Hades' Cursed Luna novel Chapter 201

Hades

Amelia remained silent for what was probably a full minute. I could hear the gears in her head turning and stopping, then turning again.

Finally, she glanced at me, avoiding both Eve’s and Kael’s anxious gazes.

"This cannot be true. This is unfathomable." Her voice was quiet, but I could tell that she wanted to exclaim.

"I would never joke about something like this," I countered.

"He never jokes," Kael quipped, trying to disrupt the tension in the room. In a more serious tone, he added, "This is very real, Lia. Ellen Valmont is truly Eve Valmont."

"The cursed twin," she whispered under her breath before she caught herself, but Eve had already flinched at the title. I wrapped my arm around her, attempting to soothe her.

"Yes, according to the prophecy," I murmured, my voice sharp, so she would get the message.

She coughed, clearing her throat. "I apologize, El— I mean Eve. This is unprecedented. I am sorry."

"I more than understand, Lia," Eve tried to keep her tone light, but the tension she was attempting to hide shone through.

Lia took a deep breath before looking around the table, the silence suffocating. "And you were imprisoned?" Empathy seeped into her voice. "You were..."

"Tortured, starved, and experimented on," Eve listed them out like a measly list.

My jaw clenched. "Ordered by her own family," I added.

"And now..."

"They are back. They want her back in Silverpine and are using the decline after Jules died as a crutch," Kael supplied again.

"Pulling shit from their asses, calling it a stipulation."

"But it’s valid."

"Very," I replied.

"The fact that they stayed shows that they are desperate, too. They want her back at all costs for the goddess knows what. It can’t be anything good. Those monsters," an edge crept into Kael’s tone.

"And when that didn’t work, their Beta decided that a diplomatic scandal would be perfect to force my hand."

Eve’s shoulders stiffened at the mention of the Beta. Her memories were still fresh, and every word felt like a wound reopened. I could sense her fighting to maintain her composure, but I also knew how much it cost her.

Amelia noticed the shift, and for a moment, her eyes softened. She leaned forward, placing her hands on the table. "Eve," she said gently, her voice calm, "do you need a moment?"