Chapter 74: Weight of his sins

"Caroline, I apologize to you on behalf of Victor," Angelina began, clasping her hands together in a plea. "I... I failed to raise him properly. He never told us a single word about what he was planning."

"Will my parents come back from the dead just because you apologize?" Caroline asked coldly. "You knew your son was involved with me, yet you chose to look the other way and stay quiet. And now you expect me to show you mercy?"

A chuckle escaped Caroline. She lowered her head, meeting Angelina’s tear-streaked gaze.

"Now, tell me what Victor’s actual plan was," Caroline demanded, refusing to place an ounce of trust in Angelina’s words.

"I have already told you the truth! I knew nothing; he never discussed any of it with me," Angelina sobbed.

Finally, Joseph stepped forward, silver shackles clinking against the stone floor around his bound wrists and ankles. "Victor left the house in a frantic rush. When Gamma Jeremy arrived at our house, we reviewed the security footage. That was the only way we discovered he had fled, carrying nothing but a duffle bag."

"That checks out," Jeremy intervened, glancing briefly at Caroline. "I verified their house’s CCTV footage afterward."

"Victor must have shared his destination or his plans with both of you," Caroline sneered, stepping closer. "Why else would a coward like him abandon his own parents to face the consequences alone?"

Angelina’s sobbing intensified at the implication, while Joseph’s expression hardened.

"Because he never considered us his parents. I know you might not believe me, but I asked Victor the day he returned from Redwood High, after being dragged there, if he had gotten you pregnant. I didn’t even know you two were seeing each other. Victor lied right to my face," Joseph stated. His eyes carried both the pain and exhaustion.

"As Victor’s father, I must carry the weight of his sins. Let my wife leave this dungeon. You can keep me here instead; she is already old and weak," Joseph added, lowering his head in a gesture of deep contrition. "I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit."

"No, Joseph, what are you saying?" Angelina wept, clinging to his arm. "Do not take on the responsibility for Victor’s sins. His actions are his alone to bear. I am not going anywhere. I will stay locked here with you."

Done with their display, Caroline turned her back and walked toward the cell door.

"Caroline, please, believe us! Joseph knew nothing; he is telling the truth!" Angelina shouted after her, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Joseph isn’t lying," Caroline said as she walked down the dimly lit dungeon corridor.

"Are you sure?" Jeremy asked, keeping pace beside her.

"Hmm. He isn’t the type to butter anyone up," Caroline replied. "He and Victor were always at odds. I remember Victor mentioning it once, though he never went into detail about what drove them apart."

"So, do you plan to release them?" Jeremy inquired.

"I don’t think it would be right to do so," Caroline answered, her expression firm. "Victor has crossed every line. As long as he is out there, he could try to leverage his parents for his next move. I know the kind of man he is now. He didn’t hesitate to use Princess Nina’s affection to his advantage."

Jeremy looked at her, noticeably impressed by her sharp composure and foresight.

~~~~~~

Andrew signed the papers and closed the file before handing it over to Miller. "The inauguration for this project will be conducted by my wife. Select a date for next week and make all the necessary arrangements," he ordered.

"Understood, Your Highness," Miller replied, bowing respectfully. "I also attempted to establish communication with the leadership of the rogue territory, but they insisted that their Alpha will only speak directly to the Alpha King or an ambassador officially appointed by him," he explained.

"Ah, that is a new development," Andrew noted, a thoughtful glint in his eye. "At least they are showing a willingness to talk."

"Indeed," Miller agreed.

"I will speak with my father regarding the ambassador appointment. Thank you, Miller," Andrew replied, leaning back in his office chair. "By the way, I need the progress report on the secure residential complex for displaced families. I have been away from work for a few days, and it seems my team assumed I wouldn’t notice the slowdown," he muttered.

Miller smiled subtly. "I will notify the project head right away. I am certain she has everything prepared."

At that moment, the frosted glass door swung open, and Samara walked into the office carrying a file.

"Good morning, Andrew," Samara said, offering a polite bow. "I caught the end of your conversation. Yes, the report is complete and ready for your review."

Miller took the file from her hands and set it neatly on Andrew’s desk. Giving a brief nod, he excused himself and stepped out of the office, closing the glass door behind him.

Amara took a seat in the chair across from Andrew. "Congratulations on getting married," she offered with a warm, genuine smile.

"Thank you," Andrew replied, pulling the file closer and opening it to review the plans.

"When are you throwing the reception party?" Samara inquired, leaning forward slightly. "Everyone is eager to finally meet their new Luna."

"Let’s focus on the work at hand," Andrew said, maintaining a professional tone as he uncapped a red pen. He drew a sharp circle around a section of the report before flipping through the pages and making similar marks in several other spots.

"I want you to re-examine these areas. As previously specified, each floor must strictly contain twelve units. Furthermore, the structural planning shown here raises serious stability concerns and needs to be reworked immediately."

Samara reviewed the red circles and the specific points he had highlighted. "I will have the design team recheck these sections immediately," she asserted, gathering the file as she rose to her feet. "May I drop by the estate to visit Caroline this evening?"

"Sure, you can," Andrew replied, looking up briefly from his desk.