Chapter 370
Three hundred and seventy two
Isabella POV
By the time my father arrived, the house had filled with people who seemed to know what to do, except me. Security officers moved between the rooms, speaking into their radios and checking their phones, while Iris sat on the edge of a chair with her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles had gone pale.
He came through the door in work clothes, looked at me, then at his wife, then at the officer speaking to me.
“What happened p>
“Someone took my son from his daycare p>
He stared at me as if the words had stopped making sense.
“Isabella, I swear to you, I know nothing about this. Barbara and I don’t even speak p>
His hands lifted in front of him, palms open, as though he needed everyone in the room to see he had nothing to hide.
Gwen turned on him. “Why would you say that? You’re making it sound as though Barbara has something to do with this p>
“I’m telling them what I know,” Dad snapped, though his voice carried more fear than anger.
That answer mattered to me. Dad wasn’t defending Barbara because he knew she was innocent. He simply didn’t know what she was doing. Whatever Barbara had planned, she had kept him outside it.
The security officer stepped closer. “Henry, when was the last time you received any communication from Alpha Desmond p>
Dad frowned as he tried to remember. “Never. The last time I heard about him was through Isabella’s grand- uncle, when she got pregnant. Her grand-uncle sent her away because there were concerns about her safety, and Desmond was looking for her p>
“So he didn’t contact you or ask about Isabella or the child p>
“No.” Dad shook his head. “Nothing. I’ve never spoken to him p>
The officer exchanged a look with another guard. “Then we need to establish what Desmond wants. Isabella, do you believe he’s interested in you, Maverick, or both p>
“I don’t know p>
That was the truth, and somehow it frightened me more than knowing would have.
“A child taken by a biological father is still an abduction if the child was removed without the mother’s knowledge or consent, but his motive will determine how we approach this. We shouldn’t assume he’s looking for ransom or planning to hurt the boy. We need to know what we’re dealing with before p>
He stopped and turned as a black jeep rounded the corner.
“That’s Alpha Cameron,” Dad said, his voice suddenly small. “Oh goddess. What have we gotten ourselves into p>
Alpha Cameron arrived with more security behind him.
Seeing him there should have made me feel safer. Instead it reminded me how much larger this situation had
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become. This was no longer a missing child at a daycare. It had reached the Alpha himself.
gaze found mine.
“Isabella p>
I struggled to hold myself together. “Alpha p>
“I’m sorry about everything p>
“I just want my son p>
“I know.” His voice stayed calm. “And we’re going to get him back p>
The certainty in his words gave me something to hold on to, even if my mind refused to believe anything could be certain anymore.
His attention shifted to the security officer. “Now that we know Desmond is the child’s biological father, we need to consider him a serious possibility. He’s dangerous, but we can’t storm Blood Moon without knowing what we’re walking into. If he has Maverick, we bring the boy home without turning this into a war p>
I looked at him. “You know him p>
He sighed.
“More than I’d like p>
“What happened between you p>
Alpha Cameron glanced toward his beta, Franklin, Emma’s dad. The other man’s look told me this wasn’t a subject they enjoyed discussing.
“Desmond was once supposed to marry my sister, Nadia p>
The pieces shifted in my mind.
“The marriage never happened. Desmond wasn’t the man he pretended to be p>
A cold fear settled in my stomach.
“Desmond’s connection to Meridian wasn’t known to everyone at the time. By the time we understood what he was involved in, the damage was already done p>
I looked from him to Cameron. “Meridian p>
Cameron nodded. “The same cult connected to what happened to Wesley p>
My breath caught.
“The poisoning p>
He nodded.
My thoughts raced through everything I knew about Desmond.
This wasn’t about loving his son.
It wasn’t even about me.
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Maverick had become a piece on a board where two powerful men already shared a history, and my child was caught between them.
“Then what happens now?” I asked.
“We find him,” Alpha Cameron said. “But we do it carefully p>
His gaze moved to my father. “Henry, we’re going through Barbara’s movements and communications from the past week. I need everything documented. Places she’s visited, people she’s contacted, anything that could establish where she’s been p>
Dad swallowed. “I’ll cooperate p>
“You should,” Cameron said. “If Barbara knows anything, now is the time for her to tell us p>
As though summoned by the accusation, the door opened and Barbara walked in, dressed in hospital scrubs and holding her work bag. She looked nothing like someone who had just arranged the disappearance of a child. Even her face carried wounded confusion, the kind that might have convinced me if I didn’t know her.
Her gaze moved around the room before settling on Alpha Cameron.
“Alpha? What a pleasant surprise p>
Dad’s voice came out strained. “Maverick is missing p>
Her eyes widened.
“What p>
The performance was flawless.
She pressed a hand to her chest and looked at me. “You’re all here because you think I had something to do with this? I’ve spent the last three days looking for solutions for my patient, who’s having a hard time recovering. What makes you think I’d be with your son p>
Then she turned to Alpha Cameron.
“I’ve accepted that Wesley and I are over,” she said. “There’s nothing left for me there. He made his choice, and I’ve made mine. Charlie and I have decided to pursue our relationship, and I’m trying to move forward, so I don’t understand why I’d involve myself with Isabella or her son p>
Alpha Cameron watched her carefully.
“Since you’re certain you had no hand in the boy’s disappearance, then you won’t object to us reviewing your movements and communications over the past seven days p>
“No. I have nothing to hide p>
She stood there and lied without even looking away.
Something inside me broke.
“You told Desmond where I was p>
Barbara turned toward me. “Isabella, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Bring me proof p>
I stepped toward her.
“Isabella,” Dad warned.
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“She did this p>
Barbara lifted her chin. “Then prove it. You can’t accuse me of kidnapping because you hate me and need someone to blame p>
“I know you p>
“You don’t know anything about me p>
My body moved before my mind could catch up. I lunged toward her, but a guard caught me around the waist and/ pulled me back.
“Let me go p>
Barbara stepped away, her innocent expression slipping into something colder.
“See?” she said. “She’s lost control. How convenient that I’m the villain because she needs someone to blame p>
“You’re lying!” I screamed.
The guard tightened his hold as I struggled against him, tears burning my face.
Barbara had done this before. She had always found ways to make me question myself and make other people question me. But this time, I wouldn’t let her win.
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Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.