Chapter 96: Help this family flourish

"What am I hearing?" Davian demanded as soon as he entered the Queen’s chambers. "Jessica was the one who helped Victor escape? And she even ordered the murder of Emmett’s father and sister?"

Seraphina immediately rose to her feet and bowed to him. She glanced at the servants standing nearby and instructed them to leave. Once they had withdrawn and the doors were closed, she turned back to her husband.

"Yes, honey. I learned everything from Alarick. Apparently, Jessica was behind all of this," she replied with disbelief. "Please, forgive me. I had no idea she was capable of doing such terrible things."

Davian’s expression darkened as he processed the revelation. "She has committed treason," he stated firmly. "Our daughter Nina has suffered because of her actions as well. But more importantly, an innocent man has lost his father and sister because of Jessica’s twisted schemes. What kind of thinking could drive someone to do something so cruel?"

He shook his head, struggling to comprehend how far Jessica had gone out of jealousy.

"I tried calling Andrew, but he didn’t answer any of my calls," Davian continued, his voice growing more serious. "He must be furious. Given we always trusted Jessica."

Seraphina was even more troubled by the revelation. She had never imagined that Jessica, whom she had trusted for years, would betray her so thoroughly.

She had always believed the young woman would make a fine addition to the Kensington family, someone who would help strengthen their relationships and bring the family closer.

Now, that belief had been shattered.

"I always thought she was the kind of woman who would help this family flourish, but this..." Seraphina shook her head, unable to find the right words. "I spoke with Andrew. He wants Jessica and her family to receive the death sentence. He intends to demand it from you."

"And I won’t hesitate to grant his request," Davian declared without a moment’s hesitation. "Jessica has committed serious crimes, and her actions have caused the deaths of innocent people. She must face the consequences."

He paused, his expression hardening as another thought crossed his mind. "I’m grateful to the Moon Goddess that Jessica never became part of this family. If she had entered the palace as Andrew’s wife, she could have harmed any one of us while hiding behind the trust we placed in her. We might never have discovered what she was truly capable of until it was too late."

Seraphina hummed, feeling terrible. She was about to push Jessica towards Alarick after Andrew married Caroline. Truly, they were saved from a big trouble.

~~~~~

"Throw them into the dungeons. Give Jessica one hundred lashes before we airlift her to the capital. She needs to experience the pain she has inflicted on others," Andrew ordered his Beta.

His Beta immediately bowed, prepared to carry out the command without question.

Andrew then turned toward Emmett, who had remained silent throughout the confrontation. "Emmett, do you have anything to say?"

"Everything that needs to be said has already been said. Caroline has spoken on my behalf, while you have kept your promise, Your Highness," Emmett replied respectfully.

He was still surprised by how quickly the culprit had been caught. He had arrived at Redwood High only a few hours earlier, carrying the weight of his family’s deaths, and now the person responsible had been exposed. Although his grief remained, he felt relieved that justice was finally within reach.

Jessica made no further pleas for mercy. She knew what she had done and understood that her actions had brought her to this point.

As the guards prepared to take her away, she turned toward her parents, who were already following the guards out of the room.

"It’s shocking to learn that Jessica was the one behind all of this. Her actions should serve as a lesson to everyone," Ilias finally remarked. "Our father has already been informed. I told Alarick what happened, and he made sure the message reached him ahead of time."

"Good. Tomorrow, every Alpha family will witness what happens when someone abuses their authority and believes their status puts them above the law," Andrew declared firmly.

"We were supposed to fly to the rogue territory tomorrow though," Ilias reminded him, bringing their attention back to the original plan.

"We’ll leave in the afternoon," Andrew replied.

"Hmm. Hopefully, they’ll have some information about Victor’s whereabouts by then," Ilias said before turning his attention to Caroline. A faint smile appeared on his face as he recalled how she had confronted Jessica.

"You certainly know how to stand up to someone when the situation calls for it. I never expected you to slap Jessica. Until now, you’ve always been so patient and composed. I suppose even your patience has its limits."

Everyone turned their attention to Caroline, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Honestly, I wanted to kill her with my own hands, but I know that would be wrong. What she did is unforgivable. I tried to remain calm, but I couldn’t tolerate the arrogance with which she spoke, as though she had done nothing wrong. She ordered the deaths of two innocent people simply because she hated me. How was I supposed to stay calm after hearing that?"

As Caroline finished speaking, she brought a hand to her forehead. Andrew immediately noticed the gesture, and his expression grew concerned.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, moving his attention entirely to her.

"I have a headache," she replied, lowering her hand. "It’s nothing serious. I haven’t had any water since morning, so perhaps that’s why."

Without waiting for anyone to respond, she excused herself quietly and headed toward the kitchen to get some water.

Andrew watched her leave, his brows drawing together with concern. He knew Caroline had been carrying a heavy emotional burden.

"I believe Caroline is still troubled by everything that happened," Emmett remarked after she had left. "I told her not to blame herself for what happened to my family, but I don’t think she has been able to accept that yet."

"It isn’t easy for her to think otherwise," Andrew replied, his expression turning serious. "She asked you to come forward as a witness, and now she believes she failed to protect your family. Even though Jessica is responsible for her own crimes, Caroline will keep questioning whether she could have done something differently."