Chapter 40

Anna’s POV

Anna wasn’t sure what to make of Amber’s sudden desire to swear off men. Technically, it wasn’t anything new, as she had been so singularly focused on raising Alice since the plane crash, that she hadn’t given much thought to much else, even with Roman practically throwing himself at her at every turn.

Yet, she’d never really been able to hide the depths of her feelings from Anna. As her best friend, Anna had always known that Amber loved Julian, even when she’d been unwilling to admit it to herself.

Anna hadn’t really ever approved of the relationship, annoyed at the way Alpha liked to keep her friend hidden. Anna herself had to swear to keep the relationship a secret, as she’d been one of the few who actually knew about it.

So now, she didn’t really want her friend tied back up with a guy who treated her that way, even if they did have a kid together.

But if Amber wasn’t honest about her feelings for Julian, then it might make things more complicated long term. She had to confront those feelings to truly defeat them. By pushing them down, she was only causing them to linger, perhaps indefinitely.

Anna hated seeing her friend suffer, but she couldn’t make Amber’s choices for her. She couldn’t even really fight Amber’s fights, despite how much she wanted to support her.

The only thing she could do was be there for her friend in time of need.

And snoop. A little. If the opportunity presented itself.

Amber had professionalism and pride. If she had been the one to see Beta carrying a suspiciously light looking envelope down the hallway of the hospital, Amber likely would have just turned the other way and thought nothing about it.

Anna was not so by the book. Seeing that envelope… Knowing they were in a hospital… Knowing Alice’s paternity was in question… Knowing Amber wanted to keep that paternity a secret, especially from Julian, the actual father…

Well, Anna couldn’t fight all of Amber’s fights for her, but she help to protect Alice.

So, instead of heading down to the parking garage after leaving Amber’s office after lunch as she planned, the moment she spotted Beta and that envelope, she decided to follow him instead.

Anna maintained a good distance, always looking busy when Beta looked back. Beta didn’t really know her, so he had no reason to suspect her, so he seemingly did not.

Anna followed him all the way to the lab. There, Anna watched through the window as Beta passed over the hair to one of the lab technicians. Fortunately, the lab tech was not only one that Anna recognized, it was one she was good friends with. They belonged to the same gym, and over played tennis together.

The lab tech had a vicious serve.

Anna turned waiting near a set of chairs for Beta to leave. The moment she did, she sneaked into the lab and approached her sometimes-acquaintance, sometimes-gym friend, sometimes tennis-enemy.

“Anna?” the lab tech asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I have a really big favor I need to ask you,” Anna replied. “I wouldn’t ask but it’s really important.”

While Anna didn’t disagree that Julian should know that Alice was his father, she believed that Amber should be the one to tell him.

What would happen if he learned the truth like this? Would he try to get custody of Alice? Would Amber’s whole plans for the future be thrown off-course?

Julian had made some terrible mistakes in his relationship with Amber, especially in choosing Olivia over her.

Anna wasn’t going to let him get away with running Amber’s life any more than he already had.

Julian’s POV

I tried not to stress about the test results. What was done was done and the past couldn’t be undone. I didn’t think my feelings for Amber would change overmuch, and I was certain that I’d still feel affection for Alice.

But if I was Alice’s father… that would change so much in my mind. If Alice was mine and not Roman’s, then Amber likely didn’t have an affair. This meant Roman had been lying then, when he claimed to be the father. If he lied then, he could be lying now with this news of the engagement. After all, the only quote in the newspaper was from Roman, not Anna.

I knew what I hoped for. Though I would hate myself for having missed so much of Alice’s childhood, I wanted to be here for her now. And Amber? This would be just one more wrong of mine that I needed to make up to her.

“Alpha?” said one of the elders in the meeting I was currently in.

Gods, I had been trying so hard to pay attention, but it seemed I couldn’t help being thoroughly distracted.

“Forgive me,” I said at once. “Could you repeat what you said?”

The elder gave me a strange look. For most of my tenure as Alpha, I had always placed work before my personal life in all things. There had been nothing more important than being an Alpha.

I had thought that would be true forever, but because of that mindset, I had lost my wife.

Now, I was learning quickly that my daughter was more important too – if she was in fact my daughter.

The stress was unbearable. This anticipation felt like I was standing on pins and needles, waiting to see what might happen next.

I wanted to know one way or the other so that I could get passed this terrible unknowing.

“Alpha?” the same elder asked again.

Oh no. I had lost my train of thought again.

I opened my mouth, embarrassingly about to ask him to repeat himself for the second time when there was a knock on the door to the meeting room. Beta ducked his head inside.

“Forgive me, but I have an urgent matter that only the Alpha King can address.”

The elder gave me a long look before nodding, dismissing me. I didn’t need his permission to leave, but as I had just offended him twice in a row, I was pleased to have it nonetheless.

Standing, I exited the room.

Beta started handing me a manila envelope.

“Not here,” I said and let him through the winding hallways of the Alpha headquarters building back to my personal office. There, I remained standing, not trusting myself to sit, and held my hand out for the manila envelope.

Beta handed it over.

“Did you look?” I asked him.

“No, Alpha,” he replied. “That wasn’t part of my commands.”

He was such a good Beta, and I was truly grateful for him.

“Should I go?” Beta asked.

“You might as well stay,” I said. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be alone, guessing it would be easier to maintain my composure with another person present in the room.

Beta nodded and stood still.

Swallowing hard, I looked down at the manila envelope in my hands. It was a plain, everyday kind of envelope. I had hundreds of ones just like this in my desk. Such a simple thing held a big secret.

I didn’t know if I was ready for the truth. But then again, I didn’t know if I would ever be ready.

The only thing I could do was push myself forward. I couldn’t hide away from it forever.

So I opened the folder.

There was a single sheet of paper inside.

I skimmed down through the scientific jargon to where the results were plainly stated.

Immediately, my chest clenched, my heart aching.

Alice wasn’t my daughter.