Chapter 299: End of Deception
Astrid's POV:
Killian's words hung in the air, heavy and sharp. My chest tightened as I watched the shock ripple through the crowd, each revelation unraveling the lies Giselle had built her world around.
My mind was racing, and I could feel my pulse quicken as Killian's accusations cut deeper and deeper into her.
Every word, every truth he spoke chipped away at the facade she had worn for so long.
Ryker is not her son.
The thought crashed over me like a wave, nearly knocking the breath out of me. Ryker... not hers. I'd never considered it before. But as I stood there, hearing Killian's voice, the pieces began to fall into place.
The coldness I had seen in Giselle, the distance between her and Ryker - it all made sense now.
She had never treated him like a mother would treat her own child, and now I knew why. He wasn't her child.
But then, the question struck me like lightning - where is her real daughter? Who is she, and where had Giselle hidden her?
I stared at Giselle, watching her crumble under the weight of Killian's words.
Her face had turned pale, her body trembling as she tried and failed to come up with a response.
The crowd's whispers were growing louder, and Giselle looked like she was on the verge of collapsing. She was unraveling, and for the first time, I saw the fear in her eyes.
But I couldn't stop thinking. If Ryker wasn't hers, then who was her real child? Where had she gone? My mind raced, trying to make sense of it all, and then, like a switch had flipped, it clicked. Hazel.
Vanessa had told me, not long ago, that Hazel wasn't her real daughter. I had dismissed it at the time, thinking it was just another of the strange secrets that Alphas and Lunas can have.
Vanessa had confided that Damien had come home one day with Hazel in his arms, claiming she was his.
He never explained where Hazel had come from or who her real mother was.
If only I hadn't known this secret, I wouldn't have suspected that Hazel is Giselle's child.
I glanced at Vanessa who had been silent the whole time. Her eyes were lowered but there is uncertainty
in them. I think she is also having the same thoughts as me.
And then, there is Alpha Damien.noveldrama
The name settled in my mind with a sickening thud. Damien and Giselle had been together once, long before all of this.
They had been in love and Killian is not aware of this secret either. I only
heard all this from Vanessa who trusted me enough to share their secrets.
My brows furrowed as I thought of Giselle's desperation for Hazel's safety, her unusual worry... It all made sense.
Hazel wasn't just any child - she was Giselle's daughter. That was the only explanation I could think of.
The realization hit me with full force.
Hazel. The child Giselle had
abandoned, the one she had traded for Ryker, had been right in front of me all along.
And Damien - he had been the one to hide her, to give her to Vanessa, to cover up the truth.
As my thoughts raced, I felt a surge of anger ise within me. Giselle had gone to these unimaginable lengths to bury the truth, to swap herown daughter for another child.
I thought ruining my life and my reputation was the most wicked thing she had ever done, but what kind of vile mother could do this to her own child?
Even a tigress won't do what she did to her cub.
The lack of affection she had shown Ryker suddenly made perfect sense -he wasn't her son. He never had been.
Before I could confront Giselle myself, Killian's voice rang out again, cutting through my thoughts. "Who was helping you?" he demanded, his eyes burning with the need for answers.
I watched as Giselle's eyes darted wildly around the room, searching for an escape, for anything that could save her from the truth.
She opened her mouth, but her voice was weak, barely audible. "No one," she whispered, shaking her head. "No one was helping me.
My heart pounded in my chest, and I stepped forward, my voice steady and firm. "That's a lie." Giselle's eyes snapped to me, not expecting that I would call her out. She knew I had caught her.
"You didn't do this alone, Giselle," I continued, my voice sharp. "You couldn't have. Someone helped you. And I know who it was."
Her silence was enough confirmation for me. "It was Damien, wasn't it? He helped you swap the babies. He gave Hazel to Vanessa, didn't he?"
The room went deadly silent. Giselle's lips trembled, but she didn't deny it. She couldn't. The truth was out, and there was no turning back now.
"I made the right guess, didn't I? Hazel is your real child, your own flesh and blood," I added, driving her to
a corner.
The crowd shifted uneasily, the tension in the room palpable as their gazes shifted between Giselle and Vanessa who still hadn't uttered a word.
Everyone stared at Vanessa waiting for her to drive the final nail to the coffin.
I felt bad for exposing Vanessa's secrets like this. She confided in me because she trusted me, only for me to expose her out in public.
It wouldn't surprise me if she denies my words.
Still, as guilty as I felt, I hoped that she would speak the truth and break all the deception once and for all.
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