Freya's POV
"The doctor said it's a miracle you were able to conceive, considering your history with wolfsbane. So, Freya, what are you planning to do now?" Novia inquired, fixing her gaze on me.
Finley, too, shot a nervous glance my way for a brief moment.
I comprehended the underlying message in her words.
However, from the moment I discovered my pregnancy, I had no intention of giving up on this child.
Despite Kingsley's frequent absence when I needed him the most and the fact that this child wasn't a product of love, this baby was still my child and would eventually become part of my family.
I placed my hand on my stomach and met Novia's gaze. "I will have the baby."
Novia nodded, displaying no surprise at my decision.
It suddenly dawned on me that Kingsley's mother had administered wolfsbane in the medicine she had given me earlier. She had also frozen all my financial assets when my mother was critically ill and in dire need of money.
At this point, I hadn't even confirmed the intrigues that awaited me in the future.
I clenched my fists and swiftly made a decision in my mind.
"Finley, can I ask you for a favor?" I turned my head to address Finley, who was standing beside Novia.
"Of course, go ahead."
"I want to inform Kingsley about my pregnancy in person. Can you help me keep it a secret?"
Finley stared at me for a few moments in silence and then slowly nodded. "Sure."
Just then, the door burst open.
"Freya!"
Kingsley, dressed in a suit and looking tense, rushed into the hospital room.
"Sorry I'm late."
I quickly shifted my gaze to his concerned eyes and allowed him to embrace me.
"I'm so sorry..." Kingsley continued to apologize repeatedly.
As I caught the familiar scent of his body, my eyes began to well up with tears. The sadness I had been suppressing since a moment ago seemed to find an outlet in this instant, overwhelming me all at once.
I despised feeling so vulnerable, but for once, I allowed myself to seek refuge in Kingsley for a while.
When I finally regained my composure, I noticed that Novia and Finley had left the hospital room at some point, making room for Kingsley and me.
After I wiped away my tears and regained control over my emotions, I turned to Kingsley and, after a brief pause, inquired, "Where have you been for the past few days?"
"I've been helping out a friend with some errands," Kingsley replied faintly.
"What kind of friend?" I pressed.
Kingsley responded, "A friend with a unique situation."
Upon hearing that, I decided not to pursue the matter further.
Kingsley pursed his lips and remained silent.
"Kingsley," I spoke after a moment of silence, "Was that you who let your mother freeze all my financial assets?"
"What?" Kingsley visibly tensed up, his expression growing serious.
I looked at him and explained, "When my mother was critically ill, I was informed that my father had stopped paying her medical bills a long time ago. So, I used the bank cards I had with me to cover the expenses, and as a result, they were all frozen."
After I finished speaking, I paused and fixed my gaze on Kingsley.
I've never been one to complain, and in all the years I've been with Kingsley, no matter how many injustices I've endured, I've never bothered to confide in him.
But now, things were different.
I was pregnant, and I needed to ensure that the man in front of me, as the father of my child, would stand by my side and prove himself trustworthy.
Kingsley met my gaze and remained silent for a few seconds before responding, "I'll look into it."
"Look into it? Your own mother told me that she was the one who froze all of my bank cards because she suspected me of secretly transferring your assets."
I didn't give Kingsley a chance to avoid this topic. Instead, I pressed on, thinking that if just once, this once, he was willing to support me and stand his ground, I would believe him.
While freezing my card may not have directly caused my mother's death, Grace's actions certainly played a role in pushing her over the edge of death.
However, Kingsley simply averted his gaze. "Freya, you know, no one expected this to happen."
With a dull ache in my chest, I responded with a sardonic smile and lowered my head. "Well, you're right."
It was only the night before my mother's farewell service that I called to inform my father, Theo.
When he answered my call, my father remained silent on the other end of the line for a while.
I couldn't discern whether his silence stemmed from relief that my mother had passed away, allowing him to lead a peaceful life with his lover and their illegitimate daughter, or if he was mourning for my poor mother.
The funeral home applied the makeup to my mother as I had instructed.
The makeup artist was quite skilled, and when they summoned me to inspect her, for a brief moment, it felt as if I were looking at my mother from years past.
Her hair was still jet black, and her face had a slightly solemn expression when she wasn't smiling. She lay there peacefully, as if in slumber.
Before nine o'clock, people began arriving at the funeral parlor one after another.
I was dressed entirely in black, with my hair elegantly pinned up, a white flower adorning the side, and wearing mourning attire. I greeted the attendees, nodding my head in gratitude.
A girl in a simple dress entered, and I recognized her as the girl I had rescued before. The person accompanying her appeared to be her family.
"Look, there's Henry Quinn, the Alpha of the Moonlight Pack, and his adopted daughter, Charlie Quinn. What are they doing here?"
"I heard Miss Quinn isn't feeling well, so she rarely makes public appearances."
"Last time at the banquet, the Lycan King invited them too, but I heard Miss Quinn had a sudden illness, which is why they left before the event began."
As they arrived, hushed conversations circulated about them.
Henry approached my mother's remains with Charlie and placed a flower beside her.
Then he walked over to me and said, "I'm Henry Quinn from the Moonlight Pack. Thank you for saving Charlie the other day."
Charlie gazed at me with round eyes.
I nodded and then reached out to stroke Charlie's head.
It was a while before Theo arrived in a hurry.
After placing the flowers by my mother's remains, he walked up to me and asked solemnly, "Why didn't you let me know earlier when your mom passed away?"
My expression fell.
How could he have the audacity to ask such insensitive questions?
I looked at him coldly and replied, "Theo, today is my mom's funeral. Please show some respect. If you're here to cause trouble, I won't hesitate to ask you to leave!"
Theo's face instantly contorted with anger, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "How dare you speak to me like that? I'm your father!"
I mockingly curled the corner of my lips and whispered in a low voice, "Let's not insult the word. I don't want to argue with you here today, but if you disrupt my mom's funeral, your own son and daughter with that woman will lead miserable lives. If you doubt me, feel free to try." After a pause, I added softly, "Your son studies in Athana School, right?"
Hearing my words, Theo snapped his head up and glared at me, his eyes turning red.
"Are you threatening me now, Freya? Don't forget that your mother is already gone. As an Alpha, I can expel you from the pack anytime I want. If you're not afraid of becoming a Rogue, go ahead and try it. And as for Kingsley, I'm certain he'll be—"
"I'll be what?"
A familiar icy voice interrupted us, and I turned to see Kingsley striding toward us, just behind Theo.