Chapter 171
Evelyn’s POV
I stood by the pool watching Diana splash around in the water. I thought Calvin would rush to help his mother, but he stayed put, holding Alexis. The anger I felt earlier hadn’t gone away. Seeing that red mark on my daughter’s forehead just made me madder.
Diana was getting tired and panicking. Her desperate screams echoed across the yard. “Someone help me! Please p>
“Mother!” a voice called out.
I turned to see Lydia running toward the pool, looking terrified. She tried to push past my security team, but Eryx’s men blocked her way completely.
Lydia shoved against one of my guards. “What are you doing? Let me through! That’s my mother! I need to save her p>
“Your mother can get out when she says sorry,” Eryx said firmly. The scar on his face made him look scary when he wasn’t smiling. His expression was stone cold.
I noticed a guy who came with Lydia staring at Eryx with pure terror. His eyes went wide and he stepped back, his face going white. Something about Eryx clearly scared him, though I had no idea why.
Lydia looked desperate. She couldn’t get through my security, so she turned to Calvin with pleading eyes.
Calvin looked at her, then deliberately looked away.
“Why?” Lydia cried, her voice breaking. “I’m your sister! Your own blood! Why are you picking her over your family p>
Calvin’s face stayed cold as ice. When he spoke, his words shocked everyone there.
“Because Alexis is my daughter p>
I felt like I’d been hit by lightning. My eyes blazed as I walked toward Calvin. What the hell was he thinking, saying something so stupid?
Little Alexis froze in Calvin’s arms, looking down and playing with his shirt button. She seemed confused about whether to accept this sudden father announcement.
Rowan and Rhys looked up at Calvin with pure joy. Realizing that Alexis wasn’t just their half sister but their full sister made their little faces light up.
Diana and Lydia stood there speechless. Diana looked horrified when she realized what calling Alexis a “little bastard” meant if Calvin was telling the truth.
I grabbed Alexis from Calvin’s arms and glared at him. I leaned close and whispered angrily, “Calvin, stop making this worse p>
I’d just explained everything clearly to Elder Howard. I couldn’t let Calvin’s dumb statement mess that up.
Alexis wrapped her little arms around my neck and said softly, “Mommy, don’t be angry p>
I kissed her cheek gently. “Alex is being so good p>
She started to snuggle against my face but stopped, remembering the medicine the doctor put on her forehead. Instead, she stayed perfectly still in my arms so she wouldn’t mess up the ointment.
Everyone looked stunned by how fast things had changed. That’s when Elder Howard showed up with perfect timing.
“Today’s unfortunate incident has brought shame to our home,” he told the guests. “I’m sorry you had to see this p>
His voice carried across the whole yard. “Evelyn was my grandson’s mate, and though she and Calvin aren’t together anymore, she’ll always be the mother of my two great grandsons. She’s still part of the Bloodbane Pack, and her daughter is part of our family too p>
Elder Howard’s smile basically covered up Calvin’s earlier announcement. The guests clearly had questions, but nobody dared ask them with the elder standing there. They just nodded and pretended to understand.
Harrison, the head butler, got the staff to take the guests back to the banquet hall. Once they were gone, Elder Howard’s nice expression disappeared and turned cold and serious.
He spoke sharply to Calvin’s father. “Clean up this mess right now. Diana is under house arrest from now on. Tell everyone she had a mental breakdown p>
Diana’s face went white. She knew she was screwed.
I hadn’t expected Elder Howard to be so harsh. I looked at Lydia’s pale face, then noticed the young guy behind her again. Something about him seemed familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d seen him. What caught my attention was how he looked at Eryx. It was a mix of worry, fear, and something darker, like he was looking at a bomb that might go off.
It reminded me of Eryx’s mysterious past. I made a mental note to check into it later.
Calvin noticed me looking between Eryx and the stranger. He moved to block my view.
“What I said earlier,” he told me quietly, “I meant it p>
I stepped back to put distance between us. His sudden attention was annoying. Why couldn’t he stay cold and distant like he had for years? Why did he keep pushing into my space, making me feel things I’d rather forget?
“Calvin, I don’t care if you meant it or not,” I said firmly. “Alexis is my daughter alone. You have no rights to her p>
I adjusted Alexis in my arms, feeling her warm weight against me. “I can take care of my daughter just fine. I can take care of both my sons too. If you really want what’s best for me, let me have custody of Rowan and Rhys p>
I hadn’t spent the last three years building my network and strengthening my position just to rely on some man when things got tough. I believed completely that the only person who would always protect me and my children was myself.
Hearts change. People change. The only one I could really count on was me.