Chapter 93
It’s almost midnight. Kathy wants to stay up and wait for Anthony to come home, but she feels exhausted after merging two rooms together with her powers. Reluctantly, Kathy heads into the bedroom, lies down on the bed, and just barely closes her eyes before drifting off. Sensing a surge of energy, Lady Raine feels uneasy. She retrieves her ornate mirror, gazing into its surface to find Kathy murmuring a spell, her face pale as she becomes dizzy from the strain of using so much magic.
Concerned, Raine takes the special bracelet she crafted for Melody—meant to protect her until she turns eighteen and learns to control her own abilities. At this moment, Melody remains unaware of her latent powers. Meanwhile, Anthony and Frances arrive home, followed closely by Miles and Robert. Anthony unlocks the palace door, and the group quietly enters, shutting out the cool night behind them.
As the group settles quietly inside, Anthony suggests, “Let’s eat the leftovers that Kathy made for us for dinner, and we can heat it up.” The others nod in agreement, grateful for the warm meal waiting for them after a long night.
Miles went into the fridge to take out the leftovers, and after reheating the oven, he placed the dish inside and closed the door, waiting patiently as the aroma began to fill the kitchen. Anthony grabbed some juice from the fridge, deciding it was better to have something light with their meal rather than a heavy drink. Once the food was warmed through, Robert handed out bowls and forks to everyone, and the delicious scent of melted cheese wafted through the air, making their stomachs rumble with hunger. Using an oven mitt, Miles carefully carried the hot dish to the table, where a big serving spoon rested nearby for everyone to serve themselves.
As they each took a portion, they were delighted by the meal—no one had tasted anything quite like it before. The noodles seemed to melt in their mouths, and the sauce was perfectly balanced, not too spicy but rich and flavorful. Conversation quieted as everyone savored the comforting food, grateful for Kathy's cooking after the long night.
Skye P.O.V
After being out all day, her arms heavy with bags filled with clothes and shoes she knows she'll never wear, Skye finally steps through the foyer of the mansion. The familiar hush of the entry gives way to the sight of her mother and stepfather waiting in the living room, their faces expectant as if they've been anticipating her arrival all evening. Skye hesitates briefly at the threshold, sensing the mixture of curiosity and concern in the air, before quietly making her way inside and setting the bags down with a sigh.
“Skye, can you come in here, please?”
“Yes, father,”
“Asther and his mom are canceling the wedding due that you are spending money like crazy and they are thinking of kicking us out on the street. We can’t have that therefore for us to take this mansion with Asther and his family you must pregnant or trick him into getting you pregnant by then he has no choice is to marry you. And if it’s boy, that child will get everything their company, money all of this. But we have to plan this carefully with anyone else knowing about it,”
“They can’t do that, because I am pregnant with his child I yet to tell him,”
“How did you find out?”
“Just this morning, here are the pictures and the pregnancy test,”
Skye reached into one of her bags, her hands trembling slightly, and pulled out a small envelope. Inside were two photos—an ultrasound printout and a picture of the positive pregnancy test—which she handed to her mother and stepfather without a word. They examined the evidence closely, exchanging anxious glances, the gravity of the situation settling in around them.
Unbeknownst to them, Asther had quietly begun descending the grand staircase, hoping to grab a drink from the kitchen. He paused mid-step at the sound of hushed voices and, realizing the conversation was about him, pressed himself against the wall out of sight. As he listened, his heart pounded with a mix of shock and suspicion. Slowly, he backed up the stairs, determined that before making any decisions, he needed to be absolutely sure the baby Skye claimed to be his truly was—he refused to be forced into raising a child that might not be his own.
Esme steps forward, her eyes shining with a complicated mix of hope and relief, and wraps her arms tightly around Skye. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so happy for you,” she whispers, quietly wishing that the baby will be a boy, just as Edward had hoped. Then, as Esme releases Skye, her gaze flickers to Edward, and for a moment, she wonders aloud, “Has Kathy reached out to you at all?” The question lingers in the air; it’s been quite some time since they’ve heard from her.
Esme’s mind drifts to her recent visit to the club where Kathy used to work. She’d asked around, even pressing a few of the old staff members with cash in exchange for any information, but everyone had remained tight-lipped. The silence was unsettling. Adding to her unease was the fact that her private investigator hadn’t been able to locate Grace’s death certificate in the official records—unless Grace had managed to hide under another name entirely.
Skye forced a smile and leaned into her parents’ hug, feigning happiness as Esme squeezed her tight. Her heart thudded with anxious guilt, knowing the truth she was hiding—Asther was not the father. The child growing inside her belonged to her ex-boyfriend, with whom she’d secretly spent time before the engagement, and every moment of this charade made the burden heavier.
As her mother’s arms loosened, Skye kept her expression soft, but her mind raced. She’d uncovered another secret recently—Ms. Carter’s hidden past—which she tucked away carefully, knowing it could become leverage if the situation spiraled out of control. For now, she kept both secrets close, not ready to reveal the tangled web she’d woven.