Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

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 cagain, more insistent. With a sigh, I forced myself to speak.

"Cin." 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 cback 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 cback conclusive. There's no match." I shot up from my chair, disbelief coursing throughas I stared at the paper showing that Ryker was right. The test cout 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 hittinglike a freight train. "She tricked me. She lied toabout 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 h 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