Chapter 242
As he worshipped my body with his touch, I closed my eyes and imagined Ethan in his place. Soon, I promised myself. Soon.
(Olivia’s POV)
The surveillance photos from Hunter Morgan arrived at midnight, showing Connor Blackthorn slipping into Rosewood Haven. I studied them carefully, noting the security code he entered and the way Victoria greeted him at the door–definitely not as a
stranger.
I dialed Lucas’s number, knowing he would still be awake.
“Liv?” His deep voice answered immediately. “Is everything alright?”
“Connor Blackthorn was just released from prison,” I explained, flipping through the photos. “And he went straight to
Victoria’s.
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Lucas was silent for a moment. “The same Connor who tried to kill you by tampering with your car brakes?”
“The very same,” I confirmed. “But there’s something else. Look at the way he’s watching Emma in these other surveillance
photos.”
I sent the images through our secure messaging app. They showed Connor observing Emma from a distance at her training den, his expression unmistakably paternal.
“You think he’s Emma’s father,” Lucas stated rather than asked.
“It would explain a lot,” I replied, my mind racing with possibilities. “Victoria’s mysterious pregnancy, her sudden return to Shadow Creek five years ago, her desperation to secure Ethan as a replacement father figure.”
Lucas’s voice grew thoughtful. “If we can prove this connection, it would undermine her entire position with Ethan.”
“Exactly,” I said, hope flickering for the first time in months. “And if Connor truly loves his daughter, he might reveal how
Victoria has been mistreating Emma.”
After ending the call, I fell into a restless sleep, my dreams filled with possibilities for justice–not just for me and Lily, but for
Emma too.
I woke the next morning to find myself in Ethan’s arms, his warm body curved protectively around mine. For a disorienting
moment, it felt like the past–before Lily’s illness, before Victoria’s return, before everything fell apart.
Reality crashed back quickly. I extracted myself from his embrace, creating as much distance as possible between us.
Ethan’s amber eyes opened, watching me with an unreadable expression. “Make me breakfast,” he said, his tone somewhere
between a request and a command.
I stiffened, hating how easily he slipped back into our old dynamic. “I’m not your servant.”
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“No,” he agreed, stretching his powerful body like the predator he was. “You’re my mate. And I miss your cooking.”
The casual reminder of our bond made my wolf bristle with anger. Still, I needed to maintain the fragile peace between us for my
mother’s sake.
In the kitchen, I deliberately selected the strongest spices for the venison steak he preferred. I added three times the normal amount of pepper, along with extra garlic and a dash of bitter herbs.
When I placed the plate before him, I watched with satisfaction as he took the first bite. To my disappointment, he didn’t
immediately react to the overwhelming flavors.
“You’ve changed your recipe,” he commented, continuing to eat despite the obvious discomfort in his eyes.
I shrugged innocently. “I thought you might appreciate something different.”
After breakfast, he asked me to prepare his formal Alpha jacket for an important meeting. “The ceremonial emblem needs
adjusting,” he added, heading for the shower.
I examined the silver and moonstone emblem that marked him as Alpha King of the Northern Territories. With careful precision,
I loosened several of the tiny pins holding it in place, ensuring it would fall off at the most embarrassing moment possible.
My phone buzzed with a message from Hunter Morgan: “Subject CB observed at Crescent Moon Training Den watching subject
EF from distance. Followed subjects to Crescent Moon Mall, then back to Rosewood Haven. Photos attached.”
The images showed Connor standing in the shadows, watching Emma with undisguised longing as Dorothy Lawson led her
through the mall. His expression was unmistakable–the look of a father desperate to be part of his child’s life.
Lucas called moments later. “I’ve seen the evidence,” he said without preamble. “My team can obtain DNA samples to confirm
our suspicions.”
“If Emma is truly Connor’s daughter,” I replied, hope rising in my chest, “we can expose Victoria’s cruelty toward her own child
and her manipulation of Ethan.”
“Leave it to me,” Lucas promised. “I’ll have results within days.”
After we hung up, I allowed myself a small smile. For the first time since Lily’s death, I felt like justice might actually be possible.
(Lucas’s POV)
I deployed my most trusted operatives to collect the DNA samples we needed. One posed as a janitor at Crescent Moon Training
Den, retrieving Emma’s discarded water bottle. Another managed to obtain a cigarette butt Connor had dropped outside
Rosewood Haven.
The results came back faster than expected, thanks to my connections at the territory’s top genetic testing facility.
As I reviewed the report, a sense of grim satisfaction settled over me. The DNA match was undeniable–Connor Blackthorn was
Emma Frost’s biological father.
