The Billionaire’s Regret -Alessa (by Bukolami) novel Chapter 48

**Shadows Beneath the Silent Moon**
**Rising Echoes by Aiden R. Vale**
**Chapter 480**

Alessa’s expression was anything but warm; her lips were pressed into a firm line, and her eyes held a seriousness that made Tracy’s heart sink.

Tracy felt the weight of the moment settle heavily on her shoulders. This was no light-hearted banter; Alessa was clearly not in a joking mood.

“Listen,” Tracy began, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. “I came here to apologize and to try to make amends. Bryan and our parents were the ones who wronged you, and I wasn’t part of that. I don’t want to get dragged into this drama. I just want us to be okay, and I’m truly sorry for the things I said.” Her words flowed out, earnest and sincere.

Alessa held her gaze for a moment longer, the silence stretching between them like an invisible barrier. Finally, she shrugged, a gesture that seemed to dismiss the weight of their shared history. After all, Tracy hadn’t personally hurt her in any way.

“Alright,” Alessa finally said, her voice low as she turned her gaze away, focusing instead on the plate in front of her.

“What exactly happened between her and Bryan?” Aiden interjected, his curiosity getting the better of him as he turned to Tracy.

“Yeah, spill the beans. What’s the story?” Aria chimed in, her eyes wide with intrigue.

Tracy chuckled lightly, glancing sideways at Alessa, who was now preoccupied with her meal. “Oh, I don’t think I’m in the right position to be the one to share that,” she replied, her tone light but her heart heavy with the knowledge of the pain that lay beneath the surface.

“He won’t tell us. All he keeps saying is that a contract went south,” Aiden remarked, his brows furrowing in confusion, while Aria nodded in agreement.

“Oh yes, a contract gone awry. Quite the understatement,” Tracy replied, her voice laced with irony.

“Were you ever Bryan’s girlfriend?” Aiden blurted out suddenly, his attention shifting to Alessa with an intensity that made her stomach twist.

Caught off guard, Alessa choked on her food, coughing as she tried to deflect the sudden spotlight on her. But the twins were relentless, their eyes piercing through her defenses, demanding answers.

After a moment of struggling, she managed to regain her composure and let out a heavy sigh, the weight of her past pressing down on her.

“Fine,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she finally met their gazes. “Yes, I was his girlfriend,” she confessed, and Aiden erupted into laughter, a sound that felt both joyous and mocking.

“I knew it! I told you, Aria!” he exclaimed, a triumphant smirk on his face.

“Then why the animosity? What happened with that contract?” Aria pressed, her curiosity piqued.

Alessa bit her lip, her mind racing as she searched for the right words. She needed to articulate her feelings in a way that would satisfy their curiosity while also keeping them from digging deeper into her painful memories with Bryan.

“He did something terrible to me,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “Something so horrific that if I ever met a genie who could grant me three wishes, I would make them all about him. First, I would wish for him to be utterly powerless. Then, I would wish for a gun to end his life. And finally, I would wish for him to return to life every time I shot him, just so he could endure the same excruciating pain he inflicted on me for all eternity.” Her words hung in the air, a chilling confession that left the room shrouded in an eerie silence.

Her children were momentarily speechless, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Tracy felt a tumult of emotions swirling within her—love for Alessa, a protective instinct for her brother, and a deep-seated confusion about where her loyalties lay. She couldn’t bring herself to hate Bryan, not when he was still her brother.

“Wow,” Aria finally managed to utter, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What in the world did he do to you?” Aiden muttered, his expression a mix of concern and anger.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify