Chapter 223: Return of A Friend
Astrid's POV
Alpha Theron gazed at me with a wistful look in his eyes, reflecting a tapestry of emotions within them after Andros had left, leaving only the both of us behind.
I shifted on my feet, feeling uncomfortable under his nostalgic gaze. He is staring at me with memories playing in his eyes.
And then, the corners of his lips curled slightly, like he had just woken up from a dream.
"Oh, Astrid. You've grown up so much already. Your dress really looks good on you," Alpha Theron muttered, confirming my thoughts.
He is staring at me the way a father does when he looks at his grown-up daughter while reliving past memories.
"I wish I was there to see you grow up. I wish I was really there with your mom," he whispered with pain in his voice.
A lump formed inside my throat when I heard his words. In the past, he had the option to fulfill those wishes he mentioned.
However, in the end, he still chose to leave us. It doesn't matter whether he regretted his decision or not.
The day he needed to make the crucial decision, the time that we needed him the most, he had set his priorities, and we weren't on top of them.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
"Enjoy your day, Astrid," he spoke, his voice a gentle breeze carrying the weight of unspoken words.
I gave him a respectful nod, accepting his words gratefully. I gazed at him for a moment longer before I gracefully excused myself, stepping away, engulfed in my lonely silence yet again.
After this ceremony, there was a whole banquet waiting for us, an after-celebration for my introduction ceremony, which meant that I would have to meet those guests yet again.
My mind reeled back to when I made eye contact with Giselle. I couldn't forget how pale and horrified she looked when she saw me and realized my real identity.
Her reaction was imprinted on the front of my mind, and I couldn't shake the memory away.
On the other hand, Killian held a more complicated reaction. Unlike Giselle, it was hard to see through his thoughts.
Aside from the shock that was written all over Killian's face, there's nothing more I saw from him.
I was waiting for regret to flash through his face, but there was nothing aside from the look of shock that was written all over his face.
As I stepped into the grand banquet hall, a hush fell over the crowd, and all eyes turned to me like moths to a flame.
Last night, none of the guests paid me any attention. No one even bothered to hold a conversation with me. I felt like an invisible person around them, just someone insignificant.
It was only Vanessa who was
friendly towards me and bothered to talk to me. She was the only person who was not judgmental enough to see me as a person according to those false rumors that were spreading about me.
She was the only person who stood up for me while Giselle tried to humiliate me. Because of that, I'll always remember her.
Today is now different after the truth was out. Something had shifted among the guests. Everyone was looking at me with interest and fear at the same time.
They look like they want to approach me and talk to me. However, they couldn't make a step towards me since they were aware of their mistakes.
They once indulged themselves in the lie that I was Alpha Theron's mistress, and last night, they ignored me and whispered those lies among themselves while I was in the same room as them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Giselle staring at me intently. I stared back at her as if challenging her gaze.
Something was different in the way she looked at me. Before, there was always hostility and hatred in her eyes whenever she stared at me.
Her eyes always had a look of a predator in them, as if she was ready to devour me. However, that familiar look in her eyes is gone.
She now shares the same expression as the other guests. She looked like she wanted to talk to me.
I watched as Giselle made her way towards me, but before she could reach me, I was stunned when someone ran towards me and enveloped me in a tight hug. "Astrid! I missed you so much!" My whole body turned stiff as the air was squeezed out of my lungs.
When the person who invaded my private space finally stepped back, I saw Nova's familiar face beaming at me.
"N-Nova?" I muttered, barely above a whisper.
I couldn't believe my eyes as I stared at both the familiar and unfamiliar person in front of me at the same time.
I blinked my eyes, thinking that my eyes were playing tricks on me. The person's face is definitely Nova's, but her hair and her style are not hers at all.
Nova's pink hair is gone, replaced by her natural honey-brown hair. Even her style had also changed.
She also looked tanner than she was, probably caused by her frequent exposure to the sun, especially since she travels a lot.
Nova looked more mature, more
human. I never thought that a
change in her hair color would make
such a huge difference in her
features. I like this new version of
her
She looks brighter and more her...
It's as if I've only seen the real her for the first time.