Chapter 582
Chairs shifted.
One by one—
The royals stood.
Dimitri first.
Ronan beside him.
Serafina last.
Alaric rose as well.
He glanced toward Jaden.
“I’m going out.”
“Where,” Jaden asked.
“Greyhaven.”
“…Don’t bring back a problem.”
Alaric’s mouth curved faintly.
“No promises.”
He left.
Ezra pushed his chair back.
“I’m going to the kitchens.”
“You’re going to see Lysa,” Jaden said immediately.
Ezra paused.
“…No.”
Then walked out anyway.
Jaden snorted.
Yara stood next.
“I need air.”
She left.
Silence settled over the hall.
Jaden adjusted Seraphim on his arm and pulled out his phone as he walked.
He dialed.
Started heading toward his chambers.
Seraphim played with the collar of his shirt while it rang.
Then—
Click.
“Hello?”
“Hi, mom.”
“Jaden.”
“How are you.”
“I’m fine. You?”
“I should be back soon,” Lys said. “Things are almost done.”
Seraphim leaned toward the phone.
“Mom.”
A pause.
“…Seraphim?”
Jaden smiled faintly.
“Yeah.”
“She’s talking now?”
“When she wants something.”
“Yes,” Seraphim added.
A soft laugh came from Lys.
Jaden pushed open the door to his chambers.
“Caleb’s back,” he said.
“Oh?” Lys asked. “How is he?”
“He’s okay.”
A beat.
“He came back with Elyas.”
Another beat.
“They’re together.”
“And getting married.”
Silence.
Jaden frowned slightly.
“…You’re not surprised.”
On the other end—
Lys stood from where she was.
“No,” she said calmly, already moving toward the door. “He mentioned he was seeing a man.”
A pause.
“I just didn’t know who.”
Jaden nodded.
“…Right.”
Lys opened her door and stepped into the hallway.
Then—
CRASH.
Glass shattered.
Sharp.
Loud.
Both of them heard it.
Jaden stopped mid-step.
“What was that?”
Lys didn’t answer.
She was already moving faster.
Down the stairs.
Another sound—
Something dragged.
Then—
She slowed.
Just before the turn.
And looked.
A brief glance.
A glimpse—
Jess.
Standing in the sitting room.
Breathing hard.
A broken object at her feet—
One of the gifts.
Another piece still in her hand—
And then—
It hit the wall.
Shattered again.
Lys muttered under her breath.
“…Again.”
Jaden’s voice came sharper now.
“Mom? What?”
Lys straightened slightly.
Eyes still on Jess.
“I’ll call you later.”
“Mom—”
“Later.”
“Is something wrong?”
A beat.
Then—
The line went dead.
Jaden lowered the phone slowly.
Seraphim looked up at him.
“…Boom?”
Jaden exhaled.
“…Yeah.”
Meanwhile—London.
Lys reached the bottom of the stairs just as Helena’s voice cut through the hall.
“Jess—enough.”
The sitting room was a mess.
Shards of glass scattered across the floor. One of the vases—expensive, polished, unmistakably not from London—lay broken near the wall.
Jess stood in the middle of it.
Breathing hard.
Another object in her hand.
Behind her, Sentra stood tense.
“My lady—”
“I said I don’t want them!” Jess snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut. “How many times do I have to say it?!”
Helena stepped closer carefully, like approaching something volatile.
“Jess—”
“He thinks he can just send things?” Jess continued, furious now. “Gifts, flowers, whatever this is—like that fixes anything?”
The object in her hand hit the table.
Not thrown this time.
Dropped.
Still shaking.
Sentra lowered her gaze slightly.
“My lady, my lord only—”
“I don’t care what your lord only does,” Jess snapped. “Take them back. All of it.”
Lys stepped fully into the room.
Calm.
Measured.
“You’re carrying his children.”
Jess turned on her immediately.
“Say that again and I will throw something at you too.”
Lys didn’t flinch.
Helena exhaled sharply.
“This needs to stop.”
Silence stretched.
Heavy.
Then Helena spoke again, quieter now—but firmer.
“How is this going to end, Jess?”
Jess didn’t answer.
Instead, she walked past the broken pieces and dropped into the nearest chair.
Tense.
Arms crossed.
Helena followed slowly.
“You’re carrying three children,” she said. “Before, you wanted to get rid of them because you didn’t know who the father was.”
Jess looked away.
“Now you do.”
Jess’s jaw tightened.
“And now the father is here,” Helena continued, “and you’re throwing everything he sends into the wall.”
Jess let out a sharp breath.
“He can’t just act like sending gifts makes this okay.”
“No one said it does,” Helena replied calmly.
Jess looked back at her.
“But he is the father,” Helena added. “So what exactly is your plan?”
Silence.
Lys stood by the doorway.
Watching.
Sentra remained still.
Waiting.
All of them—
Looking at Jess.
Waiting for an answer.
Jess stared at the floor for a long moment.
Then leaned back slightly.
“…Fine.”
The word came out sharp.
Controlled.
“I’ll go.”
Helena’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Jess looked up.
“I’ll go to his land. I’ll stay in the pack.”
A pause.
“But that doesn’t mean anything else.”
Her voice hardened.
“I’m not forgiving him.”
Another beat.
“I’m not loving him.”
Silence followed.
Then Sentra spoke carefully—
“My lord will come today.”
Jess didn’t even look at her.
“I know.”
Her fingers tightened slightly against the arm of the chair.
“We’ll decide everything when he gets here.”
Lys finally moved.
Not toward Jess.
Toward the table.
Calm.
Measured.
“As it happens,” she said, “one of my sons just called.”
Jess didn’t look at her.
“Good for you.”
Helena glanced between them.
“…Jaden?”
“Yes.”
Lys adjusted the edge of her sleeve absently.
“He wanted to know when I was coming back.”
A pause.
“I told him soon.”
That got Jess’s attention.
Her eyes flicked up.
“…You’re leaving.”
Not a question.
Lys met her gaze.
“I’m returning to Noctis Dominia.”
Jess leaned back slightly.
Arms crossing again.
“Well,” she said flatly, “thank you for staying this long.”
The words sounded polite.
They weren’t.
Lys noticed.
Of course she did.
“I’m not leaving yet.”
Jess’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Lys continued, tone steady—
“I’ll stay until this situation is resolved.”
A beat.
Her gaze didn’t soften.
“Until you and Kairos decide what you are doing.”
Jess let out a short laugh.
“You mean until he decides.”
Lys didn’t correct her.
That was worse.
Helena stepped in quietly.
“We are grateful you’re here,” she said. “You’ve helped more than you realize.”
Lys inclined her head slightly.
“This concerns my family.”
Her eyes flicked briefly to Jess’s stomach.
“Whether you like that or not.”
Jess went still for half a second.
Then scoffed.
“…That doesn’t make me part of it.”
Lys held her gaze.
“You already are.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Jess looked away first.
That said enough.
Lys turned slightly toward Helena.
“When this is settled, I’ll return to Noctis.”
Calm.
Final.
Jess shifted.
Subtly.
Hand brushing her stomach again.
Annoyed.
Restless.
And that—
That was the real reason Lys hadn’t left yet.