Chapter 93: Refuse to listen

"Is that true?" Seraphina asked in disbelief, her face contorting with shock as Alarick told her what Jessica had done.

"Yes, Mom. Ilias informed me about everything. He’s at Andrew’s estate now. Jessica helped Victor escape, and there’s even suspicion that she was involved in the murder of Emmett’s family," Alarick explained, his expression growing grim.

Seraphina’s hands tightened around the bolsters on either side of the broad chair she occupied. For a moment, she sat frozen, struggling to process what she had just heard.

"How could she do something like this?" she murmured, unable to reconcile Jessica’s actions with the image she had held of the young woman.

"It’s a good thing she never became part of this family," Alarick remarked. His voice carried a note of bitterness as he recalled everything that had happened. "She knew how important Victor was to us, yet she still helped him escape. Andrew was injured in that attack. Mom, do you understand now what kind of person she really is?"

He paused, studying his mother’s troubled expression.

"Bring me my phone," Seraphina instructed the attendant standing beside her chair.

The attendant promptly retrieved it and placed it in her hand. Seraphina immediately searched for Andrew’s number and dialed, hoping he would answer. She needed to hear his side of the story before making any decisions.

To her relief, he picked up after a few rings.

"I was just about to call you, Mom. Good afternoon," Andrew greeted her. However, despite the polite words, his anger was evident.

"I suppose you’ve already heard what your dear Jessica has done," he continued before Seraphina could respond. "Don’t even think about defending her. She and her entire family will be executed for helping Victor escape, and you won’t interfere."

Seraphina closed her eyes briefly, bracing herself against his hostility. She had expected him to be furious, but his determination to punish Jessica’s entire family was alarming.

"Only those who have committed crimes will be punished," she replied firmly. "If Jessica is guilty, the Alpha King will decide her punishment according to the law. But her family will not be held responsible for her actions."

Andrew let out a cold chuckle, showing little regard for her argument.

"I don’t want any of them to survive this," he declared. "Jessica didn’t act alone. I’m certain of that. And I wouldn’t be surprised if your so-called friend had a hand in it, too."

Seraphina’s heart sank at Andrew’s words. She had expected his anger over Jessica’s betrayal, but she hadn’t anticipated that he would turn the conversation toward her treatment of Caroline.

"You will apologize to my wife as well," Andrew continued, his voice firm and uncompromising. "I’m well aware of how you speak to her. When you called her about the invitation, I’m certain you weren’t speaking to her kindly."

Seraphina tightened her grip on the phone but remained silent.

"You never loved me, Mom. Everything you’ve done lately proves that one more time," Andrew declared, his voice growing colder. "If you can’t even respect my wife, then don’t expect me to visit you. Caroline and I won’t attend the welcoming ceremony at the palace unless you apologize to her."

Before Seraphina could respond, Andrew ended the call.

He hadn’t heard the details of her conversation with Caroline, but he knew his mother’s attitude well enough to suspect that she had been unkind to his wife.

Meanwhile, Seraphina stared at the screen of her phone, stunned by how abruptly Andrew had ended the conversation. His words lingered in her mind, particularly his accusation that she had never loved him.

"Andrew sounded furious," Alarick remarked, watching his mother’s troubled expression.

"Yes. He still believes I don’t love him," Seraphina said with hurt. "All I ever wanted was a woman who could bring some calmness into his life and soften his temper. I wanted him to marry someone from a family of Alphas, someone who would understand his position and stand beside him as a suitable Luna. But he chose an omega instead."

Her lips trembled as she finished speaking, revealing how deeply Andrew’s rejection of her wishes had affected her.

Alarick lowered himself onto his knees in front of his mother and gently took her hands in his. He understood that Seraphina believed she had acted in Andrew’s best interests, but he also knew that her intentions did not excuse the way she had treated him.

"Mom, Caroline is his fated mate. That’s why he chose her," he explained patiently. "You made a mistake when you arranged his engagement to Jessica and announced it even though Andrew wasn’t present to agree to it. You made that decision without considering what he wanted."

Seraphina shook her head, unable to accept his words so easily.

"You’ve seen how distant he’s become from you over the years," Alarick continued. "But have you ever wondered why? You keep insisting that you know what’s best for him, yet you’ve never really tried to understand him. You can’t expect him to trust your decisions when you refuse to listen to his wishes."

Seraphina lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around his hands.

"I still believe he’s just a child who doesn’t understand that everything I’ve done was for his own good," she insisted, clinging to the belief that her intentions should have been enough.

"He’s twenty-six, Mom. How can you still treat him like a child?" Alarick remarked, unable to hide his concern. "I think you should apologize to Caroline and put an end to this conflict. She may have agreed to marry Andrew because she has her own interests to pursue, but I believe she’s a mature woman who understands what she’s getting into. At least give her a chance before deciding that she’s unsuitable for him."

Seraphina remained silent, listening to her eldest son.

"Dad wants to hold this welcoming ceremony to bring the family together, and he seems genuinely happy about it. Don’t let your differences with Caroline ruin that opportunity," Alarick urged. "Even if you can’t accept her completely right now, try to do this much for Dad. More importantly, try to respect Andrew’s wishes for once. He’s not asking you to love Caroline overnight. He’s asking you to acknowledge the woman he has chosen as his wife."