I Was Never Yours

Accused

Sebastian had just finished speaking. Yet no one in the room responded immediately. For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.

What was that again? An investigation into Aurion? Those two words shouldn’t belong in the same sentence. It didn’t make sense. It felt fabricated—forced.

Because Aurion was already dead. I was one of the people who buried him. I had even cried until there were no tears left. So what was there left to investigate?

“What do you mean?” I asked quietly.

Sebastian opened another tablet. “A request was submitted three days ago by House Ashbourne.”

I immediately knew who was behind it. Not Vaeldric—Magnus Ashbourne. No wonder Vaeldric had warned me yesterday.

“I was just thinking,” Lucien broke the silence, idly swirling his teacup. “Magnus made a very calculated move.”

I frowned. “Calculated?”

“Because if he attacks the Vermont business, it becomes a war between families. If he attacks you directly, it becomes personal.”

“And this investigation?”

Lucien gave a faint smile. “It turns the Church into the one attacking you.”

No one else seemed willing to comment. Only then did I begin to understand why everyone looked so tense. This wasn’t about finding the cause of Aurion’s death. It was about who would be blamed.

“What exactly are they trying to look for?” I asked.

Sebastian answered immediately. “All medical records, household communications during the pregnancy, lists of staff, doctors, servants, guards.”

He listed almost everyone involved in my life one by one, as if someone were dissecting it piece by piece.

“And?” my father’s voice cut in. Sebastian hesitated.

“Speak,” Father said again, low but pressing.

“They are also requesting access to all Lady Ashbourne’s health reports during the pregnancy.”

I clenched my fists. They weren’t coming to find the truth. Everything was deliberately designed to look for cracks.

“Can they do that?” I asked.

“They can request it.”

“And then?”

“We can refuse.” A small relief washed over me. But Sebastian wasn’t finished. “However, refusal will be considered obstruction.”

Of course. I had almost forgotten. It was a trap. The entire path had already been laid out.

If I handed everything over, they would search for mistakes. If I refused, they would claim I was hiding something.

“I want one thing to be clear… They are not investigating Aurion. They are investigating Seraphina.”

No one objected. Because everyone knew it was true.

If the Church found fault with Vaeldric, House Ashbourne would be humiliated. But if they found fault with me, then all the public support I had built would collapse overnight.

“Do they have anything?” I asked.

My father looked at me. “Not yet.”

That answer should have been reassuring. Strangely, it wasn’t. Because after a few seconds of silence, he added:

“But someone has made them believe they will.”

Uncle Stefan, usually the most conservative among us, finally spoke. “I think we need to divide tasks and prepare multiple contingency plans.”

Father nodded without hesitation. “Seraphina, Elanor, Diandra—make sure all medical records and archives are secured. Before they find anything, we will find it first.”

The three of us nodded obediently. No objections.

Then he continued issuing orders.

“They are attacking emotions. Let them. Because angry people forget numbers. That’s where we step in and destroy them. I’m entrusting Lucien to lead this.”

***

VAELDRIC POV

Father was sitting in his room when I slipped inside. He was staring out the window, a cup of his favorite black coffee going cold beside him.

“Father. The Church accepted it.”

He nodded slowly. “Good.”

My jaw tightened. “Aurion is dead.”

Magnus lifted his gaze and looked at me with a cold, almost mocking expression—as if blaming me for my inability to handle the situation.

“I know.”

“Then why?”

I didn’t understand what he was planning. For weeks, I had been trying to fix everything—calm Seraphina, hold back the Vermont family, protect the Ashbourne name.

And now my father was dragging Aurion’s death into a Church investigation.

“Do you think this investigation is about Aurion?”

I fell silent. “Then what is it about?”

“Power.” The answer came without hesitation.

“Duke Vermont attacked this family publicly. Seraphina attacked me—House Ashbourne.”

He stood up from his chair. “Now the entire kingdom is watching.”

I began to understand where this was going. And I hated it.

“Aurion isn’t a weapon.”

“No.”

Magnus walked toward the window. “He is the reason.”

My hands clenched. “You’re using his death.”

Magnus looked out at the capital spread beyond the glass.

“No, Vaeldric.” His tone remained calm. “I’m making sure it wasn’t wasted. Because dead children are often more useful than living ones.”

My chest tightened. I wasn’t even sure anymore which side I was on.

“If the Church concludes that Seraphina endangered the stability of her marriage…” I could already start to see his direction.

“If public opinion turns against her…” My heartbeat quickened, but I didn’t dare interrupt.

“If Duke Vermont is forced to spend his influence protecting his daughter…”

He finally turned to me. “Who do you think wins?”

I didn’t answer. Because I knew. Now, I felt afraid my about what father would do.

He sat back down, as if the entire conversation had been nothing more than business.

“The Crown Prince has taken an interest.”

My body went rigid. “It should have remained a family matter.”

Magnus’ gaze turned cold. “But it no longer is.”

If even the Crown Prince was watching… Then this was no longer a conflict between Vermont and Ashbourne alone.

Damn it.

My goal had been simple—hold things together and reconcile with Seraphina. Everything had started because of my own inability to decide: leaving Lysara, explaining myself, apologizing to Seraphina. That was all.

But it was too late. The moment my father stepped in, everything escalated beyond control.

And for some reason… I felt like someone had just moved the first piece on a much larger board.

I turned toward the door.

"Vaeldric."

I stopped and looked back at Father. What now?

"When the Church questions Seraphina..." He deliberately let the words hang in the air.

"What about it?"

He finally looked at me. His voice was low and direct—far more terrifying than when he raised it. "They will ask whether you were having an affair."

My pulse froze.

"And when they do..." He paused. "Will you lie for her?"

My breath caught. I didn't even know the answer.