Chapter 178: The Revelation

Chapter 178: The Revelation
Sierra's POV

I ran. Adrian was right behind me. We reached Evelyn's cabin in minutes. The guards stood outside looking pale.

"What is it?" I asked. They stepped aside and let us enter. 

The cabin was neat and almost empty but on the wall above her bed was something that made my stomach turn. A bulletin board covered in photos. Photos of Adrian, me and my son. Some were from pack events. Some looked like they'd been taken secretly from the woods. 

In the center was a photo of Adrian and Evelyn from years ago. Evelyn had drawn a heart around it and crossed out my face in every photo where I appeared. 

She had written words in red marker. "Mine." "Always mine." "Take back what's mine." Adrian's hands clenched into fists. "She's obsessed."

I stared at Alexander's innocent face crossed out with red X's. My knees went weak then I saw it. A calendar on her desk. Tomorrow's date circled in red. Under it, one word written in Evelyn's perfect handwriting: "Ready." 

My hands shook as I picked it up. "Ready for what?"

Ben opened drawers. "Look at this." He held up a folder. Inside were medical records of several different men from the pack. 

Young men, single men, their schedules, routines. Where they lived. Adrian grabbed the folder. His face went pale. "She's been tracking them."

I felt sick. The fertility drugs, schedules, and calendar marked "Ready." It all clicked into place. 

"She's trying to get pregnant," I whispered. "By anyone. Then she'll claim it's yours again." Adrian threw the folder on the desk. "That's insane. We have DNA tests now."

But I understood. It wasn't about logic. It was about desperation and Evelyn needing to be important again. If she got pregnant, even if the baby wasn't Adrian's, she'd be back in the spotlight, in our lives whether we wanted her there or not.

Ben pulled out another drawer and found letters Evelyn had written but never sent. All addressed to Adrian. I picked one up and read the first few lines. "My love, they don't understand us. Sierra stole you from me but I'll get you back. I'll show everyone that we belong together."

The letters went on for pages. Detailed fantasies about Adrian leaving me. About them running away together. Some letters were sweet and sad, others were angry and bitter but all of them were desperate. All of them were the words of someone who couldn't let go.

"We need to find her," Ben said. "Now." I looked at the calendar again. Tomorrow. What is happening tomorrow? 

Adrian pulled out his phone. Called the guards at the medical center. "Is Evelyn there?" A pause. "Find her. Don't let her leave." He hung up. "She left an hour ago. No one knows where she went."

My heart dropped. I called Lena. "Is Alexander okay?" Lena's voice was confused. "Yes, he's right here playing with his blocks. Why?" 

Relief flooded through me. "Lock the doors. Don't let anyone in except me or Adrian. We'll be there in ten minutes."

We got home and rushed inside. Lena stood in the living room holding Alexander. My baby reached for me. I took him in my arms. Held him close. He was safe.

That night, guards searched everywhere but Evelyn had disappeared. Adrian sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. "I should have seen this coming." I put my hand on his shoulder. "This isn't your fault."

Morning came. I didn't sleep. Just watched Alexander's room on camera. My phone rang at seven. It was Dr. Mara. "Sierra, you need to come to the medical center. Evelyn's here. She's asking for you." 

"Is anyone hurt?" Dr. Mara's voice shook. "No. She just walked in this morning. Said she needed to talk to you. Woman to woman."

I looked at Adrian. He shook his head. "Don't go. It could be a trap." But something in me needed to face her, to understand why. "I have to. But come with me. Stay outside." Adrian didn't like it but he nodded. "Fine. I'm bringing Ben and two guards."

We drove to the medical center. Adrian kissed my forehead. "Be careful. I'll be right outside." I walked in alone. Dr. Mara waited in the hallway. "She's in the back office."

I opened the door. Evelyn sat in a chair by the window. She looked small. Her hair was messy. Her eyes were red from crying. She looked up when I entered. "You came." I stood by the door. Ready to run if I needed to. "What do you want, Evelyn?"

She laughed but she wasn't happy. It was hollow. "I wanted to explain." 

I crossed my arms. "Explain what? That you're obsessed with my husband? That you've been planning to get pregnant just to ruin our lives again?" Evelyn flinched. "You don't know what it's like to lose everything."

I stepped closer. "Then tell me." Evelyn's face crumpled. Real tears fell down her cheeks. Not the fake ones she'd cried before. These were different. Raw and painful. 

"I loved him," she whispered. "I really loved him. And he chose you. Everyone chose you. You showed up and took everything from me."

My chest tightened. Part of me wanted to feel sorry for her. But I couldn't forget the photos. 

"So you decided to destroy me? To hurt a child?" Evelyn shook her head. Covered her face with her hands. "I just wanted to matter again. When I lied about being pregnant, everyone paid attention. When the truth came out, I became nothing."

She looked up at me. Her eyes were desperate. "You have everything, Sierra. A husband who loves you. A beautiful son. A whole pack that respects you. What do I have? Nothing." 

I felt tears in my own eyes. Not because I pitied her but because I finally understood. Evelyn wasn't evil. She was broken but that didn't make her less dangerous.

"Getting pregnant won't fix this," I said softly. "It won't make people love you. It'll just hurt more people, including an innocent baby." 

Evelyn sobbed. "I know. But I don't know what else to do. I don't know how to stop feeling like this. I joined Marcus hoping he could help me out but here I still am."

I knelt down in front of her. "You need real help." Evelyn grabbed my hands and held them tight. "I'm so tired, Sierra. So tired of pretending, faking smiles. I just want it to stop."

My heart broke. Not for Evelyn who'd hurt people but for the girl underneath. The one who'd never learned how to be okay. "Then let us help you. Let Dr. Mara help you but you have to be honest about everything."

Evelyn nodded. Tears streamed down her face. "Okay. I'll tell you everything." She took a shaky breath. "But there's something else that I haven't told anyone." She looked at me. 

"I'm already pregnant."

"What?" 

Evelyn's voice broke. "Three weeks ago. I did it. I found someone, he doesn't know and now I don't know what to do. What if I'm like my mother? What if I ruin this baby's life?"