Chapter 4
Elena's POV
My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white.
"Six years," I whispered, then shouted. "Six fucking years!"
I'd parked far enough from the clinic that no one could see me fall apart. The tears came hot and fast now, blurring the windshield into a watery mess that matched my emotions.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" I hissed at Richard's phantom. "You bring that woman to my face while I'm pregnant, then expect me to save you six years later?"
I took several deep breaths, fighting to control my emotions.
When I got home, Max was sitting on the sofa, his eyes blinking sleepily in the darkness.
"Mommy? Is that you?" he whispered.
I sat beside him, brushing his hair from his forehead. "Yes, baby. I'm home."
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I forced a smile. "It's nothing. Go back to sleep."
He caught my hand. "Did you check on Lily?"
My heart swelled. Even at six, Max was already the little protector. "I will now. You go to bed quickly."
I kissed his forehead and walked to Lily's room. Opening the door, I saw her curled up, clutching her stuffed animal tight against her chest. I tucked the blanket more securely around her shoulders.
In her sleep, Lily mumbled, "Mommy's home."
"Yes, baby girl. Mommy's home." I whispered, stroking her hair.
As I closed the door, my mind returned to what Lily had mentioned earlier.
There was a new girl in Lily's class who looked just like her. Could it be? Had Richard brought his daughter here?
The thought of my daughter—my firstborn—so close yet unreachable made my chest ache. Six years of wondering if she was safe, if she was loved, if she remembered me at all.
I needed to see her. Just once.
The next morning, after dropping the children off at kindergarten, I positioned myself near a large oak tree with a clear view of the school entrance. Parents drove up in a steady stream, dropping off their children. I scanned each child's face, looking for one that would resemble my Lily's.
Then I saw her.
A sleek black Bentley pulled up, and a woman stepped out—tall, perfectly dressed, with flowing brown hair. It was Victoria. My stomach clenched as memories flooded back. Her smirk as she stood beside Richard.
She opened the rear door, and a little girl climbed out, clutching a small backpack. My breath caught in my throat.
My daughter looked nothing like the happy, vibrant child I'd imagined. She seemed cold and distant. Victoria barely looked at her, simply pointed toward the school entrance before checking her phone.
"Go on, Kathy. I'll pick you up at three." After saying this, Victoria got in the car and left.
I watched her walk toward the school, her shoulders hunched. She looked lost, uncertain where to go.
Before I could think twice, I approached her. "Hello there. Are you looking for your classroom?"
Kathy looked up at me, and I froze. She looked so much like Lily, with eyes just like mine.
"I'm Ms. Winter," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "I'm a teacher at this school. What's your name?"
"Kathy," she replied, her voice so small.
My baby.
I wanted to pull her into my arms, to tell her everything. But I couldn't. I didn't know how she would react, and I didn't want to hurt her because of me being an unfit mother.
"Well, Kathy, let me show you to your classroom," I said, offering my hand.
To my surprise, she took it, her tiny fingers wrapping around mine. Something flickered across her face—comfort? It was gone too quickly to tell.
I walked her to her classroom, fighting back tears the entire way.
Today I didn't pick up Max and Lily myself, but asked Morgan to do it. I worried that one day Richard might discover my other two children. Perhaps I should take them and leave this place. But having just found Kathy, I didn't want to leave just yet.
The Bentley that had dropped Kathy off in the morning appeared at the entrance again. I ducked around the corner, expecting Victoria, but it was Richard who stepped out.
He was still so handsome, with his tall frame and those captivating eyes. Despite how much I hated him inside, I had to admit his charm.
Just as his appearance caught my attention, his eyes glanced in my direction. I quickly turned and ran toward the school building. I didn't know if he had seen me, but that moment reminded me of the heart-fluttering feeling when I first met him.
I fled to the faculty lounge.
Twenty minutes later, the principal appeared at the door, looking flustered.
"Elena, there's someone... someone important who wants to meet you," he said urgently. "He's in my office."
"Who?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. He had found me after all.
"Richard Blackwood. He's requesting you specifically."
My stomach dropped.
I took a deep breath. This moment was inevitable. I'd just hoped for more time.
"Fine," I said. "I'll come."
Richard's POV
I turned the ID badge over in my hands, staring at the name and photo that had stopped my heart.
The woman I saw at the entrance was definitely her. I thought I was hallucinating. She was supposed to have died in the delivery room—that's what the doctor had announced. But now it seems that doctor and Elena knew each other all along.
My fingers tightened around the wooden badge, the material starting to splinter under my grip.
"Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Winter will be here shortly," the principal said nervously.
I didn't respond. My mind was racing through possibilities, each more infuriating than the last. If Elena was alive—if she'd been alive these six years—then everything I'd believed was a lie.
The grief. The rage. The emptiness. All based on deception.
My wolf clawed at my insides, demanding release. I focused on my breathing, on maintaining control. I couldn't shift here, surrounded by humans. But God help Elena when she walked through that door.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
"Principal Morris? It's me, Elena."
I crushed the wooden badge in my fist.