Cursed and Fated: Offered To The Wicked Alpha Prince
Chapter 11: Survive the night

Chapter 11: Survive the night

As the palace maids stood in rigid rows and columns, Adeline was commanded to identify the woman who had led her to the back exit.

She scanned the faces of the staff, her heart sinking further with every stranger she passed.

The middle-aged woman who had entered her chamber was nowhere to be found.

"What is the delay?" Huxley demanded.

"Your Majesty, the lady who guided me... she isn’t here," Adeline stated, her voice trembling.

The Head of Servants stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, I have personally verified the registry. Every maid currently employed in the palace is present in this hall," he asserted.

"It appears someone has gone to great lengths to frame my name," Presley remarked with an expression of wounded innocence.

Adeline looked at the Luna Queen in disbelief. The woman was lying with terrifying ease. She then turned her gaze toward Gideon; he remained exceptionally calm, his eyes bored into hers as if to say, I told you so.

In his silent stare, she read the grim truth: she had entered a nest of vipers where deception was the only currency.

"The wolf Gideon apprehended has admitted that someone within these walls paid him to harm Adeline," Huxley stated, his voice booming.

"Our brother has attempted to malign our mother’s name many times before," Vivian remarked with a mocking chuckle. She cast a venomous glare at Adeline. "Just tell the truth, Omega. This is all a staged play, isn’t it?"

"You dare accuse me without a shred of proof, Vivian?" Gideon finally spoke that seemed to chill the very air.

"Dad, if anyone here holds a grievance against this wedding, it is your beloved wife," Gideon continued, turning his searing gaze toward the King.

"Do not forget her words. Reminding me of my ’curse’ is her favorite pastime. Adeline had a long, private conversation with the Queen earlier today. No one in this palace knows what transpired between them except for the two of them."

Presley turned toward her husband, her expression one of wounded innocence. However, before she could speak, Gideon’s voice cut through.

"The CCTVs at the backdoor will explain everything to the Alpha King," Gideon stated, his gaze fixed on his father. "Micah, did you ask the control room manager to bring the footage?"

"Yes, he is on his way here," Micah replied, stepping forward. He looked directly at the King. "Dad, you have always been biased whenever your beloved is involved."

Huxley gazed at his son, his frown deepening into a mask of weary irritation. "You always think the worst, son," he affirmed.

"Then why are you even questioning Adeline, who is a stranger to these halls?" Gideon countered. "Shouldn’t you be questioning your wife? She is the one who sought Adeline out and spent at least fifteen minutes alone in her chamber."

Gideon’s head turned sharply as the control room manager, Rafael, stepped into the room, clutching a tablet in his trembling hand.

"Your Highness, here is the footage." Rafael handed the device to Gideon, who immediately activated the display.

Huxley took a sharp step closer, his eyes narrowing. In the footage, Adeline was clearly seen following a maid toward the secluded back exit.

’The Queen has already arranged for her death, I am certain of it,’ Micah’s voice echoed in Gideon’s mind through their mindlink.

’This is exactly why I told you to keep a close watch,’ Gideon snapped back.

’Everything happened so quickly that I focused solely on following Adeline. I’m sorry,’ Micah replied.

"Dad," Gideon began, "what do you have to say now?"

"A thorough investigation must start before I deliver my decision," Huxley asserted, his voice regaining its kingly authority.

Gideon sneered. He tossed the tablet toward Rafael, who scrambled to catch the expensive device before it hit the marble.

"Whenever the path leads to the Queen’s guilt, Your Majesty suddenly develops a passion for bureaucracy," Gideon remarked. "The evidence is right there, yet you still choose to look away."

"Gideon, the footage shows her leaving, but it does not prove the Queen’s hand," Huxley countered, his tone hardening as he looked his son in the eye. "The evidence is simply not enough to condemn the Luna Queen. I cannot, and will not, upend the palace based on the words of a girl who arrived only hours ago and has already plunged this house into chaos."

Adeline pressed her lips into a thin line, her heart sinking as she realized that even the truth was a fragile weapon in this palace.

"I will instruct the Chief of Palace Affairs to begin a formal investigation," Huxley stated, his voice echoing with a finality that brooked no further argument.

He fixed Adeline with a piercing, weary stare. "You shall speak the truth when questioned. It is only because my son is defending you that I am granting you this chance. Everyone is dismissed."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and swept out of the hall. The Luna Queen followed with her daughters trailing behind.

"Lock him in the dungeon," Gideon commanded Micah, gesturing toward the trembling Jammie.

Once his beta had hauled the attacker away, Gideon turned his full attention to Adeline.

"Pray that you survive the night," he stated.

"What? I didn’t lie!" Adeline said in a bit louder tone this time, her voice trembling.

"It’s true that the Queen wanted me—" She stopped abruptly, the realization hitting her that explanations were useless against the mountain of palace politics. She lowered her gaze to the floor, her shoulders slumping. "But thank you for saving my life, Your Highness."

"Gideon."

Adeline looked up, blinking in confusion. "What?"

"That is my name," he replied, his golden eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made it difficult to breathe.

Adeline stared at him, stunned. He couldn’t possibly mean for her to address him so casually.

For a common girl to call the Alpha Prince by his given name was not only improper; it was a dangerous breach of protocol that could be seen as an insult.

Gideon closed the distance between them and held her chin.

"The Queen will make sure you die if you step out of this palace. So, stay as close as you can to me," he affirmed.