Chapter 79

Chapter 79
Bella's POV:

I didn't wait for an answer. I pushed the door open and stepped inside, leaving Ethan standing in the hallway like the fool he was.

Jane was pressed against the door, her ear tilted toward the crack, catching every word of our exchange. When she saw me, her weathered face twisted with disgust, and she turned toward the door and spat—actually spat—in Ethan's direction.

"That man," she muttered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "That man is poison."

I closed the door firmly behind me, shutting out the sound of Ethan's retreating footsteps. My hands were still trembling, but not from fear. From rage. From exhaustion. From the sheer weight of everything I'd been carrying for far too long.

Jane turned to me, her expression softening immediately. She reached out and placed both hands on my shoulders, grounding me.

"Miss Bella," she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "Don't let them break you. Not for their dirty money. Not for anything."

I looked into her eyes and saw something I hadn't seen in a long time—pure, uncomplicated loyalty. No agenda. No manipulation. Just an old woman who genuinely cared about me.

"You don't have to worry about me, Jane," I said, my voice steadier now. "I'm not going to let them win."

She nodded, her grip tightening on my shoulders. "Good. Because once this old hand of mine heals up, I'm going to find work. I'll take care of you, Miss Bella. You don't need their blood money."

My throat tightened, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a hug. She stiffened for a moment, surprised, then relaxed and patted my back gently.

"Jane," I whispered. "You're the best."

She pulled back and looked at me, her eyes glistening. "You're going to be just fine, Miss Bella. Better than fine. You're going to show them all what you're made of."

I smiled, a real smile this time, and nodded. "I will. I promise."

Jane beamed at me, her wrinkled face lighting up with pride. "That's my girl. My Miss Bella is so beautiful, so capable. You're going to do great things. I just know it."

We stood there for a moment, just the two of us, and for the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe. Jane's simple, unconditional support was exactly what I needed. No strings attached. No hidden agendas. Just pure, genuine care.

After chatting with Jane for a while longer, I finally felt some of the weight lift from my chest. But I knew I couldn't stay here forever. I had something important to do.

"Jane," I said, straightening my shoulders. "I need to go out for a bit."

Jane frowned, concern flickering across her face. "Where are you going, Miss Bella?"

"I can't tell you right now," I said softly. "But when I come back, I'll explain everything. I might even bring someone with me. Someone I've been waiting to meet for a very long time."

Jane studied my face for a moment, then nodded slowly. She didn't press me for details, and I was grateful for that. "Alright, Miss Bella. You don't have to tell me if you're not ready. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," I said, squeezing her hand.

---

That evening, I called Skylar. I needed to tell someone about what I'd learned, and she was the only person I could trust completely.

"Bella?" Skylar's voice was sharp with concern the moment she answered. "What's wrong? You sound terrible."

I took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of my bed, my phone pressed tightly to my ear. "I found out something about my mother. About my birth mother."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Then Skylar's voice came back, low and furious. "What did that bastard Brandon do?"

I told her everything. About the video. About the prophecy and the snake-shaped birthmark. About how Brandon had destroyed my birth mother's life, driven her to attempt suicide, and then locked her away in a psychiatric facility for nearly three decades while telling everyone she was dead.

By the time I finished, Skylar was cursing so loudly I had to hold the phone away from my ear.

"That fucking psychopath!" she shouted. "He's a monster, Bella! A goddamn monster! He and that bitch Iris are the same—rotten to the core, evil down to their bones!"

I didn't disagree. I couldn't. The comparison was apt. Both Brandon and Iris were people who consumed others without a second thought, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.

"I don't know how Diana lived with him for so long," Skylar continued, her voice shaking with anger. "She must have been so scared. So trapped."

I closed my eyes, my chest tightening. "She was. But she tried to protect me. She left me everything she could. And she told me the truth before she died."

Skylar was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "You're going to find her, aren't you? Your birth mother."

"Yes," I said firmly. "I'm going to Graymist Psychiatric Sanctuary. I need to see her. I need to know she's real."

"Bella, you can't go alone," Skylar said immediately. "What if something happens? What if Brandon finds out? And you're pregnant, for God's sake!"

"I'll be fine," I said, though my voice wavered slightly. "I have to do this, Skylar. I have to see her."

"Then let me come with you," Skylar insisted. "You know I'd drop everything if you asked."

I shook my head, even though she couldn't see me. "No. You're working on that aerospace project with Victor. Hunt Group is in a critical phase right now. I can't ask you to leave."

"Bella—"

"I mean it, Skylar," I interrupted. "You can't just take time off because of me. Victor's counting on you. The company's counting on you. If you take time off, Victor will approve it, but we can't take advantage of his feelings for us. We need to think about him too. We need to think about the company."

Skylar let out a frustrated sigh. "You're so damn stubborn, you know that?"

"I learned from the best," I said with a faint smile.

There was a pause. Then Skylar said, her tone softening, "I haven't even asked for leave yet, and you're already lecturing me like I'm being selfish. It's like Victor's company is more important to you than I am. No, wait—it's like Victor himself is more important than I am."

I couldn't help but laugh, despite everything. "Stop it. You know that's not true."

"I'm just teasing," Skylar said, her voice lighter now. "I know you're being rational. But seriously, Bella, I'm worried about you. You're going alone, and I don't like it."

"I'll be fine," I said softly. "I'll stay in touch. I'll call you as soon as I get there, and I'll update you every step of the way. I promise."

Skylar was silent for a long moment. Then she said, "Fine. But if anything happens—anything at all—you call me immediately. I don't care if I'm in the middle of a meeting with the CEO. You call me, and I'll be there."

"I will," I promised.

"Good," Skylar said. "Now get some rest. You sound exhausted."

"I will," I said. "Thank you, Skylar."

"Don't thank me," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Just come back safe, okay?"

"I will," I promised.

---

Ethan's POV:

I walked back to the Eclipse Pack house with a hollow feeling in my chest, like something vital had been carved out and left behind in that cold hallway. The night air was crisp, but it did nothing to clear the fog in my head. Bella's words kept replaying in my mind, over and over, like a record stuck on repeat.

You and your family owe me a debt. For my mother's death. For three years of humiliation. For everything you've put me through. And trust me, Ethan—you're all going to pay it back. With interest.

I tried to shake it off, but I couldn't. There was something in the way she'd said it—so calm, so certain—that made my skin crawl. She wasn't bluffing. She wasn't making empty threats. She meant every word.

The house was warm when I stepped inside. I could hear laughter coming from the living room—my mother's high, tinkling laugh, and my grandmother's lower, more restrained chuckle. It was a sound I hadn't heard in weeks, not since Oliver had been born and the pack had been thrown into chaos.

But the warmth didn't reach me. It felt distant, like I was standing outside looking in through a window.

Rosa greeted me at the door with a bright smile. "Alpha Ethan, you're home! We've prepared all your favorite dishes tonight. Come, everyone's waiting for you in the dining room."

I nodded absently and followed her down the hall. The dining room was filled with the smell of roasted meat and fresh bread. My grandmother sat at the head of the table, her posture regal as always. My mother sat beside her, holding Oliver in her arms. Faye was there too, looking small and delicate as she smiled shyly at me.

It should have felt comforting. It should have felt like home. But it didn't. It felt suffocating.

"Ethan," my grandmother said, gesturing to the empty chair beside Faye. "Sit. Eat. You look exhausted."

I sat down, but I didn't feel hungry. I felt nothing. Or maybe I felt too much, and my brain had just shut down to protect me from the weight of it all.

Faye reached out and touched my hand lightly. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern. "You seem… upset."

I pulled my hand away and picked up my fork. "I'm fine."

My mother frowned, her sharp eyes studying me. "You don't look fine. Did something happen? Did you see Bella?"

I didn't answer. I just stared down at my plate, my mind replaying the confrontation over and over again. The way Bella had looked at me—cold, distant, like I was nothing. Like I was a stranger she couldn't wait to be rid of. And that last thing she'd said, about me meeting the real her soon—what the hell did that even mean?

"Ethan," my grandmother said sharply, her voice cutting through my thoughts. "What's wrong with you? Why are you sitting there like a statue?"

I looked up at her, my jaw tight. "It's nothing."

"Don't lie to me," she snapped. "You've been acting strange ever since you came back. Is this about Bella?"

I didn't answer, but my silence was answer enough.

My grandmother's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Ethan, you need to stop this. That woman is no longer part of this family. She's nothing to you now. Do you understand? Nothing."

"I know," I said quietly.

But even as I said it, I felt the lie settle heavily in my chest.

My mother let out an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, Ethan, you're not the only one causing problems today. Your sister nearly gave me a heart attack earlier."

I looked up, momentarily distracted from my own turmoil. "What did Brianna do now?"

"What did she do?" my mother said, her voice rising. "She went to Victor Hunt's office again today. Can you imagine? Waiting outside his building like some lovesick teenager. The security guards had to escort her out!"

My mother shifted Oliver in her arm. "She came home in tears. Locked herself in her room and won't come out. I tried talking to her, but she won't listen."

"Good," my grandmother said coldly. "Maybe a little humiliation will teach her some sense. She needs to learn that not every man will fall at her feet just because she's pretty."

Faye spoke up softly. "Maybe someone should talk to her. Make sure she's okay."

My grandmother shook her head. "She's fine. She's just sulking. What she needs is discipline, not coddling."

I tuned them out, my mind drifting back to Bella. To the way she'd looked at me. To the promises she'd made.

My grandmother's voice cut through my thoughts again. "Ethan, are you even listening?"

"Yes," I lied.

She studied me for a long moment, then reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Since you're so distracted, let me give you something that might help clear your head."

She slid the envelope across the table toward me. I stared at it, confused.

"What is this?"

"The paternity test results," she said matter-of-factly. "For Oliver. I had Noah retrieve them this afternoon."

I picked up the envelope without much interest. I'd never really doubted that Oliver was mine. The whole paternity test had been Bella's accusation, not my suspicion. I tore it open mechanically, barely glancing at the technical jargon before my eyes landed on the conclusion.

Probability of paternity: 99.99999%

I set the paper down on the table with a slight shrug. "Okay."

"There," my grandmother said triumphantly. "You see? That woman tried to poison your mind with her lies, but the truth is right there in black and white. Oliver is your son. Your heir. Now maybe you'll stop letting her manipulate you."

I nodded absently.

Faye was watching me nervously, her hands twisting in her lap. "I told you," she whispered. "I would never lie to you about something like that."

"I know," I said flatly. And I did.

My grandmother leaned back in her chair, satisfied. "Good. Now maybe you can stop doubting and start focusing on your real family. Faye and Oliver need you, Ethan. Not that ungrateful woman who's been nothing but trouble since the day you married her."

I picked up my fork again and forced myself to take a bite of food, but it tasted like ash in my mouth.

Faye reached for my hand again, and this time I let her take it. Her fingers were small and warm, but they felt wrong somehow. Everything felt wrong.

My mother cleared her throat. "Ethan, you need to eat more. You've barely touched your food."

"I'm fine," I said automatically.

"You're not fine," my mother said gently. "But you will be. Once you complete the rejection ceremony and officially bond with Faye, everything will fall into place. You'll see."

I just nodded and forced myself to take another bite.

Faye squeezed my hand gently, her eyes shining with hope and affection. I looked at her and felt that familiar pang of guilt.

I pulled my hand away and stood up abruptly. "I need to check on Oliver."

I walked out of the dining room before anyone could say anything else, my chest tight and my head spinning. I heard soft footsteps behind me—Faye, of course. She always followed me.