Third Person’s POV


    “Thank you so much!” Heath’s eyes were a little red. He apologized for his earlier.


    inappropriatements. “I know I spoke out of turn just now. Please don’t hold it against me. My mind has been a mess these past few days”


    Julia actually tried to approach me first, too. Larckily, I avoided her, but my father didn’t. I assume you found all of that out.”


    The moment Heath learned Julia’s true identity, his worldview had nearly shattered.


    Even though he outwardly maintained respect for his father and dealt with the situation methodically, the image of his father in his mind was irrevocably changed.


    Adide nodded. “We did find that out. Madison initially wanted Julia to target your father, but after thinking it over–knowing he was upright and devoted to your mother–she thought the chances of sess were low. So she decided to have Julia try for you first. When that failed, Madison finally told her to try for Stanley.”


    Heath sighed heavily. The more truth he learned, the worse he felt.


    He nodded to Adide and walked away, his steps visibly unsteady.


    Paisley walked out. “What happened?”


    Adide briefly exined the situation, her voice clearly annoyed. “Stanley said Julia couldn’t have the child with her, and now he’s sending the kid here. He’spletely gone back on his word. If he couldn’t properly care for his own child, why did he even have her? The child is innocent.”


    Paisley was angry, too. “He probably said he’d handle it himself in a moment of impulse. When he thought it over, he realized he couldn’t, so he came begging the shelter. But then he won’t let Julia and her daughter acknowledge each other, only allowing the child to be raised as an orphan by the shelter director. That’s absurd. A child with two living parents being treated as an orphan–isn’t Stanley just trying to dodge responsibility?”


    Adide said, “Forget him. We’ll just focus on settling the people who need help. Since the Styxwarden Pack won’t raise her, she’ll stay here. Honestly, for Stanley’s mate, Hespere, both Julia and this child are deeply cruel blows to her.”


    “That’s true. Can shattered happiness ever be put back together? But is she reallypletely in


    the dark?”


    “That’s something only she knows.”


    “Oh, right,” Paisley said, flipping through her list.


    “Prima hasn’t arrived. They said she stole blueprints. Is Lycan Erasmus handling her separately?”


    Adide’s cold eyes softened slightly. “Lycan Erasmus sentenced Prima to twentyshes and Julius to thirtyshes, plus two years‘ sry docked for both. However, Julius took Prima’s twentyshes for her. He took a total of fiftyshes. The punishment was carried out yesterday. Julius barely made it out alive.”


    Paisley remarked, “Now that man has integrity. Compare him to Stanley, and you immediately see the difference between a good man and a bad one.”


    Adide nodded. “Yes, but perhaps people who rise to a high position have too many things to consider. Stanley has a public reputation and an important job. He can’t afford any stain on his name, so he can easily give things up.”


    “Julius certainly seems more responsible, but who knows? If Julius were in Stanley’s position, would he still protect Prima like this? Their situations are also different. Stanley and Julia were in a ndestine affair. Julius and Prima’s child was acknowledged by the Mist Shadow Pack.”


    Paisley was tired of theplexity. “Seriously, not mating is the best way to live! When are we going to pick up that baby?”


    Adide considered it. “Hunt’s execution is tomorrow. Let’s go the day after.”


    Paisley mused, “Why don’t we go now while it’s still early? We can leave the shelter logistics to Wendy and Ellen. Ellen is straightforward, but with Wendy and the others watching him, we can trust them.”


    Adide checked the time. It was about 3:00 p.m. There was still plenty of daylight.


    She agreed. “Okay. The child is just at that vi outside the capital. It’s a quick trip.”


    The two women drove straight to the Wall vi outside the city.


    During the investigation, they had mapped out all the officials‘ properties.


    The vi was close to the city, just a turn and about three kilometers from the capital entrance.


    Driving quickly, they reached the vi gate in about half an hour.


    Adide knocked and announced her identity. Someone immediately bowed and ushered


    them inside–they had obviously been notified of the visit.


    The nanny brought the child out.


    She was a little girl, about a year old, with fair skin and rosy checks, like a marshmallow. Her features looked very much like Julia’s.