Chapter 0047
Elijah
As the night wound down and the energy of the event began to fade, I slipped away from the mingling crowd. The conversation I’d just had with Mason lingered in my mind, like an echo I couldn’t quite shake. He had been warm, even kind—an unexpected balm to the tension that had gripped me all evening.
Our conversation was easy, the kind I hadn’t realized I missed until it happened. I’d felt a sense of comfort talking to him, but that comfort unsettled me too. What was I supposed to do with it?
After all these years, after everything that had happened, why did I still care about how Mason made me feel?
I shook my head. There were more important things to focus on right now. I needed space, a moment to breathe, to collect myself.
But more than anything, I needed to go get Thea.
My heart ached for her. She had been caught in the middle of so much turmoil lately, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong tonight. It was a gnawing sense of dread that had been building in the pit of my stomach, and now it was impossible to ignore.
I made my way toward the children’s play area, hoping that seeing her would ease the tightness in my chest. But the closer I got, the more that unease grew. I quickened my pace, brushing past a few lingering guests who were still sipping champagne and exchanging pleasantries.
I had no time for that. All that mattered was finding Thea.
When I reached the play area, my worst fears were confirmed. Elijah stood in a secluded alcove with Olivia, their conversation low but clearly intense. I could see Olivia’s tear–streaked face from where I stood, and it stopped me in my tracks.
What was worse, though, was the look on Thea’s face. She had been playing nearby but froze the moment she spotted her mother. Her wide eyes, filled with fear, darted toward me, and in an instant, she ran to my side, clinging to the fabric of my dress with trembling hands.
My heart broke for her. How could a child so small, so innocent, be burdened with so much fear? I immediately crouched down, wrapping an arm around her protectively.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to comfort her or myself.
I glanced back at Elijah and Olivia. Elijah’s face was hard, his jaw set in that way that told me he was trying to keep his emotions in check. But there was something softer in his eyes, something conflicted.
Olivia, on the other hand, looked utterly devastated. Her sobs shook her body, and even from where I stood, I could
feel the rawness of her emotion.
“I know I made mistakes,” Olivia suddenly cried out, her voice thick with tears. “I know I hurt Thea, and I can never undo that. But you have to understand… after she was born, I wasn’t myself. I was drowning in my own thoughts, my own darkness. The postpartum depression–It took everything from me. I never wanted to push her away. I never wanted to hurt her.”
Her words struck me hard, cutting through the initial anger I felt toward her. I, too, had suffered from postpartum depression after my own child was born. I knew what it was like to feel like you were sinking, like you were drowning in a fog you couldn’t escape.
For a moment, empathy tugged at my heart. I understood the pain Olivia had gone through. But I couldn’t let that empathy blind me to the reality of the situation.
Chapter 0047
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Whatever pain Olivia had suffered, it didn’t excuse what she’d done to Thea. It didn’t erase the fear in Thea’s eyes, the way she was gripping my dress as though her life depended on it.
“Elijah, please…” Olivia’s voice cracked as she reached out toward him. Her face was streaked with desperation, and I could hear the weight of her words, “Just give me a chance to explain, to make things right.”
Elijah’s jaw tightened further, and he stepped forward. His voice was low but firm.
“Enough, Olivia. You’ve said enough.”
But Olivia’s tears only intensified, and I noticed a few onlookers had gathered nearby. Their whispers filled the air, and I could feel the weight of their judgment shifting. Some of them looked moved by Olivia’s raw display of emotion, while others seemed more curious than sympathetic.
I swallowed hard, trying to steady the storm of emotions swirling inside me. I could understand Olivia’s struggle, but at the same time, I couldn’t ignore what had happened to Thea. She was still trembling against me, and her well–being had to come first.
Taking a deep breath, I rose to my feet, gently pulling Thea up with me. I met Olivia’s gaze, my voice calm but resolute.
“Olivia, I understand that you’re hurting, but this isn’t the time. Thea is scared. She’s not ready for this, and right now, her well–being has to come first.”
The onlookers went silent as I spoke, and for a brief moment, even Elijah seemed caught off guard by the firmness in my tone. Olivia’s face crumpled, but she didn’t argue. Something in my eyes must have stopped her.
With a slow, reluctant nod, she wiped at her tears. “I… I understand,” she murmured.
She backed away, her shoulders slumped under the weight of her own sadness, and the small crowd that had gathered began to disperse. I could feel the tension in the air start to ease, but even as Olivia disappeared from view, that gnawing sense of dread wouldn’t let go of me.
What if Elijah and Thea started to lean toward Olivia again? What if, despite everything, I lost the bond I’d built with Thea?
The thought terrified me.
Thea had become such an important part of my life, and the idea of losing her–even if it was irrational–gnawed at me. As we made our way back toward the exit, I made a silent vow to myself: I would be the best version of myself for Thea. I wouldn’t lose her. I couldn’t.
A little while later, as I guided Thea back to our rooms, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I hesitated for a moment, then pulled it out, glancing at the screen. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the name of the DNA testing center flash across the display.
For a brief moment, hope surged through me, but that hope was quickly crushed when I read the message: Due to a system malfunction, your results have been delayed.
I groaned in frustration, shoving my phone back into my pocket. The waiting was slowly driving me insane. The uncertainty, the constant limbo–it was all becoming too much.
Once again, I was left with no answers, only more questions. Questions that had been weighing heavily on my mind for far too long.
As the gala finally came to a close, I couldn’t help but notice the whispers that followed me. It was as if every time I walked past a group of guests, their conversations quieted and I could feel their judgment prickling at the back
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Chapter 0047
of my neck. They still, even after Elijah’s announcement, all questioned how someone like me, a wolfless woman, could ever be Luna.
I had spent so much time proving myself, yet their doubts still lingered.
Later, when we finally returned home, the silence between Elijah and me felt almost suffocating. The weight of the night’s events hung between us, unspoken but ever–present.
“I heard what those people were saying at the ball,” Elijah said quietly, breaking the silence.
I tensed, bracing myself for the inevitable conversation. Of course he did. How could he not? The whispers had been impossible to miss.
“But I don’t believe them,” he continued, his voice steady and reassuring. “I know you’re strong, Agnes. And I’m convinced that your wolf is still within you, even if we
haven’t seen it yet.”
I blinked in surprise, caught off guard by his words.
“You… you think my wolf is still there?”
He nodded, his gaze intense. “Yes. And I’m going to find the best doctors, the best specialists. We’ll figure this out together.”
His words were a promise, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a flicker of hope.
Maybe I wasn’t facing this alone.
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