Chapter 270
270 Lillian’s Greatest Concern
Lillian gave Ronan an exasperated look.
“You don’t understand,” she said. “When I found out, it was already too late. He already got poisoned. I did my best to help. I was also searching for an antidote...”
“Spare me,” Ronan interrupted her briskly, holding a hand up to stop her from completing a speech in her defense. “I don’t want to hear it. You were so quick to act on your interest, but you never bothered to tell me any of your plans. I was stupid enough to dance according to your tune.”
“Ronan, I was not... You were not dancing to my tune at all,” Lillian tried to placate Ronan, but it was futile.
Lillian was not the one who almost lost her mate.
Lillian was not the one who almost died.
Whatever Lillian said at this point did not matter to Ronan.
The Alpha rubbed at his temples and sigh. When he removed his hand, Lillian saw the hunger for vengeance gleaming in his eyes.
“From now on, it’s my way or no way. You either join me or you don’t. I no longer need your help.”
.....
Lillian looked like she was close to tears.
“Then, are you going to throw me out of the pack house, just like that?”
Ronan almost burst into laughter. Despite the scolding that he gave her, in the end, Lillian was still mostly concerned about herself and her baby’s wellbeing.
“I am not a monster,” he pointed out. “Stay until the baby is born. After that, you can decide what you want to do.”
As Ronan walked away and headed to his apartment, he could hear Lillian’s pitiful sobs.
Usually, when similar things happened in the past, Ronan’s heart would soften and then he would try to comfort the crying woman. Seeing women cry made him feel uncomfortable because it reminded him of his mother.
Lady Adele Fangblade was a tough and brave woman, but she too was made of flesh and blood. She too shed tears when the heartache was too much for her.
This time, it was different.
When Ronan saw Lillian cry, all he could see were the tears that Lucien did not shed or shed behind his back.
Lucien suffered so much in these few months.
It was supposed to be the happiest time of their life. They were supposed to spend their time rolling between sheets night after night while whispering about their passion and love to each other.
If Lillian didn’t show up in December, Ronan and Lucien would have been happily married by now.
Look at what happened instead.
Ronan was busy tying a noose around Lucrethia, while Lucien was still recovering far, far away from Ronan.
For once, Ronan wanted to be selfish.
He wanted to sleep.
He wanted to eat and drink.
He wanted to think only about himself and Lucien, and no one else.
Ronan thought that his harsh words would keep Lillian away for a while. That would be best, because Ronan did not have the patience to deal with her. Not right now.
Unexpectedly, the beautiful woman showed up again in the evening and asked to meet with Ronan.
Said Alpha had just woken up after sleeping for six hours straight. He was in the middle of eating his dinner when Milroy came to disturb his peace.
“Reporting to the Alpha, uh, Miss Woodland requests an audience.”
“No,” Ronan answered nonchalantly while biting into a piece of beef steak.
Milroy did not move. He twiddled his thumbs nervously.
“Why are you still here?” Ronan barked at his assistant.
Milroy gave him a beseeching gaze.
“Alpha, Miss Woodland refuses to go unless she gets to meet you today. It seems to be very important.”
Ronan rolled with his eyes but said nothing in return.
“Alpha, please think of the heir inside Miss Woodland’s belly...”
Ronan slammed the wine glass hard against the dining table, causing the glass to crack.
Glaring at Milroy, Ronan was about to blurt out the words, “That baby is not the heir”. But then he realized that he should not carelessly announce such things. There was a suitable time for every kind of announcement.
“Alright, ask her to meet me at the audience hall.”
Milroy bowed in gratitude.
“Yes, Alpha.”
When Ronan arrived at the audience hall, Lillian was already sitting on a chair, waiting for him.
The woman did not bother beating around the bush.
“I heard some news,” she said. “My father has abandoned his position as an Alpha. My entire family is being imprisoned in the Werewolf Council’s dungeon. Is that right?”
“Pretty much,” Ronan confirmed.
“The new Alpha is also being detained. Why?”
Ronan squinted at Lillian.
“He decided to take the Alpha position despite the incriminating circumstances. He did that voluntarily without the slightest bit of coercion. I would say that he knew what he was in for.”
Lillian took a deep breath.
“Listen to me,” she said. “We both know that my grandmother is the perpetrator. Fine if you want to detain my whole family out of suspicion, but Kieran Locksworth is innocent. Please let him go.”
Ronan scoffed. He leaned to one side of his seat while tapping his fingers on the armrest on the other side.
“You do know that the Alpha is never entirely innocent when a pack member commits a crime. If the crime is done within the pack, the Alpha has the privilege to punish as he wants. If the crime is done to another pack, the Alpha has to bear responsibilities for his pack members’ crime.”
Lillian nodded fervently.
“I know,” she said. “But we both know that he is innocent. He knows nothing about the Woodland family’s schemes. He didn’t even serve my grandmother! He served my father!”
Ronan narrowed his eyes at the pregnant woman in front of him.
“Do you know what I find very interesting?”
“... What?”
Ronan slumped forward, supporting his weight on two elbows that pressed against his legs.
“Your whole family is behind bars. Your grandmother, your father, your aunts... Even your extended relatives, all those who are unlucky enough to bear the surname Woodland in their names. But you, you are here to plead for Kieran Locksworth.”
“...”
“It’s him, right?”
“What do you mean?” Lillian asked, trying her best to maintain her composure.
“He is the father of your baby, am I right?”
Lillian’s lips trembled violently before tears started falling from her eyes.
“Yes,” she sobbed. “He is.”