Betrayed by My Ex, Marked by His Alpha Emperor Brother

Chapter 182

Kaelen’s POV

The transmission stone buzzed in my hand. Sylvia’s voice came through, crisp and professional.

"Confirmed for Saturday at half past one, Your Majesty. I’ll be ready."

Your Majesty.

I tossed the stone onto the desk. It skidded across the surface and clattered against a stack of reports.

What the hell am I doing?

I dragged both hands down my face. Leaned back in the chair. Stared at the ceiling.

This was a children’s party. A birthday celebration for Cassian’s daughter. Cake, ribbons, screaming toddlers. And I’d just invited a woman I barely knew outside of council chambers to play—what, exactly? Family friend? Social buffer? Fake companion to a man whose actual mate had vanished years ago?

My wolf stirred. Restless. Disapproving.

I ignored him.

---

Saturday noon came too fast.

I stood in front of the mirror in my dressing room. Navy blue button-down. Sleeves rolled to the elbows. No crest, no insignia. Just a man taking his children to a party. That was the goal.

Normal.

Simple.

I almost laughed.

"Lyra! Valerius! Downstairs. Now."

Lyra appeared first. She’d dressed herself—a fact made obvious by the crooked buttons on her pink sparkle summer dress and the flower sandals on the wrong feet.

"Daddy, look!" She twirled. The skirt flared out around her knees. "I’m a princess."

"You are." I crouched down, switched her shoes to the correct feet. "A princess who needs help with her buttons."

She giggled and held still while I fixed them. Then she grabbed my face with both hands and pressed her nose against mine.

"Is Auntie Sylvia coming today?"

I blinked. "Auntie Sylvia?"

"The pretty lady from the stone! You said she’s coming to the party!"

I hadn’t told her that. Which meant she’d been eavesdropping. Again.

"Her name is Sylvia. And she’s just—"

"AUNTIE SYLVIA!" Lyra shrieked. She released my face and bolted down the hallway, flower sandals slapping the stone floor. "VAL! DADDY’S BRINGING AUNTIE SYLVIA!"

I stood there. Pinched the bridge of my nose.

Valerius appeared at the top of the stairs. He wore the khaki trousers and polo shirt I’d laid out for him. His glasses were clean. A Chapter book was tucked under his arm.

He looked at me. Said nothing.

"Ready?" I asked.

"I don’t want to go."

"I know."

"I especially don’t want to meet your girlfriend."

"She’s not my girlfriend."

His expression didn’t change. Flat. Unimpressed. Eyes like dark gold coins behind those lenses.

"Then why is she coming?"

"Because I asked her to help with Lyra."

"I can help with Lyra."

"You can barely help with yourself lately."

That was harsher than I’d intended. His jaw tightened. He looked away.

I exhaled. "Val—"

"She’s still not Mother." He said it quietly. No anger. Just fact. Cold and clean and final. Then he walked past me and down the stairs without another word.

---

Half past one. I pulled the carriage up in front of Sylvia’s fashionable city-center apartment building. Iron balconies and climbing ivy.

Lyra was kneeling on the front seat, nose pressed to the window. "Which one is hers, Daddy?"

"Sit down properly."

"But which ONE—"

The building door opened.

Sylvia stepped out.

Red silk dress. The fabric caught the afternoon light and moved like water against her frame. Her heels added three inches to her height. Dark hair swept over one shoulder. She looked like she was arriving at a diplomatic reception, not a children’s outdoor party.

Lyra gasped. Actually gasped. Hands pressed to her cheeks.

"She’s SO PRETTY, Daddy."

Valerius didn’t look up from his book.

Sylvia reached the carriage. I stepped down. Opened the door for her.

"Kaelen." She smiled. Warm, measured, exactly calibrated. "Thank you for the ride."

"Thank you for coming."

She glanced into the carriage. Lyra was vibrating with excitement. Sylvia’s smile widened—and this one looked almost genuine.

"Well, hello there. You must be Lyra."

"I’M THREE AND A HALF," Lyra announced. "Almost four! My birthday is in six months and Daddy said I can have a cake shaped like a wolf and I have NEW SHOES—" She thrust one foot into the air. "Daddy bought them. They have FLOWERS."

Sylvia climbed in and settled beside her. "Those are the most beautiful sandals I’ve ever seen."

"You can borrow them if you want. But not the left one because it has a scratch."

"That’s very generous. I’ll keep that in mind."

Lyra beamed. Then she leaned in conspiratorially. "Are you Daddy’s special friend?"

"I’m Daddy’s colleague. We work together."

"Oh." Lyra considered this. Then shrugged. "Okay. But you can still be Auntie Sylvia."

Sylvia glanced at me. I kept my eyes on the road.

In the back seat, Valerius turned a page. He hadn’t looked up once.

---

The outdoor venue was sprawling. Banners. Streamers. Tables covered in bright cloths. Children were already running across the grass in packs. Parents stood in clusters, drinks in hand.

Sylvia stepped down from the carriage and slipped her arm through mine. Smooth. Natural. Like she’d done it a hundred times.

I stiffened.

Before I could pull away—

"Chief!"

A broad-shouldered man was striding toward us. Sir Aldric. One of my senior knights. Good fighter. Terrible sense of boundaries. His wife trailed behind him, holding a toddler on one hip.

Aldric clapped a hand against my forearm. Grinning like an idiot. Then his eyes landed on Sylvia. On her arm linked through mine. On the red dress.

His grin widened.

"Well, well, well." He looked between us. "Who’s this?"

"Sylvia Vance," Sylvia said before I could speak. She extended her free hand. "A pleasure."

Aldric shook it. But his eyes were on me. Knowing. Delighted.

"So you’re the girlfriend."

"She’s not—"

"About time, Chief! Cassian owes me a bet. I told him you’d bring someone before the end of the season."

"She is NOT my girlfriend—"

Aldric’s wife stepped forward. She was studying Sylvia with open appreciation. "You two make a very photogenic couple. Magazine-cover material, honestly." She tilted her head. "How long have you been together?"

"We’re not together," I said. Flat. Final.

Sylvia’s smile flickered. Just for an instant—a hairline fracture in the porcelain. Then it smoothed over.

"He’s right," she said lightly. "I’m just helping a friend with the children today. Nothing romantic."

She released my arm. The motion was graceful, unhurried. But I caught the way her fingers curled at her side. The briefest clench before she relaxed them.

Aldric looked at me. Looked at Sylvia. Looked back at me.

He didn’t believe a word of it.

"Whatever you say, Chief." He clapped my shoulder. "Either way, glad you came. Riley’s been looking forward to seeing you. Come on, let’s get you all something to drink."