CHAPTER 502: TRAVEL TO DISTRICT GRIDLOCK

"Carlos, go and attend to our guests," Ravenna requested of her grandson. She wanted to have a conversation alone with Amelie.

Carlos nodded and left, understanding his grandmother’s need for private time with Amelie.

As the doors shut quietly behind him, Amelie turned back to the old woman. "Grandma, I heard about your medical condition," she said softly. "I wish even my age would—"

"No, don’t say that," Ravenna interrupted firmly, shaking her head. "I told you even before that I’ve lived enough years." Her frail hand patted Amelie’s hand reassuringly before she took a deep, steadying breath. "But Carlos hasn’t lived his life fully. Do you remember the promise you made to me?"

"Yes. Don’t worry, Grandma," Amelie replied with a bright, comforting smile. "I’ll be Carlos’s family. Gabriel and I will never let him feel alone in this world. Who knows, he will soon find the woman of his dreams, too, and then he will have his own family as well."

Ravenna smiled. "Yes. I wouldn’t be there to see all of that, though. But I would love to see Carlos having his own family, his life filled with happiness," she murmured.

"Don’t worry, Grandma. It will happen. I promise you," Amelie assured her. "Focus on yourself for now. You may turn well. Miracles do happen," Ravenna murmured, a fleeting trace of emotion softening her weary eyes.

"Amelie," she continued, her voice gaining a sudden, low intensity, "miracles don’t happen after a certain time with this type of curse. Tell me the truth: Did Ophelia try any other dirty trick on you recently?"

"No... Well, I did remove the ring once," Amelie admitted, her expression tightening with the memory. "I usually used to take it off before going to shower. When I did this time, I felt a very strange, searing pain radiating from my heart throughout my entire body. It felt like it would kill me. It turns out, Ophelia is definitely not sitting quietly, Grandma," Amelie said with a deeply worried gaze. "But please, don’t stress yourself about it. Gabriel and I will find a way to end her," she asserted firmly.

"You two cannot find a way for this alone," Ravenna asserted, cutting straight to the core of the problem, overriding Amelie’s previous assurance. "Since you both are here now, I will perform that ritual myself—the one to bring you both back to the timeline where you first encountered Ophelia."

"Grandma, you are far too weak right now. Please don’t do anything more for us," Amelie pleaded, tears pricking her eyes. "You have already done so much. Besides, this is a battle Gabriel and I are supposed to fight."

"I know," Ravenna admitted with an unwavering gaze. "But I must put my remaining power to good use. I am planning to do the ritual by tomorrow. The more we delay, the more strength Ophelia will gather. And we absolutely cannot let her win."

She again placed her hand over Amelie’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Dear, let me do it. Carlos won’t be able to help you with this. That is why I must do it before I take my last breath."

Amelie’s eyes brimmed with tears, and she promptly hugged Ravenna. She didn’t utter a word, but kept that embrace. Ravenna patted her head. "Everything will turn fine once you two defeat Opehlia," she whispered.

~~~~~~

"Where were you?" Casaio asked. He carefully lowered the file he had been reviewing, fixing his gaze on his brother, Dominick, who had just returned from outside.

"Why are you still up so late, Cas? Shouldn’t you be with Zilia?" Dominick countered, already taking off his blazer and slumping heavily onto the upholstered sofa.

"Zilia is worried for you these days. She specifically asked me to check on you," Casaio replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Did you drink outside? Are you choosing the path like I did once? Drowning myself in alcohol to cope?" he pressed, arching an eyebrow in suspicion.

"No, Cas. I met an old friend today, so we had some chats over drinks. You know that I was severely betrayed in love, where all I faced were lies from Juniper. I am not drowning myself in sorrow; instead, I am working to keep myself distracted. There is a long-pending case that demands my full attention. I will have to travel to District Gridlock."

"Why there? What exactly is happening in that place?" Casaio asked, his brow furrowing with concern.

"I heard that Omegas are being sold there, both men and women," Dominick revealed, his voice dropping to a grim tone. "Since Gridlock is quite far from the capital, its dense, congested layout and distance have made it a perfect hub for such illegal activities."

"When do you plan to leave?" Casaio asked.

"Tomorrow. Delays simply cannot be made," Dominick replied, running a hand over his face. "When I think about how Gabriel wanted us to look into that Beta Hunters’ case, and I kept delaying it, I realize I could have found out the truth earlier without getting into such a mess." He took a deep breath. "My divorce will officially be approved by tomorrow. I want to forget Juniper completely, and going away from here while I investigate would be the best way to handle that."

"You’re right," Casaio conceded, accepting the plan.

"So," Dominick began, shifting the topic, his gaze turning assessing. "Will you not try to become the next Alpha King then? Juniper definitely brought a lot of negative effects to your image in the public eye. I haven’t heard you speak about the succession since the scandal."

"I don’t even think I deserve that position," Casaio remarked quietly, his gaze dropping to the floor, revealing a genuine sense of inadequacy.

"No, you do deserve that throne, Cas," Dominick affirmed immediately, sitting up straighter on the sofa. "Just because some matters don’t reach your ears doesn’t mean you are incapable of keeping this kingdom going. Your focus and integrity are unmatched."

"I see the true Alpha King’s capabilities in Gabriel," Casaio stated, looking back up. "What do you think?"

Dominick offered a knowing smile. "Well, he has always been the smartest of us. But Gabriel won’t agree to take the throne. You and I know this well enough."