chapter 147
Hanna's POV:
The VIP maternity ward at Moontouch Medical Center smelled of expensive flowers and new beginnings.
I stood near the window, watching the parade of well-wishers stream into Fiona's private suite, each bearing gifts. The room buzzed with congratulations, the air thick with the scent of success.
"Mrs. Price, what a beautiful grandson!" A woman gushed, her eyes gleaming with calculated friendliness. "Ten percent of Grayson Enterprise! Richard Grayson is incredibly generous."
I forced my smile wider, though my jaw ached from maintaining it. "Yes, we're very blessed."
Blessed. The word tasted bitter on my tongue.
Ten percent. Five hundred billion moonstones. Eighty billion in annual dividends.
The numbers had been circulating through Moonhaven's elite circles since Richard's announcement yesterday.
I'd watched phones light up across the room, watched faces transform from polite indifference to eager attention. The same wolves who'd turned their noses up at Alexander's "new money" status now crowded around us, their previous disdain forgotten.
Alexander stood near Fiona's bedside, his chest puffed out as he accepted congratulations.
I looked away, focusing on Fiona instead.
My stepdaughter lay propped against silk pillows, her face pale but her eyes bright with triumph.
A male pup. An heir for the Grayson bloodline.
Of course it would be.
"Hannah." Alexander's voice pulled me from my thoughts. He'd extracted himself from his admirers and now stood close enough that I could smell the expensive cologne he'd started wearing. "A word?"
I followed him to the small sitting area adjacent to the main room, away from the crowd. He glanced back to ensure we had privacy before turning to me, his expression shifting from public joy to private calculation.
"When does the transfer happen?" His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "The stock. When does it officially move into Fiona's name?"
"Richard said during the full moon naming ceremony." I kept my tone neutral, though something cold twisted in my stomach. "Three weeks from now."
"Three weeks." Alexander's eyes gleamed. "And the dividends start immediately after?"
"That's what was announced."
He nodded slowly, his mind clearly working through numbers and possibilities.
I watched him, this man I'd married for security, for status, for escape from the shame of my past. When had the lines around his eyes become so pronounced? When had his smile become so... mercenary?
"We should discuss how to best utilize this windfall," he said. "For the family, of course."
Of course.
"Utilize?" I kept my voice carefully modulated.
He waved a dismissive hand. "We're family. Price Enterprises is on the brink, Hannah. Without a significant capital injection in the next quarter, we're looking at bankruptcy."
His hand caught my wrist—not hard, but firm enough to stop me. "Think about it. We could secure Mia's future. Set her up properly. Isn't that what you want?"
I pulled my wrist free from his grip, the contact suddenly unbearable. "Then ask her yourself."
"What?" His eyes narrowed.
"You heard me." I kept my voice steady, though my hands trembled slightly. "If you think Fiona should help save Price Enterprises, then you should be the one to make that request. Not me."
"Hannah, you're her stepmother. She trusts—"
"She trusts you more." The words came out sharper than I intended. "You're her father. And this is your company, your debt, your problem to solve."
Alexander's jaw clenched. For a long moment, he stared at me. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold.
"Fine. I'll handle it myself."
He turned and walked back toward Fiona's room.
"Fiona, sweetheart." Alexander's tone had transformed completely, warm and paternal. "How are you feeling?"
I couldn't see Fiona's face from where I stood, but I heard the exhaustion in her voice. "Tired, but happy."
"Of course you are. You've given the Grayson family such a precious gift." A pause. "I was just thinking... with Richard's generosity, and the baby's future secured, perhaps we should discuss how the family can best support each other during this transition."
Fiona quickly understood what Alexander meant.
Silence.
"Mom," Fiona called out, her voice carrying into the sitting area. "Could you come here, please?"
I froze. For a moment, I considered pretending I hadn't heard. But Alexander had already turned, his eyes finding mine with an expression that promised consequences if I didn't comply.
I walked into the room on unsteady legs.
Fiona looked between us, her expression unreadable despite the exhaustion shadowing her features. "Did you know about this?"
"I—" My throat felt tight. "Your father mentioned the company was having difficulties."
Fiona's eyes narrowed slightly, studying me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
"Father," she said slowly, "I'm not stupid."
Alexander's smile faltered. "Of course not, sweetheart. I never said—"
"You're asking me for money before the stock is even officially mine. Before I've recovered from childbirth. Before Richard has even announced the naming ceremony details." She paused. "That doesn't sound like 'temporary difficulties.' That sounds like desperation."
"Fiona—"
"But you know what, Father?" She shifted against her pillows, her voice taking on a tone of innocent curiosity. Why don't you ask Hanna first?"
Fiona's gaze swung to me, sharp and assessing. "Mom, didn't you say you have several shops at Howling Plaza? "
My mouth went dry. "I... yes, but—"
"Then surely you could mortgage one or two to help Father." Her smile was pleasant, almost sweet. "After all, we're family. And family helps family, right?"
I wasn't really listening. Her words barely registered as guilt flashed hot across my face—the kind of guilt that came from secrets eating away at you from the inside.
I'd reconnected with that gambling friend recently. The addiction had its claws in me again. From horse racing to gambling.
It had started as revenge, a way to hurt Alexander for his affair. I'd told myself it would be just once, just to feel something other than the hollow ache of betrayal.
But the rush of cards turning, chips sliding, the electric thrill of risk—it consumed me. Even losing every night couldn't stop me from craving it, dreaming about it.
The shops at Howling Plaza were already gone, sold off one by one. The money had vanished into the void of my losses.
"I need to make a call," I muttered, brushing off Fiona and Alexander with a vague excuse before leaving the hospital room.
In the elevator, my thoughts churned. I barely noticed where I was going as I stepped out on the ground floor, walking in a distracted haze until I collided with someone.
I looked up, freezing. "Mother? What are you doing here?"
Mother looked equally startled to see me.
"Anna is sick. I've been calling you for days—why haven't you answered?"
At the mention of my brother's daughter, my face twisted before I could stop it.
The thought of Anna made me think of my own dead daughter, and hatred surged up from somewhere deep and poisonous. "Why would you call me about her ill? Just let me know when she's dead."
"You—" Mother's hand trembled as she pointed at me.
I moved to step around her, done with this conversation.
"Hannah!" Her voice cracked behind me, tears threatening. "You are such a disappointment! From now on, I don't have a daughter!"
My steps faltered for just a moment. I didn't turn around. "Whatever you say."
I kept walking, my wolf silent and dark inside me—as twisted as the rest of me had become.