258
258
Although her son had reassured her that Alpha Xavier would not suspect her, Riya couldn’t shake off the lingering unease in her heart. The old saying rang in her mind: "If you’ve done nothing wrong, you need not fear the ghosts in the shadows." But Riya had committed many wrongs in her life, and the weight of her guilt was heavy. It felt like a constant reminder that her past could come back to haunt her at any moment.
When Riya returned to the hospital, she was immediately greeted by Elinor’s sharp and angry voice echoing from the ward. The irritation in her tone was unmistakable. As soon as Elinor spotted Riya entering, her expression hardened, and she snapped, "Where have you been all this time?"
Riya forced a polite smile across her face, trying to calm Elinor’s temper. "I went to the apothecary to buy some Honeysuckle water," she replied, her voice soft and careful. She quickly added, "Oh, and I just saw Xavier there. He told me he’d come to visit you very soon."
Despite the fact that Elinor’s condition wasn’t serious—her injuries from her fall were minor—she had chosen to stay in the hospital longer than necessary. She wanted to use her stay as a way to gain sympathy and attention from Xavier. However, her plan had been foiled when Xavier consulted the doctor. He learned that her condition wasn’t as grave as she made it seem, which had eased his worries. Instead of attending to Elinor, Xavier focused his time on finding a doctor to help with Leo’s condition.
During Xavier’s prolonged absence, Elinor grew increasingly furious. She hadn’t even received a single phone call from him, and she stewed in anger over his apparent neglect. So when Riya mentioned that Xavier would be visiting her soon, Elinor’s mood brightened almost instantly. The thought of seeing her son again lifted her spirits, and her anger subsided—at least for the moment.
As promised, Alpha Xavier arrived at the hospital that afternoon to visit his mother. When Elinor saw him step into the room, her eyes immediately filled with tears. Her emotions overflowed, and she began to cry dramatically. "Xavier, where have you been all this time?" she wailed. "I’ve been suffering here in this hospital bed, waiting for you. How could you abandon your own mother for some woman?"
"Mother, what are you talking about?" Xavier frowned, clearly uncomfortable with her theatrics. "I’ve been away because I needed to find a doctor for Leo. Isn’t that what you wanted?"
"And how is Leo?" Elinor asked, quickly wiping her tears but still sounding bitter.
"Leo is doing fine for now. The doctor prescribed some medication, and we’ll monitor his condition," Xavier explained. He then turned his attention back to Elinor, his tone growing more serious. "Mother, I also spoke with your doctor. They told me you don’t need to stay in the hospital anymore. You’re well enough to be discharged. I’ve already made arrangements for two professional nurses to take care of you at home."
Elinor had planned to prolong her hospital stay to make Xavier feel guilty about her "suffering," but his calm and informed response left her flustered. It was clear that Xavier already knew the truth about her condition, leaving her no room to argue. She felt embarrassed but tried to hide it. Without making a fuss, she agreed to leave, and Xavier quickly finalized the arrangements. By the end of the day, two skilled nurses accompanied Elinor back to her home.
With her son by her side, Elinor’s mood improved significantly during the car ride back. She seemed more cheerful and used the opportunity to bombard Xavier with questions about Leo. Knowing his mother’s sharp tongue but soft heart, Xavier patiently answered her questions. To ease her curiosity, he even showed her some photos he had taken of Leo earlier in the day.
When Elinor saw the pictures, her face lit up with joy. She couldn’t help but laugh at how adorable her grandson looked. The thought of having Leo around her every day filled her with longing. She remembered the request she had made to Xavier earlier. "Xavier, why don’t you bring Leo home so he can spend some time with us?" she asked hopefully.
"That’s not going to happen," Xavier replied firmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Elinor frowned, clearly displeased. "And why not? Leo is my grandson. As his grandmother, don’t I have the right to see him and take care of him?"
Xavier sighed, his patience wearing thin. "Mother, do you really think Leo would want to see you after the way you treated him the last time? He hasn’t forgotten what happened."
Elinor’s expression softened as guilt crept in. She muttered bitterly, "It’s all Bella’s fault. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be separated from my grandson like this."
"Don’t blame Bella," Xavier said firmly. "She’s not as bad as you think. In fact, she promised me that once Leo’s health improves, she’ll work on reconciling with him. When that happens, it’ll be easier for you to see your grandson too."
"Did she really say that?" Elinor asked, her voice filled with doubt. "What if she’s just lying to you? You can’t trust her so easily."
"Why would she lie to me?" Xavier countered, his tone calm but firm.
"You never know," Elinor replied stubbornly. "Maybe she has ulterior motives. Perhaps she’s just buying time. Let me tell you, Xavier, if I hadn’t warned her against taking advantage of others and restricted her rights, she might have already run off with Leo and married Alpha Zachary by now."
Xavier didn’t respond immediately. Deep down, he knew there was some truth to his mother’s words. If Elinor hadn’t intervened and placed restrictions on Bella, she might have left the pack with Leo. The thought of losing his son to another man filled Xavier with a sense of despair.
Elinor continued, "Let me make this clear. I’m not trying to stop Bella from getting married again, but we must keep custody of Leo. I refuse to let my grandson call another man ‘father.’ That’s final."
Xavier’s patience finally wore thin. "If you don’t want Leo to call someone else ‘father,’ then the simplest solution is for Bella to marry me again. Otherwise, nothing you say or do will stop her from leaving."
Elinor scoffed. "Who says I can’t stop her? As Leo’s grandmother, I can fight for custody and raise him myself."
Xavier sneered. "Mother, do you really think you can win custody of Leo from Bella? Let’s be honest here."
"Why not?" Elinor challenged.
"First of all, Bella has been raising Leo for years. She’s his mother, and he’s deeply attached to her. Second, you’d never pass the scrutiny of Beta Craig. Do you really think you can win against Bella when her father, Beta Craig, is backing her?"
Elinor fell silent, her confidence shaken. She had completely forgotten about Bella’s connection to Beta Craig. As long as Craig supported Bella, Elinor knew she stood no chance of taking Leo away.
Even so, the idea of working with Bella left a sour taste in Elinor’s mouth. She knew that Bella, with her current status, wouldn’t tolerate being treated poorly. Any alliance between them would undoubtedly lead to conflict and power struggles. Elinor sighed heavily, realizing that her dream of living peacefully within the pack might remain just that—a dream.