Bella’s POV

The memory struck me like lightning, vivid and unrelenting.

"You’re carrying three babies," the doctor had announced, her eyes fixed on the ultrasound screen.

Joy flooded through me in waves I hadn’t felt in years. After running from home, after all those nights wondering if my struggles meant anything, this moment felt like salvation itself.

For so long, I’d questioned whether fighting to survive was worth the pain. Whether every battle I’d fought was meaningless. But now, with three lives growing inside me, everything suddenly had purpose.

"Where’s the father?" The doctor’s clinical question sliced through my happiness.

I smoothed my dress with trembling hands and settled into the chair, my throat tight. That question haunted me constantly, a reminder of truths I couldn’t speak. Every time someone asked about the father, my chest seized with memories I’d rather forget.

The door burst open behind me.

"Sorry for being late," a familiar voice commanded the room.

My breath stopped completely. Vance strode in wearing an immaculate black suit, clearly having rushed from some high-stakes meeting. His presence filled the small examination room like he owned it.

"Vance Stanton?" The doctor’s entire demeanor transformed. She shot to her feet, her professional composure melting into something closer to worship. "The Vance Stanton?"

Her voice dripped with sudden reverence, and I could see her expression shift as she took in his obvious wealth and status.

"Please, don’t stand on my account. How’s my wife doing?" Vance asked, claiming the seat beside me with natural authority.

The doctor’s eyes practically sparkled with intrigue. "Your wife? When did you two get married? I expected someone of your status would have thrown the wedding of the century."

Here it was again. Women immediately gravitating toward him, their voices turning honey-sweet, their bodies angling for his attention. Being the wealthiest man in human territory made him irresistible to everyone we encountered.

I caught the doctor’s appraising look, clearly wondering what made me special enough to capture someone like him.

"I wanted the big ceremony," Vance replied smoothly, "but my wife had different ideas. She insisted we donate the wedding budget to charity instead of throwing a party. How could I argue with a heart like that?" He turned to me with a smile that looked genuine enough to fool anyone.

"So, how is she?" he pressed.

The doctor snapped back to attention, though disappointment colored her features. "She’s doing wonderfully. Much healthier than when she first came to me weeks ago. You’re clearly taking excellent care of her."

Vance’s chest puffed with unmistakable pride, playing his role perfectly.

"Actually, congratulations are in order. You’re not just having one baby. You’re having triplets."

The words hit Vance like a physical blow. His hand found my shoulder instantly, fingers gentle but possessive as his face lit up with what looked like genuine happiness.

"We’re going to be incredible parents. You’ll be the most amazing mother these children could ask for," he said, his voice thick with conviction.

Those words. God, those were the words I’d been starving to hear. My face broke into a smile that felt like sunrise after the longest night.

"Don’t worry. You have me completely on your side," Vance added, leaning closer until his intense gaze captured mine entirely.

He lifted my hand, never breaking eye contact, and pressed his lips to my knuckles. The kiss felt reverent, protective, claiming. In that moment, surrounded by his lies that felt like truth, I experienced pure happiness for the first time in forever.

A tiny flame of hope flickered in my chest, whispering that maybe I finally had something beautiful waiting for me.

The memory shattered as Lord Morris’s voice exploded through the present.

"Just take Zack instead!" he roared at Derek.

"I can’t do that!" Derek screamed back, their argument growing more violent by the second. Neither man seemed to care how their shouting was terrorizing my children.

"Why not? What’s this obsession with this particular daughter? Take the boy instead!" Lord Morris demanded, grabbing Derek’s arm and trying to physically shake Leah from his grip.

"Father, no, I won’t, because..." Derek’s voice cracked, stopping mid-sentence. My ears started ringing with dread.

"Why not give her this one and take Zack instead?" Lord Morris pushed relentlessly, stepping forward and trying to tear Leah away from Derek’s arms.

Terror shot through me like ice water. Leah clung desperately to Derek, seeking protection from the man who’d fathered her, even as fear consumed her small body.

"Father, stop this!" Derek bellowed.

Behind us, Serena dissolved into heartbroken sobs, burying her face as the two men fought over Leah like she was property. Hugo rushed to my side, pressing Zack into my arms so he could intervene and rescue Leah from their struggle.

The moment Zack settled against me, his thrashing stopped completely. He’d been fighting to get away from Tara, not me.

I handed Tara to Hugo and reached for Leah with my free arm.

"Get your hands off my daughter!" I snarled at Lord Morris with every ounce of maternal fury I possessed.

Leah’s eyes found mine, noticing I only held Zack now. She stretched her little arms toward me desperately, but Derek pulled her hands down and turned his back, shielding her from my reach.

"No, Father, I can’t give her up," Derek’s voice broke as he delivered the truth that would destroy everything. "Because only Leah is actually my daughter. The others belong to the other alphas."

The words hit like a bomb, changing everything in one devastating moment.