Serena’s POV

I guided her into the living room and positioned her on the sofa, draping a soft throw over her tiny frame.

"Stay here and watch this. I’ll return shortly." I brushed my fingers across her delicate cheek while placing my tablet in her small hands.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think she belonged to me instead of Bella.

She possessed the same endearing qualities I had at her age, with those plump, cherubable features.

I slipped away silently, positioning myself behind the corridor wall to eavesdrop. I had to understand what was unfolding.

"You did what exactly?" Derek’s voice exploded through the house.

"We brought Bella in for interrogation," Morris fired back without hesitation. "She bore children for three different men. That’s not something we overlook."

My insides twisted violently. What were they talking about?

"Let me ask you this," Morris pressed forward. "Did you, Hugo, and Parker all take turns with her? Is that the reason she was constantly hovering around you three? Were you all using her for your pleasure?"

Nausea crashed over me like a tidal wave. The woman who carried herself like royalty had apparently been servicing three alphas in their beds.

And then she conceived their offspring? How was that even possible? Revulsion consumed me entirely.

If I had understood what type of woman she truly was, I never would have allowed her within ten feet of me, wouldn’t have even acknowledged her existence.

"Father, it happened only once," Derek snapped defensively.

"And we were the ones who pushed for it. She was reluctant. We seduced her with pretty promises, then we cast her aside. All because of your interference!" he roared.

The missing pieces suddenly clicked together perfectly. His father had orchestrated our marriage specifically to separate Derek from Bella.

Everything was crystal clear now, though I remained completely shaken.

Bella. A common slut. Of course the signs had been there all along.

A woman who spreads her legs so easily wouldn’t limit herself to just three men.

I wouldn’t be shocked to discover she had bedded Alpha Jack as well. Unlike her loose morals, I maintained my dignity. My loyalty. I was a respectable daughter and devoted wife.

A terrifying realization struck me like lightning. Had Derek come to me immediately after being intimate with her? Even in recent weeks?

Had he crawled into our marital bed while carrying her filthy diseases? I felt genuine sympathy for her poor husband, completely unaware of the type of woman he had married.

Morris’s tone shifted dramatically.

"Very well, I’m not passing judgment. However, she must provide explanations for how she accomplished all this." He wasn’t insulting her directly, no, he never wasted insults unless they served his purposes.

That restraint alone infuriated me beyond measure.

And Derek, he continued shielding her reputation. Men always protected women like that, the ones who were available for taking, simple to possess.

They never showed appreciation for women like myself, who refused to be exploited.

"Where is she currently? I’m going to find her," Derek declared, panic evident in his trembling voice, and my entire body tensed.

"You need to focus on Leah. She’s traumatized after the incident with Tara," Morris responded, using the patronizing tone he reserved for manipulating children. "All the other children are with their respective fathers. Shower Leah with so much affection that she convinces Bella to remain with you."

I understood exactly what Morris was orchestrating. He wasn’t genuinely protecting Bella.

He simply didn’t want Derek disrupting the council’s interrogation session.

"Father, you should have consulted with me first! Now she’ll despise me completely," Derek said, terror flooding his voice.

"She won’t harbor resentment," Morris reassured him with practiced smoothness. "That’s precisely why I excluded you from accompanying me. That’s why I kept you uninformed. You can swear to her that you were ignorant of my plans. Compose yourself. I’m supporting your interests. But we must verify she isn’t dangerous, it could threaten your child’s safety."

The moment Morris labeled her a monster, I observed Derek’s expression harden instantly.

"She is absolutely not a monster, Father," he whispered through clenched teeth.

Hearing him continue defending her wounded me deeply, but now everything finally made perfect sense.

Naturally he supported her, at least while she continued spreading her legs for his pleasure.

Then another thought struck me. Bella’s daughter was currently on my sofa clutching my tablet. Bile rose in my throat.

The fact that I had considered her adorable even briefly made me disgusted with my own judgment.

She was the product of sin, the result of a woman’s uncontrolled appetites.

Bella had surrendered control of her own flesh, and this child was the consequence.

No surprise her children suffered from mysterious illnesses. I was certain every mother whose child experienced that sickness had committed similar transgressions.

Such misfortune would never befall my own future child.

I was a virtuous woman who had been intimate with only one man. I experienced desires, but I maintained complete control over them.

As I remained there listening, I recognized that Derek was completely manipulated by Bella’s schemes.

But I needed to return and monitor the child to ensure she wasn’t contaminating my furniture with her presence.

When I entered the room, my phone suddenly illuminated with an unknown caller. The unexpected interruption startled me. I answered without much consideration.

"Hello?" I said, confusion creeping into my voice.

"You desire a child, don’t you?" an unfamiliar female voice inquired. I couldn’t place her identity.

"Who is this?" I demanded.

"There exists a method for you to conceive," she continued while I rolled my eyes dismissively.

"Who the hell are you, and how do you know about my fertility struggles?" I snapped.

"I know everything. And I understand how you can finally become pregnant."

I released a bitter laugh at her absurd claims.

"Everyone understands basic reproduction, so leave me alone," I hissed. I was preparing to end the call when she spoke again.

"You have attempted every conventional method and still failed to conceive. But you haven’t tried one approach."

I remained silent. She waited, then continued, "You haven’t made the necessary sacrifice."

Every hair on my body stood on end.

"What kind of sacrifice?" I asked, attempting to mask my growing interest.

"A child for a child. A life for a life. You must eliminate the life of his existing child. The man whose baby you want to carry."

My head snapped up sharply, and my gaze fell directly on Leah sitting innocently on the couch watching her cartoon.

"You kill his child, and you will conceive his replacement."

The line went dead.