Chapter 240 The next evening came with a throbbing headache that felt like a warning . When the assistant at the palace announced , " Princess Mia , Xavier Blackthorn is here to see you , " I almost refused - but his temper being what it was , I decided to hear him out . He stormed in before I could stand . " Mia ! " he demanded.N " Who do you think you are , Xavier ? What gives you the right to barge in unannounced ? " I fired back . " It wasn't unannounced - you invited me ," he spat.N " It wasn't Mia who asked for you , " Killian said , stepping into the doorway . Xavier's face drained of color . " How are you still alive ? " Xavier blurted . The man at my side felt eerily familiar in the way the videos had suggested ; seeing him in person made something click in Xavier's chest . " Killian's smile hardened . " You'd do well to watch your tone , Mr. Blackthorn . Titles don't buy you manners ." " " Xavier , " Killian continued quietly , " perhaps you should tell Mia the truth about what happened all those years ago . " " Xavier spluttered , stunned into silence . I felt the room tilt . " " What are you talking about ? " I asked , alarmed . " Killian studied him . " Mia , did you fall in love with this man thinking he was your rescuer ? " " Yes ," I heard myself admit , voice shaking . Then listen . " Killian's voice was steady . " The man who played the hero and expected your devotion wasn't who he claimed to be . The real story is different . " \ Before Xavier could protest , a thin , familiar figure appeared in the doorway - Theodore . He looked gaunt , thinner than I remembered , and the color had been leeched from his face . For a heartbeat every old memory surged in me . " Theodore ? " I breathed . He flinched at the sound of his name , as if struck . " Princess , I know you have every right to despise me . I'm not here to beg your forgiveness - I'm here to tell the truth . " Xavier's nostrils flared . " If you lie , I'll- " He started , and I could see the old fury rise . " " You were not the one who saved her , " Theodore said bluntly . " I should have told the truth years ago , but greed and fear made us do terrible things . " Xavier tried to interrupt , but Kirillian - Killian - motioned for him to be quiet . " Let him speak ," he said . " Theodore swallowed . " Five years ago , when the kidnappings happened and the palace offered rewards for information , our team was sent to help find the hostages . We were desperate for anything that would advance our careers and our families ' standing . A man - an unassuming volunteer , someone no one thought much of joined our group . He discovered the location , snuck in , and was badly injured trying to get the hostages out . He collapsed beside Mia's cell . When the raid came , the man was still alive but gravely hurt . Xavier found him and , instead of getting him to proper care , left him in the field to die and claimed the rescue as his own . The man survived - but he did not advertise his identity . He went away . He returned years later as Killian . " % My head snapped up . Killian's jaw tightened ; his eyes were sorrowful and terrible all at once . " It was me , " Killian said simply . " I was the volunteer . I went undercover to reach the group holding the hostages . I risked everything . When I found Mia , I had to let the operation proceed in a way that wouldn't blow my cover . I was badly hurt . I disappeared . I was in a coma for years . I woke to find the story rewritten , to find someone else getting the praise . " " No - that can't be true , " Xavier protested , voice cracking . " You were an omega , a nobody . How could you be " N " Titles were a secret I could not reveal at the time , " Killian replied . " I couldn't risk the operation or the princess's safety . I stayed quiet so the mission would succeed . " W My knees felt weak . The neat , comforting version of the past I had carried for years was collapsing.N " You lied to me , " I told Xavier , the words sharp and sudden , Rage flared , not just for the deception but for everything that had followed from it . I stepped forward and slapped him , The sound of my palm against his cheek was louder than I expected . He clutched his face as if that one slap could clear the fog.M " You had me marry you for money ? " I demanded . " You married me like a transaction , then left me when you could be with her ? You let me suffer while you chased a lie ? " - " No I didn't know- " he started , the old deflection rising.W " Then tell Theodore to finish , " I said . Theodore nodded and continued , his voice trembling at times but steadying as the story came out . % " No I didn't know- " he started , the old deflection rising . " - " Then tell Theodore to finish , " I said . Theodore nodded and continued , his voice trembling at times but steadying as the story came out . " We brought the evidence to the palace , we took the credit , and we watched what we wanted - power , wealth . I told myself I was doing what had to be done . But I saw how it hurt you . I'm sorry ." He looked at Killian . " We were cowards . " \ Killian's face was a mix of sorrow and quiet intensity . " I never forgot you , Mia . I watched from the sidelines for years , waiting for a chance to put things right without endangering you . " - I felt something break loose in my chest : grief , for the lost years ; anger , for the betrayals ; and unfamiliar and dangerous the tender ache of being seen by someone who had never stopped caring . Xavier lurched forward , hand closing on my wrist . " Mia , please- " } But the act had been done . The truth was out . The narrative that had justified so much cruelty unraveled in an instant , and in the center of the ruin stood two men : one who had lied and profited , one who had sacrificed and stayed silent for the sake of my safety . " For the first time since everything began , I looked at Killian and saw not only the man who had been my first love , but the man who had carried the secret of my life like a weight . His confession trembled between us - a dangerous , necessary opening .