Chapter 146

Maeve’s POV

Could I truly be losing Xaden?

The thought didn’t sit right in my belly. I couldn’t fathom the thought of him hating me so much that he couldn’t even spend 5 minutes talking to me. One minute he seemed like things were fine, and the next minute he was cold and distant. Charlotte kept telling me to give him some time and that he would come around. But I can see it in her eyes that she’s also worried for her brother.

He’s upset and rightfully so… but I need him to believe that I would never betray him. I wouldn’t lie to him… I would never stray to another. But it seemed he was borderline straying to another himself.

I sat curled up in the living room, staring at my phone with a frown. I scrolled through the many comments on the posts about Xaden and Princess Mia.

“What a beautiful couple!”

“Way better than that other girl he was seen with!”

“I’m so happy that they found one another!”

My vision blurred with tears. I needed to speak with him about this. But he left early this morning even after telling me would talk in the morning.

“Miss Maeve, perhaps you should put the phone down,” Maggie said as she joined me in the living room. “It’s not healthy to stare at it for so long and it’s doing you no good.”

I nodded and placed my phone beside me on the couch, but I kept my eyes fixed on my hands, tugging at my fingers nervously. I couldn’t get my dream last night out of my head. Even while I held our son in my arms, Xaden still couldn’t see me. Or he was pretending not to see me… this dream was different than the others because I didn’t hear the same voice. It was like she was trying to show me something instead.

Could it truly mean that I’m losing him?

I can feel him slipping further away and I’m desperately trying to hold onto him, but it seems my attempts are futile. The more I hang onto the small hope there is between us, the more he seems to wander towards Princess Mia. I bit my lip as more tears slipped down my cheeks.

Maggie sighed and sat beside me; she reached over and grabbed a hold of my hands with her warm ones.

“You are a strong woman,” she told me gently. “I was wrong about you initially, and I apologize for that. But Miss Maeve, don’t let Xaden’s words and actions bring you down. He will come around eventually, and things will be normal again.”

“I heard that Princess Mia ended her engagement with Lucas,” I whispered. “She wants Xaden.”

“And Xaden wants you,” Maggie reassured me. “You are his fated mate and the mother of his child.”

“Right now, he doesn’t think I’m either,” I said softly. “He doesn’t believe me.”

“Then prove him wrong,” she told me.

I looked up at her and I saw how serious her eyes were. It gave me a small confident boost and I nodded. Maggie smiled before she stood to her feet.

“I’ll make you some tea,” she told me before retreating to the kitchen.

I sighed and leaned back on the couch; I stared up at the ceiling replaying Maggie’s words.

Prove him wrong.

A few minutes later, my phone rang. I reached over and grabbed it, sitting straight up when I saw the familiar number of my doctor’s office. I immediately accepted the call and pressed the phone to my cheek.

“Hello?”

“Hello, am I speaking to Maeve?” the doctor asked on the other end.

“Yes, this is her,” I replied. “It’s good to hear from you, Doctor.”

“I’m calling because I have your test results. I’m going to fax them to you immediately. But Maeve, it seems you were correct. The first test you did wasn’t the truth. Faulty paternity tests are very rare… but I suppose it could happen.”

“What are you saying, doctor?” I asked my heart practically in my throat.

“I’m saying that they came back positive. Xaden is the father of your child.”

My heart hammered in my chest wildly.

I already knew this information, but the idea of having proof was too much for me and I immediately started to cry.

Were my troubles finally over? Could I show Xaden the proof and things will go back to normal again?

“I’m not entirely sure why your first results came back negative. But I can look into it and find out what went wrong,” the doctor told me.

I nodded, momentarily forgetting that she couldn’t see me.

“That would be great, thank you,” I sniffled.

Maggie walked back into the room with a platter of tea and when she saw me crying, a worried frown spread across her face.

“I’m glad to be able to give you some good news,” the doctor continued. “The results have been faxed to you. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me. I’ll see you next week for your appointment.”

“Thank you again,” I said as more tears slipped down my cheeks.

When I hung up, Maggie set the tea platter on the coffee table, that worried frown still marring her lips.

“Miss Maeve, what’s wrong? Why are you crying now?” She asked me as she sat back on the couch.

“Oh, Maggie! It’s wonderful!” I cried as I jumped to my feet.

I hurried out of the living room with Maggie calling after me. I ignored her because I needed to get to the fax machine in Xaden’s home office. I opened the door and rushed to the machine across the room. Sure enough, the results were lying on top of the printer. I grabbed them and glanced them over, my heart still hammering. Though I trusted the doctor’s words, seeing the results felt like another level.

A smile spread across my face as I read the paper and then I quickly rushed out of the room and back into the living room. Maggie was still seated on the couch, staring at the door with a worried expression, but she jumped when I ran into the room.

“The results, Maggie,” I said, showing them to her. “They are positive. Xaden is the father!”

Maggie read over the results with a grin and then she looked up at me, tears glistening in her own eyes. She knew that my troubles were about to come to an end and Xaden and I would once again be a happy couple.

“I never doubted you, Maeve,” she told me.

“I must get to the palace right away and tell him the good news,” I said as I rushed out of the room, completely ignoring the tea she set out for me.

I spent time carefully getting dressed despite how eager I was to get to the palace. I wanted Xaden to see me beautiful and I felt like I had to compete when it came to Princess Mia. I wanted to feel and look good when I showed him and his father these results so they would both know that I wasn’t a liar and that this baby was in fact Xaden’s.

Once I finished getting dressed, I went straight to the palace. My heart was still hammering in my chest but this time, it was out of excitement and anticipation for what was about to occur. I was so certain that Xaden would take me in his arms and kiss me deeply for all to see.

My cheeks flushed at the very thought.

As I reached the front foyer of the palace, I noticed some dirty looks from the palace workers, which wasn’t unusual. I tried my best to ignore them, but I was soon stopped by a familiar presence. I froze when Isabelle stood in front of me with her arms folded across her chest.

“You weren’t supposed to be here today,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me.

I had to stifle an eye roll of my own as I glared back at her.

“I’m here to see Xaden,” I told her.

She smirked.

“Well, he’s busy right now with Princess Mia. I’m sure you’ve seen the news articles by now. They are such a happy couple,” she told me with a chuckle.

“He’s still my fiancé, Isabelle,” I told her.

She gave me a fake pout.

“Oh, he hasn’t told you yet? I overheard him speaking to his father about the wedding. He’s agreed to marry her. It doesn’t surprise me; they spend so much time together. The other night I saw him entering her bedroom and he didn’t leave until the next morning. I wonder what they were doing in her room all night…”

My heart sank deep into my stomach.

She had to be lying. Xaden would never do that to me.

She took my stunned silence as a way to continue beating me into the ground.

“I’m sure you’ve been smelling her scent all over him lately. There’s a reason for that,” she continued. “Has he even been sleeping in the same bed as you?”

How did she know that? I was numb and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

“There’s a reason the media released that story,” she said, stepping closer to me. “Because they can see exactly what is happening. He’s in love with her and he’s going to marry—”

“Just shut up, Isabelle!”

The voice came from me, but it didn’t sound like it did. I was furious and red was all I saw at that moment.

“You have no idea what you are talking about. Xaden would never betray me,” I said through my teeth. “He’s my mate!”

She smirked and stepped away from me.

“See for yourself… he’s in the garden with Mia,” she told me, motioning for me to go ahead.

Without a single word more, I ran past her and towards the gardens in the back of the palace. I burst through the doors and ran down the back patio steps. I ran through the plush green field until I reached the Queen’s gardens. I could see Xaden and Mia walking through the red roses. Mia was chuckling at something he had said, and he looked at peace… way more at peace than he had these last few days. It made my chest tighten.

He said something else and then grinned at her; she looked puzzled by his words, but she cleared her throat and said something in return. As I got closer, I caught wind of what she asked him and my entire body froze as I waited for his response.

“Assuming this baby isn’t yours… do you desire to have children?” She asked him.

I felt my heart crack; he told her about our troubles?

What else did this woman know?

“If I were to have children it would simply be out of duty,” he replied indifferently. “It would only be because I am a royal and have a duty to my kingdom to produce an heir.”

And just like that, my whole entire heart shattered.