Chapter 141: Chapter 141 Children Torn Away

Bella’s POV

If Vance had been present, I would have chosen him without hesitation. But he wasn’t there when I needed him most.

That left me with Hugo as my only viable option.

I understood he bore responsibility for this mess, yet a small voice in my head, Astra’s influence perhaps, whispered that any reasonable man wouldn’t have pursued a relationship with my abusive half-sister in the first place.

But I had no alternatives. His name had to be my answer.

Derek was completely out of the question. He had already chosen his father’s side in exchange for promises about keeping me in his life. As for Parker, his true allegiances remained a mystery to me.

Moon’s reputation for cruelty was well-established, and since Parker hadn’t bothered checking on the children for days, Hugo seemed like the safest choice.

The moment his name left my lips, Lord Morris’s expression shifted, and he shook his head dismissively.

"Actually, I’ve reconsidered. Perhaps it would be better to send each child to their biological father instead," he announced with calculated precision.

My jaw clenched so tightly I thought my teeth might crack.

"Then why waste my time asking for a single name?" The words came out as barely contained venom.

"Because I needed to know your preference to report back to the others," Lord Morris replied smoothly, his eyes never leaving my face.

None of his fellow council members would dare call him out for this obvious manipulation.

He was setting me up, planning to tell Derek my choice and use it as ammunition against me.

Under normal circumstances, Derek’s opinion of me wouldn’t matter in the slightest. But these weren’t normal circumstances.

He wanted his daughter, and the only thing preventing him from unleashing chaos was his desperate attempt to convince me he was better than his father.

If that fragile concern for me disappeared, he would transform into the same monster that had raised him. That possibility terrified me more than anything else.

"Now then, I need to know which child belongs to which father," Lord Morris demanded, and my heart sank as I realized I had no choice but to comply.

"Zack belongs to Hugo. Leah is Derek’s daughter. And Tara is Parker’s child," I whispered, crossing my arms defensively over my chest.

"Please understand, we’re not heartless people. We don’t want to tear siblings apart, but given their current state of distress, it’s clear they can’t remain together right now," one of the other council members offered in a tone that was supposed to sound reasonable.

Their words meant nothing. It was their actions that had brought us to this point, and their actions that would determine what happened next.

"How long will this separation last?" I asked, studying each face around the table for any hint of honesty.

They hadn’t even allowed me the courtesy of contacting Hugo myself.

"Just a day or two at most. Perhaps only a few hours," Lord Morris replied, and despite everything I knew about this man, a tiny spark of hope ignited in my chest.

I couldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, but hope was all I had left.

"Very well, let’s proceed," Lord Morris declared, and I watched in horror as three female council members stepped forward to collect my children.

Tara proved the most difficult to separate from me. Her small hands clung to my clothes with desperate strength, and when they finally pried her away, she stared at me with enormous eyes that overflowed with tears.

I could see the confusion and fear written across her innocent face. She couldn’t understand why they were taking her from the safety of my arms.

After all the terrible things they had said about her abilities, I was terrified she might think they were removing her because they truly believed she was dangerous.

Once my children disappeared from view, a single tear escaped down my cheek.

The hollow ache that settled in my chest told me I had made a terrible mistake coming here.

I should have taken my chances in the human world, searching for answers among doctors and scientists. But humans couldn’t possibly have cures for problems that plagued magical beings.

They escorted me to the council headquarters in complete silence.

No handcuffs adorned my wrists because they maintained the pretense of treating me with respect.

Since I had been caring for their precious children, they chose to avoid outright hostility, claiming they wanted to find answers and rebuild our relationship rather than destroy it entirely.

The moment we arrived at the imposing building, they whisked me up to the top floor.

When the elevator doors slid open, I found myself surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows that offered a panoramic view of the city below. The vast hall contained nothing but chairs arranged in the center, creating an intimidating interrogation space.

The strangest thing was how close the sky appeared from this height, as if I could reach out and touch the clouds.

"Take a seat here. The interview will begin shortly," one of the warriors instructed, positioning me in a solitary chair before leaving me completely alone.

For the next quarter hour, I became acutely aware of the cameras positioned throughout the room. They monitored my every breath, every movement, every expression.

"Are you angry with me?" Astra’s voice echoed in my mind, and I fought to maintain a normal appearance.

If those cameras caught me zoning out for too long, they might realize I was communicating with my wolf.

"I’m not sure, Astra, but if you genuinely want to help me, you need to tell me who you really are," I pressed, keeping my expression neutral.

If she could provide any real information about herself, I might not have to keep asking others or wondering whether the rumors about grey wolves being dangerous held any truth.

If they were lies, I could simply explain my wolf to the council, retrieve my children, and finally live in peace.

"I have no idea," Astra responded immediately, her tone suggesting offense at the very question.

"Astra, I need answers because I have to face these people," I explained, hearing her grunt with annoyance.

"Then tell them everything. Why are you keeping secrets?" she snapped, and I forced myself to remain perfectly calm.

I tapped my finger against the arm of the chair and hummed softly to demonstrate my awareness of my surroundings.

"Astra, you’re a grey wolf. Do you know anything about your nature or what sets you apart from other wolves?" I tried once more.

"I know exactly as much as you do. What made you think I’d have additional information? Do you imagine I spend my time reading books while you sleep?"

Her defensive tone and obvious defiance made it crystal clear she wouldn’t be providing any useful assistance. I was completely alone in this fight.