Chapter 123


    “What happened? You still haven’t exined how you got that injury,” I inquired, my gaze fixed on Axel.


    The bandage on his wrist, noticeable when he removed his jacket, hinted at a recent incident.


    “I’m not badly hurt, don’t worry,” he said, his tone light. “I crashed my car. I was driving, and some car


    “You had those things delivered?” I asked.


    “Yes. Liam threw backflips. I mean, they were vegetables in the package, but okay,” Axel said with a


    casual shrug, prompting a chuckle from me. Liam would anything as long as they were from me.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    get excited ove


    “You should go home, get some rest. We’ll talkter,” I suggested, urging him to leave early and take


    care of himself.


    “So the results were negative?” Axel stated more as a confirmation than a question. “Yes,” I replied,


    and Axel’s expression held a hint of an ‘I told you so’ look. “I told you, I did all the research. Very


    thoroughly,” he added, emphasizing the validity of his previous insights.


    He wouldn’t understand it even if I exined it. I don’t think he ever could. All of the signs were ring,


    telling me they couldn’t and weren’t mine. But something else was drawing me, some connection I


    couldn’t understand. The results were clear and baring. But I still didn’t want to believe it. Maybe I was


    loosing it, holding onto my ex-wife’s kids. It didn’t really matter. My kids or not, I still loved them.


    “I can assure you, I headed straight to theb and started working on it. It was well secured,” Kane


    assured me when I asked him about the DNA test results.


    “If you think it was corrupted or switched, it definitely didn’te from me.”


    I could understand Hazel having a kid and wanting to keep them far away from me. Even if I discovered


    they were mine, I wouldn’t have barged in on her and demanded custody.


    The DNA could never lie. Either that or it was swapped. But by who? My mind immediately went to


    Be. She seemed normal, always acting like nothing was out of ce.


    “What do you think of Be?” I asked Gaby, one of the serv ants after calling her to my study. She


    looked surprised and taken aback by the question.


    Gaby hesitated, ncing around nervously before speaking.


    “Ma’am Be?” she inquired, her voiceced with fear. “Yes, my wife Be,” I rified, sensing an


    unusual tension in the air. She began to stutter, clearly frightened of offending me. Was this normal? A


    Luna’s subject being scared to discuss her? Respect and dedication were expected, but fear?


    “Go on,” I urged gently, trying to unravel the unease. “Well, sometimes she yells at us, and she could


    push or throw things. Sharp things.” Her voice was feeble, and my concern deepened.


    “Is that where you got that from?” I asked, pointing at a bandaid close to her cheek. She nodded slowly.


    Conversations with other maids echoed simr stories. I had been so engrossed in my business that I


    had abandoned my home, my pack. I had left everything to her, unknowingly allowing her to wreak


    havoc.


    Calling the serva nts one by one to question them, I got simr replies. All in all, Be was a total b itch


    and I, aplete fool. Wrapped up and believing her.


    “Alpha,” Anna called as she walked back into my study.


    She had just left a few moments ago.


    “May I say something?” she requested. “Of course, feel free.” I told her eagerly.


    She disclosed, “She practically banned us from talking to you, whatever we needed, we had to ask her


    directly.”


    “What do you mean by that?”


    “Well, no one should meet the Alpha, he’s busy. That’s what she would say. Whenever we had issues,


    we must ry them to her first.” She exined.


    “Why didn’t anyone say something?” I questioned, slowly rising from my chair.


    “We tried. You were wrapped up in your mate. It was like you abandoned us. It was almost like we


    didn’t have an Alpha anymore,” she said, her toneden with sadness.


    “I’m sorry,” I apologized with a sigh, regret weighing heavily. It took me too long to realize the extent of


    my foolishness.


    Anna’s next question hit me hard, “Sir, are you okay? You don’t seem much like how you used to.


    You’re rather sickly.” She stated peering at me. She was right.


    I was unwell, disconnected from my wolf, andpletely blocked off. It took me this long to grasp the


    reality of the situation. Numerous things had gone wrong, and they were still going wrong. Everything


    had changed since I met Be. Some how I was so blinded and in love with her, I left everything to her


    care, left her in charge.


    +6


    :72%


    But Be had stopped pack events, practically bullying members, leading to the


    s catt ering of the pack. All her ws hit me at once. Previously, she could do no wrong in my eyes.


    Things worsened after Chris’s death, and if he were alive, it wouldn’t have escted to this extent.


    All of my time had been dedicated to building my empire and it had paid off. In a couple of years it was


    one of the biggest in the country. Mypany’s sess, and expansion hade at a price, costing


    me something even more important, my pack.


    Most Alphas focused on building their empires, leaving the Luna to nurture and care for the pack. She


    was supposed to fill in for my ws. A Luna was to make sure everything in the pack went well, that


    they were no loopholes. To fix things not destroy them. Be had done the exact opposite.


    “We couldn’t talk to you. You were always busy. Whenever you were seated,, she would be close by


    and we wouldn’t be able to say anything.” She muttered with a sigh.


    “I’m sorry Anna, I really am.” I apologized.


    “Things would change.” I promised.


    Anna hesitated before divulging, “The other night, she received a package. Not sure what it was, but


    she acted really suspicious about it.” My curiosity piqued, and I asked, “A package?” as I repeated the


    word slowly. “Yes,” Anna confirmed.


    “What was in it?” I probed further. She shrugged, “I didn’t get to see it before she arrived and snat ched


    it right out of my hands, sir.” Grateful for her honesty, I acknowledged, “Okay. Thank you very much,


    Anna.”


    “Sir, can we get full payments this time?” she asked, changing the subject. I was caught off guard,


    nearly yelling, “What do you mean?!” She flinched.


    “Be hasn’t been paying you in full?” I ask a little calmer this time. She shook her head, and I couldn’t


    fathom why they hadn’t voiced orined.


    “Why didn’t you say something, or quit?!” I raised my voice. With the money I had made, the least


    anyone working with or for me should worry about is payment or allowances. I had more than enough,


    it was justmon sense to make sure people who worked for you were wellpensated. Common


    sense it appeared was not actuallymon.


    “Why didn’t you say something?” I asked in a calmer voice.


    Anna responded with honesty, her eyes shining with unshed tears, “You’re our Alpha; this is our pack.


    We would work for free if you told us to. It’s our home.” Her words hit me hard. Home. One I had


    neglected for far too long.


    Overwhelmed, I sank back into my chair. The revtions didn’t stop there. I had discovered


    anonymous letters from pack members who had left to join other packs. These letters never reached


    me due to my mate and wife.


    As I exited my study, Be’s car pulled into the driveway. I observed the air bing tense, the serv


    ants visibly ufortable, and some even scrambling away. Goddess! Be strutted in like she owned


    the ce.


    The worst part was her facade. Whenever I was present, she treated the serv ants well, feigning care


    for them and the pack. The reality was different. I stared at her, questioning how I had fallen for her.


    Was she truly my mate? The initial attraction I felt for her had evaporated.


    Maybe it had been gone years ago. What kept me by her side was probably guilt. The loss of our child


    and then those times when I would get suspicious and get mad then find out she was actually innocent.


    Moments like that would make me feel bad for mistreating her. I didn’t want to make the same mistakes


    I had done with Hazel. Hazel, in all of this, she was my biggest regret.


    “Where were you?” I inquired, keeping my voice calm and neutral. She threw a sweet smile at me, but


    it appeared fake. It was fake. The attraction I once felt for her was rapidly fading by seconds.


    “My art center, and then I went to my boutiques. It was exhausting,” she replied with a sigh.


    “I’ll make us dinner,” she purred.


    “I already ate,” I responded. Her face fell, and a hint of disappointment shed in her eyes. Something


    about her reaction seemed off.


    “Ohh,” she muttered, seemingly lost in thought.


    “Is there a problem, Ethan?” she asked, moving closer to me.


    “No,” I replied passively, studying her intently. She whined, “But you are acting cold and withdrawn.”


    “Just had a really stressful day,” I muttered lightly.


    “Oh, okay,” she said, turning to head upstairs. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.


    “Can you serve me a ss of wine?” I asked her. She turned immediately, her eyes meeting mine as a


    smile spread across her face.


    “Bring itter to my study.” I requested.


    She looked overly pleased to hear that,too pleased.


    She walked in momentster


    “Just leave it there,” I instructed her with a small smile. She dropped it.


    “I’ll see you in the bedroom,” she muttered suggestively.


    “Sure,” I replied with a smile.


    “Hell no.” My mind echoed.


    The smile on my lips died the moment she stepped out. I reach for the ss, picking it up, I stared at it


    for a moment, then had it turned into a disposable can instead of drinking it. Something was not right,


    and I would have it analyzedter. I was definitely not okay.”