CHAPTER 170: CRUSHED MY HEART

Casaio stepped into the cell when he heard Zilia,

"I’ve nothing to say to you. You should send Gabriel. I want to talk to him."

"He won’t come here," Casaio said. "I’m taking you to the capital. You’ll be sentenced to death on the charges of espionage," he informed her.

Zilia’s eyes widened in shock, but she had seen something like this coming her way. However, what bothered her was the gaze Casaio carried. It no longer carried any softness or hope. That was the moment she realized: Casaio had finally let go of the feelings he carried even after rejecting her. The bond had finally broken completely.

"Fine, take me to the capital, but send Prince Gabriel. I want to talk to him," Zilia requested.

"I loved you more than you could even imagine," Casaio began. Since this was the last time, he wanted to say everything that was buried deep in his heart.

"If only you had trusted me and told me about your identity with your own mouth, I would have done everything to save you and your brother. I would’ve gone against my own mother and father to be with you. But you broke my trust. You crushed my heart. For you, my love never meant anything to you. You foolishly wrapped me around your finger and I let you have your way with me. Even when I found out your truth, I hoped you would choose me. But it didn’t happen. In the end, you-you decided to severe the last hope that I tied myself with."

Zilia’s eyes brimmed with tears as tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t want to cry before him, but she couldn’t control them. For a brief moment, she glanced at Casaio and found him weeping too, but without making any noise. It felt as if he was used to this feeling.

"I-I’m sorry," Zilia whispered. "I accept my punishment for betraying you and your family," she said with a trembling voice.

"Gabriel asked me a question if someone helped me in the Kingdom," she added. "It was Berik."

"Berik? The advisor of my father?" asked Casaio to confirm.

"Yes. Berik isn’t loyal to the Alpha King. I think you’ve forgotten. The first person, who introduced you and me was Berik in the party. But we ended up finding mates in each other," Zilia said with a faint chuckle. "Please ask to save my brother. That’s all I want."

Casaio didn’t say anything and simply walked out of the cell.

~~~~~

After lunch, Gabriel gently urged Amelie to rest and sent her to the room. Once she was out of sight, he pulled out his phone and dialed Casaio’s number.

The call had barely rung once when Casaio appeared in the living room doorway.

Gabriel lowered his phone after ending it.

"You didn’t come for lunch," he remarked.

"We need to talk in private," Casaio said.

Gabriel gave a small nod. Without another question, he led him to the study room. Once inside, Gabriel quietly shut the door behind them and turned to face Casaio.

"What is it you need to discuss in private?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly with concern.

"I met Zilia for the last time. She requested to see you. But eventually, she told me something you asked her. Berik, one of the advisors of our father, helped her in the mission. She also mentioned you should save her brother," Casaio asserted.

"We need to arrest Berik," Gabriel said.

"No. First, let’s keep an eye on him. We shouldn’t trust the words of a spy," Casaio stated.

Gabriel was stunned to hear that statement. "It’s strange to hear those words coming from your mouth."

"Berik has been in our father’s service for last twenty five years. If he truly helped the Blood Dominion Pack to stand against us, then we are in a great danger. So, let’s verify first. I’ll leave for the capital tomorrow and start the work from there. Meanwhile, from you, I want to give me the desired help if I ever need," Casaio explained.

Gabriel nodded his head, "Sure."

"How will you save Zilia’s brother?" asked Casaio.

"I’ve someone in that pack. He’s waiting for my order whether Zilia’s brother should be brought here or not," Gabriel said. "Since Zilia will receive a death sentence, do you think bringing her brother here and keeping him here is a nice idea? After all, that kid is going to resent us for taking the life of his sister. Kids don’t understand the world of the adults easily."

"The kids don’t understand, but the life he’s leading in that place isn’t great in general. He must’ve been aware of his sister’s work. Once we rescue him, I’ll send her brother to another kingdom, where he can live a normal life," Casaio said.

Gabriel didn’t object to his brother’s decision. Instead, he gave a small nod.

"Then I’ll make the call," he said. "Elric will be brought here."

He paused for a second, then added with a colder tone, "There’s something I want to ask you."

Casaio narrowed his eyes, immediately sensing the shift. "What is it?"

"You lied to me about Mortis, didn’t you?" Gabriel said. "You thought I wouldn’t dig deeper after hearing your version of his story. But I did."

Casaio said nothing at first, but a knowing smile crept onto his face. He chuckled softly, almost in admiration. "Impressive. So, how did you figure it out?"

Gabriel’s expression darkened. "On the wedding day, our mother had a private conversation with Amelie. She told her not to go through with the marriage."

He stepped closer, his eyes locked on Casaio. "A night before my wedding, someone broke into the hotel that night. A highly trained alpha. That kind of man doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. And only one person would dare to make such a move, even knowing I’d stand in the way."

He then said in a low voice, "It was Mother, who sent him. And you covered it up."

Casaio’s smile faded. "I did it to protect you."

Gabriel’s jaw clenched. "No. You did it to protect her."