Alex.

I sat quietly beside Eva’s hospital bed, my gaze fixed on her chest as it rose and fell slowly with each breath she took.

The soft beeping sound from the heart monitor echoed steadily through the room, creating an eerie calmness that only made my thoughts louder.

At least the doctors had confirmed the baby was okay. That was the only thing that mattered right now.

Nothing absolutely nothing must happen to that child because whether Ella liked it or not, that pup was still my blood.

My seed.

And maybe...Just maybe...It could still become the bridge that would bring her back to me.

Ella had always wanted a child that I remember clearly. The way her eyes used to soften whenever she saw pups running around the pack grounds. The way she would unconsciously stare at mothers holding their children during ceremonies.

Back then, I never paid enough attention to it.

Or maybe I simply chose not to.

But now?

Now every single memory haunted me.

I slowly lowered my hand to Eva’s stomach, gently caressing it absentmindedly.

The action wasn’t even for Eva, It was for the child. For the tiny life growing inside her.

A small smile spread faintly across my lips as my thoughts drifted elsewhere.

"You better grow up quickly," I murmured softly under my breath, my fingers brushing lightly against her belly. "Mummy needs you."

And immediately, the image formed in my head. It was that of Ella standing in the garden, holding the child and smiling.

Another of the pup running around her happily while she laughed softly.

The image alone made something twist painfully inside my chest.

We could still fix this, we could still become a family again. I just needed time, I needed Ella to calm down. I needed her to remember everything we once had.

Even if the thought sounded impossible now.

I was still lost deeply in my thoughts when my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket. The vibration pulled me out of my daze instantly.

I frowned slightly before bringing the phone out and checking the screen.

A message from my lawyer.

My expression remained indifferent as I opened it but the moment my eyes scanned through the words...

I froze completely.

> Mr. Alexander Blake, you have been sent a letter and have been summoned to court. There is a court hearing regarding your divorce.

My grip around the phone tightened instantly.

Divorce?

Ella was really taking this that far?

No.

My jaw clenched tightly, this couldn’t possibly be her idea. It had to be those damn triplets.

Who else would push her into something like this?

Ever since she got involved with them, everything had become worse. They kept inserting themselves into matters that had absolutely nothing to do with them.

I scoffed under my breath, anger slowly creeping into my chest.

What exactly was their problem?

Ella was my wife.

Mine.

Not theirs.

They should stay away from issues concerning us.

I immediately typed out a response to my lawyer without wasting another second.

> Prepare well. I am not getting a divorce. You just ensure I win.

The moment I hit send, I leaned back slightly in the chair, my chest rising and falling heavily.

No matter what, I wasn’t going to let her go that easily, especially not now, not after everything and not when I still needed her the most.

Because deep down, I knew one thing clearly...Only Ella could save me from Thomas.

Eva moved suddenly on the hospital bed, stirring awake as her lashes fluttered open.

The moment her eyes landed on me, she immediately tried sitting upright in panic.

"Alex!" she called out breathlessly.

I instinctively moved forward to support her, helping her settle properly against the pillows while masking every single emotion threatening to surface inside me.

Because honestly?

The irritation bubbling beneath my skin was becoming harder to suppress.

She was the reason everything had become such a disaster.

If Eva had not seduced me...If she had not crawled into my bed and complicated everything...None of this would have happened.

Back then, the plan had been simple, she would carry the child and Ella would raise it.

The child would still belong to us in the end but Eva—She had changed everything, claiming the pack would never accept an adopted heir.

And the annoying part was...She had been right. The elders would definitely question it.

But somewhere along the line, I forgot one important thing.

I was Alpha.

Whatever I decided should become law.

I should have remembered that from the beginning, but I was just too relaxed, because I thought Thomas had laid low.

"Alex..." Eva’s trembling voice pulled me out of my thoughts again. "My baby... is my baby okay?"

Concern flashed clearly across her pale face, and for a brief second, I almost laughed bitterly.

Her baby?

No.

That child wasn’t hers, not really and not in the way she probably imagined.

That child belonged to Ella and everything about my future still belonged to Ella.

Even now.

Still, I forced a smile onto my face. The same fake smile I had been wearing constantly these past few days.

"Yes," I said calmly, nodding slightly. "The doctors confirmed the baby is okay."

Relief washed across her face immediately.

"Thank goodness," she whispered, placing a hand over her stomach protectively. "You scared me, Alex." Her voice softened afterward, becoming smaller. "Why did you do that?"

The question lingered heavily between us and honestly...It took every ounce of restraint inside me not to tell her the truth.

Because she deserved it.

She deserved worse.

If not for her manipulation...If not for the lies...If not for whatever connection she had secretly maintained with Thomas...Ella would still be beside me right now.

My jaw tightened slightly at the thought.

Thomas.

The more I thought about him lately, the more suspicious everything became and suddenly, an ugly thought crossed my mind again.

What exactly was the relationship between Eva and Thomas?

Was she merely following his instructions?

Or was there something deeper between them?

The possibility alone made my stomach twist unpleasantly.

I studied her face carefully, her worried expression, her trembling lips and the way she kept touching her stomach protectively.

Was all of this genuine?

Or another performance?

"I don’t know what came over me, Eva," I said finally, forcing the words out smoothly despite how disgusted I felt inside. "I guess it was just pressure from work."

The lie rolled off my tongue effortlessly, without remorse and without guilt because at this point, lying had become second nature to me.

Eva stared at me for a few seconds, her expression softening almost immediately, as though my explanation was enough to erase everything that had happened earlier.

"Don’t do that again," she said softly, blinking her eyes innocently like some lost little kitten seeking affection.

And for a brief moment, I found myself wondering...How had I once found that behavior attractive?

Back then, every little thing she did seemed charming—the way she pouted, the way she clung to me, the way she acted vulnerable.

But now?

Now all I could see was manipulation hidden beneath pretty expressions.

I swallowed the irritation threatening to show on my face and looked away from her instead.

"You’ve been acting strange lately," Eva said quietly, breaking the silence again as she searched my face carefully. "Did I do something wrong?"

I immediately shoved the thoughts away and forced another smile.

"No baby," I replied smoothly, even though the words felt disgusting in my mouth. "You just need to rest." I added calmly, keeping my tone steady. "You need to do so for the baby."

My gaze unconsciously drifted toward her stomach again.

Toward the pup growing inside her.

The child that had somehow become the center of every mess surrounding my life.

Eva slowly nodded her head in response.

"Okay," she whispered softly.

Carefully, she adjusted herself against the bed again, moving slowly so she wouldn’t disturb the needle connected to her hand. The transparent tube carrying the drip swayed slightly as she repositioned herself properly beneath the blankets.

The heart monitor beside her continued its steady beeping, and everything in the room felt too quiet.

And the more I stood there pretending to care...Pretending to be concerned...Pretending to still be the loving man she believed I was...The more rage burned violently inside me.

It clawed at my chest relentlessly, because all I could think about was Ella, she walking away from me, blocking my number, being beside the triplets.

Meanwhile I was stuck here...Forced to keep playing along, forced to act like everything was normal.

My jaw tightened.

I couldn’t even look at Eva any longer, not when my mind kept replaying every mistake that had led me here.

Without saying another word, I turned around and headed straight for the door.

The moment I stepped outside the hospital room, I exhaled sharply. The tension inside me loosened slightly, but the anger remained.

Burning.

Growing stronger.

I dragged a frustrated hand through my hair as I walked down the hallway, my expression darkening completely now that no one was around to see through the act.

The more I pretended...the more I smiled at Eva...the more unbearable everything became because deep down, I knew one thing clearly...none of this was supposed to happen.