Chapter 275 The Woman They Couldn't Take Away From Me

Chapter 275 The Woman They Couldn't Take Away From Me

TRISTAN

"What?" The word felt stuck in my throat, jagged and sharp. I finally found my voice, but it sounded like someone else’s.

I took a shaky step toward her. The room felt like it was spinning, but I fixed my eyes on Livia. "Livia, is it true?"

She didn't answer. She couldn't.

For a heartbeat, she just stared at me, her face a mask of panic. Then, she lunged. She threw her arms around me, burying her face into my chest. Her tears soaked through my shirt, cold and sticky against my skin.

"No, no, Tristan, it wasn't like that," she sobbed, her voice muffled against my chest. "It’s not what you think, it’s..."

The guards didn't let her finish. They were on her in a heartbeat, their hands like iron shackles as they hauled her away from me.

She screamed and fought, her heels digging into the floor, but they didn't even flinch. I just stood there, watching, my jaw tight enough to snap. I gave a sharp, single nod to the head guard.

She would pay for this. Every second of my pain would be returned to her tenfold.

"It’s not only me!" she shrieked, her voice echoing off the hospital walls. "I was sent by someone! I didn't do it alone!"

That stopped me. I snapped my hand up, signaling the guards to stop. They did and Livia moved, still gripped tightly in their hold.

"Who?" I growled, stepping closer to her. My wolf was pacing beneath my skin, snarling for a name.

"It's someone who hates that pathetic woman of yours!" she spat, her eyes flashing with a sudden, ugly malice. "All she knows how to do is ruin lives. She deserved it!"

The words felt like a match dropped into a pool of gasoline. My temper surged, hot and wild, but I forced myself to clamp down on it. I wouldn't lose control now. Not here.

"Very well then," I said, my voice dangerously flat. "Tell Daniel everything. Every name. Every detail."

I turned my back on her as the guards dragged her out. Her protests and curses faded down the hallway, leaving nothing but the heavy, ringing silence of the room.

I knew Daniel. He would break her down until there was nothing left to hide. He wouldn't need my help to ensure she suffered for what she had done.

I turned back to the room, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. "Where is she, Daniel? Where is Yelena?"

Daniel, who had stayed behind to watch the guards, turned to me. A soft, genuine smile broke across his face... the first time I’d seen him look truly relieved in weeks.

"She’s well, Alpha. She’s given birth. She’s just down the hall in the maternity ward."

My world stopped. The air left my lungs, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. "Really? Thank Moon," I whispered, the relief washing over me like a tide.

But then my knees buckled. A wave of dizziness hit me so hard the room blurred, and I swayed. Daniel was there in an instant, his steady hands gripping my shoulders to keep me upright.

"Easy, Alpha. Are you okay?"

I shook my head, fighting to keep my eyes focused. I didn't care about the weakness in my legs or the haze in my vision. "Take me to her. I need to see her now."

"You don't look alright, Alpha," Daniel protested, his brow furrowed with worry. "You need to wait until you can actually stand on your own."

I shoved him back, perhaps softer than I intended, and straightened my spine. I was an Alpha. My pack expected strength, and my mate expected me. I took a deep, steadying breath, grounding myself in the scent of the pack hospital and the lingering, sweet memory of Yelena.

"I am fine," I insisted.

Before he could argue again, the door creaked open. A doctor stepped in, his face serious. He bowed low, his eyes flickering toward Daniel before settling on me.

"Alpha. It’s good to see you’re awake," he said. He glanced at the monitor next to the bed and then back at me. "I need to check your vitals before you move anywhere."

I felt a surge of pure, unadulterated frustration. He was just another obstacle but I knew if I didn't play along, they’d never let me leave this room.

I huffed, marched over to the bed, and sat down, extending my arm toward him without a word.

Daniel sighed, looking relieved that I wasn't fighting.

The doctor worked with practiced, efficient movements. He checked my heart rate, tested my reflexes, and shone a light into my eyes, recording every detail on his tablet.

The silence in the room was suffocating. I watched his fingers, counting every second, my mind already miles away, already in that maternity room.

Finally, he finished, clicking his pen closed. He looked up, his expression cautious. "Your recovery is impressive, Alpha, but you’re still pushing your limits. I strongly advise you to rest. Your wolf needs time to knit those tissues back together properly."

I let out a sharp, dismissive scoff. "Are we not healing fast enough for you?"

The doctor blinked, taken aback.

"Just do your paperwork and leave me alone," I said, gesturing toward the door.

He didn't argue. He just nodded, packed his things, and slipped out.

I stood up immediately, the movement making my head swim for a second before I shoved the weakness aside.

I didn't wait for Daniel. I walked straight toward the door, and this time, he didn't try to stop me. He just fell into step behind me, knowing better than to stand between me and Yelena.

We walked down the corridor, the smell of antiseptic giving way to something warmer, something that felt like home. Daniel opened the door, and I stepped inside.

The room was filled with soft light, but my eyes didn't stop until they found hers.

Everything else in the world simply vanished.

The hospital, the poison, the pain, the guards... it all ceased to exist.

It was just us.

I saw my mother move to hug me, and I felt Marie reach for my hand, but I couldn't process them.

I couldn't see anything but Yelena.

She was sitting up in the bed, looking tired but beautiful. Her eyes went wide, and she blinked, once, twice, three times, as if she were trying to convince herself I wasn't a ghost.

"Tristan!"

She half-yelled the name, the sound of her voice anchoring me to the earth. She started to scramble out of the bed, her face lighting up with a joy so pure it made my chest ache.