Chapter 466

"Tell me what?" Pearl asked.

Gail shook her head.

"Tell me what?!" Pearl repeated more forcefully.

Gail put her head down. She reached in her purse and pulled out an envelope.

"He left this when he walked out of my office last night." She handed it to Pearl.

"It's all true. And I hope you find a way to understand why I did it. I thought it was for the best."

Pearl looked down at what Gail had handed her and then back at Gail.

"I did it for Bash. And for the good of everyone. I promised Erik I wouldn't tell a soul and I won't. It will die with me, as he asked. Pearl, I am so sorry." Gail bowed and left the room, walking past Javier and into the foyer.

"Would you like me to stop her your majesty?" He asked.

Pearl shook her head. "No. That won't be necessary. Let her go."

She then asked to be left alone. Javier nodded and closed the doors behind him. She looked down at the envelope and began to open it. Pearl had no idea what was inside, but she knew by Erik and Gail's reaction, it would be more than likely be life changing. She had been through a huge revelation about her identity merely months ago and she didn't know how much more she could bear. She rubbed her belly and took a deep breath. She had to make things right, she wanted the future to be free of all this pain and deceit. It was time for life to begin. A clean start was needed.

So many thoughts crossed her mind. Was there something between Erik and Gail? Did Sebastian keep something from her?

Inside, there were two letters. One from Sebastian to Gail, with Gail's office address on it. And one from Gail to Sebastian, addressed to The Royal Lodge, where Sebastian's father lived for several years before his death.

She closed her eyes and began to read the letter from Gail to Sebastian.

"Dear B,

I have not heard from you since the discussion we had regarding what occurred between yourself and the fiancée several months ago. I told you how adamantly I was opposed to your plan and how awful I felt knowing what you did. There is never a time where placing someone under the influence of a sedative without their knowledge is right. I will stand by that and I believe, with all my being, that it was wrong. That being said, now that the truth about your cousin has been exposed, just as you said it would, I feel no remorse for his betrayal and downfall. I will speak to the fiancée and help all that I can.

I will see you in Scotland.

Love, G."

Pearl couldn't believe what she had just read. She gasped and put the letter down, closing her eyes.

What did it mean? He drugged her? Was their night non-consensual? She shuddered at the thought.

She picked up the second letter and took another deep breath.

"My darling, G.

I hope this letter finds you well. I am sorry we must communicate in this way but with all that may transpire, I do not want any technological communication regarding this sensitive subject matter. Yes, I regret using the sedative but I assure you, I did not take advantage of the situation in any way. I only watched the fiancée sleep. It is wrong to allow her to believe otherwise, but it is necessary to make this plan work. I don't want the child to suffer, or her. And I want to hurt him, for obvious reasons. I am taking something away from him as he and his father did to me. Something equally painful. I just need the final nail in the coffin. I need the paternity test results to show the boy is mine and not his. I need her to believe it. I know how much I am asking, but I also know you understand why. It is best the baby and for the woman. She is a good person and will make an amazing queen mother and possible wife to myself. Please believe me when I tell you that this is the right thing to do. My cousin is a monster and we finally have turned the tables on him, once and for all. This will be in the history books forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will see you next week.

-Bash"

Pearl felt a pang of panic wash over her. Her mind was struggling to process what she had just read. "No, no, oh no. Please no," kept repeating in her head.

"No!" She said out loud.

Oh my god, she thought. If Christian truly is Erik's biological child, than that means, that means that…. Oh god.

"He isn't the rightful heir. He isn't the rightful king." She whispered. She folded the envelope and took it up to her room immediately.

"Erik. Call me." She texted.

No response. She tried to call a few more times. Nothing.

Finally, she texted, "Erik, I know."

Not a minute later, her phone rang.

"Pearl." His voice was quiet on the other end.

"I need to see you," she said, grabbing her bags and heading to the door.