CHAPTER 186: HIS TRUE INTENTIONS

Before midnight, Casaio entered the small room and found Estelle had readied Zilia. He stepped closer to Zilia and checked for the bruises on her face, if they were covered well.

"Prince Casaio, rest assured, I’ve made sure the makup hides them well," Estelle stated.

"You did a good job. Give us a moment," Casaio whispered.

Estelle bowed and walked out of the room, leaving both of them alone.

"What’s the report on my brother?" Zilia inquired.

"You should focus on the task I’m going to give you," Casaio said coldly. "Berik... I want you to meet him tonight at a place I’ve decided. You provided me that name, but I need a proof that it is Berik, who is betraying us," he affirmed.

"I’ll do it. How will the prince call Berik?" Zilia asked.

Casaio took out the phone from the pocket of his overcoat and handed it to her. "You’ll call him and tell him you want to see him alone in the usual place you used to meet."

Zilia looked at her phone and turned it on. "We used to meet at abandoned Clock Tower situated in the dense forest," she asserted. As she was about to dial the number, Casaio grasped her hand, thus stopping her.

"If you fool me this time, your brother will lose his life," Casaio warned her.

"If you truly want the answers, you need to trust me with this," Zilia stated.

"It’s hard to tell whether you’re speaking truth or lie," Casaio remarked with a sneer.

Zilia averted her gaze from him, hoping he would let go of her hand. When he did, she dialed Berik’s number which she had saved with a different name. The line connected and she waited for him to answer the call.

She had turned on the speaker so that Casaio wouldn’t suspect her for lying to him.

"Zilia, where have you been all this time?" asked Berik from the other side in a low, yet panicked tone.

Casaio recognized that voice, realizing Zilia didn’t lie to him.

"I was given a mission, so I had to leave urgently. Someone from the South had come to see me," Zilia said. "I’d like to meet you at the abandoned Clock Tower."

"Right now? It’s too late for that," Berik responded with a frown.

"It’s urgent, Sir," Zilia insisted. "I wouldn’t have contacted you if it weren’t absolutely necessary."

There was a short pause before Berik replied, "Alright. I’ll be there soon. Make sure no one sees you arrive."

"Yes, Sir," Zilia said before ending the call. She stared at the blank screen for a moment.

Casaio, standing nearby, took the phone from her gently. "Estelle will return it to you if Berik calls again."

"I understand," Zilia murmured. She noticed the familiar warmth in Casaio’s eyes had faded. And she knew why, because of her.

"Why didn’t you ever harm me?" Casaio asked. "No matter how many times I go over it, I can’t understand your reasoning."

He stepped slightly closer and added, "You haven’t told us everything. And you do realize, Zilia... if you keep holding back, the only thing waiting for you is a death sentence. Shouldn’t you speak the full truth while you still have the chance?"

Zilia lowered her gaze, then lifted her eyes to meet his. "I’ve already shared everything I know. As for my master, I’ve never seen him. None of us have. Orders come through someone else. It was always Berik who delivered them and sometimes the others. If anyone has the answers you’re looking for, it’s him.

"You didn’t answer my first question," Casaio said, his voice quiet but firm. "And you haven’t told me everything."

Zilia exhaled slowly. "You were never my target," she admitted. "It was the Alpha King."

She paused, choosing her words carefully before continuing. "My orders were simple, observe and report. I was tasked with relaying every significant activity within the palace to a contact in the South. You saw the letters at my home, they were our primary method of communication. In a time when everyone depends on phones, handwritten messages are harder to trace. We only used calls when it was absolutely necessary."

Casaio gave a slow nod, processing her explanation.

"Finally, we are on the same page," he remarked.

Zilia gazed at him with guilt dripping from her eyes.

"And what about the Alpha from the Dominion Pack?" he asked. "Did he ever reveal his true intentions? How many spies has he placed inside this palace or capital?"

"I don’t know. But there can be many," Zilia replied.

"Hmm. Anything else you think I should know?" Casaio asked.

’I always felt guilty to betray you,’ Zilia thought, but she didn’t bring those words to her mouth.

"Nothing," she said, peering right into his eyes.

"Hmm." Casaio turned around and walked out of the room silently.

~~~

In the stillness of midnight, just as planned, Gabriel quietly left the palace with his brothers to carry out the mission. Before departing, he had informed Amelie in advance, ensuring that if she happened to wake during the night, she wouldn’t panic or go looking for him.

As they entered the vehicle, Gabriel slipped on a pair of black gloves, the leather fitting snugly around his fingers.

"With whom did you send Zilia?" Gabriel asked, breaking the silence.

"With my beta, Estelle," Casaio replied, starting the engine. The car hummed to life as they pulled out of the palace gates and onto the dark, winding road.

As the vehicle picked up speed, Casaio continued, "Earlier, Zilia revealed a lot. I thought it best to share it now."

He went on to relay every detail Zilia had confessed, her method of passing information, the letters, and the orders she received from the South.

Once Casaio finished, Dominick spoke, his voice calm but firm. "If our father was truly the target... they never stood a chance."

"How can we be sure about it?" Lucius questioned him. "Just because we couldn’t see it, that doesn’t mean nothing happened. After we catch Berik, we maybe able to find more about these spies," he asserted.

"Gabriel is right. We have yet to find out a lot. Berik is the key. And tonight, we have to catch him alive," Casaio affirmed with a determined gaze.