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Chapter Fourteen

S tephen

Later in the afternoon, I met Matthew—Betty’s father.

He was almost as tall as my six-foot-two frame, which made me feel a flicker of camaraderie tinged with competition as we greeted one another.

His blond hair framed a strong face, the sunlight catching the angles of his jaw.

Those blue eyes, however, held a quiet intensity that felt scrutinizing and assessing.

He wore sweatpants and a simple T-shirt that showcased intricate tattoo sleeves winding down his arms.

Matthew mostly kept to himself throughout the afternoon, looking worn and tired.

There were shadows under his eyes—testament to the sleepless night spent caring for Betty.

And yet, he frequently cast curious but cautious glances my way.

As Betty’s father, it was natural for him to be protective, but something hinted at deeper concerns as he gauged the situation.

I was just a colleague and friend of Lina’s—at least in theory—but I felt as if he could see through to the more complicated layers of our relationship.

Beneath his scrutiny, I couldn’t help wondering how much Lina had told her friends about me.

Emily was in the kitchen, her striking black hair mirroring the ebony hue of Betty’s, working intently on her laptop while the soft tapping of keys was the only sound that punctured the stillness around us.

Her focus felt misplaced when her daughter had a fever.

Why was she so engrossed in her work while her little girl was sick?

I reproached myself for my judgment. After all, perhaps she’d called Lina here because she really needed to get some work done.

As the afternoon wore on, questions about Lina and how tense she seemed since my arrival plagued me.

Her accusation from last night continued to torture me, “You rejected me and refused to protect me.” I knew she hadn’t forgiven me for walking away from her all those years ago, but I longed for the opportunity to explain to her why.

The mate bond in my chest that had burned with ecstasy when I’d held her in my arms last night told me that I could still mend things with her.

Yet, with her growing unease, my own frustration mounted with other wonderings.

Did she still hold it against me that I’d followed Magnus’s orders and tracked her?

I’d told her that I wouldn’t tell Magnus anything about this place.

Did she still not believe me? Despite these worries, whenever I focused on Betty, who was nestled comfortably between Lina and me, I felt bewilderingly soothed.

Betty’s electric blue eyes, so uncannily similar to Lina’s but glassy from fever, held me captive.

I couldn’t help but picture her in brighter circumstances, playing in a sunlit park with her aunt, laughter ringing from them.

Auntie Lina moved with a quiet efficiency.

She tended to Betty’s fever, showing she was well-versed.

She checked the girl’s temperature every half hour, her brow furrowing with concern each time.

Today, Lina wore the most casual outfit I’d seen her in—a simple gray jumper that draped loosely over her slender figure and a fitted pair of black slacks.

Her long golden hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, shimmering in the light as she shifted to adjust the blanket over Betty.

Sitting next to Betty, who insisted I read Swan Lake twice, I was swept into a daydream of what might have been—one in which Lina and I were parents together, caring for our child on a sunny afternoon.

I found myself lost in this beautiful fantasy as Lina handed out juice and medicine, tending to Betty as if it was second nature.

A surge of protectiveness and yearning moved through me.

Not just toward Lina but toward Betty. Why was I feeling like this?

Was it because of Lina’s closeness to the little girl?

Was it our mate bond giving me this warmth of feeling?

I hadn’t felt instincts as strong as this since I’d been hell-bent on protecting my mother.

The thought of her had the usual flash of regret and anger searing through me.

I longed to talk to Lina about how I felt.

Were her feelings for me as strong as this?

I glanced over at her, but once again, she averted her gaze to Betty, fussing over her blanket.

She definitely seemed to get edgy whenever I paid her attention.

God, how I wished we hadn’t left things the way we had last night.

Her closeness had gotten the better of me last night.

I’d wanted to talk to her. I’d begun to tell her how pleased I was she’d had friends there for her these past few years, meaning to tell her that I should have been there for her.

But then, we’d kissed, and there’d only been the heat and softness of her.

Then, she’d broken things off with those words.

“You care about it enough to stop omegas from unwanted mate bonds…But you didn’t care enough about me to do the same.

” Those words had cut deep because she was right.

I’d fucked up. I should have found a way to protect her as my mate, as well as ensuring I continued on my path of vengeance against Magnus.

As I sat here, nestled beside Betty, with Lina on the other side, I felt again as if I were getting a glimpse of what could have been.

As the day waned, Matthew got up from the opposite couch and said as if in a daze, “I guess we should all eat something.”

“How about Lina and I cook tonight?” I piped up. “Looks like you folks could do with sleep rather than food?” I offered.

Betty’s face lit up with enthusiasm as she clapped her little hands. “It’s biscetti night!” she exclaimed with all the delight a feverish child could muster.

“I don’t think spaghetti is a good idea tonight,” Lina said, glancing at Betty. “How about you see if you can manage some toast instead?”

“Toast is good,” Betty nodded, snuggling closer to me.

The warmth radiating from her little body set off that protective surge through me.

I wanted to be here for Betty. I wanted tonight to be a step toward making amends with Lina.

I regretted not being there for her when it mattered in the past, but if I could be here now, it would prove I was trying to do better.

“That’s really kind of you, Stephen,” Emily remarked, glancing between me and Lina, but there was a moment where I caught them both looking too quickly away. That sense of uncertainty thickened in the air and prickled along the back of my neck.

“Actually, any chance I could crash over tonight?” I asked, determination spreading through me. “I could do with Lina’s help on that file I came for. We could get some work done once the little ballerina’s in bed.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Emily hesitated, adding awkwardly. “I don’t want you catching whatever Betty has.”

I frowned. If Betty’s fever was something I was likely to catch, sitting beside her all afternoon would have infected me, anyway. Besides, it was your typical shifter fever that young pups tended to come down with—the kind my mom had nursed me through when I was about four or five years old.

That feeling of suspicion wound through me again as the sense that something wasn’t quite right returned. I could see it in the way Emily exchanged a quick look with Lina, both of them conveying more than words could express.

Lina shifted slightly, glancing at Emily before turning her attention back to me. “Sorry, Em, we don’t want to impose on you and Matt. It wouldn’t be fair to you to have to make up another room anyway.”

“I’ll make the bed!” I said, a mixture of hope and urgency in my voice. “I want to help out, and Betty might like having me around.”

Betty, nestled comfortably between Lina and I, perking up at the mention of me staying. “Please, Auntie Lina! I want Uncle Stephen to stay!” Her little face beamed with excitement.

The warmth in her blue eyes ignited that protective surge within me once again, and my chest filled with emotion as I heard that she wanted me around, even if it was only for tonight.

“Okay then, sweetheart,” Lina said, her voice soft but laced with worry as she glanced back at me. I could see the internal battle she was having from the clouded look of her gaze, but I couldn’t help pressing my point .

I’d driven here to follow orders, but now I was here for different reasons—the need to bridge the distance between Lina and me was all-consuming.

My instincts were telling me to be here for little Betty, too.

I hadn’t listened to the mate bond that was thrumming in my chest in the past, and I was intent on damn well not making the same mistake.

Once Emily and Matthew had retired upstairs, Lina put cartoons on for Betty, filling the spacious living room with laughter and chattering voices.

The open-plan kitchen felt warm and inviting, accented by the soft light spilling from elegant fixtures that hung low over the dining area.

At the polished granite island, I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and prepped a simple marinara sauce, the sweet scent of tomato, garlic, and herbs filling the space.

As I slid into my seat, Betty chirped, “Why you cut my toast like that?”

“It’s how my mom used to make them for me,” I said, nostalgia coloring my voice. “They’re called soldiers.” I mimed them marching on her plate and was rewarded with her giggles, filling the space with lightness.

I caught Lina watching me with a gentle smile that sent warmth cascading through me.

The air around us swelled with anticipation.

Was it wrong to want more? To wish she would tell me her secrets and share her dreams and regrets?

My heart beat with urgency, willing time to march on so that I might be granted the privacy with her I craved.

“What is it, sweetie?” Lina asked, and for a foolish moment, I thought she was talking to me.

Betty squinted up at her, a frown creasing her brow. “You’re not eating it like Daddy does! Eat it the silly way!”

“You mean like this?” I exclaimed, slurping up my spaghetti. I was rewarded with peals of laughter from Betty, lightening the tension in the room.

After dinner, the evening was filled with light-hearted chatter and stories.

Then Betty finally succumbed to sleep. Lina carried her up the stairs, and I was left alone with churning thoughts.

I felt a stillness sweep through the house, and yet urgency coursed through my veins.

I needed to confront Lina about everything lingering between us—the regrets of the past, the longing of the present, the future I couldn’t envision without her.

Feeling restless, I picked up the books that I’d read to Betty over the day, carrying them to the bookcase.

I slid them neatly into place until a stubborn volume refused to budge.

I tried to pull it out, but it angled strangely as I tugged.

Then, the entire bookcase slid right, revealing a hidden corridor behind.

My heart raced as the corridor illuminated automatic lighting, and a pulse of adrenaline shot through me.

What the hell was a hidden room doing in Emily and Matt’s villa?

Automatic lighting lit up the corridor, and the suspicion that had been growing in my gut made me track down the corridor.

As I stepped down the corridor, the shadows seemed to beckon me, leading me into an office illuminated by soft white lighting.

Two modest desks, one with a laptop and one without, sat alongside a more elaborate setup with six screens lining the back wall, each displaying streams of code that danced across the screen.

Emily had said she was a software developer, but this was an elaborate setup for your average engineer.

The laptop on the desk at the back was open, running a program. I strode to it, looking down at the screen. Curiosity and suspicion made my fingers itch, and in a moment, I was clicking through files.

Distrust flared through me as I discovered the files were encrypted.

Your average developer didn’t encrypt their files.

My disbelief thickened the more I investigated, clicking through the files, unsure exactly what I was looking for, but as I clicked into one of them, familiar names flashed before me.

Vindent, Boden Ltd—companies I knew had plunged Blackthorn Corporation into turmoil. These were the culprits behind the sabotage and poaching that had plagued Magnus’s company.

Each click tore apart the carefully curated image I had of the simple family I’d spent time with earlier.

I cycled through more names, and shock surged through me; names of companies I knew had flooded Blackthorn Corporation with troubles and sabotage over the years.

Each revelation made the blood pound in my ears with disbelief.

The network of carefully hidden companies led back to Luna Remedies, registered under the name Betty White. As far as I knew, neither Emily nor Matthew had motivation to provoke this mess. Clarity morphed into a chilling realization: Lina was behind this vast business network.

I leaned against the desk, grappling with the reality of everything I had once thought I understood.

How deeply had she become entrenched in the shadowy dealings of our world?

The woman I loved wasn’t a mere bystander; she wielded power as a player in this dangerous game of deception, her efforts quietly undermining Magnus from the shadows.

Awe mingled with my protective instincts, simmering just below the surface. I needed to confront her. I needed her to explain everything.