Chapter 195 The Other Mother

Chapter 195 The Other Mother
“Because she is the true mother of Ciro and the twins.”

Hearing that bombshell of a statement, my jaw completely dropped. Of all the secrets that was to be exposed tonight, that was perhaps the most shocking. Completely unexpected too, because what in the Goddess’ name did that statement even mean? 

That Catherine isn't Nox and Nyx’s mother? That Aurora birthed them? As well as that good for nothing Ciro?

My gaze flew across the room, and I realized that almost everyone wore that same surprised expression. Even my father, who I believed was unshakable no matter what. His reaction wasn't as intense, but he still narrowed his eyes. Nox and Nyx looked like they had gone through hell and back with the horrid expressions that was on their faces.

And she… Catherine… slowly dropped her head with shame. 

No way… it's actually true? I forced a lump down my throat and looked around, trying to find who had just spoken. My eyes fell on the entrance to the living room, and there, a woman who seemed to be a few years older than Aurora stood. She wore the usual maid outfit, and her eyes appear turbid, like they had seen the vicissitudes of life. 

I recognized her. She was Catherine's personal maid. 

“What did you just say?” Nox rose to her feet in alarm. 

The elderly maid repeated without worry or fear, “I'm telling you that my madame isn't your mother. Aurora is.”

The room wenr deathly silent again, the implication of those words hanging in the air like a Grim Reaper’s scythe. I furrowed my brows in a daze, momentarily forgetting the betrayal that had been the root cause of tonight's gathering.

“How do you know this?” Rose was the one to ask. When I looked at her, she didn't seem to react as intensely as the rest of us. 

The maid responded promptly, “Because I was there. I helped madame Catherine through those days, so I know everything isn't that right, Aurora?”

Aurora, who had been standing in the center of the living room, narrowed her eyes dangerously.

“That wasn't your secret to tell, Marianne.”

The maid simply shook her head. “I don't regret it. I've kept that secret for far too long, that now, I have no more regrets left in me. Now, will you tell them, or should I?”

Aurora’s lips quivered a few times. Eventually, she exhaled, turned back towards the rest of us, and began, “After Catherine realized that she was barren and couldn't bear children of her own, she turned to me for help.”

She had dropped the honorifics and pretense.

“Since the former Alpha was mostly always away on some tyrannical conquest, he did not catch on to our ruse. Catherine would pretend to be pregnant whenever he was home, when, in reality, I was the one carrying the child. Marianne was the only other one aware of this, since she tended to my needs during that period. Oh, the doctors too. They were heavily compensated to keep that secret.”

“After successfully birthing Ciro, with no one being the wiser, we decided to do the same thing again. The former Alpha never paid attention anyway, so how could he have known.”

I glanced at my father. His eyes betrayed a hint of rage, but he remained still, listening patiently.

Aurora continued, “I could not bear to be apart from my children, so Catherine had me brought over to the manor under the guise of working as a maid. So, Nyx, Nox, I am your true mother, and I have done everything in my power to ensure that you have the best things. Ever since you were little.”

I was still in disbelief. However, with this revelation, so many things started to make sense. I had always found it strange that Aurora still treated Ciro and Nox with affection, even when they always disrespected her and called her names.

It was because she was their true mother, and hence, couldn't stop caring for them.

“So that's why you hate me…” I scoffed lightly. “Because I turned out to be better than Ciro.”

“No,” Aurora shook her head. “Because you've been a hindrance in his path to glory. You stole his place as the heir to the throne. You stole his mate. All you did was take, and so, I despised you for it.”

Hm… I did not give her a response, instead pausing to consider her words. 

During that time, Nox spoke, “Wait. Wait. Is this really it? Are we just supposed to accept that fact and move on?”

The living room went quiet.

“Don't you guys understand what she's fucking saying?! This isn't some statement you can drop and just expect the rest of us to go along with it.”

“Would you like to take a DNA test? Or see the birth records?” Aurora stated simply.

“I don't care!” the girl exploded with fury. “I don't care about your stupid tests, records, or you for that matter! You're not my mother, and you never will be!” She turned to Catherine, shaking her arm vigorously. “Right?! Mum, right?!”

Catherine remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor. She did not dare to look up, or at my father for that matter.

Nyx’s gentle voice came after. “Mother, why didn't you simply tell dad that you couldn't bear children? Why go through such methods?”

That question seemed to push the woman's buttons, because she flared up in the next moment. “What would you have me do, then?! Simply sit by and watch while that whore of a woman steals everything from me?! If I simply stayed on the sidelines, what would be the point of me being Luna? That prostitute’s child would have been the only heir!”

Ah, so that's how it is… I almost chuckled. In the end, it all made a full rotation back to me.

“So you're saying that everything was done out of spite? Our creation was due to spite? Simply because you coveted such power and authority?” Nyx slowly shook her head. 

I felt sorry for her. Even though she appeared fine on the outside, I could tell that she was suffering through a whole maelstrom of emotions on the inside.

“What do you know? You're still a child.” Catherine sneered.

“Wow… this night is turning out to be something very intense…” Cassian sighed softly. 

At that moment, both our phones buzzed.