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After completing these tasks, the door slammed shut, the sounds echoing through the night. Alpha Xavier's lips curled into a bitter smile, the moonlight casting a haunting glow upon his face. It seemed that Bella's good temperament was no match for the storm brewing within him. He knelt down, his muscles tense, and began picking up the items Leo had callously thrown out. Suddenly, a sarcastic voice pierced the air from behind him, causing his wolfish instincts to ignite. "Hey! Isn't this Xavier? What is he doing outside my house?"

Alpha Xavier turned around, his eyes locking with the piercing gaze of Alpha Carl, the rival pack's leader. Arms crossed, a smirk of arrogance on his lips, Carl exuded disdain. Xavier remained silent, gathering the discarded belongings one by one, carefully placing them into a bag. Only then, he extended his hand towards Carl, his tone laced with forced politeness. "Trevor, nice to meet you!"

"Don't bother. I can't afford the disloyalty you carry," Carl refused to shake Xavier's hand, his voice dripping with contempt. "Alpha Xavier, I find myself looking down on you more and more. Do you truly believe you can snatch the child away from Bella? Leo is your son, and he is sick. Isn't it heartless of you to burden him with this revelation?"

Carl may not have known the entire story, but he had heard whispers from Layla. She had failed to disclose Breanna's provocation to Carl, for her fiery temperament would surely lead to confrontation. Bella wished to spare Carl the pain of knowing the truth about Breanna and the discord it had created within their family.

"I never said that!" Xavier retorted, a flicker of injustice burning in his eyes. "I never intended to compete with Bella for our child."

Carl cut him off, laughing scornfully. "Enough with the explanations. Who else but you would dare do such a thing? Your mother? Last I heard, she hadn't fully recovered. Your excuses hold no weight, Xavier."

A bitter smile danced on Xavier's lips. "It wasn't my mother. It was your own fiancée who told Leo."

"Breanna? How is that even possible?" Carl's disbelief filled the air.

Xavier's voice held no doubt. "That's the truth. Your dear Breanna visited yesterday and planted this seed in Leo's mind."

Carl's face contorted in anger. How could he have forgotten the treacherous nature of Breanna? Her schemes knew no bounds. He had initially planned on entering the house, but Xavier's revelation prompted him to turn away and retreat.

It appeared that Carl was heading to confront Breanna, but Xavier had no time to concern himself with the impending confrontation.

Breanna was the mastermind, the puppeteer orchestrating this chaos. She had purposely exposed the truth about Leo for her own gain. By inciting her mother to bring Leo back to the pack and revealing her connection with him, she had thrown their family into turmoil. Xavier couldn't stand idly by and watch their life unravel.

Upon Bella's return from grocery shopping, she discovered Xavier standing at the door, several bags at his feet. The bags were filled with food and toys, an offering to gain Leo's favor. She immediately understood his intentions. "Leo is quite resistant now. Give him some time."

"Bella, I need to talk to you. We need to have a serious conversation," Xavier pleaded.

"What is there left to talk about?" Bella's voice held a tinge of bitterness. "Leo doesn't wish to see you, and I must admit, neither do I. There is nothing left for us to say."

Xavier's gaze softened, his soul yearning for understanding. "Bella, I don't want to keep saying sorry, but there is something I must express to you. Let us reconcile, for the sake of our child. Let us obtain the mating bond certificate."

A hint of amusement danced in Bella's eyes. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, I've never been more clear in my thoughts. Leo resists me because he believes I abandoned you and your mother. I wish to change his perception of me," Xavier's words were filled with determination.

"So, in order to reverse Leo's opinion, you want to reunite with me?" Bella's playful smile belied her true feelings. "Alpha Xavier, you need not go to such lengths. Leo's prejudice against you is merely due to his youth. I will slowly teach him not to hate you. I may not possess much power, but I will keep my word."

"You still have the audacity to speak of keeping your word! Have you forgotten what you promised me?" Xavier's voice carried a mix of frustration and accusation. "You promised to give me a chance with Leo, but you have broken that promise."

"Don't pretend you don't know why I broke that promise," Bella sneered. "I was indeed prepared to give you that chance, but you proved to be too much. There is no need for me to keep my promise to a man who continuously lies."

"You think I don't know why you left without hesitation?" Xavier's voice trembled with a hint of desperation. Bella's words had struck a nerve within him.

Bella studied Xavier silently, her eyes filled with both sadness and resolve. "It's nothing. Your lover, Kelsey, called and informed me that she was with you. It seems your time together will come to an end soon."

"That's impossible. I haven't been with Kelsey. That night, she had planned to invite me to dinner, but I had a few drinks and hired a designated driver. On our way, Samantha's car broke down..." Xavier recounted the events of that fateful night, desperately trying to convince Bella of his innocence.

"Samantha drove you home?" Bella's astonishment was evident.

"I don't remember. When I woke up the next morning, my mother informed me," Xavier replied. "From the very beginning, Kelsey and I were innocent. I never intended to make her my lover. Bella, since you left, I haven't touched another woman. I swear!"

Bella remained silent. That night, when she called Xavier, it was Elinor who had answered the phone. Elinor had assured her that Kelsey was not with Xavier. So, was it all just a prank orchestrated by Kelsey? She shook her head, her voice dripping with resignation. "Alpha Xavier, the past is long gone. There is no need to delve deeper into it. Right now, my only concern is my son's condition. There is no point in pursuing anything else."

"Bella, for the sake of our child's health, you should consider reuniting with me. Leo needs a father. We must resolve everything and come together again, creating a happy and loving family for our child. Only then can we hope for a speedy recovery for Leo."

Bella's smile was tinged with bitterness. "Alpha Xavier, it's not that I don't want to give you a chance. But I can't grant you that chance. Your mother won't allow it either. Your mother and I are entangled in a complicated mess, so don't hold onto illusions. It's better to accept the reality."

"I have spoken to my mother, she won't stand in our way anymore..."

Bella interrupted him, her voice filled with warning. "Alpha Xavier, my mother never goes back on her word. You would do well not to trust her too much."

"Bella, this time it's different. You don't have to worry about my mother's reaction. I won't let her influence us," Alpha Xavier pleaded eagerly.

"Bella, didn't you just say that we should leave the past behind? Let's not dwell on it now. Let's focus on the future. You are carrying our child. Leo shouldn't come into this world without a father. Don't you want our child to have a father?"

Bella fell into silence for a while before responding, "Alpha Xavier, I will find a way to communicate with Leo. He resents you now. I will try to mend that and gauge his reaction. As for you and me, I believe it's best we take things one step at a time. There are still many unknown factors. We should proceed cautiously."

Alpha Xavier remained silent upon hearing Bella's words. The matter between them couldn't be hurried. She had been hurt deeply and it would take more than a few words to understand her pain. The most important thing was to win over Leo and erase his resistance to him.

Alpha Carl drove to the hotel where Breanna resided. Her face lit up when she saw him. "Alpha Carl, what brings you here?"

"Breanna!" Alpha Carl stared at her intensely, his words dripping with contempt. "You truly cannot change your ways!"

Breanna understood immediately, seeing the anger in Alpha Carl's eyes. He must have found out that she visited Bella yesterday. Bella had clearly played her. Controlling her own anger, she tried to defend herself. "What did I do?"

"Why did you tell him that Alpha Xavier is Leo's father? Why would you do such a thing?"

"I simply let it slip out..." Breanna defended herself.

"Well, you don't need to explain. Do you remember what I told you?" Alpha Carl sneered, his patience wearing thin. "I said that even though we're engaged, you should not interfere in my life. If you can't handle it, we can break off the engagement. And now, since you can't handle it, let's end it!"

"I won't break off the engagement. Alpha Carl, you can't be so heartless towards me. I didn't meddle in your life. It was merely an accident." Breanna refused to give up. "This time, it was my mistake. I won't repeat it."

Alpha Carl looked at Breanna, annoyance clear in his eyes. "Breanna, I do not love you. Not even a bit. There is no need for you to persist. Let us put an end to this!"

"Alpha Carl, I won't give up on you. You promised to marry me in three years. You cannot go back on your word!" Breanna knew that Alpha Carl was a man of his promises. She deliberately used his own words against him, hoping to silence him.

She was right. Alpha Carl realized he had been foolish. He looked at Breanna and sneered. "Since you're so adamant, I will grant your wish!" With those words, he walked away without looking back.

As she watched Alpha Carl's retreating figure, Breanna clenched her fists. "Bella, I have been accommodating for far too long. Don't blame me for becoming aggressive. Alpha Carl, you cannot have it all. You cannot have Bella, and you cannot have Alpha Xavier either."

She turned around and entered her room, immediately calling Samantha. "Ms. Craig, it's me, Breanna. We need to meet."

Samantha was taken aback by Breanna's sudden call. They had no contact with each other, so why did Breanna want to meet her? Samantha was currently pregnant, and she had been advised to be cautious. So she declined. "I'm sorry, Ms. Zachary, I don't have the time to meet. Just tell me over the phone."

"It's not something we can discuss over the phone. We need to meet in person." Breanna insisted.

Although she could inform Samantha about Bella's pregnancy over the phone, her subordinates couldn't see Samantha's reaction. But more importantly, she wanted to discuss her plans with Samantha. She wanted to ensure that Bella and Alpha Xavier could never be together.

"I really don't have the time." Samantha continued to refuse. Her mother had cautioned her to be careful during this period and avoid any trouble. She had to heed that warning.

Breanna chuckled. "Ms. Craig, don't be so cautious. I'm telling you that what I have to share with you is of great importance. I warn you, if you don't meet me, it will be a great loss for you, and it may cost you Alpha Xavier forever."

Samantha's uneasiness grew upon hearing those words. Was Breanna telling the truth, or was she exaggerating? If she didn't meet Breanna, she might miss out on crucial information. Breanna sensed Samantha's hesitation and found it peculiar. What was Samantha afraid of?