The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven - Chapter 438

Chapter 438: He Already Saw
[Third Person].

Draven’s expression softened instantly.

He bent, scooping his daughter into his arms in one smooth motion, a gesture so natural it momentarily warmed the entire room.

Then, he pressed a kiss to her cheek before turning toward Meredith.

As he approached, she straightened, managing a composed smile even though her heart was racing with the attempt to hide the letter.

Draven reached her, lowered Xamira gently onto the couch beside Meredith, and let his hand linger briefly on Xamira’s back.

Then his eyes flicked to Meredith for just a moment, but she caught it—the silent glance, asking if she was alright.

She nodded faintly. Then Draven turned his attention to his daughter again, his voice low and fond as he took a few steps back.

“You look full of energy today.”

Xamira nodded vigorously, her black hair shifting with the movement. “That’s because I walked with my lady.”

Draven’s gaze slid back to Meredith once more, this time softer, something warm flickering behind his eyes.

Meredith’s attention flickered briefly to Lucy, who maintained a respectful distance behind them.

Draven gave the nanny a short nod, one of quiet approval and then returned his focus to Meredith.

He stepped closer, close enough that only she would catch his lowered tone. “I didn’t expect you would return to her room later.”

Meredith kept her smile light.

“We had lunch together, and she asked me to,” she answered smoothly, keeping her hand casually positioned to block any view of the hidden envelope behind her.

He searched her face for a moment, perhaps simply taking her in, possibly sensing that she was keeping something from him, but he chose not to press. Not with Xamira looking up at them with bright, expectant eyes.

Draven straightened slightly and gave his daughter a light poke on the forehead. “You didn’t cause trouble for my wife, did you?”

Xamira giggled while Meredith gave him a calm look. “No. She didn’t.”

Just then, Xamira suddenly perked up with the innocent sincerity only a child possessed and announced,

“Daddy, Mommy got a letter today.”

Meredith froze, her breath stalling as a chill ran down her spine. ‘Xamira… why now?’

She never saw this coming, never knew that Xamira would blindly talk about this in front of Draven; otherwise, she would have cautioned her earlier never to mention it.

But now? It was already too late to regret. She could only try to manage the situation.

Draven’s gaze sharpened instantly. However, he didn’t look truly shocked. But he acted the part flawlessly.

He angled his head, raising a brow as though hearing something unexpected.

“Really?” he asked lightly, though his gaze slid to Meredith and held.

Meredith forced her lips into a small smile, but the sudden stiffness of her shoulders betrayed her.

Draven had already seen the letter the moment he walked in—tucked behind her back, pressed between the pillow and couch cushion. But he had chosen silence then, letting her believe she hid it well.

But now that Xamira had brought it into the open, he wouldn’t let the opportunity slip, so he stepped closer, his voice dropping just slightly.

“You received a letter?”

Meredith nodded, quickly composing herself. Her smile steadied, though her hand subtly gripped her sides.

“Yes. One of the guards brought it while we were on a walk,” she said gently. “I haven’t read it yet, though.”

A quiet, intentional silence fell, one Draven crafted carefully.

He didn’t respond or nod, and he didn’t even try to ease her tension. Instead, he let the weight of the moment hang long enough for her pulse to flutter, for her breath to tighten.

Long enough to make her feel the discomfort he intended.

Meredith lowered her gaze faintly, knowing exactly what he was doing. Draven was not a man who let secrets slide easily, especially from her.

Though Draven also had something he was hiding from her—the sudden death of Xamira’s previous nanny, but it was only to protect her.

But on the other hand, she was hiding a letter, and he didn’t know the reason for her intention. And worse, this wasn’t the first time.

Just then, Draven’s memory sharpened at the thought of that burning paper back in Duskmoor—the letter she destroyed before he could see a single word.

The distrust for that moment resurfaced, faint but undeniable.

But at last, Draven exhaled slowly, then nodded just once. It wasn’t reassurance, but rather a cold, controlled and calculating acknowledgement.

It was enough to keep her on edge.

To break the heaviness, Meredith cleared her throat softly.

“You didn’t tell me Xamira was getting a new nanny,” she said, shifting to safer ground.

Draven shrugged, expression easing a fraction. “I forgot.” Then he added, with the faintest smirk:

“My mind was occupied. First with the banquet last night… and then with you this morning.”

Instantly, heat rose to her cheeks. Images of his kisses, his teasing touches, the way he held her against him all flashed in her mind.

She quickly glanced at Xamira and Lucy, horrified that they might read the expression on her face.

She cleared her throat again. “I will… leave the two of you alone,” she said, voice soft but steady.

She stood, retrieving the letter swiftly but subtly. Then, she hugged Xamira once more, pressing a kiss to the child’s forehead.

As she stepped past Draven, she felt his eyes follow her—heavy, unreadable, lingering with a quiet intensity that made her heart flutter in confusion.

She walked out of the room and closed the door gently behind her. And only then did she allow herself to breathe.

Meredith walked down the hallway with calm, measured steps, but her heartbeat was anything but calm.

Her grandmother must have heard the news of her arrival and hence, sent her that letter.

At the thought of that, the envelope felt heavier than it should have. Whatever was written inside mattered.

Exhaling quietly, she got to the elevator and took it straight to the top floor. When she arrived, she stepped out into the familiar corridor.

—

Meanwhile, back in Xamira’s bedroom, Draven had not moved. His eyes were still on the closed door.

His jaw was tight, his shoulders controlled, his expression unreadable to anyone but himself.

But the silence dragged on, long enough that Lucy kept her head bowed and Xamira blinked up at him in confusion.

Finally, she called out to him and tugged lightly on his sleeve, her small voice bright and insistent.

“Daddy!”

Draven blinked, pulled from his thoughts, and looked down at her.

Her green eyes were wide, expecting, full of childlike trust, a stark contrast to the weight swirling inside his own.

He exhaled, softened his expression, and crouched to her height, steadying his voice.

“I’m here,” he said quietly.