Page 89 of Alpha's Impostor Bride

Harriet’s eyes fill with tears as she gazes at me. “Oh, this is a wonderful gift, Leanna.”

I can’t help but smile at her.

“How old are you, Finn?” she asks.

“Seven. I’ll be eight soon. What’s my dad like?”

“Well…” Harriet looks at me for permission before turning back to him. “He’s a warrior. He’s strong and brave, and very smart.”

“Oh!” Excitement fills my son’s eyes. “How big is he?”

“Very big.”

“Like that man outside?”

“Finn!”

He ignores me, watching Harriet intently. “Is my dad as big as him?”

Harriet nods slowly.

The pleased look in Finn’s eyes doesn’t help me relax. “Why don’t you go clean up, and then we’ll have dinner,” I suggest firmly.

“But I wanna know—”

“Finn.”

“Fine,” he complains. “Can my grandmother stay for dinner?”

“If she wants to, sure.”

“I would love to,” Harriet replies sweetly. “Now, hurry up and do what your mother says so we can eat.”

Finn rushes off without another word, and I give Harriet an impressed look. “It normally takes me half an hour to convince him to do his chores. From the moment he learned how to talk, I swear the first thing he did was argue with me. Everything is a negotiation with him. And I know he didn’t get that from me.”

“No,” Harriet laughs. “He definitely got that from his father. Cedric was the same way. Stubborn to a fault. So, Finn not only looks like his father but acts like him, as well. He’s going to be a handful.”

My lips curve upward. “Well, he’s my handful, and I’m grateful for him.”

Harriet’s own smile dims. “Do you really not intend for him to know who his father is?”

“Not yet.” I study her. “You disagree.”

She sighs. “If I were standing in your shoes, I would understand. But I’ve seen both sides of the picture, Leanna. I know what you don’t. I know that we were duped by Bella, and I know that I was right all along.” Her eyes tighten around the corners. “I knew Cedric would never have ordered your execution, and he never did. His only fault was giving Bella another chance. She had his royal seal. She knew that he had feelings for you and that he would choose you over Vivian. So, she forged the letter to get you out of the way. She admitted it.”

My jaw clenches. “You can’t expect me to believe that she would risk Cedric’s wrath, that she would go against him. She was loyal to him—”

“You don’t know Bella. She’s prideful and arrogant, and your presence—along with Cedric defending you and punishing her—attacked her pride. Even as a child, when angry, Bella was ruthless. She would stop thinking with her head. She always had to get her way, damn the consequences.” A hint of sadness touches Harriet’s eyes. “Cedric turned his back on her. When the elders sided with her, Cedric took control of the castle away from her. She became Vivian’s royal advisor, at the princess’s demand, but Bella lost all her childhood friends. And even now, she still thinks she was right to do what she did. Of course, the people who suffered the most were you and Cedric.”

I look away, not wanting to hear more. I’ve spent a lot of mental effort putting those events behind me. I don’t want to go back and rehash the past. However, Harriet clearly came here with a purpose in mind.

“Leanna.” Her voice is gentle. “I’m not here to advocate for him. But I also don’t want the two of you to suffer, drowning in misunderstandings. Cedric never forgave himself for your death. It’s been eight years, and his grief and guilt have permeated every part of his existence. You had brought him to life, Leanna, and when you left, you took all his hope and joy away with you.”

The broken edge to her voice has my eyes burning with tears. Still, I say nothing.

“When you came along, you managed to touch his heart, something no one else was ever able to do, not even me. He didn’t want to care for you, but you were so easy to love, so fragile that despite his reluctance, he wanted to protect you. And those feelings evolved with the time he spent with you. You showed him the possibility of a world that he never imagined, a life that he never thought could belong to him. He didn’t want Vivian. The only thing he wanted was you.”

Something hot and wet drops on my hand. My face is wet.

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