Chapter 522
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Third Person’s POV
The platform had no railings. If someone swung too far out on the swing and lost their grip, they could casily fall.
Paisley invited Poly to sit on the swing and gently pushed toward the riverside view.
Poly was frightened. Her wolf abilities weren’t strong, so she clutched the swing ropes tightly.
“When I met you at the Spectrehowl Pack, you didn’t know my true identity. Why did you realize who I was after returning?”
Poly was puzzled. All of this seemed like a carefully orchestrated trap.
Paisley explained, “When I saw you, you looked familiar. The mole on your lip–Adelaide’s mother has one too. And your features resemble Luna Adelaide’s a bit. Also, your mannerisms felt familiar, though I couldn’t place them. Now I realize you remind me of Caldwell.”
“Caldwell?” Poly repeated the name, feeling no connection to it.
She vaguely recalled a young boy handing her sweets under a tree.
Sunlight bathed his face as he smiled brightly, but she couldn’t recall his features.
That boy was now Caldwell, a member of the Blackthorn Pack.
“You still haven’t said why you’re sure I’m Poly,” she pressed.
Paisley continued, “We knew Madison planned to arrange someone to mate Eugene to infiltrate the Royal Army. She must have told you this since you’re the one carrying out the mission.”
Poly nodded. “You’re right.”
“From the start, something felt off. During your time at Madison’s estate, did you ever see women who resemble you–Hunt’s breeders?”
Poly shook her head. “I’ve never seen them.”
“Young Madison adored Alpha Bentley, the late commander, but he mated with Airella from the Doyle family. Madison harbors a deep hatred for those who resemble Airella.”
“She collects such women, makes them Hunt’s breeders, and after they have his children, she persecutes them. You also resemble Airella, especially with that red mole on your lip.”
“So when we learned Madison ‘rescued‘ you in Fairfax County, we suspected more than met the eye. We planned to have Craig sketch you and investigate in Fairfax County. And then…”
Paisley paused.
Poly, anxious, urged, “What happened?”
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“ I saw numerous paintings in the study. Caldwell had Craig create them based on your childhood appearance and your parents‘ features to predict what you might look like now”
“When I opened the study door, I saw one painting that looked exactly like you. That’s why I came to find you today. People can look alike, so we couldn’t be certain you were Poly
“That’s why I brought the rabbit doll and shared that little story–both actually happened to Caldwell and you. Your reaction confirmed you’re her.”
After listening, Poly fell silent.
She wasn’t well–versed in art and couldn’t grasp how one could predict her current appearance from her childhood and parents‘ looks.
But memory doesn’t lie. She recalled fragmented scenes, though blurred.
When those memories surfaced, she felt a mix of bitterness and warmth.
She had always believed her parents abandoned her due to her illness, filling her with resentment.
Being abandoned made her eager to repay anyone who showed her kindness.
Madison saved her, and that grace felt like parental love.
So when Madison brought her to the capital, she followed without resistance.
She even considered working as a maid in Madison’s mansion to repay her.
But in the capital, Madison treated her lavishly, taught her etiquette, and promised to find her a good
mate.
Having survived with the circus troupe, she knew people’s motives weren’t always simple.
Madison, unrelated to her, saved her and sought her a mate–a dubious proposition.
Moreover, after so much time in the capital, Madison hadn’t introduced her to any suitable males. At her
had Madison truly wanted to find her a mate, she would have done so by now.
age,
In truth, Poly was uncertain of her own age.
The circus troupe leader had found her at seven or eight.
By her estimation, she was now twenty–five or twenty–six.
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