By the time my father arrived at the scene, he had already mobilized a team of the country’s top doctors, ensuring they were ready for immediate intervention.
It was my elder brother, Felix, who pried open the car door to pull me from the wreckage. The sight of the driver’s lifeless body was grim, and when my father saw my battered form, anguish washed over him.
Cradled firmly in my father’s arms, I was rushed to the hospital’s emergency unit.
“Sir… the princess’s pulse is extremely weak,” the lead doctor began cautiously. “It appears she may have been involved in an accident previously, and there are signs she’s undergone surgery… also—”
“Also what?” my brother Jake’s voice thundered across the room, cutting through the tense atmosphere.
The doctor hesitated before admitting, “Prince, it seems the princess had already suffered a miscarriage prior to this accident. At the moment, she is not stable enough for surgery. The most viable option is to attempt electroshock to revive her pulse.”
With my father’s approval, the medical team acted immediately.
“But Father, what if—” my brother started nervously.
“There is no room for ‘what ifs,’” my father interrupted firmly, eyes blazing with determination. “Liora is my daughter. She will survive this—she must, for all of us.”
My mother, Queen Elena, gripped my father’s arm tightly. Though tears threatened to spill from her eyes, there was a fierce resolve within them.
“She called me,” my father murmured, his voice breaking for the first time in years. “Just before the crash… she sounded terrified… terrified and alone.”
“My daughter, my precious Liora… she thought herself a disappointment. Whoever caused her this pain, I swear, I will make their life worse than death itself!”
Meanwhile, Alaric was gripped by a wave of unease, an unfamiliar anxiety gnawing at him. He intended to call me to ensure I had reached home safely, but Camilla intercepted him.
“You should let Liora cool down. She must have reached home by now,” Camilla suggested.
“If I give in now,” Alaric muttered, frowning, “she’ll just get used to throwing tantrums whenever she wants.”
The next morning, Alaric summoned the house staff immediately.
“Hello? Is Liora still asleep? Why isn’t she picking up my calls? Put her on the line! I’m at her favorite café—ask what she wants!”
“But Alpha, Luna did not return last night,” the maid replied hesitantly. Alaric felt a sharp pang in his chest, but quickly reasoned that she might be at the office, refusing to answer his calls because of last night’s argument.
“Is this Sarah, Liora’s supervisor?” Alaric asked, his tone clipped.
“Yes,” Sarah responded, startled to hear the sudden call from him.
“Please, I need to speak to Liora. How can she be so irresponsible not to contact me even once?”
“I… I’m not sure what you mean, Alpha. Liora didn’t come to the office today,” Sarah explained.
Alaric’s confidence began to crumble. “Wait… she isn’t home either?”
Panic clawed at him as a sudden flash of news lit up the café’s television screen.
The bold headline caught Alaric’s attention immediately:
PRINCESS Liora IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER DEVASTATING ACCIDENT
At that precise moment, Alaric received a conference call from Camilla and his mother. Camilla’s sobs filled the line as his mother tried to console her.
“Alaric, the banquet has been canceled. The pack elders refused to attend when the royal princess is fighting for her life. Camilla is heartbroken—”
“I don’t care!” Alaric snapped, his patience finally breaking. “The banquet means nothing if I can’t even find my wife!”
“What? Where is Liora? To think she could vanish like this, especially while carrying your child… Alaric, you should never have married that orphan in the first place…” His mother’s words faded into nothing as the phone slipped from his grasp.
A chill ran through his veins when the TV broadcast switched to an old family photograph.
The king and queen were seated regally on their thrones, their two sons standing dutifully by their sides, and a small child perched on the king’s lap. The image reflected the princess’s pampered life, untouched by the harsh realities of the world outside.
Yet Alaric’s eyes froze as he noticed the striking resemblance—both the princess in the photo and his wife shared the same golden-blonde hair streaked with black, and, most unsettlingly, both were named Liora.
