NOVEL NEXT Chapter 293 Addison's Decision 2
Zion, who had been sitting beside Maxwell, shifted forward and kneeled before Addison. Resting a gentle hand on her knee, he spoke in a low, earnest voice.
"Addie, I know I've done many foolish things in the past… but I finally understand where I went wrong, and I want to make amends. Please, allow me that chance. I'll follow whatever arrangements you decide, and I'll wait, no matter how long it takes, for you to open your heart to me again."
"I know I caused you so much pain and left scars with my actions and harsh words, born out of incompetence and misplaced anger when you had done nothing to deserve it."
"It's taken me years of reflection to even begin to grasp what you must have felt during those times I treated you with such cold indifference. I know I'm not worthy of you yet… but I beg you to give me the opportunity to prove myself."
When his eyes lifted to meet hers, Addison saw a gaze heavy with sincerity, longing, and heartache, not for himself, but for her. The weight of his words stunned her into silence.
And her heart trembled.
Maybe it had taken years for her to finally hear the apology she deserved, but now that it came, when she heard it, it shook her to her core. It felt as though her former self, the one who had endured everything he was apologizing for, was trembling too, overwhelmed by a storm of pain, anger, heartache, and countless feelings she couldn't even name.
For the three long years she spent in the Midnight River Pack, working herself to the bone, she had longed for this moment, for Zion to stand before her, admit his wrongs, and give her a chance so they could start anew.
Every night she dreamed of it, only to wake up to the cold reality of his indifference, the cruel stab of betrayal, and the deeper twist of the blade when he brought Claire back to their pack as if Addison didn't matter.
And yet, here he was now, apologizing. His words made her relive every wound, but at the same time, she felt something inside her beginning to mend. It was as if the dagger long lodged in her heart was slowly being pulled out. Still, the scar would remain. The damage had been done, and though she could accept his apology, forgetting was another matter entirely.
A part of her wanted him to suffer as she had, to know what it felt like to be treated with such cruelty. But as that thought crossed her mind, another quickly followed: if she truly repaid him with the same indifference and pain, wouldn't that only make her no different from him?
Addison sank into deep contemplation. She had already made her point, Zion had felt the sting of indifference from the moment they reunited until now, and he knew she couldn't easily forgive him.
But dragging it out longer, forcing him to humble himself and grovel before her again and again, would only make her appear petty. That wasn't the kind of person she wanted to be.
Perhaps giving him a chance to atone would be wiser. It would allow him the opportunity to prove himself and, more importantly, give all of them the chance to start anew. After all, she already carried twins that were his, though Zion remained unaware.
She couldn't hide the truth forever. The children were still young, and they deserved to know their father. So this chance she considered offering Zion wasn't just about reconciliation between them; it was also about giving him the opportunity to be a father to his children.
Now that Addison had made her decision, she gave a slight nod and lifted her gaze to meet Zion's. Her eyes reddened as she caught her reflection in the depths of his emerald orbs. The sight made her want to cry; her scars, the pain she had buried so carefully beneath anger and indifference, now felt exposed for everyone to see.
She couldn't keep clinging to her anger forever, and watching Zion earnestly trying to make amends chipped away at the thick walls she had built around her heart.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips, but it broke almost instantly into a low, painful sob. Her lips trembled, her chest constricted, and before she realized it, the emotions she had fought to suppress poured out in tears. When she tried to speak, her voice cracked, and instead her sobbing only grew louder.
Seeing her unravel like this, Zion panicked. He reached forward, trying to wipe away the tears streaming down her face, but the more he tried, the harder she cried. Maxwell and Levi, equally shaken, tightened their grip on Addison's hands, as if anchoring her through the storm of her emotions.
"Baby, don't cry…" Maxwell murmured, his voice unusually gentle as he tried to coax Addison through her sobs. "Are you upset with this mutt? Say the word, and I'll teach him a lesson; he won't even have the strength to defend himself. I dare him." As he spoke, Maxwell didn't even care about tossing Zion into the pit, his protective fury rising.
Zion, however, only pressed his lips together and stayed silent. He didn't try to resist or argue. Even the agitation and frustration gnawing at him from the onset of his rut seemed to vanish, swallowed by the panic of seeing Addison crying so uncontrollably.
Addison trembled as sobs racked her body, pitiful and unrestrained, and with each tear that fell, the hearts of her three fated mates twisted painfully. Their heartstrings quivered in unison with her tears, each drop of her tears cutting into them like a blade.
"Addie, don't worry. I'll make him kneel on burning charcoal, would that do?" Levi added smoothly.
But to Addison, it didn't sound like concern for her; it sounded like a personal vendetta. The way Levi spoke it was less about comforting her and more about seizing the chance to take revenge on Zion.
Perhaps it stemmed from what had happened to her before Maxwell brought her back to the Royal Capital. Back then, even though Levi hadn't known Addison was his fated mate, he had still been her closest confidant.
Naturally, he carried a grudge. He simply hadn't acted on it, because he was bound by duty as Zion's Beta, the most he could do was verbally rebuke him. Until now.
Zion caught Levi's eyes and gave him a sharp, knowing glance, as if to say, 'Don't think I don't know what you're plotting.' Then, he turned back to Addison, gaze steady and unwavering, like a warrior prepared to face a battlefield alone, if only she would give him the chance.
Hearing this back-and-forth, Addison's tears no longer flowed with pure grief. The absurdity of it all struck her, and she suddenly burst into laughter through her sobs, her emotions tangled between heartbreak and amusement.
"Stop, just stop…" Addison said between fits of laughter. She never would have imagined seeing Zion like this, not even in her wildest dreams. The once prideful Alpha, now reduced to such a pitiful state, was enough to make her laugh until her stomach hurt.
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