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"Bella, don’t let your anger take over just because you’re embarrassed. The smartest thing you can do now is marry Alpha Xavier, our respected leader. You already have two children, and while you may wish for them to be raised by their biological fathers, it’s better to find stepfathers for them instead."

"Mom!" A small voice suddenly interrupted. Leo stood at the doorway, his innocent eyes looking at Bella and Breanna. "Aren’t you going to marry Uncle Alpha Zachary? Why are you talking about Uncle Alpha Xavier now?"

Bella froze in shock. She hadn’t realized Leo was awake. He’d been napping in his room—when had he woken up? Judging by his expression, he had overheard her conversation with Breanna. This was bad. Breanna had gone too far.

"Because Uncle Alpha Xavier is your real father," Breanna said with a sly smile.

"Breanna!" Bella’s voice rose sharply. She felt the urge to make Breanna stop talking immediately.

"Uncle Alpha Xavier is my dad? Is that true?" Leo asked, looking up at Bella. He trusted his mother and wanted her to confirm it.

Breanna cut in before Bella could answer. "Yes, it’s true. And the baby in your mother’s belly is also Alpha Xavier’s child. Isn’t that right, Bella?"

"Breanna, leave! Right now! Or you’ll regret it," Bella said angrily, stepping forward to push Breanna out. Seeing Bella’s fury, Breanna quickly left. Leo stayed in the doorway, tears streaming down his face.

Bella knelt down and pulled him into her arms. "Leo, my sweet boy, please don’t cry."

"Mom, is Uncle Alpha Xavier really my dad?" Leo asked again, his little voice trembling. Bella sighed heavily. She couldn’t lie to him. She nodded.

"Then why doesn’t Dad want us?" Leo asked, his tears flowing faster. "I saw him on TV getting engaged to another woman. Why doesn’t he want me and you?"

"It’s not that he doesn’t want us, Leo," Bella said softly, trying to explain. "He’s just dealing with his own problems."

Leo didn’t understand. For him, the image of Alpha Xavier had always been that of an "uncle." Seeing him get engaged hadn’t hurt too much because Leo didn’t know the truth back then. But now that he knew Alpha Xavier was his father, everything felt different. His young heart couldn’t process why his father had ignored him and his mother.

"Dad is a bad man! A really bad man!" Leo shouted through his tears.

"No, Leo, he’s not—" Bella tried to calm him.

"He is! He’s a terrible person, and I hate him!" Leo yelled. Bella was shocked. This was the first time she’d ever heard her son speak with such anger. His hatred was directed at his father, Alpha Xavier. Bella didn’t know what to say, so she just hugged him tightly.

At that moment, Alpha Xavier walked in. Even with his busy schedule, he always made time to visit Leo. Usually, he would arrive after Leo’s nap, but today was an exception. He entered with bags of food and toys, hoping to surprise his son. But when he saw Bella holding a crying Leo, he froze. "What’s going on?" he asked, concerned.

Leo broke free from Bella’s embrace and ran toward Alpha Xavier. For a moment, Alpha Xavier thought Leo was coming for a hug. But instead, Leo grabbed his hand and spat, "You’re a bad man! A terrible man! I never want to see you again!"

Alpha Xavier flinched, stunned. Before he could react, Leo ran to his room. A few minutes later, Leo returned with a toy gun in his hands. His little face was red with anger as he pointed it at Alpha Xavier. "You liar! Get out of our house, or I’ll make you leave!"

Alpha Xavier stood still, shocked by the scene unfolding before him. He saw the rage in Leo’s eyes—pure, unfiltered anger from a child who felt deeply hurt. If the toy gun had been real, Alpha Xavier had no doubt that Leo would have fired it at him.

"What happened?" Alpha Xavier asked, looking at Bella with confusion and pain.

Bella gave him a strained smile. "Breanna came by and caused trouble. She told Leo the truth about your relationship with him. He overheard everything."

Alpha Xavier felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him. He had imagined countless ways to reveal the truth to his son, always thinking it would be a joyful moment filled with love. But now, that dream was shattered. His son, who should have been happy to know his father, was instead filled with hatred.

Leo’s beautiful, trusting eyes were now clouded with anger and betrayal. "Liar! You’re nothing but a liar!" Leo yelled, still pointing the toy gun at Alpha Xavier. "Get out! I don’t want you here! Mom doesn’t want you either!"

Alpha Xavier’s heart felt like it was being torn apart. This was his son, his own flesh and blood. Half of Alpha Xavier’s soul lived in Leo, yet now, his son saw him as nothing more than a villain. He had hoped for a strong bond, a loving relationship, but all of that had been destroyed. Instead of joy, there was nothing but pain and anger between them.

"Alpha Xavier, please leave for now," Bella said gently, seeing that Leo was too upset to be calmed. But Alpha Xavier didn’t move. His eyes stayed on Leo, filled with sorrow and regret. He wanted to say something, to apologize, to beg for forgiveness. But no words came out.

How could he make up for the pain he had caused his son? How could he show Leo that he wanted to be a father to him now? In this moment, Alpha Xavier felt utterly lost. He had faced countless challenges in his life, but this was the first time he felt completely powerless.

"Please, just go," Bella whispered. Alpha Xavier finally turned to leave, his heart heavy with despair. As he walked away, he silently prayed. God, help me. Help me fix this. Please.