Chapter 196
Evelyn’s POV
My mother’s life had been systematically destroyed by them, and now I understood why Marcia had always looked at me with such contempt.
This wasn’t just old history. This was my family’s blood and pain.
I grabbed my phone and called Jackson.
“I need everything you can find on the Blues Pack dissolution,” I said the moment he answered. “Financial records, news articles, legal documents. Anything that proves the Eros Pack deliberately sabotaged them p>
“I’ll call Eryx too,” Jackson said. “Between the two of us, we’ll find what you need p>
I ended the call and immediately called Eryx.
“I need security footage from the Eros Pack house,” I told him. “Specifically anything showing Marcia Walton’s movements or communications over the past six months p>
For three days, I went through the evidence they gathered. Email after email flooded my inbox. Scanned newspaper clippings announcing the “unfortunate bankruptcy” of the Blues Pack. Financial records showing how the Eros Pack had systematically bought out their business partners.
And then there were Marcia’s emails. Dozens of them. “The daughter of Katherine must never gain influence,” one read. “History has a way of repeating itself p>
Each piece of evidence fueled my anger until I could barely contain it.
“Enough,” I whispered to the empty room. “This ends now p>
I drove to Duskwatch Bay the next morning. The sprawling mansion overlooking the bay was exactly as I remembered from my college days.
The Beta who greeted me at the gate looked surprised but didn’t stop me.
“I’m here to see Marcia,” I stated.
“Elder Marcia is in the sunroom,” he replied.
I walked past him.
Marcia sat alone in the sunroom, a cup of tea in her wrinkled hands. When she saw me, her eyes narrowed slightly, but her polite smile remained.
“Evelyn, what a surprise,” she said.
I closed the sunroom door behind me.
“I know everything, Marcia.” I placed the evidence on the glass table between us. “About how your family destroyed my mother’s pack. How you orchestrated their financial ruin and then absorbed what was left p>
Her smile faltered for just a moment before returning. Colder now.
“Old history, dear. I hardly see how it matters now p>
“It matters because you’ve been working against me for years p>
Marcia set down her teacup with a soft clink. “You can’t prove I did anything illegal p>
“I don’t need to prove illegality to expose you.” I leaned forward. “Stop interfering in my life and my business. Stop your vendetta against me because of who my mother was p>
“Or what?” she challenged, eyes glittering.
“Or I’ll destroy you,” I said simply. “I’ll release everything I’ve found about your pack’s wrongdoings p>
Marcia’s face hardened. “You think anyone will believe the word of an Omega over mine p>
“They’ll believe documentation. Evidence. Facts.” I tapped the folder.
“You know nothing of pack politics,” she sneered. “Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good p>
“My mother’s happiness wasn’t yours to sacrifice p>
The door swung open. Logan stood in the doorway. Shocked.
“Evelyn? What are you doing here p>
“Enlightening your grandmother about some family history,” I replied coolly.
Logan stepped into the room, closing the door. “What’s going on p>
“They’re not accusations when I have proof.” I pushed the folder toward Logan. “Your family destroyed my mother’s pack. They deliberately bankrupted them, then absorbed their territory. And your grandmother has been continuing that tradition by undermining me at every turn p>
Logan’s expression darkened as he flipped through the documents. “Is this true, Grandmother p>
“Business is business,” Marcia replied stiffly. “The Blues Pack was weak p>
“And what about targeting Evelyn?” Logan demanded.
Marcia’s silence was answer enough.
Logan’s jaw clenched. “This stops now. If I hear of one more action against Evelyn, I’ll strip you of your Elder status and pack privileges p>
“You wouldn’t dare,” Marcia hissed.
“Try me.” His voice carried the unmistakable weight of an Alpha’s authority. “There’s a very comfortable werewolf retirement community in Arizona p>
“I believe we’re done here,” I said, gathering my mother’s diary.
I walked out without another glance at Marcia. I heard Logan following me, but I didn’t slow down until I reached my car.
“Evelyn, wait.” Logan caught up to me. “I had no idea about any of this. I swear p>
I turned to face him. “I believe you p>
“I’m so sorry for what my family did to yours.” His eyes were earnest. Pained.
“It’s not your fault.” I sighed, some of my anger fading. “But now you understand why I’ve kept my distance p>
Logan stepped closer. “It doesn’t have to be this way between us. What happened in the past was wrong, but it doesn’t have to define our future p>
I recognized the look in his eyes.
“Logan p>
“I’ve never stopped thinking about you,” he admitted. “Not since college, not since seeing you again. I know there’s something between us, Evelyn. Something real p>
My heart twisted. In another life, perhaps things could have been different.
“There can’t be anything between us,” I said gently. “Too much has happened p>
“The past is the past. We could start fresh p>
I shook my head. “It’s not just the past, Logan. It’s the present too. I have three children. A company to run. A life I’ve carefully rebuilt p>
“Let me be part of that life,” he pleaded. “I care about you, Evelyn. Deeply p>
“And I care about you too,” I admitted. “But as a friend. Whatever might have been between us once… it’s gone now p>
Logan’s face fell. “Is there someone else p>
“This isn’t about anyone else. It’s about me knowing what I want and need p>
“Because of my family?” Pain flashed in his eyes.
“Partly,” I acknowledged. “Some wounds run too deep to heal, Logan. The history between our families is a chasm I don’t think we can cross. But it’s also because I’ve changed. My priorities have changed p>
“I could love your children like my own,” he said desperately.
“I know you could,” I said. “You’re a good man, Logan. But that doesn’t mean we’re meant to be together p>
He was silent for a long moment. “Is this really what you want p>
“Yes.” I touched his arm gently. “You deserve someone who can love you completely, without reservation. That isn’t me. It can’t be p>
The pain in his eyes was unmistakable, but I saw acceptance there too. “I understand p>
“Sometimes confronting the past is the only way to truly move forward,” I said, opening my car door.
As I drove away, I watched Logan’s figure growing smaller in my rearview mirror. A Chapter of my life was closing. Definitively.