Page 91 of The Possessive Alpha’s Reborn Luna

"Alice, I won't do that again. I promise." Cedric's eyes reddened. He looked at me anxiously.

"I'm not an object, Cedric." I lifted my head, tears finally falling. "I'm your mate. I should be respected, trusted, and cherished—but you never gave me any of that."

His face grew paler and paler, and the hand holding mine began to tremble.

"You're right," he said hoarsely. "I'm a bastard. An arrogant, self-righteous bastard. I don't deserve you."

I took a deep breath and wiped away the tears at the corners of my eyes.

"But when you stood in front of me in the forest, when you were on the verge of death and still apologized to me, I knew you were sincere."

He jerked his head up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

"So I'm willing to give you one more chance," I spoke each word clearly. "But only one, Cedric. If you ever hurt me again, I will leave without hesitation."

"I won't." He answered immediately, his voice full of excitement. "I swear, Alice. I will never hurt you again. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, cherishing you, and loving you."

He reached out and carefully took my hand.

"Thank you," his voice trembled. "Thank you for giving me another chance. I'll prove it to you. I'll become someone worthy of you."

I didn't say anything, just gently squeezed his hand.

Perhaps... perhaps we really could start over.

But the day after Cedric and I had that heart-to-heart talk, Adrian suddenly held a banquet and invited Cedric to attend.

On the day of the banquet, Adrian found me with a mysterious air and said he had a surprise for me later. I was completely confused, but seeing the excitement he couldn't hide, I felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

From what I knew of Adrian these days, this banquet was definitely arranged to target Cedric—but I couldn't imagine what kind of "surprise" he had prepared.

Soon, Cedric arrived at the banquet. He wore a black formal suit. Though his face was still a little pale, his powerful Alpha presence made the people around him unconsciously step aside. He walked straight toward me, his eyes seeing only me.

"Alice." He stopped in front of me. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course."

We moved to the side.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Your brother..." His expression was conflicted, brows tightly furrowed. "Is he up to something? I have a feeling he's not being kind."

"What do you mean?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, Adrian walked over with a young man.

The man was indeed very handsome—blond hair that shimmered in the sunlight, clear green eyes, a gentle and elegant smile, and a tall, upright figure. Every movement exuded noble refinement.

"Alice," Adrian said enthusiastically, "this is Viscount Evan, my best friend. Evan, this is my sister, Princess Alice."

"Your Highness." Evan bowed gracefully. "I've long heard of your reputation. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your name."

"Hello," I responded politely.

"Evan is the youngest viscount in our kingdom," Adrian continued proudly. "He's well-versed in poetry and music, an outstanding swordsman, and manages his territory exceptionally well. At such a young age, he has already—"

"Adrian." I interrupted him, somewhat helplessly. "What exactly are you trying to say?"