Chapter 7
CHLOE'S P.O.V.
I should've known better than to come here. From the moment I felt that suffocating feeling when I saw the gifts. I should've made up an excuse to go home.
"What did you say?" Father asks slowly.
"Lucas is not my son, and you know it," I repeat harshly. "Sophia is my daughter; why should I care for someone else's child while mine suffers?"
"You're being unreasonable, Chloe. Lucas is your child in every sense as Sophia. You've raised him all these years." Father lectures coldly.
I scoff, looking at them with disgust.
Mother's expression hardened. “Your father and I think you're making a terrible mistake.”
I snicker at the absurdity of their words. “A mistake?”
“Yes.”
Father leans forward. “Jasper has done everything he can to provide for this family. You're the Luna of one of the strongest packs in this region. Do you have any idea how many women would kill for the position you're in?”
I stare at him blankly. “So I'm supposed to remain married to a man who doesn't care about his own daughter because other women want my title?”
“That's not what I'm saying.”
“Then what are you saying?”
Father hesitates; Steve speaks up instead. “Chloe, you're being emotional. Think about what you're doing.”
My eyes narrow. “I'm emotional because my daughter is being abused.”
“You don't know that.”
I laugh bitterly. “I showed you the pictures!”
Mother shakes her head, muttering irritably. “Pictures of bruises don't prove abuse, Chloe. We are wolves; we train, we hunt.”
My chest tightens; chuckling softly in disbelief, I whisper, “She was sent away three years ago.”
“Yes, for training.”
“She was a child!”
“She is an Alpha's daughter who is as weak as an Omega.”
“So what?” I slammed my palm harshly against the table, fed up. “She is still my daughter!”
The room fell silent. My wolf stirred beneath my skin as the realization that they didn't care settled, not as long as it benefitted them. I swallowed hard.
My father rubbed his forehead. “Jasper told us everything.”
I tilted my head at him, confused. “Everything?”
“He says you've been unstable for some time. How you've gone insane with this ludicruous idea that Sophia is being mistreated.”
My mouth dropped. “Of course he told you that.”
Steve crossed his arms. “Because that's the truth.”
I stared at him. “You believe him?”
“He's your husband.”
“And I'm your sister.”
“That doesn't mean you're automatically right.”
I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. “I have another picture.”
My mother immediately shook her head. “Chloe, enough.”
“No.”
I turned the screen toward her. “This is Sophia.”
She glanced at the image before looking away. “Children get bruises.”
“Not like this.”
“She's being trained, Chloe. How many times must we repeat that?” Mother yells.
“On a washboard?”
Father's expression shifts slightly.
“You know about that?” I ask weakly, but he simply looks away.
My heart sank. “You knew?”
“Chloe…”
“You knew?” My voice cracked.
Steve speaks up defensively. “Dad didn't know anything.”
I look at him incredulously. “Really?”
No one answers; a bitter laugh escapes me. “I can't believe this.”
Liv suddenly shifted in her seat. “Chloe…”
I turn toward her. “What?”
She opens her mouth to say something, then closes it. Mother frowns. “Liv, stay out of this.” She nods.
Father sighs. “Forget the divorce. Think about your children.”
“I am thinking about them.”
“Jasper has promised to bring Sophia home. Don't ruin it.”
“After six months.”
“That's not long.”
“It is when your child is suffering.”
Steve shakes his head. “You're destroying your family over this?”
“My family was destroyed the moment my daughter was sent away to be treated like a common omega.”
Silence, then Father speaks. “Alpha Jasper has been good to us; we can't go up against him.”
I blink. “What?”
My mother gives Father a warning look, which he ignores. He clears his throat. “I only mean that we have been able to live a good life thanks to him.”
I stare at the expensive watch sitting on my father's wrist. Then at the necklace around my mother's neck. My stomach turns.
“You've been bought.”
“Chloe!”
“No, Mother. That's exactly what happened.”
My father rises angrily. “You watch your tone, girl.”
I stand too. “I've watched my tone for years.” My voice trembles. “I've watched everything I say. Everything I do. I've played the perfect Luna while my daughter was sent away to suffer, just so 'my family' would be happy.”
I wipe the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes.
“And now you're all asking me to continue pretending?”
No one answers. I turn to leave, having heard enough.
“Chloe,” Mother calls.
I stop in my tracks.
“Please do not make any foolish decision.”
Without turning around, I respond, "Trust me, Mother, I won't.” Then I walk out.
The moment I step outside, I take in a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed, only to be startled by Liv, who discreetly pulls me aside, flashing me a picture on her phone. A screenshot of an enormous bank transfer with the narration 'upkeep.' Before I could utter a word, she dashes back in, leaving me confused.
I pull out my phone and call Jo. She answers almost immediately.
"Chloe?"
“Please tell me you have something.”
“I do.”
I stop walking. “What?”
“I got the call records.”
My heart starts pounding. “How many?”
“Over four hundred.”
I freeze.
“What?”
“Four hundred and twelve calls over three years.”
“To Yvette?”
“Yes.”
My grip tightens around the phone. “Who is the number registered to?”
“That's the interesting part." Jo pauses. “It's registered under a false name.”
“Whose?”
“Gareth Langley.”
I frown. “Langley?”
“Yes.”
My heart beats faster. “Could it be Donald's family?”
“Possibly. But there's more.”
“What?”
“After Yvette's supposed accident, Jasper was the only person who identified the body.”
My blood runs cold.
“The body was unrecognizable, remember?”
“Yes.”
“So how did he identify her?”
“That's what I'm trying to find out.”
I stare into the distance.
“Jo?”
“Yes?”
“I want to know everything.”
“I figured.”
“And also, arrange a meeting with Malcolm Blayne.”
She pauses. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“If Jasper finds out…”
“He won't.” I say before ending the call. I don't know what Malcolm will tell me. But from this point, I was prepared for anything.