If not for my stepmom, I’d have gone crazy already. She was the one handling everything with this calm, bossy confidence like she’d been waiting her whole life to throw me the perfect royal wedding. And honestly? I was grateful. I really was.
She didn’t let me lift a finger and kept saying, “You’re the bride, you’re not supposed to be stressed. Just show up , look stunning, and say I do.”
Killian, on the other hand, was swamped. Ever since he officially became Alpha King, he’d been buried in documents and decisions and more paper than I’d ever seen in my life. Council meetings, alliance proposals, pack integrations… it was a lot. But Logan, Steve, and Richard were always by his side. They made things easier for him. I always saw one of them walking in or out of his office with thick folders in their hands and this exhausted look on their faces like they hadn’t slept in days.
One time, I overheard Killian talking on the phone in his office. He was discussing something about imprisoning Alpha Cassian, saying they’d finally caught him in Vegas, and Killian wasn’t going to let him go unpunished. Cynthia was still serving her jail term too, and the three men who murdered my mom? They were dead. Killian didn’t go into details, but from what I knew… the deaths weren’t peaceful. They begged for death after what Killian did to them. He said Dorian and Cassian were still in the prison, rotting there until further notice.
Anyway, today I was following my stepmom for my dress fitting. We were at this very high-end bridal store, and I was already halfway through trying out a third gown while my phone buzzed in my purse. I checked the screen and froze.
Betty.
My heart did this weird jump. Betty was my college best friend. Back when I ran away from home and decided to go back to school to get a diploma even with my pregnancy, Betty was the one who helped me the most. When I gave birth and was raising Ryan alone, juggling multiple jobs, and trying to pass exams, she… she made it easier. She would help babysit Ryan, sometimes even cook dinner when I was too exhausted to do anything. Betty was an orphan, so we bonded quickly, both of us carrying this heavy kind of sadness. We were friends for five years, and then she got married and moved to another country with her husband. I hadn’t seen her since, but we kept in touch once in a while.
I smiled and quickly picked the call, already excited to hear her voice.
“Hello? Betty?”
But it wasn’t her.
“Hello, is this Miss Liana Rivers?”
I sat down immediately, my heart suddenly feeling tight. “Yes. Who is this?”
The woman on the line spoke calmly, politely, but I could hear something serious in her voice. “My name is Mrs. Amanda. I work at the St. Gertrude’s Orphanage. I’m so sorry to call you like this but… there’s something very important I need to discuss with you.”
I swallowed. “Is this about Betty?”
There was a pause. Then the woman’s voice softened. “Yes. I’m so sorry to inform you… but Betty and her husband were involved in a car accident. They didn’t survive.”
Everything inside me just went still.
No.
No. No. No.
“What… what do you mean they didn’t survive?” My throat felt dry and I was already shaking.
“I know this is very hard to hear,” she continued gently, “but the car crash was fatal. It happened last week. Betty’s husband died on the spot and Betty passed away two days later in the hospital.”
Tears rushed to my eyes immediately. I gripped the edge of the chair like my body needed something to hold me up.
Betty was dead? No. It didn’t make sense.
“What about her… her baby,” I whispered.
“That’s the main reason I needed to speak with you. The baby survived. She’s safe. And… Betty left something very important behind. A message. For you. She named you as the child’s guardian in her emergency file.”
I gasped. My hand flew to my chest. “Me?”
“Yes. I’d really appreciate it if we could meet in person. There’s a lot I need to explain. And I believe… you deserve to hear what Betty wanted to say.”
I was still wearing the third wedding dress, the tailor was calling my name, my stepmom was trying to get my attention about something with the veil, but all I could focus on was the fact that my best friend was gone, and her baby… her baby was alive and waiting for me.
“I’ll come,” I said quickly. “Send me the location. I’ll come right now.”
I turned to my stepmom and told her what happened. Her face changed immediately, softening into something I couldn’t even describe.
“Go,” she said. “I’ll finish everything here. Just go.”
I nodded, wiped my tears, grabbed my phone and purse, and ran out. I didn’t even wait for the car. I just flagged down the nearest taxi and gave the driver the address.
It was almost thirty minutes later when the cab stopped.
And the moment I stepped out and saw what I saw…
A tear slipped down my cheek.
LIANA’S POV
The woman was already sitting in the café, holding a tiny little girl in her arms, and as I got closer, I could see her clearly. She looked barely two years old, if even that. She had round cheeks, chubby little hands, and curly dark hair tied into two puffs. And her eyes… God, her eyes were Betty’s. The second I saw her, I stopped walking and just stood there, frozen. My heart was beating so fast, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
The woman stood up when she saw me and looked almost relieved. “Are you Miss Liana? Ryan’s mom?” she asked gently.
“Yes,” I said, nodding quickly while trying to keep my emotions together.
She gave me a small, kind smile and sat back down. “I’m Mrs. Amanda. I’m the matron from the St. Gertrude’s Orphanage. Thank you for coming. Please sit.”
I didn’t even sit yet, I just crouched down slowly in front of the little girl. I stretched out my hands and smiled, and to my shock, she walked straight into my arms with no fear and hesitation. As I lifted her up and hugged her tight, the tears came rushing down.
“Hi, sweetheart,” I whispered shakily, “What’s your name?”
She blinked those big brown eyes and said, “I’m Anna.”
That was it. I cried so hard while holding her tiny body against my chest. She looked exactly like Betty. I could see her in every part of this child.
Mrs. Amanda quietly reached into her bag and pulled out a brown envelope. “This was left for you. It’s from Betty … before she passed. She wanted you to have it.”
I sat down opposite her slowly, still holding Anna in my arms, and opened the file with trembling hands. Inside was a handwritten letter. I could tell it was Betty’s handwriting the second I saw it. My heart dropped, and I started reading.
Dear Liana,
If you’re reading this, it means I didn’t make it.
I don’t even know where to start. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry for dropping this on you like this. You’ve always been the strongest person I knew. You were the only person who treated me like family when I had no one. You were there for me when the world felt too cruel, and now I need one last favor from you.
My daughter, Anna, she’s all I have left. My husband and I were involved in a terrible car crash, he didn’t survive, and I… I’m not too sure I will survive it too. Daniel and I are orphans, we don’t have anyone in this world. No parents. No siblings. No relatives. Just you.
Please, Liana… please take care of her like she’s yours. I know it’s too much to ask, but I’m begging you. She’s a good girl. She’s sweet. I want her to grow up loved, safe, and protected. And you’re the only one I trust with that.
In this envelope, there’s a card. It’s Anna’s trust fund. The password is 0504, her birthday. It’s not much, but we saved every little we could for Anna’s future. For her school, her health, her everything. I just… I never thought I wouldn’t be around to give it to her myself.
Thank you for being my sister when I had no one. I love you, Liana. Please let her forget me.
Love,
Betty.
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