Chapter 3 - The Woman Who Carried Kora’s Secret
The woman holding the file stepped into the cathedral and whispered: "Arthur Pendleton... your mate was never buried."
Arthur stared at the document in her hands.
The file contained Kora Hastings' name, his seal, and a signature he recognized.
His own.
Arthur suddenly realized someone had used his authority to erase the truth.
Nobody moved.
The woman standing in the doorway looked nothing like a warrior.
She wore a simple dark coat.
Her hair was tied back.
Her face showed exhaustion, not fear.
But Arthur noticed something immediately.
She was not afraid of him.
Everyone was afraid of the Alpha King.
Everyone except people who knew they had nothing left to lose.
Arthur walked toward her.
The guards immediately followed.
"Stop."
His voice echoed through the cathedral.
Everyone froze.
Arthur looked at the woman.
"Who are you?"
She tightened her grip on the file.
"My name is Elena Vale."
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"And why do you have my mate's records?"
Elena looked down at the file.
"Because I was the person who kept her alive."
The words hit harder than any attack.
The guests started whispering.
Beatrice looked shocked.
Arthur stopped walking.
"You expect me to believe that?"
Elena did not answer immediately.
Instead, she opened the file.
She pulled out several documents.
Medical reports.
Photographs.
Transfer records.
Arthur recognized the official symbols.
Pack medical archives.
Private security records.
Documents that should never have existed outside his territory.
Elena placed them on the nearest table.
"Five years ago, Kora Hastings was not killed."
Arthur stared at the papers.
"Then why did everyone tell me she was?"
Elena looked directly at him.
"Because someone wanted you to believe it."
The cathedral became silent again.
Arthur looked at the man standing behind him.
His closest friend.
The man who had helped him survive those years.
The man who now looked like he wanted to disappear.
Arthur turned back to Elena.
"Tell me everything."
Elena nodded slowly.
"But before I do, you need to understand something."
"What?"
"Kora did not disappear because she was weak."
Arthur's expression changed.
"Then why?"
Elena looked toward the closed cathedral doors.
"Because she was protecting you."
Arthur felt anger rise.
"Protecting me?"
"Yes."
"By letting me believe she was dead?"
Elena's expression softened.
"She didn't choose that."
Arthur looked confused.
"Then who did?"
Elena opened another document.
A photograph fell onto the table.
Arthur picked it up.
His fingers immediately tightened.
The picture showed Kora.
Not injured.
Not imprisoned.
Alive.
But standing beside her was someone else.
Someone Arthur trusted.
Someone who had been part of his inner circle.
His closest friend.
Arthur slowly looked up.
The man lowered his eyes.
"Explain."
The man's silence was enough.
Arthur stepped closer.
"You knew."
"I..."
"You knew she was alive."
The man swallowed.
"Arthur, listen to me."
"No."
Arthur's voice became colder.
"For five years, I woke up believing I failed her."
The entire room became still.
"I buried her."
His eyes burned.
"I stood beside a coffin that contained nothing."
The man looked away.
"I thought I was protecting you."
Arthur laughed once.
But there was no humor.
"Protecting me?"
He pointed at the photograph.
"From the truth?"
Nobody answered.
Elena interrupted quietly.
"There is more."
Arthur turned.
"What else?"
She removed another document.
"This was the original report from the night Kora disappeared."
Arthur took it.
He read the first line.
Then stopped.
His face changed.
"What is this?"
Elena looked at him.
"The attack was staged."
Arthur stared.
"No."
"Yes."
"My warriors found her blood."
"They found blood."
Elena's voice became serious.
"Not her death."
Arthur looked at the report again.
The details were different from the story he had been told.
The location was wrong.
The timeline was altered.
Even the witnesses' statements had been edited.
Someone had built a perfect lie.
A lie Arthur had accepted because he wanted to believe there was no other possibility.
"Who changed these records?"
Elena remained silent.
Arthur looked up.
"Who?"
Before she could answer, Beatrice suddenly spoke.
"It was my father."
Everyone turned.
Arthur looked at her.
"What did you say?"
Beatrice stood frozen.
Her wedding dress suddenly looked heavier.
Like it was carrying a secret she had been holding for too long.
"My father knew."
Arthur slowly walked toward her.
"Your father knew Kora was alive?"
Beatrice nodded.
"But he wasn't the one who started it."
"Then who?"
Beatrice looked at Arthur.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"The person you trusted most."
Arthur immediately looked behind him.
At his friend.
The man shook his head.
"Arthur..."
But Arthur raised his hand.
"Don't."
The room felt smaller.
The air became impossible to breathe.
Because the truth was no longer hidden.
It was standing in front of him.
The person who helped him mourn.
The person who told him to move on.
The person who convinced him Kora was gone.
Arthur stepped closer.
"How long?"
The man looked at him.
"Arthur..."
"How long did you know?"
The man finally whispered:
"Since the night she disappeared."
Arthur felt something break inside him.
Not his heart.
Something colder.
Trust.
Five years.
Five years of grief.
Five years of believing the wrong person.
Then Elena suddenly looked toward the balcony.
Her face changed.
"What?"
Arthur noticed.
"What did you see?"
Elena's expression became serious.
"Someone is here."
The guards immediately moved.
Arthur looked upward.
The balcony was empty.
But then a sound echoed.
A phone ringing.
Everyone turned.
The sound came from the old wooden box near the altar.
Arthur approached slowly.
Inside was an old phone.
The screen was already active.
One message appeared.
Unknown Number.
Arthur picked it up.
The message contained only one sentence.
"Don't trust the woman who came back from the dead."
Arthur's eyes moved toward Kora's name written on the file.
Then toward Elena.
Then toward the darkness beyond the balcony.
Another message appeared.
A photograph.
Arthur opened it.
His blood turned cold.
It showed Kora.
But not five years ago.
The picture was recent.
Taken that morning.
And behind Kora stood someone Arthur had believed was dead.
Someone whispered his name from the shadows.
"Arthur..."
He turned toward the sound.
May you like
The balcony door slowly opened.
And standing behind it was the person who knew where Kora had been hidden all these years...
