Page 71 of The Possessive Alpha’s Reborn Luna

"Then what was it?" Adrian laughed coldly. "Do you love her, Cedric? Do you really love her?"

"I do!" The answer left my mouth without hesitation.

I loved her. I loved her so much that when I lost her, I wanted to die. I loved her so much that every second without her felt unbearable. I loved her so much that she was the only thought in my mind every moment of every day.

Just then—

A faint sound came from the bed. Adrian and I turned around at the same time.

Alice slowly opened her eyes. Those eyes looked especially beautiful and distant beneath the moonlight.

She stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment. Then she slowly turned her head. Her gaze landed on my face.

The next second—

Her pupils suddenly contracted. Her already pale face became even whiter. She looked as if she had seen something terrifying.

"Cedric?" Her voice trembled. She immediately moved backward, curling herself beneath the blankets. Her entire body shook violently. "What are you doing here?"

That fear.

That rejection.

It made my heart contract painfully.

She was afraid of me. She thought I was going to hurt her.

"Alice..." I instinctively stepped forward.

Adrian immediately stepped between us. He gently held her hand. "Alice, don't be afraid. I'm here. I'll protect you."

"Adrian..." Her voice trembled.

Her fingers gripped his sleeve tightly, as if it was the only thing keeping her alive.

That scene pierced my eyes. She relied on him. She trusted him. In front of him, she looked so fragile. So desperate for protection.

But she should have been relying on me. She should have been holding onto my sleeve. Not his.

Yet I understood. All of this was my fault. I was the one who pushed her away with my own hands. I wanted to move closer. I wanted to tell her I would never hurt her. I only wanted to know that she was okay. I only wanted to hold her and feel her warmth again.

"Don't come closer!" She suddenly screamed. Her eyes were filled with fear and hatred. "Weren't you going to kill me? Why are you here? Are you going to try to kill me again? Get out! Get out! I don't want to see you!"

My footsteps stopped. I stood frozen in place. Pain surged through me like a storm. It felt as if my soul shattered in that instant. The air was forced out of my lungs. Even breathing became difficult.

"Alice..." My voice was hoarse. "Please don't be afraid of me. Just listen to me, okay?"

I sounded almost like I was begging. "That day, I went to find you. I really did. When I heard you calling for me, I immediately went after you. But those white witches trapped me with magic. They used a formation to cut off the bond between us. I heard you calling for help. I answered you. I told you to wait for me. But they held me back..."

"Even if that's true..." She interrupted me. Her voice trembled. "But what does it change? Cedric... Even if that time was a misunderstanding, what about everything before that? You never chose me."

Alice's voice tightened, carrying both accusation and pain. "Not once. Every single time, you chose Victoria. You never even truly believed me."

"I'm sorry..." I fell to my knees beside her bed. I looked at her with desperate pleading in my eyes. The tears I had been holding back finally broke free, falling uncontrollably down my face.

"Alice... this was all my fault. I shouldn't have doubted you. I shouldn't have let you suffer through all of that. I'll make it up to you. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it... Even if you want my life."

"Does an apology actually change anything?" She looked down at me coldly. "Cedric, what can your apology bring back? Can it erase all the pain I suffered? Can it bring back the life that our baby and I almost lost?"