Chapter 78: The Pack's Dirty Little Secret.

Leonardo’s POV
I was in my room, and the tailor was measuring me for my suit when Rafael barged in without knocking.
As soon as he entered, I could tell by the look on his face that he was angry with me, and honestly, I couldn’t blame him. I was angry with myself for the decision I’d made, but I kept telling myself it was all for Aurora.
“Leave us!” he ordered, his voice cold. The tailor glanced at me for a second, and I nodded. They both left and closed the door behind them.
As soon as they were gone, I turned to look at myself in the mirror. “What do you want, Rafael?”
He scoffed. “What do I want? What do you want, Leonardo?”
I turned to face him, confused. “What do you mean, ‘what do I want’? You barged into my room, told my tailor to leave while they were sewing my wedding suit, and now you’re asking me what I want?”
“Leonardo, this isn’t like you. You’ve always said that marriage should be between two people who love each other, but this… this isn’t you.”
I stared at Rafael, not knowing what to say. He was right in some ways, but it didn’t make anything easier.
I had made my decision, and I had to stick to it, even if it didn’t feel right.
“I don’t have a choice, Rafael,” I said quietly, my voice low. “This is what’s expected of me.”
Rafael’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. “Expected? Or forced?”
I didn’t answer right away. The truth was, I felt both. But I couldn’t admit that to him. Not now.
“You’ve always had a choice, Leonardo,” Rafael said firmly. “But now… you’re letting someone else decide for you.
This isn’t who you are. You’re not supposed to settle for something just because it’s easy.”
I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. “I don’t have the luxury of doing things my way, Rafael. You know that better than anyone.”
Rafael shook his head, his voice softer now. “You’re choosing the easy path, but it’s not going to make you happy.
It won’t make anyone happy. Especially not Aurora.”
His words hit me harder than I expected. I looked away, not wanting him to see the doubt in my eyes.
“Don’t talk to me about Aurora,” I muttered.
Rafael didn’t back down. “You need to think about what you really want. Don’t do this for anyone else. Do it for yourself.”
I clenched my fists, frustrated with the way things had turned out. “It’s too late for that, Rafael. The decision’s already been made.”
“Maybe it’s not,” he said, his voice full of determination. “It’s never too late to choose what’s right for you.”
I felt my temper flare up as Rafael kept pushing. “Mind your own business, Rafael!” I snapped, my voice rising. “You don’t get to tell me what to do! This is my decision, and I’ll deal with it my way!”
Rafael didn’t back down, but I could see the frustration in his eyes. He took a deep breath, then said, “One day, you’ll regret this, Leonardo. You’ll see that.”
He turned and walked out of the room, his footsteps heavy. Before I could say anything more, he slammed the door behind him, the sound echoing in the silence.
I stood there, feeling anger and guilt, but I couldn’t take back what I’d already done.
After Rafael left, I couldn’t stop thinking about Aurora. How was she feeling after everything I had said to her?
I picked up my phone and called Alessandro. It rang for a while before he answered.
“Hey, Alessandro. How is Aurora?” I asked, sitting by the window and watching the pack members going about their day.
“She’s a mess. I went to see her yesterday and she didn’t seem like she had eaten. Rafael had made some food for her, so he asked me to give it to her,” Alessandro replied.
Hearing that Aurora was a mess made my heart ache. I realized how much damage I had caused.
“Please, watch over her, Alessandro,” I pleaded.
He sighed. “What am I, a babysitter? I believe she can take care of herself. She’s not a burden to anyone.”
“But you promised you would protect her, Alessandro,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, I said that, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have my own life. I have important things to do, and I’m not in charge of a grown woman,” he replied.
I felt frustrated, but I couldn’t argue with him. He had his own life, and I knew he wasn’t going to take full responsibility for Aurora. Still, I had to make sure she was okay.
“Just... don’t forget about her, alright?” I said quietly, my voice heavy with worry.
“I won’t,” he answered, sounding a little annoyed. “But don’t expect me to babysit her. She’s a strong woman, and she can handle herself.”
I let out a deep breath. “Thanks, Alessandro. Just... keep an eye on her, please.”
“I’ll check in on her,” he said, before hanging up.
I put the phone down and stared out the window, feeling a knot in my stomach. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I’d hurt her.
How could I fix this? I knew I couldn’t undo the past, but I had to find a way to make things right.
Just then, a commotion outside the hall caught my attention and pulled me out of my thoughts.
I walked toward the door to my entrance room and noticed a group of pack members standing around, watching as our so-called Luna made a scene.
I knew why she was acting this way she had used drugs. Alessandro had been trying to keep everything under wraps, but now the whole pack could see that April was a drug addict and clearly not fit to be the Luna of our pack.
“What the hell is going on here?!” My father’s voice rang out as he entered the scene, spotting his wife and the Luna.
He placed a hand on his head, frustration evident in his gesture. “What are you doing, April?
You’re clearly making a scene.”
April didn’t seem to hear him, her wild eyes darting around the room as if searching for something, or perhaps trying to make sense of her own spiraling thoughts.
The pack members exchanged uneasy glances, unsure whether to step in or back away.
“April!” My father’s voice rose in authority, demanding her attention. “Stop this nonsense right now.”
She blinked, finally registering his presence. Her shoulders sagged slightly, but she still seemed lost in her own world.
"I can't..." she mumbled, her voice shaky. "I don't... know what's happening anymore."
My father stepped forward, his face a mixture of anger and disappointment.
“You don’t know what’s happening?” He took a breath, trying to calm himself.
“You are clearly high on drugs, April. The entire pack can see it. Do you really think they’ll still follow you as Luna when you're like this?”
The words hit her like a slap. She seemed to shrink, as though his words had finally broken through her fog. She opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out.
I couldn’t stand seeing her like this, but at the same time, I couldn’t ignore what she’d done. I had to step in.
“Father, maybe we should take this somewhere private,” I said, my voice low but firm, trying to deescalate the situation.
“Let’s not make this any worse in front of the pack.”
He shot me a sharp glance, clearly annoyed, but I could see he recognized the logic in my suggestion. With a heavy sigh, he relented and nodded.

“Fine. We’ll handle this in my office.”
Turning to a couple of nearby pack members, I motioned toward April.

“Help her,” I said, my tone softening. “Take her to the office. I’ll be right behind you.”
As they gently guided April away, I pulled my phone from my pocket and scrolled to Aurora’s number.
My thumb hovered over the screen, ready to dial, but I froze.

“Wait a minute,” I muttered to myself.
Aurora and I weren’t exactly on speaking terms. The thought of calling her now felt awkward, even forced.
“How would she react if I told her about her mother?” I wondered aloud, pacing back and forth as I stared at the screen.
Would she even answer if I called?
After wrestling with my thoughts for what felt like an eternity, I finally made up my mind. Regardless of the tension between us, April was still Aurora’s mother. She had a right to know. With a deep breath, I tapped on Aurora’s number and pressed call.
The phone rang and rang, each passing second making my heart beat faster. Just as I was about to give up and hang up, a voice answered.
“Hello?”
I froze for a moment, recognizing the voice instantly. It wasn’t Aurora, it was Alessandro.
“What the hell are you doing with Aurora’s phone?” I demanded, my tone sharper than I intended.
There was a brief pause before Alessandro replied, his voice calm but laced with irritation.

“She left it with me,” he said flatly. “Why are you calling her, Leonardo?”
I clenched my jaw, frustrated by his tone. “Put her on the phone. This isn’t about you.”
“She’s not here,” Alessandro said coolly. “And even if she were, I doubt she’d want to talk to you.”
His words stung, but I refused to let him rattle me. “This is important, Alessandro. Tell her to call me back as soon as possible.”
“Why? So you can drag her into another mess?” Alessandro scoffed. “Maybe you should handle your own problems for once, Leonardo.”
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper in check. “Just tell her it’s about her mother. That’s all I’m asking.”
There was a pause, and I could hear Alessandro sigh on the other end. “Fine. I’ll tell her. But don’t expect much, Leonardo.”
As I stared at my phone, the conversation with Alessandro stayed in my mind, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
I had asked him to watch over Aurora because I trusted him because he had promised to protect her.
But now….., I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had begun to creep in.
The way he spoke to me, his tone, his dismissiveness it all felt off. Alessandro had always been blunt, but this was different.
Something about the way he handled Aurora’s phone, the way he avoided giving straight answers, was unsettling.
I paced back and forth, running a hand through my hair.
Was I overthinking things?
Maybe he was just annoyed with me, like everyone else seemed to be these days. Or maybe...
No, I couldn’t let my thoughts spiral. Alessandro had promised to watch over Aurora, and I had to believe he would keep that promise.
But as much as I tried to convince myself, the knot in my stomach only tightened.
Had I made the wrong decision entrusting her to him? Or was this guilt playing tricks on me?