+25 BONUS Chapter 0317 Chapter 0317 âI canât really blame her for treating me the way she does,â he continued with a shrug, âMaybe thatâs why I do my best to ignore her comments. When my dad died, she wanted her brother to take over the pack temporarily since Michael and I were both so young... but I refused. There was no way I was going to hand over control of the pack to someone from the outside. I knew if I allowed that, theyâd never give it back to me.â
He paused, his jaw clenching. âSo, I stepped up the best I could. I made a lot of mistakes. I was young, foolish, and reckless...
caused a few scandals. But luckily, we were able to cover most of it up. Back then, our pack was prosperous and powerful but not famous, so people werenât paying too much attention to what I was up to. After a few years, I got my act together and started focusing on the company... on running the pack the way my father would have wanted.â
Alexander fell silent, staring at the whiskey bottle in his hand before taking another long swig.
âThat... is shocking,â I said softly. âI canât imagine how difficult that mustâve been for you. But... you know youâve done an amazing job, right? Your pack is lucky to have you.
He smiled at me and nodded slightly. âIâve done my best,â he said. âBut my best is never going to satisfy Diana, and... Iâve come to terms with that.â
âIt seems like a lot for her to still resent you,â I said. âI can understand her being disappointed that her biological son didnât become Alpha, but youâve done such an amazing job, and you treat her so well.â
âThatâs not the only reason she has a problem with me,â Alexander said softly, turning his head away. A pained expression crossed his face.
I frowned in confusion. What more could there be to explain Dianaâs attitude?
Alexander took a shaky breath. âItâs not just that Dianaâs not my biological mother,â he said hesitantly. âI also found out that Leonard Black... wasnât my father.â
I stared at him in disbelief. His words didnât make any sense. If Alexander had been the product of some young romance his father had, the story would add up. But how could he not be related to either of his parents?
âSo... youâre adopted?â I asked uncertainly.
âYes,â Alexander answered, and there was so much shame in his face that it made my heart ache for him.
âBut... why is that such a bad thing?â I asked, confused. âSurely your father chose to adopt you.â
âHe did,â Alexander agreed, his voice heavy. âBut not out of the goodness of his heart. Itâs... much more complicated than that.â
âComplicated how?â I asked. âIâm sorry, Alexander. I know this is painful for you to talk about, but... Iâm so confused.â
Alexander took another drink from the bottle, then set it on the counter and stood up straight, crossing his arms over his midsection. His face was tense, and I couldnât tell if he was feeling disgust or anger. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, his gaze fixed on the floor.
âThe problem is... who my real father is,â he said softly. âThis is why I didnât want to talk to you about any of this, Ella. This information... you have to understand, it must remain a secret. It could be very dangerous. Not just for you, but for everyone I care about if this were to get out.â
My heart raced. I could feel that whatever Alexander was about to tell me would change everything. I braced myself.
1/2 Chapter 0317 âYou have my word,â I said earnestly. âYou can trust me.â
He looked at me for a long time, weighing my words. Finally, he nodded.
âAlright,â he said softly. âIâll tell you everything.â
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