<h4>Chapter 405: Chapter 405 Unraveling Truths</h4>


    Author’s pov


    Maggie let out a bitterugh that cut through the silence of the ballroom.


    "Am I making this up ?"Her voice shook with anger she could barely control. "This whole spectacle was nned just to humiliate me, wasn’t it ?"


    The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on.


    Everyone else seemed frozen, watching the scene unfold like a high-stakes power y.


    "I pretended not to know. I tried to protect your reputation,"she said, her eyes locked on Zane. "And how did you repay me ? You plotted behind my back, knowing I had no power to fight you !"


    She threw out a hand toward Cecilia, who stood still beside Alpha Sebastian.


    Alpha Sebastian moved a little, his shoulders straight and tense, his whole posture making it clear that Cecilia was under his protection.


    "You’re so shameless,"Maggie’s voice rose. "You talk about the ‘true Locke heiress’ right in front of me ! So my children mean less than some stranger’s bastard ?"


    A low growl came from Alpha Sebastian’s chest, quiet but dangerous.


    "Well, congrattions,"Maggie snapped. "You’ve done it. I’m officially theughingstock of Colorado Springs."


    Her eyes glistened with tears, perfectly timed for sympathy. "Let everyone see how thoroughly you’ve disgraced me."


    The room buzzed with shock. The meaning behind her words was clear :


    [ Cecilia was being named as Zane’s illegitimate daughter.


    Maggie had known all along but yed along to keep appearances; and Martha had chosen this moment to expose everything, making Maggie look like a fool. ]


    In the past, Zane would’ve gone tofort her and taken all the me.


    But not tonight.


    When he looked at Maggie’s practiced expression, he felt nothing, just a cold, clear sense of truth.


    "So you switched the DNA results ?"His voice was low, calm, and final.


    Maggie didn’t flinch. Instead, she drew herself up, righteous fury burning in her eyes. "I thought I’d protected your dignity. I believed you’d see I meant well. I was wrong."Her voice broke at just the right moment. "I’ve been fighting for us while you’ve been chasing your bastard daughter. Zane, how could you ?"


    Zane pressed his fingers to his forehead, a dull ache spreading in his chest. It wasn’t just anger; it was the empty kind of pain that came from knowing no one really understood him.


    Martha watched her son and let out a quiet sigh. She knew he wanted to stay blind to the truth, but tonight she couldn’t allow it.


    Cecilia stood frozen in the chaos. Alpha Sebastian stepped closer and drew her to his side, his presence a quiet shield. His wolf was bristling just beneath the surface, ready to protect his mate from any Locke who dared to touch her.


    Elder Luna ck shifted ufortably, clearly done with the family drama ying out in public.


    For someone who valued decorum above all, this was unbearable. She couldn’t fathom why Martha would air her family’s secrets like a soap opera.


    Zaria moved quickly to guide Elder Luna ck toward the exit.


    They had barely taken two steps when a calm,manding voice stopped them.


    "Who told you Cecilia is illegitimate ?"


    Martha’s voice filled the ballroom, calm and steady, carrying enough authority to silence every whisper.


    The room fell silent again. A flicker of cold calction crossed Maggie’s face.


    Cecilia felt like she was losing her grip on reality. One moment, they called her Zane’s daughter; the next, they denied it. It felt like being trapped in some twisted soap opera.


    Zane lifted his head slowly.


    "I don’t make things up or twist the truth,"Martha said, her eyes locked on Maggie. "When I call her the true Locke heiress, I’m not talking about some cheap, underhanded connection."


    Her tone made it clear who she meant, Maggie, the woman who had forced her way into the Locke family.


    Maggie caught the insult right away and clenched her jaw, silent but seething.


    Martha gave a small, polite smile before delivering the blow."Cecilia is the daughter of Reba, the rightful first wife of the Locke family."


    For a moment, no one even breathed.


    The ballroom wentpletely still, as if time had stopped.


    Most people had long forgotten that Reba Cole was pregnant when she died.


    Even her own family had epted it. They had seen the body, mourned her, and moved on. Over the years, it had be one of those sad family stories people only mentioned quietly at dinner parties.


    So when Martha said the baby had survived, it felt like the floor dropped out from under everyone.


    The Cole patriarch swayed slightly, his face pale.


    The memory of that day came flooding back. He could still see his daughter’s lifeless face, and he hadn’t had the strength to look any further.


    When the doctor said the baby hadn’t made it, no one had the heart or courage to question him.


    Luna Regina gripped Alpha Yardley’s hand, her voice trembling. "So it’s true after all..."


    Alpha Yardley turned to her, startled. "You knew ?"


    Of course she hadn’t.


    But a memory came rushing back.


    During the funeral, she had bought a tiny set of baby clothes, something soft and decent to give the unborn child a little dignity.


    The funeral director had told her the baby’s body was already cremated, done under Martha’s orders.


    At the time, she hadn’t understood. She’d even wondered if Maggie had done something terrible. Martha had admitted it was her order, saying the baby’s body was too small, too fragile to disy.


    Now, connecting that memory with Martha’s words, Luna Regina felt a chill crawl down her spine.


    "Reba died protecting her child,"Martha said, her voice steady but heavy with emotion. "I feared for the baby’s safety, so I sent one of my most trusted people to take her away from Colorado Springs that very night. I made sure she would live."


    Gasps rippled through the crowd. The revtion hit like a thunderp.