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Chapter 183
Augustin’s POV
My mother’s voice broke through my thoughts, her tone uncharacteristically emotional.
Augustin, please look at me.”
I turned slowly, facing my mother. Her usually composed features were tight with worry, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles had turned white
‘I need you to promise me something,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. Promise me you won’t let Cassandra’s return hurt Juno”
I frowned, “Why would you think I’d hurt Juno?
“Because I know what Cassandra meant to you,” my mother replied, her eyes searching mine. I remember how devastated you were when she left. How you swore you wouldn’t settle down until she returned.”
I stared at her, feeling a surge of irritation. “That was eleven years ago, Mother. I was barely more than a boy.”
A boy who promised to wait for her,” Amelia countered, stepping closer. “A boy who nearly destroyed himself when she abandoned him.”
Her voice softened, taking on a pleading quality I rarely heard from her. “Juno is carrying your child, Augustin. My grandchild. But more than that, she’s become the daughter I never had. I love her as if she were my own flesh and blood.”
“I know that,” I said, surprised by the intensity of her declaration.
“The wedding and marking ceremony are only seven weeks away,” she continued. “If you hurt that girl, if you let her down because of some misplaced loyalty to a woman who abandoned you…” She took a deep breath. “I will take her and my unborn grandchild and leave. I will no longer consider myself your mother.”
I felt bristling at her words.
“Why are you so certain I would hurt Juno?” I demanded. “What has given you that impression?”
My mother’s eyes narrowed. “Azalea seemed to think you might be… conflicted.”
I cursed under my breath.
“And you believed her?” I asked, unable to keep the hurt from my voice.
“No,” my mother admitted. “But I remember your promise to Cassandra. And now, just weeks before your wedding, she reappears.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Do you remember how she left? A note, Augustin. She left you with nothing but a broken heart.”
The memory stung more than I wanted to admit. Cassandra had been my first love, the woman I’d planned to make my Luna before my father was even dead. We’d grown up together, trained together, planned a future together. And then one day, she was simply gone.
“She didn’t trust you enough to face you, my mother continued, her voice hardening. “She didn’t have the courage to tell you to your face that she was leaving. What kind of woman does that to the man she claims to love?”
“Enough, I love Juno,‘ I said firmly. “I would never hurt her the way you’re implying. She’s carrying my child, for Moon’s sake!”
“Your father had no problem hurting me while I was carrying you, my mother reminded me quietly.
The words hit me like a physical blow. My father’s infidelity was legendary, his cruelty to my mother well–known. The comparison infuriated me.
“I am not my father,” I said, “I would never treat the woman I love that way. Especially not Juno, who has no one else in this world. I would never be so
cruel.”
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Chapter 183
I stepped closer to my mother, holding her gaze. Leaving her would be like death to me. Do you understand? She le everything to me
For a long moment, we stood in silence. Finally, my mother nodded.
I believe you,” she said softly. “I had to be sure.”
As she turned to leave, I called after her. “Mother, please don’t mention Cassandra to Juno. Let me be the one to tell her.”
She hesitated, then nodded again. “Of course. But don’t wait too long. Secrets have a way of revealing themselves at the worst possible moments
After she left, I sank into my chair, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Why now? Why, after eleven years of silence, was Cassandra choosing this moment to return to Clifflands? Was it mere coincidence, or was there something more sinister at play?
Memories flooded back unbidden. Cassandra teaching me to ride, her laughter as we raced across the fields. Our first polo match together, the sport Id taken up because she loved it and that had become my own passion.
Questions plagued me. Was she married now? Did she have a family? Ilad she found happiness in the years since she’d left? The thoughts brought a mixture of anger and sadness that I struggled to control.
I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing, trying to center myself. I needed clarity, needed to sort through these emotions before I faced juno. Deliberately, I shut down my mental links with everyone, including my mate. I needed this space, this solitude, to process what was happening,
The phone on my desk rang, startling me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID and picked up.
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