Chapter 73: Find out the Truth 2
Adrian drives into the Ashford mansion just before noon to find Nyra already waiting downstairs, dressed in a simple black dress, her nerves obvious despite the calm expression she tries to wear.
"Hi," Julian says from the pool where he and Elena are currently lounging.
"Hi." Adrian nods at the both of them. "We’ll be back soon."
Elena helps him press sunscreen into his back, her face scrunched. She purposely puts on too much, Julian retaliates by splashing water on her--and just like that they’re fighting in the pool.
Adrian kind of understands why Nyra likes it here so much. He shakes his head at their antics before leading Nyra toward his car.
---
The moment she gets into the passenger seat, the playful edge is completely gone. Neither of them speaks, they simply exchange a look.
This is it: the moment of truth.
Halfway to the Blackwood mansion, however, Adrian’s phone rings between them. Nyra helps pick it up, putting it on loudspeaker between them while Adrian continues to drive.
"Mom?"
Her voice is strained. "Adrian... have either of you heard from Anna?"
He glances at Nyra before answering. "No."
Her heavy sigh comes through the speaker. "I’ve been calling her for hours. She isn’t answering. Please... try reaching her. Maybe she’ll answer one of you."
Adrian looks at Nyra. The look on his face shows he has absolutely no intention of calling her.
Nyra sighs, reluctantly unlocks her phone, and scrolls to Anna’s contact. The call barely rings before it fails, a message popping up a second later.
Call Failed. You’ve been blocked by this user.
Nyra lets out a humorless laugh. "She already blocked me."
Adrian relays the information to his mother, who is still waiting on the phone. Luna Selene mumbles something back about being exhausted.
Adrian understands his mother so bad. He’s also tired of Anna’s games. Might "Don’t worry, we’ll be there soon. We’ll figure it out," he assures her before ending the call.
---
The tension inside the Blackwood mansion is heavier than all the other times they’ve been called over.
The royal doctor is already waiting beside the dining table, a sealed envelope resting neatly in front of him.
Alpha Darius sits in the head chair, hands folded on the table, expression stiff as always.
Luna Selene is pacing across the room, calling--presumably Anna’s line--again and again.
The moment Adrian and Nyra enter, every pair of eyes turns toward them, including the staff, who seem very invested in this drama thus far.
"Still no Anna?" Adrian asks.
Luna Selene shakes her head. "No. I’m worried. I hope she’s okay."
Nyra clears her throat. "My parents called earlier. They said she never came home last night either."
Everyone exchanges uneasy looks.
"So she’s missing?" Alpha Darius says in a monotonous voice.
He never really liked Anna.
"It seems that way," Selene responds, coming to sit next to her husband.
The doctor adjusts his glasses. "If Lady Anna doesn’t arrive within the next few minutes, we may have to proceed without her. I have patients waiting."
Alpha Darius nods reluctantly. "Let’s begin immediately."
"Yes, Alpha," the middle-aged man responds. But just as he reaches for the envelope, the mansion doors swing open.
Anna walks in, face completely bored as though nothing has happened. As though several people haven’t been trying to reach her for the last few hours.
She wears a tight red dress that leaves very little to the imagination, the sheer fabric clinging to every curve of her body. Her makeup is bold, almost theatrical, with bright red lips and dark eyes that look like she hasn’t slept.
She looks very unbothered, swaying her hips as she comes in, floral perfume mixing with her pheromones, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Luna Selene frowns. "Anna, where have you been? You had everyone worried, including your parents."
"And what are you wearing to the royal house?" Darius looks like he’s barely holding back his anger.
Anna doesn’t even spare either of them a glance. Instead, her eyes settle on the doctor. "Can we skip the lecture?" she says flatly. "Just read the results."
The room falls silent, and Alpha Darius looks ready to throw her out whether or not she is carrying his grandchild.
Eager to be away from the tension, the doctor slowly breaks the seal on the envelope.
He scans the document with steady eyes, then looks up. "Alpha, Luna... the DNA test confirms that Alpha Adrian Blackwood." He meets Adrian’s eyes.
"...is not the biological father of the unborn child."
Luna Selene gasps, like a small part of her was hoping it was all just a misunderstanding and Anna hadn’t been playing them for five weeks now.
Alpha Darius closes his eyes and nods. No one can completely tell what he’s thinking.
Nyra instinctively reaches for Adrian’s hand beneath the table, who’s just staring quietly at the doctor.
He doesn’t look surprised at all. Somewhere deep down, especially after his talk with Ronan, he knew this would happen.
The doctor clears his throat again.
"However..." Every head snaps toward him."Considering the seriousness of the situation, the future Alpha made a personal request for additional verification."
Adrian slowly stands, completely calm. "With authorization, the doctor and I obtained DNA already on file from inmate Ronan Ashcroft."
This time Anna goes completely still. The smug smile on her lips has faded slightly.
The doctor unfolds another page. "We compared Mr. Ashcroft’s DNA with the fetal sample."
This time his eyes are pinned on Anna. Nyra can’t tell if he’s judging or pitying her.
"And Ronan Ashcroft is ALSO excluded as the biological father."
Silence. Utter silence.
Even Adrian’s breathing stops. He really hadn’t been expecting Ronan to also not be the father.
If it’s not him... then who?
Just who the fuck has Anna been sleeping with, for crying out loud!
Luna Selene’s face has gone pale as she stands slowly. Nyra can’t tell the details of the three weeks Anna spent here in this mansion, but she seems the most offended by the news.
"Anna. Who is the child’s real father?" The poor woman looks seconds away from a heart attack. "Please..."
Anna doesn’t respond. But this time the confidence is completely drained from her face.
She’s looking at Adrian now, gaze unreadable. Then she looks at Nyra, at their hands intertwined under the table.
"Anna." Alpha Darius’s voice shakes the room. "WHO IS THE FATHER?"
Anna says nothing. Like the Alpha’s anger doesn’t even touch a hair on her head.
She just pushes back her chair, stands, picks up her handbag, and walks out of the front door.
No apology, no explanation, not even tears.
She simply walks away, leaving them with the one question that would haunt them for weeks.
Who exactly is the father of the child!?