Chapter 59
Elenna Valehart
I woke early. And, just as I expected, my dear son had already left without so much as a glance in my direction. No apology for the scene last night. No decency to hear what I had to say. I traveled all this way, after all these years, and that is how he greets me.
He still thinks he can avoid me. Like a rebellious boy locking himself in his room to escape his mother, to escape his duties, to escape his responsibilities.
Adrian might think he has freedom. He might even believe he can choose his own path. But the blood in his veins… is mine.
I carried him in my womb, fed him with my flesh, my blood. And there is nothing he can do to outrun destiny. The destiny I carved with sweat and every breath of my life.
He will be the next Supreme Alpha.
One way or another.
I rose calmly and dressed for the occasion. The grand return of Will Valehart’s wife.
Yes.
Adrian might wish I’d stay away from the family business. But can he stop me? Can he ban me from setting foot into the company that bears "my" name?
No. Absolutely not.
Once I was ready, every detail of my appearance sharpened, to be used against that building and everyone inside it, I went down for breakfast.
And there she was — Francesca. Alone in the kitchen, staring into nothing like some brainless fairytale maiden. Bread in hand, mouth half open, eyes lost in whatever pitiful daydreams she entertained.
Seeing her like that, so vacant when she should be useful, irritated me beyond reason.
How could my sister have raised something so… weak?
I pulled out a chair and sat across from her. The sound scraped against the floor, sharp enough to make her choke on her coffee.
“Are you ready for the company today?” I asked flatly, tucking back a few strands of silver hair that had slipped from my bun.
She blinked, startled.
“I… I’m not sure. Adrian seemed so stressed last night. Maybe it’s not a good—”
My patience shattered. I rolled my eyes with undisguised contempt.
“Listen to me, Francesca.” I leaned in. “My son doesn’t have a choice. And you are not here to play innocent little girl… You are here to support your family. Aren’t you?”
She flushed scarlet, fumbling out a quick “yes.”
“Good.” I stood, already decided. “Then get dressed. We’re going.”
I sipped the coffee. It was disgusting. Of course it was.
“Ana,” I called, sugar dripping from my voice like it used to in the old days. “Is it really that hard to prepare a proper cup?”
The old maid hunched her shoulders, apologizing with her eyes.
Why Adrian still kept her, I couldn’t understand. Humans, after a certain age, were useless.
“Next time… you’ll make it the way I like it. Or did you forget?” I asked, a sweet smile curdling into venom.
“Mrs. Valehart… I still remember. But Mr. Valehart prefers it this way,” she murmured, staring at the floor, unable to meet my gaze.
“Well now… you’ll do as I say. Understood?” I rose, fighting the urge to dismiss her entirely. “I’m certain Adrian will prefer it this way, too.”
She only nodded, trembling, and I left the kitchen, moving into the sitting room to wait for my foolish niece to get ready.
When we finally stepped outside, the driver rushed to open the car door as soon as he saw me. Nothing had to be said. They were all trained, as they should be. The world runs smoothly when everyone knows their place, doesn’t it?
In the car, silence was a blessing. Always better than being forced to listen to nonsense.
Adrian… he needed to be at that Moon Council, at that hunt.
I needed him to understand it was his legacy. That it was not a choice. That it was a duty.
I had already received a message from my informant, a list of those who would be there, those who fancied themselves worthy of the throne. Andrew Hoffman. Luke Hines. Alex Blake.
Who would have thought… after all these years, I would see those names gathered again.
Competing. Fighting.
I would never let them take the top.
Will had sat on the throne once as Alpha Supreme. My husband, even sick, had upheld the family’s honor. And now Adrian had to be next. Whether they liked it or not.
We arrived at the company. The moment I stepped into the lobby, as I expected, everything shifted. The air changed. Footsteps quickened. Voices dropped. It was as if an invisible crown had settled on my head, and everyone felt obliged to bow.
And in a way, it had.
“Good morning, Mrs. Elenna!” they repeated. Some bowed their heads. Others approached me like bees drawn to honey.
I smiled benignly. A queen must smile at her people, even when she despises every one of them.
“Where is my son?” I asked, my practiced softness in place. “After so many days, I need to see him.”
One of the employees answered that he was in the penthouse. She asked if I wanted her to notify him.
“No.” I smiled, perfect. “I prefer to surprise him.”
Francesca walked at my side, pale, silent, still afraid of what Adrian might say if he saw her there.
I tried not to let their reactions ruin the moment and simply guided her, taking her arm with a certain delicacy, toward the elevator.
We rode up, and all I could think about was how Adrian would react when he saw me.
But when we reached the penthouse… the door was locked.
I knocked. Once. Twice. Silence.
He was in there. I knew it.
Was he daring to ignore me?
A flash of anger prickled beneath my skin, but I gave no sign.
Then a filthy scent cut through the air, a crawling, nauseating sensation. I turned and saw her in the hall: a girl walking toward us.
Not… just any girl.
A half-blood.
My stomach twisted with pure contempt, that smell, that presence… I couldn’t breathe it.
What was Adrian thinking, allowing that kind of filth to circulate here?
“Good morning…” she said, nervously. “Mr. Adrian is occupied at the moment. He asked not to be disturbed. Maybe you should come back later.”
My smile went false, trying to be pleasant while internally I was already tearing at her throat.
How dare she speak to me like that?
Did she even know who I was?
When I announced I was Adrian’s mother, I watched her freeze.
She went quiet, limp, as meek as Francesca. Apparently, real women aren’t born anymore in this generation.
“Mrs. Valehart…” she managed, trembling. “I understand you’re his mother, but these are direct orders… I can’t let you in.”
Wrong answer.
Honestly, it would have been easier to snap her neck right there, but I didn’t want to ruin the dress. So, clean and deliberate, as one who doesn't soil her hands, I pulled my phone from my bag and dialed the front desk.
She stood frozen, baffled by my calm.
“Hello? Security? This is Elenna Valehart. I have an issue in the penthouse.”