Chapter 87: The Easy Way Out.
Alessandro’s POV
I stood there, watching in surprise as my father questioned Leonardo.
“Answer me, Leo! Are you in love with your own stepsister?!”
Leonardo stood frozen, his face a mix of shock and hesitation. He opened his mouth, then quickly shut it, as if the words were stuck in his throat.
“Did the cat get your tongue, son? I asked are you in love with Aurora?” My father’s voice grew harsher, demanding an answer.
I frowned, watching Leonardo struggle to speak. Why isn’t he saying anything?
This was the moment he had been waiting for the moment to finally tell our father that he didn’t love Lena and that he wanted to be with Aurora.
So why was he standing there, silent, unable to say a single word?
“Father… I…” Leonardo stammered, his fingers fidgeting restlessly. He turned slightly, and our eyes met.
The look on his face told me everything he didn’t even know I was here.
“Speak!” our father barked.
“Because I swear, Leonardo, I don’t know what I will do if I find out that my own son is involved with his stepsister when he is engaged to marry Lena.”
Leonardo’s eyes flicked back to mine, filled with uncertainty.
I gave him a small, firm nod a silent push for him to tell the truth.
Tell him. Say it. Tell him you love Aurora.
But Leonardo just stood there, stammering like a child caught stealing candy, his confidence crumbling right before my eyes.
Father’s gaze hardened as he took a step closer.
“I’ll ask you one last time, Leonardo.” His voice was sharp, each word pressing down like a heavy weight.
“Are you involved with Aurora?”
I held my breath, waiting. This was it. This was the moment Leonardo would finally stand up for what he wanted.
But instead, he exhaled shakily and shook his head.
“No, Father. I was never involved with Aurora.”
I stiffened. What?
My father studied him for a moment before stepping forward and placing a firm hand on Leonardo’s shoulder.
He let out a breath of relief and, to my shock, smiled.
“Good. I was worried for a second.”
He gave Leonardo’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“You understand, don’t you? If there was even a whisper of truth to these rumors, everything I’ve built with Alpha Maverick would be at risk.
You know he’s not a patient man. If he catches wind of this nonsense, he might call off the marriage entirely, and all our plans to unite the packs would be ruined.”
Leonardo nodded quickly, his face difficult to read
“Father, why would I ever get involved with my own stepsister?” His voice was steady, too steady.
I stared at him, my chest tightening. Was this really happening?
I expected hesitation, conflict anything that showed he was torn between duty and love. But there was nothing.
No trace of the brother who had been ready to fight for Aurora just moments ago.
Father let go of him, looking satisfied.
“Good,” he said simply.
Without another word, Leonardo turned and left the office. I could hear his footsteps making noise down the hall, but I was too stunned to move.
He just walked away.
Now, it was just me and Father. The air felt heavy, suffocating.
I clenched my fists, the bitter taste of disappointment settling in my throat.
Did he just deny that he was involved with Aurora?
I stood there, my mind racing. After everything?
After all his struggles, all his guilt, all his talk about fighting for Aurora he just threw it all away.
“Alessandro?” My father’s voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality.
I turned to face him, forcing my expression to remain neutral.
“Yes, Father?”
He sighed, rubbing his chin.
“I was worried for a minute there that Leonardo was involved with Aurora, but since I’ve heard from my own son’s mouth, I can now reassure Lena that there’s nothing going on between him and his stepsister.”
He shook his head, frowning slightly. “I wonder why she thought there was something in the first place.”
I shrugged, feigning indifference.
“I wonder why too.”
My father studied me for a moment, as if trying to gauge if I was hiding something. I kept my expression calm, unreadable.
“Good,” he finally said with a satisfied nod. “I’ll inform Alpha Maverick that everything is still on track.
This marriage is too important for unnecessary distractions.”
I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat.
So that’s all it is? A business deal?
A way to unite two packs? My brother’s happiness, his love meant nothing compared to my father’s ambitions.
“Of course, Father,” I said smoothly.
“I understand.”
“Good,” he repeated, giving me a firm nod.
Then he turned, walking toward his desk.
“You may leave now.”
I hesitated for a second before nodding and turning away. As I walked out of his office, my thoughts were a storm of emotions.
How could Leonardo just deny Aurora like that?
After everything he told me, after how much I could see she meant to him… Why would he throw her away so easily?
As I stepped into the hallway, Leonardo was standing outside as if he was waiting for me.
I turned to look at him, my expression calm, but I was pissed.
“Alessandro, what were you doing in Father’s office before I came in? Were you the one who told Father that I was involved with Aurora?”
I was taken aback by the wrongful accusation. “Was? Or are involved with Aurora?”
He waved his hands. “Just answer the damn question, Alessandro.”
I scoffed, shaking my head before folding my arms as I looked at my brother.
“It’s funny how you see things only from your own perspective without trying to understand others.”
I sighed. “I, for one, do not have time to meddle in other people’s business. So no, I wasn’t the one who told Father about you and Aurora.
It was obviously Lena. I saw her walk out of his office when I was walking in, and she looked pissed.
And when I entered, Father had one of the guards call you to his office. So, there it is.”
Leonardo's jaw tightened as he listened. His hands curled into fists, his body tense with frustration.
“So, Lena…” he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair.
“Of course, it was her.”
I let out a short, humorless chuckle. “Who else? She’s desperate to hold onto you, Leonardo.
And you just gave her exactly what she wanted by denying Aurora.”
His eyes snapped to mine, dark with irritation.
“You think I had a choice?
Do you know what would have happened if I admitted it?
Father would have lost his mind! Alpha Maverick would have called off the alliance! Our pack—”
I stepped closer, cutting him off. “And what about Aurora?” I asked sharply.
“Did you even think about her when you stood there and lied?”
Leonardo flinched, just barely, but I caught it. He knew I was right.
“I had no choice,” he said again, but this time, his voice was quieter.
I shook my head in disappointment. “There’s always a choice, Leonardo. You just chose the easy way out.”
I didn’t wait for his response. I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, trapped in the mess he had created.
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