The Cursed Alpha Prince's Replacement Bride-Chapter 25: Intercepting the Letter

{Third Person}

Four days later~

Morning came quietly, but the silence felt heavier than usual.

Amara sat by the window for a long time after waking, her gaze distant, her thoughts elsewhere.

The palace no longer felt strange in the same way it had before, but it didn’t feel like home either. If anything, the familiarity only made the loneliness worse.

By the time breakfast was served, she barely touched her food.

Mrs. Woods noticed and couldn’t help asking as she watched her from across the table, "Lady Amara, are you missing home again?"

Amara didn’t bother to deny it this time. She lowered her gaze slightly, her fingers tightening around her cutlery before she set it down.

"I miss my friends more than anything," she admitted quietly.

Mrs. Woods softened. "The welcome banquet is in just a week, you will see your family then," she reminded her.

Amara shook her head faintly. "My friends might not come. And even if they wanted to... I have no way of reaching them."

That was the problem. She had no phone or any means to contact them.

For a moment, Mrs. Woods said nothing. Then, as if something came to mind, she spoke again. "You can write a letter."

Amara looked up immediately. "A letter?"

Mrs. Woods nodded. "Servants in the palace are not permitted to keep phones, so we cannot help you that way. But letters... they can be sent out."

Hope flickered in Amara’s eyes, fragile but real. "Will it reach them from here?"

"It will," Mrs. Woods assured her. "But it would be safer to address it to your family residence. From there, it can be passed along without issue."

That was all Amara needed to hear. "I need a pen and paper," she said quickly.

Within moments, they were brought to her.

Amara didn’t delay. She sat down, her mind already shaping the words as her hand moved across the page. She wrote to her father—brief, pleading, careful, and direct—asking him to bring her friends to the welcome banquet.

When she finished, she read it once, then folded the letter neatly and slipped it into an envelope before sealing it herself. Then handed it to Mrs. Woods.

"Please," she said.

Mrs. Woods took it with a nod. "It will be sent."

Amara exhaled softly, as if a small weight had lifted from her chest.

—

A few minutes later, the same letter rested in another pair of hands.

Alexander stood by his desk, the opened envelope between his fingers. His gaze moved unhurriedly across the contents once, with an unreadable expression.

Then he folded the letter back along its original crease and slipped it neatly into the envelope.

"Make sure this reaches the Caldwell residence," he said.

Jasper stepped forward and took it at once. "Yes, Your Highness." He bowed, then turned and left.

---

Human Clan.

Evening settled over the Caldwell estate, quiet and refined as ever.

The grand doors opened, and the butler entered with a single letter in hand. His expression was neutral as he moved through the hall, nearly bumping into Lila near the staircase.

"Forgive me, Miss," he quickly bowed.

"Is that for me?" Lila’s voice cut in lightly. She was dressed casually yet immaculate, with a glass of wine in her hand.

The butler lifted his gaze and shook his head slightly. "No, Miss. It is addressed to your father."

Lila lost interest immediately. "Then take it to him." She said and started to walk past him.

"It is from your sister," the butler added.

That froze her in her tracks. Slowly, she turned. "...What did you say?"

The butler kept his tone even. "The letter is from Miss Amara."

For a second, Lila just stared at him. "From the Werewolf Kingdom?" she asked, disbelief slipping through. "How is that even possible?"

The butler did not answer. He simply adjusted his grip on the letter and continued on his way. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Wait."

Lila stepped forward, blocking his path. Without hesitation, she reached out and took the letter from his hand.

"I will give it to Father," she said smoothly. "You can retire for the night."

The butler bowed again. "I’m sorry to trouble you, Miss." Then he stepped aside and left.

Lila stood there for a moment, staring at the envelope. Then she walked to the nearest sofa and sat down, crossing her legs as she broke the seal.

Her eyes moved quickly over the contents. A few seconds later, she scoffed. "What a pitiful girl."

Her lips curled faintly as she reached the end. "So this is what you are reduced to now?"

The letter crinkled in her hand. Without hesitation, she tore it once. Then again and again until the pieces fell loosely into her lap.

She brushed them aside with a cold expression. "Too bad for you. Father won’t be reading this," she murmured.

Lila stared at the torn pieces of paper for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she rose to her feet.

Without a second thought, she gathered the fragments and walked to the trash bin at the corner and dropped them in, but didn’t stop there. She poured her leftover wine over the scraps, and the ink bled instantly.

The paper softened, ruined beyond recovery. Only then did she seem satisfied.

She wiped her fingers with a napkin, tossed it in after, and turned away as if nothing had happened.

Moments later, she walked up the stairs and went straight into her bedroom. Then, she reached for her phone and found Torin’s contact.

The call connected almost immediately after she dialled it.

"Hey," his voice came, warm, easy. "How are you?"

Lila smiled as she walked towards her bed. "I’m fine. I missed you."

"I missed you more," he replied without hesitation.

She laughed softly, dropping onto her bed. "Liar."

"Try me."

They went back and forth for a moment—light, teasing, effortless. The kind of conversation that felt easy when nothing weighed on it. Then Lila’s tone shifted slightly.

"Actually... I wanted your opinion on something."

"Hmm?"

"I want to prepare a gift for my sister," she said casually. "But I’m not sure what to give her."

Torin didn’t think much of it. "What type of gift are you considering?"

Lila’s lips curved slowly. "I’m thinking of something memorable, something she will never forget. Something that will make her think of me every time she remembers it."

She smiled to herself, then added lightly, "Or I could just give her something random and forgettable."

Torin chuckled. "Why would you even consider the second option? Obviously the first one."

Lila’s smile deepened, something colder settling beneath it. "Of course," she murmured. "That’s what I thought too."

There was satisfaction in her voice now. "Thanks," she added sweetly.

"Anytime."

"Bye."

"Mmm. Bye."

She blew a small air-kiss toward the phone before ending the call. Slowly, her smile shifted into a smirk.