CHAPTER 25
Lucas pushed open the hospital door and he entered Clara’s room. She was propped up against pillows, her face pale and the monitors beside her bed beeped steadily
Her eyes narrowed when she saw him. “What do you want? After almost killing my baby, you have the nerve to show up here?”
Lucas shrugged, leaning against the wall. “It doesn’t matter now Pack your things, We’re leaving “%
Clara let out a bitter laugh. “And go where exactly? Back to Silverstone? Where everyone now knows you stole from them and I lied about whose baby I’m carrying?? Or to Blackthorn where we’ve been publicly humiliated?”
“I found something out about Evelyn, Lucas said, moving closer to her bed. “Something that changes everything.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t care about that pathetic woman anymore. Haven’t you caused enough damage obsessing over her?”
“She’s the Blackthorn heir, Lucas cut her off. “Evelyn and the blonde woman with Dominic are the same person.”
Clara stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter, clutching her stomach.
“How did I not see it?” she wheezed between laughs. The way she looked at us with such contempt, how she knew exactly what would hurt us most. It was Evelyn all along.”
Lucas paced the small hospital room. “It all makes sense now. She
e orchestrated our downfall from the moment she returned.”
Clara shook her head, frowning. “But it doesn’t make sense. They have different eyes, different hair. Evelyn is plain and boring Alexandra is-”
“It’s called a disguise, Clara” Lucas’ snapped. “Wigs, contacts, makeup. The Evelyn we knew never cared about her appearance.
Clara bit her lip in deep thoughts. “What if we got it all wrong?‘
“What do you mean?”
“What if she’s not actually the heir? What if she’s just posing as one to make us jealous and get her revenge?” Clara suggested.
while
Lucas ran a hand through his hair. That doesn’t explain the documents Marcus found. Her family history, photos of her parents at Blackthorn leadership ceremonies
“Documents can be faked,” Clara insisted. “Think about it. She disappeared night after rejecting your mate bond. Then suddenly this blonde woman appears as the Blackthorn heir? it’s too convenient”
Lucas paused, considering her theory. It didn’t align with the evidence, but there was something appealing about believing Evelyn wasn’t as powerful as she appeared
Clara continued. “She’s obsessed with revenge, obsessed with hurting you. What better way than to pretend she’s found someone better? To make you think she’s risen far above you?“:
“None of this explains how she managed to get so close to Dominic Blackwood, Lucas countered
Clara’s lips curved into a smile. “Oh, I think I know exactly how she did that ”
“What?” Lucas demanded.
Clara reached for her purse on the bedside table, pulling out a small envelope. “Dr. Nelson handed me this before you showed up. I didn’t want to show you because-“]
Lucas snatched it from her hands, pulling out what appeared to be a pregnancy test report. His eyes widened as he scanned the document. A child? His child?!
As if reading his thoughts, Clara laughed cruelly “Oh, you think it’s yours? How adorable”
“If not mine, then whose?” Lucas demanded.
“Dominic’s, of course, Clara said as if it were obvious. “That’s how she got her claws into him so quickly”
Lucas paced the room, running the timeline in his head. “But when would they have met? She couldn’t have known him while we were together.”
“Not while you were together Clara corrected. “But maybe before
Lucas froze, a memory suddenly resurfacing. Five years ago, when he first met Evelyn at the hospital. He remembered seeing someone carrying her into the emergency room, but he never saw the man’s face clearly. Could it have been Dominic?
“She dares leave me and then carry another man’s child?” Lucas growled. “She’s made a fool of us, Clara. Of me.”
“The ultimate betrayal,” Clara agreed. “She was never truly yours. She belonged to him from the beginning.
“So what’s your plan? Why are we going back to Blackthom?”
Lucas’s eyes darkened “Revenge. We’re going to expose her for what she is a fraud, a liar, and a cheater”
“And what do I get in return?” Clara asked carefully
e we deal with
Lucas turned to her. 711 accept the child as mine. I’ll still make you Luna once I take the Alpha position. And I’ll make sure both Evelyn and Dominic.”
Clara smirked. “And how exactly are we going to get access to them? In case you’ve forgotten, we’re persona non grata in Blackthom
As if on cue, the television in the comer of the room flickered to life with breaking news. An announcement scrolled across the bottom of the screen: “BLACKTHORN HEIR TO OFFICIALLY TAKE THE THRONE THIS WEEKEND. GRAND CEREMONY EXPECTED.
The camera panned to show preparations for the event.
A devilish smile spread across Lucas’s face. ‘Perfect. The heir will be there…. and so will Evelyn. Two for the price of one.”
Clara’s eyes lit up with understanding. “And everyone will see the truth.”
“I was planning to leave town for good. Start over somewhem new.”
“And now?” Clara asked.
Lucas pocketed his phone. “Now, I’m staying until I get what’s mine–one way or another‘
As he turned to leave, Clara called after him. “Lucas?“2
He paused at the door. “What?”
“Remember when we were children, and your father told you the story about the wolf who lost everything?
Lucas nodded slowly. “He said sometimes you have to lose everything to become the monster you were meant to be.I
Clara smiled coldly. “Exactly. We’ve lost everything now. There’s nothing holding us back anymore.”
“Pack your things” Lucas ordered. “We have a coronation to attend.”
