Chapter 144: A Mother’s Protective Rage
Chapter 144: A Mother’s Protective Rage
(Evelyn’s POV)
I rushed toward my daughter and Ethan Stone, my legs trembling with each step. Despite my illness, maternal instinct propelled me forward with surprising strength. The moonlight illuminated them clearly enough for me to see Olivia’s subtle resistance as Ethan forced his lips against hers.
My heart shattered at the sight. My beautiful, strong daughter–reduced to enduring this man’s unwanted advances because of me. Because my treatment at the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den gave him leverage over her.
The taxi driver, Martin, called after me, but his voice faded beneath the roaring in my ears. All I could see was my child being manhandled by the man who had broken her heart and abandoned their daughter.
I reached them just as Olivia managed to push Ethan away. Without hesitation, I positioned myself between them, my frail body a shield for
my daughter.
“How dare you touch my daughter like that?” I demanded, my voice carrying surprising strength despite my weakened state.
Ethan’s amber eyes widened in shock. He clearly hadn’t expected to see me out of the medical center, much less confronting him directly.
“Mrs. Winters,” he began, his deep voice carefully controlled. “You should be resting-”
“After everything you’ve done to her and Lily!” I continued, cutting him off. My hands trembled, but not from weakness—from rage. “What kind of Alpha abandons his mate and pup for
another she–wolf?”
Olivia gripped my shoulders. “Mom, please. You’re not strong enough for this.”
I shrugged off her hands, years of pent–up fury finally finding release. “What kind of father misses his own daughter’s final moments?” I spat, watching satisfaction bloom as Ethan flinched at the mention of Lily.
“Do you even have a conscience? Or did you leave that behind along with your responsibilities
your true family?” My voice cracked with emotion.
to
Ethan remained silent, his amber eyes unreadable as he endured my tirade. His jaw tightened,
< Chapter 144: A Mother’s Prot
the only visible sign that my words affected him at all.
+25 Points)
“Mom, that’s enough,” Olivia pleaded, her emerald eyes filled with concern. “Let’s get you back
to the medical center.”
The burst of adrenaline that had carried me this far began to fade. My knees buckled as
exhaustion swept through me. I swayed dangerously, my vision blurring at the edges.
Ethan instinctively moved forward to catch me, but Olivia was faster. She stepped between us,
her slender body a barrier between me and the Alpha.
“Don’t you dare touch her,” Olivia spat, her emerald eyes cold with fury. “We don’t need your
false kindness.”
A
She wrapped her arm around my waist, supporting my weight. “Come on, Mom. Let’s get you
back to the medical center.”
I shook my head firmly. “No. I’m not going back there.”
“Mom, please-”
“I’ve made my decision,” I stated, my voice weak but determined. “I’m refusing the surgery.”
Olivia’s face paled. “What? No, you can’t!”
“I won’t be used as leverage against you anymore,” I insisted. “I won’t let him control you
through me.”
Ethan stepped forward, his powerful presence impossible to ignore. “Mrs. Winters, be
reasonable. Your condition requires-”
“My condition is my concern,” I interrupted. “Not yours.”
Olivia gripped my hands, her eyes desperate. “Mom, please reconsider. The surgery is your
best chance.”
“At what cost?” I asked softly. “Your happiness? Your freedom?”
“I’m fine,” Olivia insisted, her voice taking on a pleading quality I’d rarely heard from my
strong–willed daughter. “I still have feelings for Ethan. I’m with him willingly.”
The lie was so transparent it broke my heart. Even now, she was sacrificing herself for me.
“Lucas Blackwood is a good man,” I said, watching Ethan’s expression darken at the mention of his rival. “He respects you, Olivia. That’s more than this Alpha has ever given you.”
“She’s my mate,” Ethan growled, his voice dropping to a dangerous timbre. “And she will
5/5
< Chapter 144: A Mother’s Prot…
always be mine.”
The possessiveness in his tone sent a chill down my spine. This wasn’t love–it was ownership.
“A true mate cherishes his partner,” I countered weakly. “He doesn’t-”
+25 Points >
My words died as darkness suddenly encroached on my vision. The world tilted alarmingly, and my legs gave out completely.
I was vaguely aware of Olivia crying out, her arms reaching for me. But it was Ethan who moved faster, his supernatural reflexes allowing him to catch me before I hit the ground.
The last thing I saw before consciousness fled was my daughter’s face, twisted with fear and
anguish.
(Connor’s POV)
A
The silence in Lucas Blackwood’s Private Estate was oppressive. I sat alone on the plush sofa, turning my phone over and over in my hands.
Security guards patrolled outside, their footsteps occasionally audible as they passed the
windows. I wasn’t a prisoner, but I wasn’t free either.
My ribs ached from the earlier confrontation, a physical reminder of my failure to reach
Emma. My own daughter had rejected me, clinging to Ethan Stone as if he were her salvation
rather than the man who had enabled Victoria’s abuse.
I unlocked my phone screen, staring at the blank message field. The decision I was about to make would change everything–for me, for Emma, for Victoria Frost, and perhaps even for
Olivia Winters.
There would be no going back once I sent this message. Victoria would know I was coming for her, and she would strike back with everything she had.
But for Emma’s sake, I had to try. Even if she hated me now, I couldn’t stand by while Victoria
continued to manipulate and abuse her.
My fingers moved across the screen as I composed the text message. The words were simple
but devastating:
“I know what you did to secure that kidney donor for Emma. How you deliberately redirected Lily’s donor and condemned her to death. Does Ethan know the truth about your ‘sacrifice‘ for
Emma?”
I stared at the message for a long moment, my thumb hovering over the send button. This
< Chapter 144 A Mother’s Prot
+25 Points >
was my nuclear option–the information that could destroy Victoria’s carefully constructed
world.
I had discovered the truth by accident. As a former employee at the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den, I had overheard a heated argument between Victoria and Dr. Marcus Fletcher about the “redirected” kidney donor. It had taken months of discreet investigation to piece together the
full story.
Victoria had used her connections to ensure that a compatible kidney meant for Lily Winters was instead given to Emma, who had been diagnosed with a similar condition. She had effectively sentenced Olivia’s daughter to death to save her own.
9
With a deep breath, I pressed send. The message disappeared from my screen, winging its
way to Victoria’s phone.
I set my phone down on the coffee table and leaned back, a strange sense of calm washing over me. I had just lit the fuse on a bomb that would either free my daughter or destroy any
chance I had of ever reconnecting with her.
Either way, Victoria Frost would finally face the consequences of her actions.
(Victoria’s POV)
“Can I sleep in your bed tonight, Mommy?” Emma asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.
I considered her request, weighing the inconvenience against the benefits of indulging her. After the confrontation with Connor Blackthorn, keeping Emma close seemed prudent.
“Just for tonight,” I conceded with a practiced smile. “As a special treat.”
Emma’s face lit up with genuine joy. “Thank you, Mommy! I’ll go take my bath right now!”
She scampered off toward the bathroom, her excitement palpable. I watched her go, satisfaction warming my chest. Despite Connor’s interference, Emma remained firmly under
my control.
The confrontation at Rosewood Haven had been a close call. If Emma had wavered, if she had admitted to Connor’s accusations, everything I had built could have crumbled.
But my careful conditioning had paid off. Emma had chosen Ethan’s protection over Connor’s truth, just as I had trained her to do.
I moved to my bedroom, sinking onto the edge of my bed with a sigh of relief. The day had been exhausting, but ultimately successful. Ethan had defended me against Connor’s
accusations, and Olivia’s attempt to use Connor against me had failed.
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My phone chimed with a new message. Probably Ethan, checking on us after the
confrontation.
+25 Points >
I reached for my phone, a smile already forming on my lips. The smile froze when I saw the
sender’s name: Connor Blackthorn.
With growing dread, I opened the message. The words on the screen sent ice through my
veins:
“I know what you did to secure that kidney donor for Emma. How you deliberately redirected
Lily’s donor and condemned her to death. Does Ethan know the truth about your ‘sacrifice‘ for
Emma?”
My hands began to tremble as panic set in.
A
“How would Connor know about my manipulation of the kidney donor situation?” I whispered
to myself, my mind racing through possibilities.
