Augustin’s POV
We walked down the hallway toward the sitting room where Chris and his family waited. I had no idea what to say to him. He was the son of the woman who had broken my mother’s marriage. He could have taken my birthright. By all accounts, I should hate him.
But none of this was his fault. His existence wasn’t his
wasn’t his fault.
ult. His mother being a bitch and our father being a asshole
I wished my parents, especially my mother, had handled differently. If they had taken care of Chris, kept him close,
Helena would never have been able to do what she did.
As we approached the sitting room door, I took a deep breath. Berry squeezed my hand, her touch calming my nerves. I steeled myself, maintaining the strong facade expected, and walked in.
The moment I saw Chris, my chest tightened painfully. He was the spitting image of my father, but with softer features, likely from his mother. His wife, Olivia, was blonde with blue eyes. Their children were beautiful. All of them stood as I entered, a sign of respect. I could see the fear and worry in Chris’s eyes.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Berry broke the silence first. She moved forward and embraced Olivia, taking the woman by surprise.
“Welcome to Levenston Manor,” Berry said warmly. “I’m Juno Warden, Augustin’s fiancée. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Olivia relaxed slightly, returning the hug. “Olivia Sinclair. These are our children, Alice and Jeffrey.”
I watched as Chris visibly calmed at Berry’s friendly greeting. I stepped forward and extended my hand to him.
“Chris. Welcome.”
He looked surprised as he took my hand, his grip firm,despite his obvious nervousness. “Thank you for having us.”
We all sat down, the tension in the room noticeably lighter. Evanth hadn’t arrived yet.
“My brother Evanth will be joining us shortly,” I explained. “He was eager to meet you as well.”
Chris nodded. “Thank you for inviting us. I never thought I’d be allowed in this place.”
“Why wouldn’t you be?” I asked, genuinely curious.
Chris hesitated, glancing at his wife before answering. “Helena told me you were hunting me. She said your mother had ordered my assassination because your father wanted to make me the King instead of you.”
I kept my expression neutral, though inwardly I was seething at Helena’s manipulations.
“I wanted to come here,” Chris continued, “to explain to your mother that I didn’t want to be King. But Helena made me afraid. She told me to hide, to stay away.”
‘You’ve been hiding all this time?” Berry asked gently.
Chris shrugged, “In a way. Helena would give me money and ask me to disappear. She even had me sign papers relinquishing any rights to anything Levenston–related. He smiled wryly. “It was easy for me to sign. I didn’t want any of It anyway.”
1 exchanged a glance with Berry, understanding dawning on both of us. Helena had manipulated Chris just as she had manipulated so many others.
“Chris,” I said, leaning forward. “Helena was a traitor. She’s dead now. I never hunted you. I didn’t even know you existed until recently, when my mother told Berry about you.”
Chris’s eyes widened in shock. Olivia squeezed his hand, giving him a look that clearly said “I told you
“I… I don’t understand,” Chris stammered.
Olivia cleared her throat. “May I speak?”
I shook my head. “Please, we’re family. Call me Augustin.”
30.*
She smiled gratefully. “I tried to convince Chris to come here and explain everything to you. But he refused.*
“I understand,” I said, and I truly did. “My family has a reputation. We’re the ‘evil ones. No one wants to try to reason with
us.”
