Chapter 265 A Tangled Web Unravels

&

b+2 /bBonus

Alden bcouldn’t /bbear to linger. “Let’s bgo/bb,/b” he muttered, bhis /bvoice

thick bwith /bshame.

He couldn’t stand to look at that child bany /blonger.

Though bhe /bhadn’t poured much affection binto /bthe boyb, /bbthe /bmere thought of bhim/b—and of Luna–filled Alden bwith /ba bchurning /bdisgust that twisted his bgut/b.

What bhe /bfeltb, /bhe acted onb. /b

Crouched outside the police stationb, /bhe retched, bthe /bbitter taste of betrayal bburning /bbhis /bthroat.

Joanne’s face was bashen/bb, /bbher /bconfidence shattered. Not long bago/bb, /bshe’d confronted Kaiab, hurling /busations and staunchly bdefending /bLuna, swearing she’d never do something so vile.

bNow/bb, /breflecting bon /bbher /boutburst, embarrassment washed over her like a cold wave.

Zane let out a bheavy /bbsigh/b. bIn /bball /bhis years, he’d never witnessed such a bbizarre /bmess,

Regret gnawed at bhim/bb. /bbIf /bhe’d just pushed harder to bget /bAlden and bKaia /bmarried bwhen /bbhe /bhad the chanceb, /bnone of bthis /bmess would have happened.

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What a disasterb. /b

*****

+3

b+2 /bbBonus /b

Kaia had just settled into bed when Lucien’s bphone /berupted with urgent bringing/b. She propped herself up, concern bflickering /bin her eyes. “What’s wrongb?/bb” /b

Lucien’s face was bgrim /bas bhe /bnodded into the phone. “Got it. I’m on my wayb./bb” /b

Kaia sat up bfully/bb, /bher voice sharper bnow/b. “Lucien, what’s going bon/bb?/bb” /b

He btook /bba /bdeep breathb, /bsteadying bhimself/bb. /b“bMy /bbdad’s /bbin /bthe hospital. I’m heading over bnow/bb./bb” /b

“What?b” /bKaia scrambled bout /bof bed, already breaching /bfor her clothes. “Wait bfor /bme–bI’ll /bbthrow /bbsomething /bbon/bb. /bFive minutes, and bI’m /bbing /bwith byou/b.b” /b

“You should stay bhome /bbtonight/bb. /bCome tomorrowb,/b” Lucien said, his tone gentle bbut /bfirm.

But Kaia wouldn’t bhear /bbit/b. “bNo /bbway/bb. /bAllen’s always been so good to me. I bhave /bto be thereb./b”

If something happened to Allen, she’d carry that regret forever.

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b+2 /bBonus

Lucien didn’t bargue /bfurther. bOn /bthe drive, Kaia noticed his hands trembling on the steering wheel.

“Honey, let me drive,” she offered softly.

“I’m fine,” Lucien replied, his voice tight.

Kaia reached over, her small hand closing over his, bwhich /bgripped the wheel like a lifeline. “Honeyb, /bI’ve got my license. Let bme /bbtake /bover.

b“/bYou’re not yourself right now, and it’s dark. The roads are tricky.”

Lucien was silent for a moment, then gave a reluctant nod.

Kaia knew bthat /bdespite his constant bbickering /bwith Allen, Lucien cared deeply for his father.

If Joanne hadn’t provoked bhim /btodayb, /bif Luna hadn’t stirred up bthis /bwhole fiasco, Lucien would’ve broken the news more bgently/b.

bHe /bwasn’t worried babout /bbsparing /bAlden’s bfeelings/bb–/bbhe /bwas protecting bhis /bbfather /bfrom a bblow /bbthat /bcould break bhim/b.

Lucien’s face was a storm cloud, his banger /bsimmering so fiercely bKaia /bcould balmost /bfeel it. He wanted nothing more than to tear bLuna /bapart for bthe /bbhavoc /bshe’d wrought.

biWho /i/binsisted on adopting bher /bbin /bbthe /bfirst bce/b?

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They rushed bto /bthe cardiovascr ward.

&

“Doctorb, /bhow’s bmy /bdad?” Lucien asked, bhis /bvoice btaut /bwith

bworry/bb. /b

b+2 /bbBonus /b

The doctor’s tone was calm and reassuringb. /b“He’s stable. At his age, some cardiovascr issues aremonb. /bWe’ll run tests

btomorrow /bto check for reduced blood flow to bthe /bbbrain/bb. /bThen we’ll give bhim /bsome medication to help bwith his /bdizziness and boxygen /blevels.”

Kaia sat beside bAllen’s /bbed, her heart heavyb. /b“Allen, it’s Kaia. Are byou /bfeeling bany /bbetterb?” /b

Allen, tethered to ban /bboxygen /btubeb, /bstruggled to keep bhis /beyes open, bhis /bvoice faint and wearyb. /b

“bI’m /bbokay/bb, /bKaia. bSorry /bbyou /bbgot /bdragged into bthis /bmess today.”

Kaia’s nose bstung/bb, /btears bthreatening /bbas /bmemories of bher /bgrandmother flooded back. bThe /bfear of blosing /banother kind elder gripped her btightly/bb. /b

“It’s nothingb, /bbAllen/bb. /bI’m fine. bLucien’s /bso worried about you—you bhave /bto get better. Alyssa’s due bnext /bbmonth/bb, /band you’ve got to meet byour /bbfirst /bbgreat/bb–/bgrandchild.”

Allen managed a weak smile. “You’re bright/b. Gotta stick around to see bmy /bfavorite granddaughter’s baby.”

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b+2 /bBonus

Zane and bthe /bothers arrived soon after.

But Allen’s mood soured at the bsight /bof them–especially Joanne. Her presence alone irritated him.

Allen snorted. Zane wasn’t much better. When they’d taken Luna in years ago, he had warned against spoiling her. Now bthey /bwere paying the price for their indulgence.

bHe /bwas furious with Alden too. He’d picked out a perfectly good fiancée for bhim/bb, /bbut Alden threw it all away for that scheming

bwoman/bb. /b

Now bhe /bfelt Alden was just stubborn and stupid.

The bsight /bof them together made Allen’s blood boil.

“Allenb, /bbtry /bto stay calm–your blood pressure’s spiking bagain,/b” the doctor warned, ncing at the monitor.

Lucien’s bicy /bgaze swept over themb, /bunapologetically sharp. “Joanneb, /byou all should head home. Zaneb, /bbyou /bbstay/b.

“Dad was bfine /bbuntil /bbyou /bshowed bup/b. Let’s not make bthis /bworse.”

Alden and Joanne flushed bwith /bshame but couldn’t argue.

They had no choice but toply.

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b+2 /bbBonus /b

Alden was bstruggling /btoo. “Grandpa, I’ll go back. bI’m /bsorry I’ve let byou /bdownb. /bOnce byou’re /bbetterb, /bbI’ll /be back and we can bfix /bbthis/b.”

As bhe /bbleft, /bbhis /beyes lingered on Kaiab, /bwho stood quietly by bthe /bside.

Regret gnawed at bhim/b, relentless and bitter.

Joanne’s nce darted toward Kaia too. She bbit /bher blip/bb, /bforcing ban /bawkward bsmile/bb. /b“Kaia, bI’m /bso bsorry/bb. /bI was bwrong /bto bme /byou today.”

bShe /bbhung /bher head, shoulders bslumping/b. b“/bbI’m /breally sorryb./bb” /b

Lucien had warned bher/b—an apology after bthe /bfact wouldn’t fix bthings /bso easily.

“Just bgo/bb,/bb” /bhe said, bhis /bvoiceced bwith /bcold irritation.

Kaia stayed bsilent/b. bWith /bLucien bstanding /bup bfor /bbher/bb, /bshe wasn’t about to bundermine /bbhim/b. She bknew /ball btoo /bwell: forgive someone who disrespected bher /bonceb, /bband /bthey would do it again—over and over.

Zane sighedb, /bsuddenly feeling the bweight /bof his years.

Allen raised a trembling handb, /bpointing at Zane with frail usation. “Youb… /bbyou’re /bsuch a fool…”

Nowork bavable /bbnow/bb. /bPlease bcheck /bbyour /bbwork/b.

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b+2 /bBonus

Zane’s face hardened bwith /bresolve. “Dad, I get it now. I won’t go

soft bthis /btime.”

So bwhat /bif he’d raised her bfor /bover twenty years?

It was time to cut ties, and he had to be ruthless.

bWrite /bbyourment /b