The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 81: His Truama

Aurora’s POV

​No one came to the door. Not Oliver, not Lady Hailee—not even Oscar to yell at me. Only a maid stopped by twice, leaving a tray of food and asking in a concerned voice if I needed anything. I didn’t touch the food. My stomach was in knots, and the silence in the room was starting to feel like it was suffocating me.

​Without my phone, which had been lost in the wreckage of the plane, I was completely cut off. I had no way to call a cab, no way to check the news, and no way to drown out the thoughts of Raymond and Oliver that were fighting for space in my head.

​By evening, the walls felt like they were closing in. The air in the room was stale, and the guilt of what I’d said to Oliver was making it difficult to breathe. I needed to move. I needed to breathe.

​I stood up, smoothed out my clothes, and slowly opened the door.

​The hallway was dim and quiet. I walked toward the grand staircase, my heart racing with every step. As I reached the landing, the house felt strangely empty, as if the life had been sucked out of it after the morning’s drama.

​I made my way downstairs, expecting to see guards or the Alpha’s family, but the foyer was deserted. I walked toward the back of the estate, toward the gardens, hoping the fresh air might help clear my head.

When I reached the garden, I inhaled deeply—but my peace was cut short by the heavy thud of footsteps behind me.

I turned around and tensed when I realized it was Alpha Oscar.

​I swallowed hard, composing myself. "Good evening, Alpha Oscar," I murmured, unable to meet his eyes.

​He stopped a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t look angry like he had this morning; he just looked tired. He studied my face for a long moment. "Are you feeling okay, Aurora?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

​"Yes," I lied, looking down at my shoes. "I’m fine. Just needed some air."

​An awkward, heavy silence settled between us. I could feel the weight of the morning’s drama still hanging in the air. I wanted to ask about Oliver, but I was afraid of the answer. Still, I forced the words out.

​"Is... is the Alpha King around?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

​Oscar sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He left this morning, right after the mess with Cassey. He didn’t tell anyone where he was going. But he is the Alpha King; he’s always busy with pack business or the Council." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I heard you guys are leaving tomorrow morning. A private transport is coming for you at dawn."

​I nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. I couldn’t wait to go back to my own life, away from this estate and the suffocating tension.

​Oscar stepped a bit closer, his curious eyes on me. "Aurora... did something happen between you two after Cassey left?"

​I looked up at him, my heart skipping a beat. I didn’t know how to answer. I couldn’t tell him about the argument... or the cruel words I had used to break Oliver’s heart.

​"It’s just been a long few days, Alpha," I said softly. "The crash... then Cassey... it’s a lot."

​Oscar frowned, clearly not convinced. He looked out toward the gardens, his expression softening. "I know it’s not my place to say this, but I just have to," he began, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone.

​"While growing up as little boys, among the three of us, Oliver was the sweetest. Aurora, you needed to see him back then. He was the life of the party—kind, charming, and so full of love. Among the three of us, he adored our mother the most..." He paused, a bitter shadow crossing his face. "But one day, she lost control. She almost killed his father... and she lost the child she was carrying."

My breath caught.

"Oliver was only ten." Oscar continued. "He watched his father almost die at the hands of the woman he loved."

​I felt a chill run down my spine. I hadn’t known. I had judged him so easily... without knowing the kind of pain he carried.

​"His father was bedridden for months," Oscar continued, his eyes fixed on the horizon. "Oliver grew up watching his father become a broken man. Since his father wasn’t stable enough to train him, Oliver had to be sent away to live with our maternal uncle. He spent years alone, training, carrying that stigma. He began to see love as a weapon—something that could destroy a person. For that reason, he never dated. He never loved. He stayed hollow and cold because it was safe."

​He finally turned to look at me, his gaze piercing. "I thought he would never change. Until I saw him with you. I saw the possessiveness, the urge to protect... I realized my brother might finally be free from that trauma... and learn to love." He sighed and shook his head. "I’m not urging you to be with him, Aurora. I’m just letting you know that my brother loves you. I would bet my life on it. Never doubt that."

​I opened my mouth to speak, but the guilt in my throat held my tongue.

​"And as for Cassey?" Oscar scoffed, a look of pure disgust on his face. "Don’t believe a word that bitch says. Oliver never dated her. She was just a sexual partner—nothing more. He made it clear in every interview, at every event, that they were not together. She was the one spreading rumors, desperate for his fame and his name. She knows nothing about Oliver, and I am a hundred percent sure she doesn’t love him... and I’ll prove it to you."

Oscar scrolled through his phone, his brows drawn together in a deep frown. After a moment, he turned the screen toward me.