Chapter 494
Sage didn’t start the car; instead, he sat silently. He ordered the driver to step out for a while, needing absolute privacy.
Now, inside the closed car, only he and Katelyn were present.
“What are you thinking?” Katelyn asked softly, turning her head to study his strained profile.
“Why did Mom leave me?” Sage finally articulated the question that burned above all others. “Blythe killed her because I became the Alpha. Ten years ago, she killed my mother. I was twenty at that time.” He clenched his fists on his lap. “The boy I met under that bridge was Vance. He appeared to be in middle school at that time. What was she thinking p>
A deep sigh escaped him, laced with profound bitterness. “And all this time, I have been blaming my father. But the truth he just slapped me with, that my mother was the one who cheated and ran, that she never loved me, is hard to swallow p>
“Your mother is not alive, so her side of the story will never be revealed,” Katelyn said, keeping her voice low. “However, I don’t think your father was lying to you. He talked about the pregnancy reports. Hospitals also keep such data on patients. Who knows what was in your mother’s mind that she took such a step p>
Sage listened, his head still bowed. “I used to greet that vegetable seller whenever the car would stop near his shop. My mother was also there.” He swallowed hard, remembering the phantom image. “I remember seeing the lady, always covering her face and keeping her head low. But I thought it was because I was the Alpha, and she was scared to look at as mighty as me. Why didn’t I ever feel she was my mother p>
His voice broke with fresh misery. “Suddenly, I feel so miserable. Did she not know I always missed her?” His eyes were brimming, the tears finally starting to fall.
Katelyn’s brows deeply furrowed upon seeing his profound distress. She moved closer to him, and her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Sage leaned into her, sobbing as tears kept flowing down his cheeks.
“I wish she had taken me with her,” he choked out against her shoulder. “I was never once happy living with my father and my stepmother. Every single day, I wanted to escape, but I also wanted to know the truth from my father p>
He pulled back slightly, the immediate conflict of his next actions overriding his grief. “Now, if I reveal such a truth to the council, what will they think of my mother? Blythe will not be punished. She will twist the truth in the council, saying she was justified. And I can’t support the wrong either. My mother, if, according to father, truly cheated on him, then the council would say it was the right decision to kill her p>
“No, it wasn’t the right decision, Sage. Blythe killed your mother for her own personal vendetta. While your father kept the truth from everyone to protect you,” Katelyn affirmed. “That is what I think. You have to stay strong, Sage. I know the truth has devastated you, but you can’t lose yourself in this truth,” she advised.
“Why did you do it, Dexton? Cillian?” Edward demanded, his voice thick with fury. His hands were gripped tightly around the iron bars of the cell, his teeth gritted in anguish. “Answer me! What was your real motive p>
“We just wanted to eliminate the Betas,” Cillian replied, offering the shocking, yet seemingly simple, motive. “Juniper was the best way to end them, so we made an account in her name to fund those hunters.” Dexton, on the other hand, remained quiet, standing slumped as if he had completely given up on everything.
“How could you betray the Alpha King?” Edward shouted from outside the cell. “Why eliminate the Betas? What did they ever do to you? My entire family name has been dragged into ruins because of you both! How will I live with this shame on my head p>
“Dad, did you forget why my mate died?” Dexton finally spoke, his voice heavy with long-suppressed agony. His eyes were filled with pain from his past.
“No, I have not,” Edward responded, clearly struggling to recall. “She was drowned accidentally in the pond p>
“No,” Dexton denied with a growl. “Two Betas killed her. They murdered her and threw her into the pond. The investigation did nothing to vanquish the pain in my heart. Did you ever ask the Alpha King to punish those Betas? You said we lacked the evidence. I kept telling you it happened because of them, but you didn’t either believe me. I was supposed to live in the pain, forget my mate as if nothing ever happened. Why?” Dexton’s eyes gleamed a fierce blue, filled with pain and resentment, as he turned to look directly at his father, who stood outside the bars with a gaze of pure shock.
Evan, Dominick’s Beta, who was standing just next to Edward, heard the entire conversation unfolding. Dexton’s eyes met his through the bars.
“Tell the truth to the Alpha King why I loathed your kind,” Dexton commanded, his gaze still fixed on Evan. “I hate Betas, and that’s why I-I decided to end them.” He took a ragged breath. “If only my mate were alive, all of this would not have happened. I don’t regret my actions. Because you all did injustice to my mate, I decided to choose such a path to kill them quietly p>
He then threw his brother a lifeline. “Cillian wasn’t with me in this act. He simply did what I told him to, taking Juniper’s signature for the new account. So, he must be released immediately. Everything was planned by me alone,” Dexton pronounced, his voice burning with a resentment toward Betas.
Evan clenched his fists, and said nothing. “We must go to the Alpha King since your son has revealed the truth.” Turning to the guard stationed, he ordered, “Release Cillian Vittileo p>