Chapter 158: His Parents
Chapter 158: His Parents
Rebecca’s POV
What was he still doing here? I thought he’d left. I thought he’d gone back to his own pack after... after what happened in my room last night. My heart thundered against my ribs, panic rising so fast it choked me. He was sitting right there, looking completely relaxed, as if he hadn’t spent the night torturing my sanity.
Kane noticed my hesitation. He cleared his throat, his eyes finding mine across the room. "Come on, Rebecca," he said gently, breaking the heavy silence.
I gave a stiff nod and slowly made my way to the table, balancing carefully on my good foot. I lowered my head, keeping my eyes on the floor. "Good morning," I whispered.
"Morning, my dear," a warm, melodic voice answered. I looked up to see Kane’s mother. She was a stunning woman who looked to be in her early fifties, carrying herself with a natural, royal grace. She smiled at me kindly, her eyes warm. "You must be Rebecca. Please, sit."
I swallowed hard and took the only open chair left at the table. My stomach dropped. The only empty seat was directly opposite Alpha Kaden. The moment I sat down, our eyes met. His sharp irises seemed to pierce right through me, and my skin burned as the memory of my shower from just an hour ago flashed in my mind. Did he know? Could he somehow tell what I’d done? Kaden didn’t say a word; he just casually looked away, taking another slow sip of his coffee.
Kane’s mother stared at me, her eyes widening slightly as she studied my face. "My God," she breathed, looking over at her husband. "You look so much like her."
Kane’s father, an older version of Kaden and Kane with graying hair, nodded in agreement. "Yes, the resemblance is striking."
I swallowed hard, my fingers gripping the fabric of my tracksuit. "Who?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
The mother smiled gently, though a hint of sadness touched her eyes. "A good friend of mine from years ago. It’s a beautiful coincidence."
I simply nodded, too nervous to press further. But the quiet didn’t last long. Kane’s father set his fork down, his expression turning serious as his gaze shifted across the table.
"Kaden," the old man said, his deep voice carrying a heavy weight. "About the case of Helen’s death..."
My breath caught. I froze, my entire body going rigid. They were talking about my case. They were talking about the murder I was blamed for.
Kaden groaned, the muscles in his jaw clenching tightly. He didn’t look at his father. "Father, we are having breakfast," he muttered, his voice dropping into a dark, irritated warning. "Can we not discuss this now?"
"No, Kaden," his father replied sternly, refusing to back down. He pointed a finger toward the table. "This is a young girl’s life you are talking about here. You have to look into this case properly. You cannot let anger blind your judgment." The older man then turned his head, looking directly at me. His eyes were completely serious, completely steady. "This girl is innocent."
My eyes widened in absolute shock.
Did his father just say that? Did the old Alpha just declare me innocent in front of everyone?
A heavy lump formed in my throat, and hot tears instantly gathered in my eyes. For weeks, I had been treated like a criminal, a liar, a worthless slave. I had been screamed at, locked away, and broken down. And now, Kaden’s own father was defending me.
Kaden let out a harsh, angry growl. He hit the table with his palm so hard the plates rattled, making me jump. He abruptly stood up, his chair scraping violently against the floor, and stormed out of the dining area without saying another word.
The room fell into a dead silence. Nobody spoke for a long moment, the echo of Kaden’s anger still hanging in the air.
Kane reached over, placing a hand near mine to draw my attention. "Rebecca, eat," he murmured softly.
I swallowed hard, staring down at my plate as a single tear escaped and slipped down my cheek. Kaden’s family believed me. His own mother and father could see the truth. Why couldn’t he see what everyone else already did?
I forced myself to pick up my fork and eat, though every bite felt dry and tasteless. Kane was right about his parents; they really were easygoing people. For the rest of the meal, they kept the conversation light, talking to Kane about their recent travels, their business, and what their next trip might look like. They tried to keep the mood warm, but the heavy shadow of Kaden’s departure hung over us all. Still, even as they spoke of happy things, they would occasionally throw hateful, disgusted glances toward the empty doorway where Kaden had gone, clearly ashamed of how their son was handling these matters.
After breakfast, Kane stood up from the table. He turned to me, his eyes filled with deep worry and clear attention. He reached out, gently pressing his hand against my shoulder, his touch lingering in front of his parents.
"Rebecca, I have to go check on some pack matters down at the border," Kane said, his voice soft but heavy with concern. He leaned in just a bit closer, making sure I was okay. "Will you be alright here? If anything happens, or if he comes back and tries to bother you, I want you to inform any of my guards... they will contact me immediately. I’m worried about leaving you alone after how Kaden stormed out."
I felt a small flutter in my chest at how attentive he was being. "I’ll be fine, Alpha Kane. Thank you," I whispered, giving him a small, reassuring smile.
Kane lingered for a moment, as though leaving me behind was the last thing he wanted to do. Then, with a reluctant nod, he turned and walked away.
As Kane left, the dining area became entirely quiet again. I started to gather my plate, but a soft hand gently covered mine. I looked up to find Kane’s mother standing beside me, her warm smile never leaving her face.
"Leave the dishes, my dear," his mother said softly, her voice smooth and comforting. She tilted her head toward the quiet hallway leading to the back garden. "Rebecca, please come with me... for a word."