Chapter 171 A Release

Chapter 171 A Release
\[Raelyn’s POV\]
I don’t know if I should feel nervous or relieved by the reaction of the woman who thinks that she has me under lock and key.
In a way, I’m happy that she isn’t asking questions because honestly, I don’t have anything to respond to her with, but on the other hand, it makes me nervous.
Does she already suspect me? Or does she think that Osiris may have come to try and convince me that he was the one who was meant to be beside me?
All these questions rush through my head as Ray gently helps me to my feet, and as I realize that our act of being a happy couple is to begin, I lean against him.
“Thank you,” I murmur, feigning discomfort. “For caring so much about me.”
“It’s no problem.” He responds. “Mother, I’m going to take Raelyn to her room.”
“Of course,” the woman smiles, stepping aside so that Ray can escort me out of the lounge. “Once you do, be sure to have Jean come up and check on her.”
Nodding, Ray continues to move, leading me down the hall and past the banquet room that is filled with music and voices happily celebrating despite the people they are celebrating being there.
As we move, I can feel Osiris’ stepmother’s gaze burning into me, but I don’t dare look back, and when we finally turn a corner, I feel myself relaxing.
“Are you alright?” Ray asks once we reach my room. “You don’t look so well.”
“I think she suspects me.”
I would be a fool to not think such a thing, and even though the thought to just say "fuck it" to this plan hits me, I know that I must see it through.
Sure, we could turn over all the evidence that Ray collected to the authorities and allow them to go ahead and handle things, but that would make her wrongdoings private and after what she put Osiris through I had no intention of letting her off that easy.
“Well,” Ray says, snapping me out of my reverie. “The room did smell strongly like Osiris.”
Frowning, he takes me in, and I swear I can almost feel him seeing right through me, but I don’t give way to what I’m thinking.
“We can just say that he came to bother you,” Ray tries. “And that is why it smelled like that. Let’s just continue with what we are doing going forward, and in another week this will be over.”
“Another week,” I murmur, not sure if I could handle another week of not seeing Osiris. “Why does that feel like an eternity?”
At my words a strange expression crosses Ray’s handsome face, but he doesn’t say anything, and honestly, I’m not in the mood to ask him what he was thinking. Instead, I just take a seat on my bed and watch as the door behind Ray opens, allowing Jean to enter.
“Something’s wrong?” She asks, eyeing me in concern. “Is there something wrong with the pups?”
“No,” I sigh, surprised that Ray’s mother worked so fast. “It was just an excuse to get out of the rest of the evening.
Nodding, Jean seems to relax ever so slightly, but even now she still holds herself stiffly.
“Did you see Adeline?”
I knew that Jean was planning to attend the banquet just so she could see her mate, but I wasn’t sure if the two got to meet.
With many eyes on them, I was certain that it would be hard for them to see one another. However, I hoped that they met.
“No,” Jean sighs. “She was surrounded the whole time, so I didn’t get the chance to say a thing.”
“I’m sorry.”
I was certain that it was because she had to come see me so quickly that she didn’t get the chance to try to even get a minute with Adeline.
Sighing, I suddenly feel like some type of villain because of my lie.
“I’m really fine,” I say now. “There is still time for you to go and find her. You should go.”
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “I think that it is better that we don’t meet right now.”
As Jean speaks, it looks as though a dark cloud crosses over her beautiful face. I’m certain that even if she was acting to protect her mother, she still felt responsible for everything that was going on.
“It isn’t your fault,” I tell her. “You did what you felt was best, and that is the thing that matters the most.”
“I know,” she sighs. “But that doesn’t make me feel any less shitty.”
Her words make my heart squeeze painfully, and before I even realize what I’m doing, I am standing and crossing the room until I’m standing in front of the forlorn woman.
“Stop that,” I tell her, reaching up and placing my hands on her shoulders. “You need to stop beating yourself up. You did what was best for you and your mother, and no one is going to hold that against you. What matters is what you do going forward, do you hear me? We all need to stick together to get through this.”
“She’s right,” Ray agrees, joining the conversation. “We just need to focus on taking out my mother and then you can go back to the life you were leading.”
“What he said,” I nod. “Although I’m certain that you will still have a long road ahead of you with your relationship with Adeline, but I believe that everything will work out in the end.”
Smiling, I watch as Jean’s eyes start to fill with tears, and when it becomes too much, she collapses against me.
“That’s it,” I tell her, happy that she was letting it out instead of continuing to hold it in. “Let it all out, and once you finish, stand strong, alright?”
“Y-yeah,” she sniffles. “I’ll do that.”
“Good,” I beam, allowing her to continue to cry on my shoulder. “It was about time that you said something.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I’ll try harder to speak up when something’s bothering me.”
Satisfied, I wait until Jean is done crying and then I help her wipe away the tears that are staining her hceeks, but before we can even move or discuss anything further the door to my room opens and Ray's mother appears with a group of guards behind her.
"I thought something was strange." She says, and I feel my eyes widen. "It seems that all of you were plotting against me."