Chapter 127
Chapter 127
661
“Where did you go, Ethan?” Bella’s voice echoed in the grand foyer, her eyes piercing with a mix of
frustration and hurt.
“Out,” I replied in a single, stoic word, walking past her without a glance.
“First, you forget our anniversary, and then you walk out on me during dinner?!” Her voice escalated, a
crescendo of anger.
It doesn’t bother me.
I didn’t feel remorseful. Daisy mattered. When I had received the call from Hazel, my heart practically
stopped. I even forgot completely about Bella.
I turned to face Bella, and my gaze met hers.
Wife. Mate. The titles echoed hollowly, drowning in the vast expanse of unresolved emotions. All I
seemed to do was get irritated with her, our connection strained and worn thin. I didn’t even feel a
twinge of guilt for forgetting the anniversary. An anniversary that marked the length of the years I
callously tossed Hazel and our kids
away.
“Not now,” I warned her, my tone cold, but she defiantly blocked my path, challenging the detachment I
sought.
“Ethan,” she called gently, her voice softening, as if reaching out for the man she once knew, hoisting NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.
her smaller frame up to meet my eyes.
I felt the scowl on my face deepen. The next moment, her eyes were filled with tears. Tears – a sight
that once moved me, compelled me to comply with her wishes. But now, it only intensified the
frustration and anger that simmered within me.
I inhaled a deep breath, attempting to anchor my emotions.
“Out of my way, Bella. I’m exhausted, not tonight,” I muttered.
I had a lot on my mind. Daisy and Liam, I didn’t want to leave them at the hospital. I yearned to stay by
Hazel’s side, to offer support, but I had to come back home, to this wife of mine.
Liam and Daisy, my kids, Hazel still didn’t trust me enough to tell me and worse, a threat looms over
their lives, and my wife, the woman I once thought I knew, was something else.
What was frustrating was not knowing anything. We had checked the hospital cameras,
07.28 Wed, 17 Jan G
66%
The security cameras yielded nothing unusual, their blind spot conveniently covering the area where
the drugs were stored.
Could it be Bella? I searched her features for a clue.
No. There was no way she knew they were mine and she hadn’t exploded by now, Axel was right.
But still, Bella was a mystery, she seemed to be hiding a whole lot.
“What are you hiding, Bella?” The words escaped my lips involuntarily, catching me off guard.
Her expression shifted to one of alarm, struggling to compose herself. “What do you mean by that?”
she stuttered.
I didn’t mean to quiz her this way.
“What are you up to?” I pressed, my suspicion growing.
“I don’t understand,” she muttered.
“Ethan, I don’t understand you. Tonight’s our anniversary, and…” she started to say.
“And what? So what?!” I thundered, my irritation boiling over. I felt diminished and incomplete, I had
made so many mistakes. Without my wolf, I didn’t even know what I was doing anymore. Nothing was
clear.
“You’ve been ruining my pack, everything related to me, Bella. You entered my life, and suddenly I’m
no longer the person I used to be,” I accused, my anger unabated. I had missed years with my kids
because of her and my stup id actions.
“What are you talking about? Did those servan ts…” she began, attempting to deflect.
“Leave my members out of it. They’ve got nothing to do with this. You…” I stopped short, resisting the
urge to yell, mindful of the plan Axel and I had devised. It wouldn’t be wise to let her know I was
suspicious. Allowing her to think everything was normal in our relationship was the best way to gather
evidence.
Her eyes were searching mine, expectantly to finish my sentence
I calm myself down immediately. Releasing deep breaths then walk up to her cupping her face gently.
First things first, fix the mess of my pack. I needed Bella to steps out and pull out completely from pack
affair.
“I’m sorry.” I apologized and she relaxes immediately. Good.
“Bella, I would appreciate it if you don’t get involved with things concerning the packs
07:28 Wed, 17 Jan B
welfare any longer. “I told gently.
“Why?” A frown graced her face.
“You would need help you haven’t been running things properly.” I break it to her.
Not running things properly is an understatement. She’s been outrightly ripping things
apart.
“Ethan about that you were busy and I didn’t…” She tries to explain.
“You didn’t know how to handle anything, I understand. And I’ve been too busy to help you out as well.”
My explanation seems to pacify her.
“The gam ma would take over your roles. Step back and focus on your businesses. Okay?” I mumble
then turn around and headed to my study.
I didn’t have time for Bella right now.
My worry was my kids. Daisy and Liam
I already had Axel draw up and check through my potential suspects who could try to
harm them.
I sat there in my study for hours thinking. Over the years I had made so many enemies. But no one
actually knew my relation with them to try to hurt them, I had only found out myself.
I decided to narrow down our suspicions to individuals who had discovered I was frequently visiting and
had found out I was Liam and Daisy’s father. Nathan emerged as one of my main suspects. However,
observing him interact with the kids cast serious doubts on his involvement. It couldn’t be him; I might
not like him, but there was no way he would harm them.
Although Bella remained a mystery, I know she had no knowledge that Hazel’s kids were mine. Hazel
had deceived all of us years ago, and Bella knew quite well that if Hazel was pregnant, I wouldn’t have
married her.
The feeling of uncertainty and not knowing was agitating.
Unable to sit still, my thoughts lingered on Bella’s role in all of this. I was still uncomfortable with my
lack of knowledge about her-basically, I knew nothing about Bella. I needed to find out something about
her. It seemed just too convenient that the one person who recognized her managed to end up that
way.
I decided to visit Naomi’s pack, hoping to find someone who knew more about Bella.
After a restless night, dawn came finally. I left clear instructions for Axel to ensure the
kids were well taken care of. Hazel, still frightened, insisted that Liam shouldn’t leave her sight, so he
would be schooled at the hospital clinic.
The drive to Naomi’s pack was long, hours away. I wasn’t sure what I expected to find there, but I
needed someone to ease the suspicions haunting my mind.
“Aunt Naomi?” A young man of about nineteen inquires when I ask for information. He introduces
himself as Andrew,
“Are you related to her?” I quiz back.
“Yes, she passed away some months ago,” he affirms.
“Yes, I know. I’d like to ask some questions about her.” Moments later, I’m speeding back home.
“Axel! Naomi never had Alzheimer,” I break the news to him over the phone. The man I encountered
the first time is nowhere to be found. Coincidence? I think not. Naomi did die in her sleep, but she was
sick, not with Alzheimer’s.
Bella claimed Naomi’s recognition of her to be a mistake. I don’t think so; it’s far from a mistake. That
means Naomi did recognize her the other time. She knew what she was talking about, and that’s why
Bella was fidgety when she met her. The man who claimed not to know any such person during my visit
is nowhere to be found.
Recalling my visit to pay respects, I realize he seemed to be expecting me. My head is reeling with
thoughts. “When Naomi came that night, she mentioned something about the Black Axe pack. I don’t
know what that was about; she was discussing it with her assistant,” Andrew had told me.
Could Naomi’s mention of the Black Axe have something to do with Bella? What is Bella hiding? What
does she know, and what has she done? The man who lied to me about Naomi’s health is undoubtedly
related to Bella.
“Black Axe. What do you know about it?” I ask Axel. I have to stop the car for a moment before
crashing into something or someone.
“Black Axe?” Axel repeats. I had to consult him first because he mentioned something about the pack,
a research project he was undertaking. Something related to that neighbor of his he clearly likes.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this, Ethan,” he mumbles over the phone.
“I know. Neither do I.”
Bella was home, for some reasons she had arrived back home early today so I drive straight there. I
have questions that need answering.
I storm into the house, taking two steps at a time. There, I find Bella. I don’t say anything; I can’t say
anything. I only watch her closely. Her face breaks into a smile when she sees me.
“Ethan!” She runs up to me, her eyes lighting up.
“Ethan, I’m pregnant!” She announces.
eyes
“What?!” I yell, looking down at her instinctively to her belly. She nods eagerly her wide and round in
excitement. I take a step back instinctively trying to wrap my head around what she just told me. How is
that even possible? When was the last time I touched her? Then it hits me, that night! That night I was
so frustrated and upset with Hazel.
Bella’s eyes are looking into mine hopefully.