Aria’s POV
We were gathered in the living room, but the air felt like a war den.
“Shouldn’t we just send him to jail?” Chloe said, her lips pressed tight. “What if he switches sides? We risked everything to get him out, and he was already thinking of running.”
Her frustration was valid.
“Clarence hasn’t shown herself,” I said, fingers resting lightly on the arm of the sofa. “And we still don’t have her DNA.”
My voice stayed even, but my mind was already ten steps ahead.
“Her face hasn’t changed in years. She can claim costic work. And officially... Clarence died over a decade ago.”
Dead people don’t stand trial. Ghosts are harder to kill.
Alia nodded. “Tyler will answer for his cris. But until we find Clarence, he’s still living evidence.”
Exactly.
Francis gave a quiet nod. Chloe slumped back into the seat, exhaling sharply.
Then she straightened suddenly. “Wait. Didn’t soone say Clarence was pregnant? Has she gone to a hospital?”
My wolf’s ears taphorically perked.
I stroked my chin, thinking. “Yes, her nanny says she is pregnant. Collins also gave us surveillance from when she ‘went’ for a check-up. Although hospital records show it wasn’t her. Patrick arranged a fake identity for her.”
I wasn’t even surprised he went to that length. That’s the kind of man he is.
“Collins has every departnt in hospitals across the country watching. If soone matching Clarence appears, we’ll know. But so far...there has been nothing in Asterfell.”
“We can also establish the relationship between Sophia and Clarence” Francis said, his gaze fixed on . “You ntioned you are in contact with Clarence’s nanny. We can have her get a strand of hair from Clarence.”
There was silence.
Then Chloe smiled slowly. “Yeah... why don’t we contact the nanny and do that?”
The realization hit like a scent trail finally aligning. I stood so fast the movent surprised even . “I’ll call Collins.”
My steps were quicker than I intended. My wolf was excited with the thrill of the chase tightening.
The genetic report already proved Patrick was Sophia’s blood.
All we needed...Was to prove that Clarence was Sophia’s mother. Then the whole rotten web would collapse.
Was this it? After all these years? Was the fog around my family finally thinning?
Collins answered imdiately I called him. “I’ll have Maria collect samples.”
When I hung up, sothing inside felt lighter, like a snare had finally been set in the right place.
“When results co,” Alia asked, “do we hold a press conference and expose Patrick?”
“We would do that.” I said slowly, “Right now, Patrick’s isn’t trying to please for reconciliation.”
I glanced down at my wrist.
The bracelet rested there. The Osborne heirloom.
“The Osborne family gave this. Margaret opposed it at first. Then she changed her mind. Patrick told her sothing.”
Understanding dawned in Alia’s eyes. “He wants access to the Osborne... through you.”
I smiled faintly.
“He thinks I’m a bridge.”
Chloe inhaled sharply. She was just now seeing how deep Patrick’s ambition went.
“Easier than attaching himself directly to the family,” Alia murmured.
“Easier?” I let out a soft laugh. My wolf’s shadow slid behind my eyes.
“The higher soone climbs,” I said, my voice cooling, “the more devastating the fall.”
I looked at every one of them.
“Keep gathering evidence. Every cri. Every lie. When the ti cos...”
My lips curved.
“I’ll give him a surprise he’ll never recover from.”
******
The next day, we were all at the dining room when Francis’ cellphone rang.
He answered it. “Terry?”
Francis’s voice was cool through the phone, but my wolf picked up the tension under it. It was tight and controlled. He put the call on speaker.
Terry rushed through an incident that occured a few hours earlier. He ntioned how Patrick had already found out we were the culprits.
Apparently, a masked figure, a short woman in particular had co with Patrick and revealed how Francis and I were working together and how Francis had helped break out Tyler and his wife. I could hear the nerves in his breathing as he spoke even from across the room.
“A short woman?” Francis repeated.”
His brows drew together, shadows settling in his expression. Soone had known our movents.That wasn’t coincidence.
That was surveillance... or betrayal.
My wolf lifted its head inside , alert.
Just before I could fully process whst had just happened and try to figure out who this woman might be, a sharp knock hit the front door.
Everyone in the dining room went still.
It was breakfast. Sunlight filtered in, warm and ordinary, but the air shifted instantly.
Francis looked at . I gave a small nod.
He ended the call. “We’ll talk later.”
The knocking ca again.
“Who is it?” Francis asked, already moving differently now. His steps were quiet, his shoulders loose but ready.
He checked the peephole.
His scent spiked with recognition and irritation. He turned to us and took quiet steps back to the dining. “It is your father”.
My heart rate went up. Tyler and his family were seated with us at the dining. I imdiately thought of a plan. I took them all up with Francis and gave each of them wolf masking potion to take.
They remained hidden in my closet.
I rushed downstairs with a potent chemical that neutralizes scents and sprinkled it everywhere in my ho to mask their scents.
Satisfied, I returned to the dining room. The knock ca again, louder this ti. He was already impatient. I gestured towards Alia, asking her to go open the door for Patrick.
She nodded and went towards the door.
Alia opened the door slightly.
“Mr. Darvin.” Her voice had a hint of surprise in it.
“Ms. Alia,” Patrick said with a stiff smile, peering through the gap. “I have been knocking for a long ti”.
“Sorry about that Mr. Darvin, we were distracted while having breakfast”. Alia arched her brow. “What brings you here so early?”
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