Ch. 276..280: Reclaiming My Broken Luna Chapter 276-280

Chapter 276: Stuck with Him

Astrid's

POV

I held back the tears burning in my eyes, refusing to let them fall. I couldn't cry in front of Drystan, not

now.

This wasn't about me-it was about him, about setting him free. He needed to see that I wasn't the one for him, that holding onto me would only bring him misery.

I looked at him, my heart breaking as I saw the pain in his eyes, the confusion, the hurt I'd caused by not being honest sooner.

It felt like the walls were closing in on me, but I had to stay strong. He deserved better than this. Better than me.

"Drystan," I whispered, my voice trembling despite my best efforts. "You deserve a life of your own,

without waiting on me. I don't want you to waste any more time on someone who can't give you what you need. You have to live for yourself before it's too late."

He didn't respond right away, just stared at me, his fists clenched at his sides. I could see the battle raging inside him, the hurt colliding with the realization that I was right.

It was like watching him slowly fall apart, and knowing I was the cause tore me apart more than I'd ever admit.

Without a word, he turned away, his jaw tight, his shoulders tense with anger. I knew he was heartbroken, but this had to be done. I couldn't let him stay in this limbo, waiting for something that would never

happen.

He stormed out, but I didn't bother to stop him. I stared at his back as he retreated away without turning back.

As I remained in the garden, the weight of everything pressing down on me, my knees nearly gave way. The world felt impossibly heavy, and for a moment, I could barely stand.

The soft rustling of leaves startled me, and I instinctively turned, my heart foolishly hoping it was Drystan coming back. But it wasn't.

Instead, Killian stood at the edge of the shadows, his gaze fixed on me. The intensity in his dark eyes cut through the gloom, sending a strange, unsettling warmth through me.

I hadn't expected anyone-least of all him to appear now.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice quiet but filled with concern. He stepped forward, his figure moving gracefully through the garden's soft moonlight. "Why are you all alone out here?"

I could only shake my head at first, unable to find the words.

"Drystan left in a rush," Killian continued, his brows furrowing. "He didn't say a word. I came to find you after he stormed off."

I looked away, the ache in my chest sharp and relentless. "I had to let him go," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "It was the right thing to do. He deserves better than this... better than me."

Killian was silent for a moment, and I could feel his gaze burning into me, studying me as though he could see straight through the walls I had built.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost gentle. "And who told you that you don't deserve better, too?"

I froze, taken aback by the quiet intensity in his words. I stared at him, but his eyes were staring at

somewhere far. "It's not about what I deserve," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. "This is about what's best for him."

"And what about you, Astrid?" His voice was softer now, the old familiar tone slipping back in. "What do you deserve?"

My brows furrowed at his words.

Killian took another step closer, his expression hardening slightly. “You always do that, don't you?" he said, his voice tinged with frustration. "You sacrifice yourself for everyone else, thinking it'll make things easier. But has it ever occurred to you that maybe you're wrong? That maybe Drystan didn't want to be saved

from you?"

His words struck me like a blow, and I took a shaky breath, struggling to keep my emotions in check. "It's not that simple, Killian. I'm trying to do what's right."

"It never is simple with you," he muttered, his voice suddenly hard, frustration creeping in. "You always sacrifice yourself for everyone else. You think if you step aside, you'l make things better for them. But have you ever stopped to consider What you might want?"

I turned to him then, meeting his gaze head-on. The raw emotion in his eyes unnerved me, something deep and unspoken flickering in the darkness. "You don't understand," I said softly. "This is the only way to keep him from getting hurt. What I want doesn't matter."

"When you and I were still married, I wasn't a loving husband to you. I always thought you deserved someone better

Killian took another step closer, his voice hardening. "So you're just going to keep doing this? Keep sacrificing yourself for everyone else? Pushing them away because you think it'll make their lives easier?" The frustration in his voice made me turn to him, finally meeting his gaze. His eyes, shadowed by the past we shared, were filled with something I hadn't expected-regret.

And it stung more than I wanted to admit. "I'm not sacrificing myself. I'm doing what's best for him."

He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Is that what you also thought when you forced me to divorce you?"

His words hit me hard, bringing back all the old pain, all the bitterness that had lingered between us.

I looked away, the memories of our failed marriage too close, too raw. "That was different, Killian. We weren't good for each other."

"We weren't good for each other because I wasn't good to you," he corrected, his voice tight, but honest.

"I was a lousy husband, and I know it. You deserved better, Astrid. You always did."

I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of his words, the truth that I had buried so deep. "That's right. I know that. I've always known that. You don't have to remind me."

My voice trembled, but it wasn't just from anger. It was the pain I had been trying to suppress for so long, the pain of knowing that he hadn't been enough for me, and that somehow, even after all this time, I still wasn't free of him.

 

Chapter 277: Unspoken Words

Astrid's POV

I glanced at him, my chest tightening. "But why does it always have to be you?"

Killian frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

I shook my head, the words I had been too afraid to admit bubbling up. "I couldn't love Drystan. Not fully. Not the way he deserves to be loved. And do you know why?" I asked him as he stared at me cluelessly. "Because I'm still stuck on you, Killian. You're the ghost I can't shake. You're always there, lingering in the back of my mind," I blurted out before I could stop myself.

He stood there, stunned into silence. For a moment, I thought he might walk away, say nothing, but he didn't. He stayed, and it only made the ache in my chest worse.

"I tried, you know? I tried to love Drystan the way I was supposed to. But every time, I felt like I was betraying something... or someone. And that someone was you." My voice broke then, and I couldn't stop the tears that filled my eyes.

"Even though you hurt me, even though you weren't the husband I needed, I still couldn't move on. I still can't," I burrowed my face to my hands. I felt so pathetic in front of him, that I couldn't bring myself to face him.

Killian's face softened, but there was guilt behind his eyes, a deep regret that he tried to keep hidden but couldn't anymore. "Astrid... I never meant to keep you trapped like this. I thought... I thought letting you go was the best thing for you."

"You did let me go," I whispered, my voice shaking. "But I couldn't let you go. And I hate that about myself. I hate that I still carry you with me when I know you've probably moved on. And now, I'm the one who can't move forward."

Killian's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. He took a slow breath before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper. "You think I've moved on? You think I don't feel the same weight every day?"

I stared at him, the surprise evident in my eyes. "What are you saying? You married Giselle. You're in love with her. You were a good and loyal husband to her, Killian. I've seen it with my own eyes. You took her out on dates, held her hand in public. You even had a son with her."

My voice wavered as the pain of those memories resurfaced. "Even though you were tempted to sleep with me, you still managed to stop yourself out of your love for her. How could you say you haven't moved on?"

Killian shook his head slowly, his face dark with regret. "You don't understand," he said, his voice thick with something I couldn't quite place. "It was never love, Astrid. Not with Giselle."

I blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean? You married her, Killian. You had a child together."

"I married her out of obligation," he confessed, his voice growing rougher with each word. "I didn't love

her. I never did. I cared for her, yes, but love? No. I didn't marry her because of some great passion, some overwhelming need to be with her. I married her because I felt like I had no choice."

I stepped back, the shock of his words hitting me hard. "What are you talking about? You had a son with her. You built a life with her."

He ran a hand through his hair, his expression pained. "I know. And I've asked myself a thousand times how it even happened. I don't even remember the night we conceived our son."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You don't remember? You're telling me you don't even know when you got her pregnant?"

Killian's eyes were full of guilt as he shook his head. "It was an accident, a mistake. I tried to explain it to you many times but you never believed me. You were so convinced that I was in love with Giselle."

"It was because "I spoke, but Killian interrupted me.

"I know... I was an asshole. How could you not be convinced when I never gave you any reason to trust me, to believe my words?"

I remained silent, my eyes wide in

disbelief as I stared at him, so he continued. "In the back of my mind, every single day. I couldn't shake you. I thought being with Giselle would make it easier, that it would help me move on. But it never did."

I felt a strange mix of emotions

swirling inside me-anger, confusion, and something that almost felt like relief. "So what was all of it then? The dates, the marriage, the family? Was it all just some... obligation to you?"

Killian's voice dropped, filled with regret. "It was for my son. Even though all of it was a mistake, I couldn't let my own son suffer. I did all that because I want to give my son the family he deserves. Att of this I have been doing for him."

I scoffed and took a step back as the truth sank in, the pieces falling into place like a cruel puzzle I had refused to see until now."

For your son," I repeated, the bitterness in my voice unmistakable. "Of course. You did all of this for him. How about my son?"

Killian's eyes darkened with regret, but he didn't argue. He couldn't as he watches me break in front of

me.

And then, suddenly, the memory of Killian's trusted attendant came rushing back to me. She had tried to tell me this before, hadn't she?

She had stood in front of me, her eyes full of sympathy, warning me about this very thing.

"He doesn't love her, Astrid," she'd said. "Killian only married Giselle for the sake of the child. He's just doing what he thinks is right for his son."

But I hadn't believed her. Not then. I had convinced myself she was wrong,

And now, standing here in the garden, hearing the very same truth from Killian's own lips, there's nothing left for me to deny it.

'How funny is this?' I thought to myself. Killian has been doing all of this for his son, while I came here to ruin his life for the sake of my son too.

 

 

Chapter 278: Unforgettable Love

Killian's POV

I walked into my office, the door closing with a soft thud behind me, and for a moment, I just stood there in the silence.

The conversation I'd just had with Astrid echoed in my head like a storm that wouldn't settle.

It was as if the weight I'd been carrying for years had finally been lifted off my shoulders, but in its place

was something else a heaviness that sank deeper into my chest, pressing down like a weight I couldn't escape.

I had told her. After all this time, I had finally told her the truth.

The truth I'd buried for years, the one I thought would protect her. The truth that I never loved Giselle-not

in the way a man should love his wife. That everything I did, I did for my son.

I had tried to be a good father, to keep the family intact for him, even though every day felt like I was living a lie.

Astrid finally knew that now.

She knew why I had kept my distance, why I had pushed her away, why I had tried to convince myself that leaving her behind was the right thing.

I thought that by telling her, I'd feel some kind of relief. And in a way, I did. But it wasn't the kind of relief I'd hoped for. It was more like a release from a prison I'd built for myself, only to realize I'd been dragging her into that same prison all along.

I sank into the chair behind my desk, running a hand through my hair. The office felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in on me.

I had told her, and now she knew the truth. The truth that I had kept from her, hoping she could live a life free of me, free of the mistakes I made. But it hadn't worked, had it?

She still couldn't forget me, just like how I still couldn't forget her. Even after all these years. Even after everything that happened between us.

God, I hated myself for that.

Astrid had lived a miserable life when she was married to me. I was a bad husband. No, I was worse than that. I was unloving, selfish. I had convinced myself that I was doing the best I could, but deep down, I knew it wasn't enough.

I wasn't enough. And when Giselle came into the picture - when she got pregnant - I told myself that walking away from Astrid was the right thing to do. That by building a family with Giselle, I was being the man my son needed me to be.

But what kind of man did that make me? I couldn't even remember how it had happened - how I had ended up in a marriage that felt like a prison, with a child I loved but a life I resented.

I didn't deserve Astrid. Not after everything. I never did.

And yet, when she looked at me today, I saw it in her eyes-she still had feelings for me.

She was still in love with me, after all the pain caused her. After all the times let her down, left her in the dark refused to give her what she needed.

How could she still care for me after everything I'd put her through? How could she still look at me like I was someone worth holding on to?

It made the guilt claw at me, deep and relentless. I didn't deserve her love. I had never deserved it.

I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples, the weight of it all crushing me from the inside out.

I had ruined her. I had broken her, piece by piece, and all the while, I had told myself that it was for her own good.

That by pushing her away, I was giving her a chance at happiness-a chance to build a life without me dragging her down.

But she hadn't been happy, had she?

And now I could see the truth in her eyes, the same truth I had been running from all these years. I had done this. I had made her miserable. I had kept her stuck, just like was stuck.

I had been so sure that by staying, with Giselle, by doing my duty as a father, I'll also be paying back what I oweto Astrid for being an unloving husband.

I thought I was making the right choice. But now... now I couldn't help but wonder if I had only made things worse. For everyone.

Everything did. Astrid was still in love with me, and instead of feeling any kind of satisfaction or hope just as I thought I would, I felt nothing but shame.

Shame for the way I had treated her, for the lies I had told myself to justify it, for the fact that she still had any kind of feelings for me at all.

I wanted to go back, to undo everything. To give her the life she deserved the one without me in it. But that wasn't possible, was it?

The damage had already been done. And no matter how much I wished otherwise, I couldn't change the past.

All I could do was live with the regret. With the knowledge that I had broken the one person who had ever truly cared for me.

And now, even though I had finally told her the truth, I knew it was too late.

I wasn't the man she needed. I wasn't the man she deserved. I never had been.

And now, it felt like I never would be.

Chapter 279: Grand Deceit

Killian's POV

I sat in my chair, the weight of guilt still pressing down on me, my mind spiraling with thoughts of Astrid. Regret felt like a physical thing, constricting my chest, refusing to let go. I rubbed my temples, trying to block out the voices in my head, when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

I didn't want to deal with anyone right now. Not after everything. But the knock came again, more insistent. With a sigh, I forced myself to speak.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Beta Ryder stepped in, his face alight with excitement, practically beaming.

I blinked, surprised by the energy radiating from him. He was rarely this enthusiastic, and I wasn't in any mood to deal with whatever news had put him in such a good mood.

"Killian," Ryder began, unable to contain his grin. "I've got something important to tell you."

I tried to mask my exhaustion, but it was a losing battle. "Ryder, now's not really the time="

"No, you'll want to hear this," he cut in, stepping closer. "The results... the DNA test you've been waiting for."

I froze. The DNA test.

In an instant, my fatigue vanished, and I sat up straighter. My heart rate quickened. "The test?"

Ryder nodded, his grin widening. "It's out, and... you're not going to believe this." His voice dropped, almost conspiratorial, drawing out the suspense.

I stared at him, every nerve in my body on edge. "Ryder, just tell me."

He stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "The test came back negative. Giselle isn't Ryker's mother."

For a moment, the words didn't register. I blinked, my mind struggling to process what I'd just heard. "What?"

I grabbed the papers from Ryder's hands and started skimming through it to check if he is saying the truth.

Ryder's smile faltered slightly as he saw the confusion on my face, but he pressed on. "Giselle. She's not Ryker's biological mother. The test came back conclusive. There's no match."

I shot up from my chair, disbelief coursing through me as I stared at the paper showing that Ryker was right. The test came out negative.

"That can't be right," I stammered, my voice rising. "How is that possible? I married her because of him. I My mind raced, a thousand thoughts colliding at once.

"We did a DNA test as soon as Ryker was born, Ryder. I was told Ryker was my son! I married her because I thought she was his mother! How could this be a mistake?"

Ryder shook his head. "I don't know how, but it's true. Giselle isn't related to Ryker."

I staggered back a step, my heart thudding so hard it felt like it might burst from my chest. "She lied," I whispered, the realization hitting me like a freight train. "She tricked me. She lied to me about all of this."

I felt sick, my stomach churning. All these years, I had built a life based on a lie.

I married a woman out of duty, stayed with her, raised a child

—

"my" child because I thought we shared a bond. I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping the family together, but it had all been based on deceit.

"How could she do this?" I muttered, more to myself than to Ryder. "How could she lie about something like this?"

Ryder cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. "That's not all, Killian."

My head snapped up. "What do you mean that's not all?"

"There's something else about the test," he said, his voice dropping lower, more serious now. "The test confirmed that Ryker is your biological son, without a doubt."

I blinked, still reeling from the first revelation. "Of course he is. I've known that-"

"But we still don't know who his mother is," Ryder interrupted, his tone grave. "That's the thing, Killian. Giselle isn't his mother. But someone is.

The room suddenly felt too small,

the air too thick to breathe. My heart pounded in my chest as the full weight of what he was saying hit mef Giselle wasn't Ryker's mother, then... who was?

"Who is she?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "If Giselle isn't his mother, then who is?" Ryder shook his head. "We don't know yet, but we will find out."

My legs felt weak, and I stumbled back to my chair, collapsing into it as the shock of the situation overwhelmed me.

This didn't make any sense. How could I have a son with no mother? Who was the woman who had given birth to him? And why hadn't I known?

I never slept with anyone except for that one night that I couldn't even remember.

I tried to recall what exactly

happened that night, but I couldn't

remember anything. All I know was t woke up with Giselle and I naked I next to each other on bed, that's why I thought something really happened between us.

Since Ryker is my biological son, the real person I had slept with is his real mother.

"I don't understand," I murmured, my mind spinning. "If Giselle isn't his mother, then who is? Who is the woman that I truly slept with?"

A cold realization crept over me, making my blood run cold. Is it Astrid? Was it truly her?

Aside from Giselle, there's no one else claiming that I slept with them except for Astrid, and she was also pregnant.

All this years, Astrid thought that her son is dead. What if Ryker was her real son?

And if that was true, then what happened to Giselle's real child that she carried?

A cold realization crept over me, making my blood run cold. If Giselle had lied about being Ryker's mother, what else had she lied about? How deep did her deception go?

I need to find out the truth.

Because if Ryker was Astrid's son... everything I thought I knew was about to change

 

Chapter 280: Velaris

Killian's POV

"Alpha, what should we do?" Ryder's voice pulled me back from the brink of my spiraling thoughts.

His eyes bore into mine, tense with the weight of what we had just discovered. "What Giselle did... it's worse than treason. We have proof of her betrayal. How should we deal with her?"

My heart raced, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Don't alert her just yet," I said firmly, my voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

Ryder looked at me, his eyes flickering with protest. "But, Alpha-"

I raised a hand to stop him, my voice low but unyielding. "We're barely scratching the surface, Ryder. If Giselle could pull something like this off for years, then we're dealing with something much bigger. There's more to this than we realize."

His jaw clenched as he tried to rein in his frustration, but I could see he understood. "You think there's more she's hiding?"

I let out a slow breath, the weight of my next words heavier than I wanted to admit. "Yes, Ryder. I do. I've been thinking about what happened years ago... that night I slept with someone I couldn't remember. I've been trying to piece it together, but it never made sense."

I paused, meeting his gaze. "Until now."

Ryder frowned, confused. "What are you saying, Alpha?"

I ran a hand through my hair, the frustration bubbling up. "That night... I thought I was just drunk. I thought

the headache, the blacking out - it was all from the alcohol. I drank too much, and I thought that was it."

I hesitated, the words difficult to force out. "But after what happened last night, I'm starting to think it wasn't just the alcohol back then. I wasn't just drunk, Ryder. I think I was drugged.'"

It was the only way to make sense of it. Even if I was just drunk, I would have still known what I was doing. I would also still be able to remember things than to be left with completely nothing.

Ryder's expression shifted to one of alarm. "Drugged? What makes you think that?"

I leaned forward, my voice dropping to a tense whisper. "Last night, on my date with Giselle... I didn't

drink. I stayed sober on purpose, but I still felt the same way- dizzy, disoriented, and filled with heat. It was like my mind was slipping, like it was being clouded and my body is starting to have a mind of its own. The same way it felt that night years ago."

Ryder's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "You think Giselle drugged you? Both then and now?"

I nodded slowly, the weight of the truth sinking. "Yes. There's a plant called Velaris. It's rare, but it has the power to cloud someone's mind, to make them feel disoriented and feel a sexual desire at the same time. It

I

would explain why I coappened

remember anything that happened that night."

Ryder's face darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. "Velaris... that's dangerous stuff. If Giselle's been using it on you—"

"She's been using it," I cut in, my voice sharp. "I didn't want to believe it, but the pieces are starting to fit together. She wanted me to think it was alcohol back then, and I was too blind to see the truth."

Ryder's jaw tightened, his anger barely contained. "So she drugged you to manipulate you into thinking you slept with her. That's how she convinced you Ryker was hers."

"Exactly," I said, my voice hard. "It all makes sense now. She needed me to believe it was her I slept with. I woke up beside her that morning, and I assumed... I assumed the worst. But I couldn't remember a thing."

My fists clenched, the memory of that night now tainted by the truth. "She's been playing this game for years, Ryder. And I fell for it."

Ryder stepped closer, his eyes filled with righteous fury. "What do you want to do, Alpha? We can't let her get away with this."

"We won't," I replied, my voice low but cold. "But we have to be smart about it. If Giselle's been using Velaris on me, then there's no telling how far her manipulation goes. She's more dangerous than we thought."

Ryder's gaze hardened. "Do you want me to gather more evidence? We can look into her connections, find out where she's getting the Velaris."

"I've been thinking about it so much.

How could she execute all this

things? Where did she get that Velaris and who is the person helping her to do all this. I refused to believe that she only did this by herself." My brows furrowed as I wondered about it, my mind already racing with the possibilities.

"Think about it. If she successfully convinced me and everyone else that she was Ryker's mother, then what else could she be capable of?" I voiced out my thoughts.

Ryder fell silent as he considered my words.

"There are still things that don't make any sense. How did she even got hold of Ryker and What

happened to her real child, the one she was carrying? There's so many questions that we can't leave unanswered," I pointed out to him.

Ryder slowly nodded his head and his expression darkened as the implications of my words sank in. "So, what do we do?"

"We play this carefully," I said, my voice deadly calm. "We can't let her know we're onto her. Not yet. If she realizes we're digging into this, she'll cover her tracks, and we'll never find the truth. We need to know what

really happened before we make a move."