Page 100 of The Alpha King’s Hidden Mute Mate

Her voice finally trembled.

"Because that person was in the palace, with another woman in his arms, enjoying wealth and glory. And that person didn't even know his child existed."

Her tears finally fell.

Not sobbing, but quiet, suppressed tears, like water finally seeping out from a pipe that had been blocked too long. She wiped them with the back of her hand, but more tears came.

"Do you know what that feels like?" She looked at me, voice hoarse. "Do you know what it's like to carry everything alone?"

I stood there, feeling like my heart had been ripped out, thrown on the ground, and stomped to dust.

"I'm sorry," I said, voice barely audible. "I'm sorry. I didn't know then. I—"

"You didn't know," she interrupted, voice tinged with bitterness. "Of course you didn't. You never knew."

She turned to leave.

"Mia—"

"Don't follow me," she said, voice returning to that earlier calm, but that calm frightened me more than any emotion. "I need to be alone for a while."

She walked quickly toward the garden exit.

Then—

"Mommy!"

Lily ran out from behind the flower bushes and threw herself at Mia, hugging her legs.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" She looked up, saw the tears on Mia's face, and her little face immediately scrunched up. "Who hurt you?"

Mia quickly wiped her tears and crouched down, forcing a smile. "No one hurt Mommy, sweetheart. I just—got sand in my eyes."

"Liar!" Lily put her hands on her hips, looking like a little adult. "Mommy's lying!"

Lily turned her head, her gaze moving past Mia's shoulder to land on me.

Those gray-blue eyes—my eyes—stared at me with a scrutiny beyond her years.

Then she ran toward me.

"You!" She stood in front of me, looking up, little finger pointing at my nose. "Did you hurt Mommy?"

"I—"

"You did!" She interrupted, tears pooling in her eyes. "Mommy never cries! She only cries when she watches cartoons! You must have done something really, really bad!"

"Lily—" Mia tried to pull her back.

But Lily shook off her hand and continued glaring at me with those tear-filled eyes.

"You're a bad person!" she said, voice breaking. "I don't want to play with you anymore! Go away!"

She turned and ran back to Mia, hugging her legs, burying her face in her dress.

"Mommy, let's go," she said, voice muffled. "We don't want to stay with bad people."

Mia picked her up without looking at me.