lyra explained in a hushed voice. "I managed to get a little time off, so I thought I could talk to you."

She paused briefly before continuing, her voice growing unsteady.

"Tell me, what exactly happened to you and your parents? I heard about Uncle and Auntie..." Her voice faltered, and she seemed unable to finish the sentence.

Caroline’s heart tightened. She could only imagine how troubled Lyra must have been to hear about her parents’ deaths, especially when she hadn’t even been able to contact Caroline and learn the truth directly.

"Victor had them killed," Caroline revealed, finally coming to a stop. The words still hurt to say aloud, but she forced herself to continue. "I trusted the wrong man, Lyra. I regret everything."

"You never even told me about your relationship with him," Lyra replied with hurt and disbelief. "I had to learn about it through the news. And then I found out you married Prince Andrew. I was completely shocked when I saw that announcement."

Caroline lowered her eyes, unsure how to respond. There had been so much pain and chaos in her life that she hadn’t had the chance to explain anything to her cousin.

"I’ll come to see you," Caroline offered.

"No, I’ll take leave from here instead. I’ve already spoken to my pack’s Alpha, and he has granted me four days off. My flight to Redwood High is this evening," Lyra assured her.

"Alright. I’ll arrange for someone to pick you up from the airport. Just send me your flight details," Caroline replied.

"Hmm. Don’t think you’re alone in this," Lyra said gently. "We’ll meet tonight."

Her words brought Caroline a measure of comfort. After everything she had endured, knowing that someone from her family was willing to come and stand beside her meant more than she could express.

"I’ll be waiting for you," Caroline stated.

"I need to go now. See you later." Lyra cut the call. Caroline lowered the device and a smile appeared on her lips.

Caroline was about to head downstairs when her phone rang again. She glanced at the screen, but the unfamiliar number made her frown. After a moment’s hesitation, she answered the call.

"Omega," Seraphina’s voice came from the other end.

"Your Majesty," Caroline greeted the Luna Queen respectfully, her tone humble.

"I wouldn’t have called you myself, but the Alpha King wants me to speak with you," Seraphina began, making it clear that the call wasn’t her own choice. "Next Monday, there will be an official welcoming ceremony to acknowledge your inclusion in the royal family. You and Andrew are expected to arrive at the palace two days before the ceremony. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Caroline answered promptly.

"Understand this, even if the world acknowledges you as a Kensington in a few days, I never will," Seraphina declared coldly. "You have ruined the peace of my family and my son’s life. And don’t you dare get pregnant and bring a child into this world that would taint our bloodline. I know how satisfying it must be for someone like you to trap a prince of his standing."

Caroline listened without interrupting, her fingers tightening around her phone as she endured the Luna Queen’s accusations. The words were cruel, but she knew that arguing with Seraphina would only make matters worse.

The woman was Andrew’s mother and the Luna Queen, someone whose authority extended throughout the kingdom.

Caroline had little to gain by challenging her over the phone, especially when Seraphina had already made it clear that she had no intention of accepting her.

So, she remained silent, swallowing the hurt rather than allowing it to show in her voice.

Before she could speak, the call disconnected.