"You've given nothing that I wanted, but still fulfilled the deal," Elias stated with disapproval, his lips dipped into a frown.

  Elias rarely met his match. He didn't think it was possible. In his eyes, Kaden was just a few steps away from being on his level. No one would be able to stand beside him on equal standing. He was a King by birthright. Elias also knew Kaden was once a King.

  Once.

  The King of Ritan reigned for less than a decade. Once Teran and Ritan were stabilized, an abrupt heir was appointed, the great King laid down his sword and disappeared. No one knew what happened to him, except one thing. The King of Ritan took with him the great talents of Ritan and Teran. Then, they all vanished. Not a single word was said of the incident. But many historians speculate it was to clean the country from the inside out and not from an outside perspective.

  The King of Ritan was never an idle man. He was a General. A war lord. The unfavored Prince never meant to become the Emperor. So, he didn't take the title of Emperor, and instead, became Second King of Ritan, when he should've been Second Emperor.

  "I will let you decide," Elias said to Kaden in a somber voice. "For her."

  "You will not let him decide," Adeline suddenly stated, shooting both of them a disgusted glance. She stepped away from her husband and the two of them.

  Kaden shot her a narrowed gaze. A poisonous viper, this woman. He wondered how a little human girl was able to tame the heart of a King. How was this human girl able to go from runaway Princess, the second human Queen in all of Wraith's history, mother of two Pure-Bloods, immobilized, and then, suddenly a Pure-Blood as well?

  Kaden was curious about her history. What were the steps she took to subdue the King? What did she do to gain his favor? Why was the King that obsessed with her?

  "You will not take the opportunity away from Lina," Adeline said in a cold-hearted voice.

  "My sweet, the girl is unconscious and probably on her deathbed, but most likely not because my anditotes never fail," Elias mused, ignoring Kaden who picked up the nearest nightstand piece. Without a doubt, Kaden was debating hurling it at the King.

  "Let the husband decide," Elias noted. "He will not hurt his woman."

  "The last time you attempted to decide for me, you tried to abort our children," Adeline calmly explained.

  "I rest my case," Elias huffed, taking a seat at the edge of the bed with a tired expression.

  "I never intended to make the decision for Lina," Kaden suddenly said to the Queen.

  Adeline tilted her head. "You wouldn't have made the best arrangement for her anyways."

  Kaden clenched his jaw. This woman with her sharp words. No wonder the King of Wraith loved her. The face of an angel, the tongue of a devil, and concealed with grace.

  "I would advise you to speak wisely, Adeline. Wisdom can only get you so far," Kaden dryly said.

  "I would advise you the same," Adeline remarked. "For the record, it's Your Grace."

  Kaden's expression darkened.

  Adeline ignored his peeved stare. She approached the other side of the bed, directly across from Kaden, she took a seat. She saw his entire body tense. He watched her like a hawk. She found his possessiveness overbearing. Just like her husband.

  "Lina deserves better than the two of you," Adeline softly said. "But it seems her heart has already chosen you."

  Adeline adjusted Lina's hair away from her neck, so that it didn't bother her in her sleep. Adeline had to admit Lina was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Lina slept like Snow White after biting a poisoned apple. Lina had broken out in a cold sweat, her lips blue, and her brows taunt, but she was stunning.

  "I had to coerce her to get married to Atlantis, for it was the best judgement at the time for a girl with the mentality of a sixteen-year-old," Adeline began. "There are not many things I regret in this life, but this decision troubled me the second I said it."

  "I should have you killed." Kaden's words were as deadly as the bullet he shot at Atlantis. He saw Elias rise to his feet, slow and dangerous.

  "Perhaps in your dreams," Adeline remarked.

  Adeline let out a small sigh. She straightened in her position, retracting her hands. No matter what she said or did, time would not turn back. The clock hands remained the same.

  "Atlantis said you did something to Lina worse than abuse," Adeline began. "What was it?"

  Kaden swallowed hard. He glowered towards the bed. Tightening his fist, he remained silent.

  "I heard Lina Yang was one of the highly considered candidates of the Yang Clan Heir Race. A child prodigy. Chess genius. Endless potential." Adeline relaxed a hand on the bed and leaned against it, peering at Kaden.

  "What exactly did you do to the Limitless Lina?" Adeline refused to let him out until he said the truth with his very own mouth. As someone who went through the same treatment as Lina, Adeline knew exactly what Kaden had done. She wanted to torment him further. She wanted him to drown in guilt. Let it eat him alive. How dare he do such a thing to her? On what grounds?

  "No matter your reasoning, it will never be enough," Adeline spat out. "You tampered with her life and soon, you'll face the consequences."

  "I will not explain myself to the likes of a meddling Queen and henpecked King," Kaden said, his voice composed, but his body tense.

  "No, you don't have to. You'll just explain it to the woman who allowed herself to be kidnapped across seas to run from you," Adeline returned.

  Kaden really hated her. A part of him respected her in some aspects. She knew how to stab where it hurt. Was that her talent? Or was she just taught to be like this?

  "I once saw a portrait of the King of Ritan. Seeing as you're immortal, I can safely conclude you're him. I also saw the only portrait you've painted of a woman: she, who got away." Adeline turned her head in his direction.

  Kaden's expression didn't move. It didn't even crack.

  "A Princess whose name was long forgotten by history, but historians remember her as the first and only lover of the Second King of Ritan. Dig deeper and you'll know she was married. Your hatred for her suicide on the battlefield led you to wipe her name from history," Adeline shot at him.

  "She did it to herself," Kaden explained. "Had she not been so foolish—"

  "I heard your lover was a Princess of Teran, sent to marry an unfavored Prince of Ritan in order to build peace for centuries to come. You wedded her. She upheld her end of the promise, you did not. You waged war on her country and expect her to calmly sit around to do what? Sit there and look pretty?" Adeline deadpanned.

  "So you know history, good for you," Kaden remarked.

  "Lina must be the Princess of Teran. You were blessed to live another life with her. Why ruin it?" Adeline asked.

  Adeline glanced at her husband. By now, Elias was engrossed with his phone, his brows deep in concentration. She knew one of his close friends, a pair of twins, must've sent him something important.

  "You're the ruination of the relationship once again," Adeline accused him.

  "If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut—"

  "You drove her to suicide before an entire army. You honored her death with a temple. You wipe her name from history. You want no evidence of the tragedy that happened," Adeline said with disbelief.

  "You do not deserve Lina Yang, not before and not now. Had I not said anything, you would've decided for her again," Adeline stated. "You would've wanted my husband to not restore her memories, the one you stole."

  "You—"

  "What is all this ruckus?" A voice tiredly said from the bed.

  "Lina," Kaden breathed out, immediately rising to his feet.

  Before Lina could respond, Kaden dragged her from out of the bed and into his arms. He hugged her tightly, burying his face into her shoulders. He could feel his heart beating erratically in his chest. His hands trembled with disbelief. Relief flooded his entire body with the realization.

  Lina was alive. Lina was well. She was breathing. She was in his arms. Kaden felt airy, like he was floating on Cloud Nine.

  "Does it still hurt? How are you feeling?" Kaden worriedly asked, ignoring the entire conversation from earlier.

  Lina was limp in his embrace. Her arms hung by her side. She said nothing, but stared into the distance. By now, she had grown to not be afraid of Kaden. It alarmed her, really. Her heart was aching to hug him tightly and never let go. Her brain was screaming for her to run and never look back. She chose neither.

  "Dove of mine," Kaden murmured, pulling back. He gently cupped her face, stroking her smooth skin with his thumb. He rested his forehead against hers, feeling his heart skip.

  "I want what you promised, King of Wraith," Lina suddenly said, ignoring Kaden.

  Despite just waking up, Lina's mind instantly sharpened. She knew what she wanted now. She knew she didn't want Atlantis. She knew she desired Kaden, but not for the reasons he thought.

  Lina wanted the truth. And she couldn't reach it without her memories. She needed to know what happened to her. She wanted to hear it from her own memories—her own recollections. She refused to hear it from the mouth of another. Refused to let herself be led astray again.

  "Finally," Elias said. "My turn to speak in this conversation."

  Elias slid his phone into his pockets. "I have urgent matters to tend to, so let's get it over with."

  "Wait."

  Every pair of eyes snapped to Kaden.

  "Let me explain," Kaden began. "Give me a chance to tell you my reasoning."

  Kaden didn't want to overwhelm her. So, he physically moved back—to give her space. She needed to breathe. She needed to have a clear head when she made her decision. He wanted her to have the best chance possible. The greatest resources. He never wanted her to make a choice with hesitation.

  "Reasoning for wiping my memories?" Lina said like it was the most stupid thing she's ever heard. "What could be a reason so great to cause such harm to me?"

  Kaden's eyes flashed. "For your own good."

  "You seem to be good at deciding what is supposedly good for myself," Lina mumbled. She didn't know how to feel about that, except half frustration and half confusion.

  "Please," Kaden murmured…… "Allow me to explain myself, Lina."