hapter 213: The Driver’s Secret
Chapter 213: The Driver’s Secret
(Aria’s POV)
My father’s sudden declaration hung in the air like a thunderclap, his wolf’s scent radiating certainty and barely contained rage. The transformation in his demeanor was startling – from confusion to absolute
conviction in mere seconds.
“Who is it?” I asked urgently, my heart pounding as I leaned forward in my chair.
“Marcus Stone,” my father said grimly, his voice carrying the weight of long–suppressed suspicions finally crystallizing. “Elder Lewis’s personal driver.”
My mother’s coffee mug slipped from her fingers, clattering against the saucer as her face went pale.
“Marcus? But that would mean…”
“That Patricia had an affair,” my father finished, his Alpha authority cutting through the shocked silence. “And that Elder Lewis has been hiding the truth for over twenty years.”
Dominic’s silver–gray eyes sharpened with tactical interest. “The driver would have intimate knowledge of family schedules, movements, vulnerabilities. Perfect position for orchestrating a kidnapping.”
“Michael,” my mother whispered, her voice trembling with distress, “why didn’t you tell me about Patricia and
Marcus?”
My father’s expression softened slightly as he looked at his mate. “Because I only suspected it recently,
Caroline. I wasn’t certain until now.”
“What made you suspect?” I asked, my wolf bristling with the implications of this revelation.
“About five years ago, I saw them entering the Silverpine Hotel together,” my father explained, his enhanced werewolf senses having detected details others might miss. “Their scents were mingled in a way that suggested… intimacy. But I dismissed it as coincidence.”
“Five years ago?” Dominic repeated, his strategic mind already calculating timelines. “That’s when Patricia’s
gambling debts were mysteriously paid off.”
The pieces were falling into place with horrifying clarity. Patricia’s affair with Marcus Stone. Elder Lewis’s
knowledge of the relationship. Alison Lewis placed strategically within our family as a spy and potential
weapon,
“This explains everything,” I breathed, my wolf whimpering with the scope of the betrayal. “Elder Lewis used
Patricia’s affair as leverage, forcing her cooperation in my kidnapping.”
“And Marcus Stone was the inside man,” Dominic added, his Alpha instincts recognizing the tactical
brilliance of the plan. “He knew exactly when and where to strike.”
My mother’s wolf scent spiked with anguish. “All these years, Patricia sat at our dinner table, celebrated our holidays, pretended to love Aria like family…”
“While reporting everything back to Elder Lewis,” my father finished, his voice heavy with disgust.
Dominic leaned back in his chair, his powerful presence radiating controlled fury. “We need to investigate
Chapter 213. The Driver’s Secret
Marcus Stone immediately. Confirm the DNA connection to Alison Lewis.”
“What if we’re wrong?” my mother asked desperately, her maternal instincts clinging to hope. “What if it’s all just circumstantial?”
“We won’t be wrong,” my father replied with absolute certainty. “My wolf recognized the truth the moment ! spoke his name.”
I reached for Dominic’s hand, needing his strength to process this revelation. “How do we prove it?”
“Leave that to me,” Dominic said firmly, his Shadow Pack resources already mobilizing in his mind. “I’ll have
DNA confirmation within hours.”
The weight of twenty years of deception pressed down on all of us. Patricia Lewis, whom we’d trusted as family, had been Elder Lewis’s willing accomplice. Marcus Stone, a peripheral figure we’d barely noticed, had
been the architect of my k********g.
“I need to check on Nolan,” I said suddenly, my maternal instincts demanding confirmation of my pup’s safety.
“He’s sleeping peacefully,” Dominic assured me, his cedar scent wrapping around me protectively. “Our home
is secure.”
But was it? If Elder Lewis had orchestrated such an elaborate conspiracy once, what was stopping him from trying again? The thought of him targeting Nolan made my wolf snarl with protective fury.
“We should try to continue with dinner,” I said weakly, gesturing toward the perfectly prepared meal growing cold on our plates. “Dominic worked hard on this venison and herb–crusted potatoes.”
My attempt to restore normalcy fell flat. None of us had appetite for food when family betrayal sat heavy in
our stomachs like poison.
(Aria’s POV)
After my parents finally departed, their wolf scents heavy with shock and determination, I put baby Nolan to sleep in his crib. His innocent face, so peaceful and unaware of the family drama swirling around him, brought me a moment of calm.
I found Dominic in his home office, speaking quietly into his encrypted phone with members of his Shadow Pack intelligence network. His powerful frame was tense with controlled energy as he arranged the investigation of Marcus Stone.
“I need full background on Marcus Stone,” he was saying, his Alpha authority evident even in hushed tones. “Employment history, financial records, DNA sample if possible. Priority one.”
I waited until he finished the call before approaching. “Dominic, I’m worried about burdening you with my
family’s problems. You have that crucial Northern Territory Security Council project to focus on.”
He turned to face me, his silver–gray eyes softening as they met mine. “Aria, your concerns are my concerns.
Your family is my family now.”
His cedar scent wrapped around me like a protective shield as he pulled me into his arms. “Besides, the security project is nearly complete. Once this investigation is resolved, we can finally take that family trip
with Nolan.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised by the sudden shift to future planning.
< Chapter 213 The Driver’s Secret
“Absolutely,” Dominic confirmed, his voice carrying genuine anticipation. “You can choose the destination. Somewhere peaceful where we can just be a family.”
The promise of normal family time felt like a distant dream, but his confidence made it seem possible. “Id
like that.”
“Soon,” he murmured against my hair. “Very soon, all of this will be behind us.”
(Aria’s POV)
Dominic’s Shadow Pack resources worked with impressive efficiency. Within twenty–four hours, he had obtained the DNA report confirming Marcus Stone as Alison Lewis’s biological father.
My parents arrived at Moon Valley Residences the next evening, their expressions grim as we gathered in the living room to review the results.
“It’s confirmed,” Dominic announced, sliding the official document across the coffee table. “Marcus Stone is
definitively Alison Lewis’s father.”
My mother sank into her chair, her wolf’s scent heavy with the weight of family betrayal. “Twenty years of lies.
Twenty years of deception.”
“Patricia knew,” my father said grimly, his Alpha authority radiating cold fury. “She knew Alison was Marcus’s
daughter when she brought her into our home.”
“Which means Elder Lewis knew too,” I added, my wolf bristling with righteous anger. “He’s been orchestrating
this conspiracy from the beginning.”
Dominic nodded, his strategic mind already working through implications. “Elder Lewis used Patricia’s affair
as leverage. Forced her cooperation by threatening to expose her a******y to the family.”
“And Marcus Stone provided the inside information needed to execute the k********g,” my father continued,
his voice growing harder with each word. “Schedule, routines, security measures.”
My mother looked up with tears in her eyes. “How could Patricia do this to us? To Aria? She watched that little girl grow up, celebrated her birthdays, comforted her when she was frightened…”
“Because Elder Lewis gave her no choice,” I said quietly, surprising myself with my understanding. “If he threatened to destroy her marriage, her position in the family, her financial security…”
“That doesn’t excuse twenty years of betrayal,” my father interjected sharply.
“No,” I agreed. “But it explains it.”
Dominic studied the DNA report with tactical precision. “The question now is how we proceed. We have strong circumstantial evidence pointing to Elder Lewis as the mastermind, but no direct proof of his
involvement.”
“Do we need direct proof?” my father asked, his expression growing ominous in a way that reminded me of
his protective instincts. “Sometimes suspicion is enough.”
The dangerous edge in his voice alarmed me. “Dad, what are you planning?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” he replied, reaching over to pat my shoulder gently. “This is family
business. I’ll handle it.”
“Michael, be careful,” my mother warned, her maternal wolf sensing the same dangerous undercurrent I’d
Chapter 213 The Driver’s Secret
detected.
“I will,” he promised, but his wolf’s scent carried determination that bordered on vengeance.
My parents left shortly after, their unified purpose evident in their synchronized movements. Whatever they planned to do about Elder Lewis, they would face it together.
(Aria’s POV)
After my parents departed, I found myself pacing the living room, anxiety eating at my protective instincts.
“I’m worried about my father,” I confessed to Dominic. “That expression on his face when he said he’d handle
it…”
“Don’t worry about your father,” Dominic replied, his voice carrying unexpected confidence. “Worry about Elder
Lewis.”
“What do you mean?”
Dominic’s silver–gray eyes gleamed with something approaching anticipation. “Your father built Lewis Corporation from nothing, Aria. While his brothers focused on medical careers and family politics, he was learning business, strategy, negotiation.”
“So?”
“So he possesses exceptional cunning that his medical brothers never developed,” Dominic explained, his Alpha instincts recognizing a kindred tactical mind. “Years of protecting his family in a hostile business environment have sharpened his survival skills.”
I studied Dominic’s expression, noting the subtle satisfaction in his features. “You think he’s going to outmaneuver Elder Lewis?”
“I think Elder Lewis has underestimated his opponent,” Dominic replied. “Your father has been building toward this confrontation for twenty years, whether he realized it or not.”
“And you’re looking forward to it,” I observed.
Dominic’s smile carried predatory satisfaction. “Elder Lewis orchestrated the k********g that tore your family apart. He placed a spy in your home. He manipulated Patricia Lewis into decades of betrayal.”
His cedar scent intensified with controlled fury. “It’s time he faced the consequences of those choices.”
E
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