After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 156

Elle's POV

From inside, the sound of crashing glass and muffled sobs reached us. Ivy was clearly in distress, and I felt a stab of sympathy despite our complicated relationship.

Sophia moved closer to me, her voice low. "Elle, I know you want to help, but we need to be careful about how involved you get in this mess."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," she said gently. "If something happens to Ivy, if she can't... well, if she can't be the Blair family heir anymore, who benefits most from that situation?"

The implication hit me like a slap. "You think people will say I'm glad this happened? That I wanted this?"

"I think people love to talk," Sophia replied. "And a human woman suddenly becoming the primary beneficiary of the Blair family fortune? That's going to raise eyebrows. You being too eager to help might make you look calculating."

I felt my stomach drop. I hadn't thought about it that way, but she was right.

"It doesn't matter what people think," Brad said, "Anyone who has a problem with Elle can take it up with me."

Brad didn't worry about gossip because he had the power to silence it. But I was still just human Elle West.

More crashing sounds came from inside, followed by Ivy's voice screaming something unintelligible. The raw pain in her cries made my chest tighten.

I thought about my own situation – carrying Brad's child, facing an uncertain future. At least I had Brad's protection, strange as our relationship was. Ivy had been abandoned by someone who should have stood by her.

"Damn him," I muttered under my breath. "Whoever he is, he's a coward."

A car pulled up to the hospital's front entrance, and we all turned to watch. A middle-aged man stepped out, carrying what looked like expensive skincare products. He was probably around Martin's age, well-dressed but nervous.

Before he could even approach the hospital, Ivy's parents rushed toward him. The woman's face was twisted with rage.

"You bastard!" she screamed, lunging at him. "How dare you show your face here!"

The man tried to dodge, but she was faster, her hands clawing at his face. Ivy's father – joined in, grabbing the newcomer by his jacket.

I instinctively stepped back as the woman stumbled in my direction, her wild swing nearly catching me across the face.

"Sorry about this, Elle," Martin said quickly, moving to shield me. "They're... understandably emotional."

I felt Brad's body tense beside me, his Alpha instincts clearly triggered by the near-miss.

"Maybe we should go inside," I suggested, suddenly less enthusiastic about getting involved in this family drama.

Before anyone could respond, Stella's voice rang out from the house. "Enough! Stop it right now!" She appeared in the doorway, her authority cutting through the chaos. "Ivy wants to see him. That's why we called him here."

The fighting stopped immediately. Ivy's parents stepped back, breathing hard, but their eyes never left the man who had presumably ruined their daughter's life.

"She wants to see me?" he asked, his voice shaky.

"She does," Stella confirmed. "So get inside before I change my mind about letting you anywhere near her."

As the man hurried toward the house, I turned to Sophia. "This is a mess."

"It really is," she agreed. "You know what? I'm starting to think we shouldn't have come today."

I sighed. "If I hadn't come, they'd probably say I was too proud to show up. That I think I'm above the Blair family because I'm connected to the Raynes."

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't," Sophia muttered.

We settled in to wait, but the house wasn't quiet for long. Raised voices carried through the walls, followed by the sound of something heavy being thrown. Martin winced at each crash.

Then the man emerged from the house. His face was red, whether from crying or arguing I couldn't tell. He walked straight to Ivy's parents and dropped to his knees.

"I know nothing I do today can make up for what I've done," he said, his voice carrying clearly in the still air. "I know I failed Ivy when she needed me most. But I swear to you – I'll take responsibility. I'll divorce my wife and marry Ivy. I'll make this right."

My stomach turned. The casual way he talked reminded me too much of Jason. Men who made promises to one woman and then abandoned them the moment something more appealing came along.

I tried to pull my hand away from Brad's, suddenly needing space from all men and their casual cruelty. But his grip tightened.

"Hey," he murmured in my ear, his voice so low only I could hear. "I'm not him. This lifetime, next lifetime, whatever – you're the only woman I'll ever touch."

His words sent heat flooding through my cheeks, making something tight in my chest finally loosen.

"You're making me feel bad for being angry at all men," I whispered back.

"Good," he said with a slight smile. "Do you want me to handle this situation? Just say the word and I'll make sure that guy faces real consequences."

Before I could answer, the man suddenly turned toward me. His eyes were desperate.

"Please, you have to help me! I'll keep my promise – I really will! But I need your help to make my wife agree to the divorce!" he called out, stumbling toward us.

The audacity of it hit me like a physical blow. Fucking bastard!

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Sophia snapped before I could respond. "What makes you think Elle should get involved in your disgusting personal drama? You want to use werewolf influence to bully your wife into a divorce?"

But the man ignored her, focusing entirely on me. "Please. My wife, she's... she's very difficult. She won't listen to reason. But if you could just speak to her, or maybe have your..." He glanced nervously at Brad. "Just a phone call. Just enough to make her understand that it's better for everyone if she doesn't fight this."

The pure entitlement of it left me speechless for a moment. He wanted me to help him terrorize his innocent wife so he could abandon her for the woman he'd already abandoned once.

"You know what?" I said, standing up so abruptly that Brad had to release my hand. "I'm not a Blair by blood. So Blair family business? Not my call to make."

I turned to Stella, who had emerged from the house to listen to this exchange. "We should probably head home."

But before we could leave, Ivy's voice rang out from inside the house, desperate and pleading.

"Elle! Please don't go! I'm begging you – just this once, please help me! I have nowhere else to turn! The Blair family is going to be yours anyway – can't you do this one thing for me?"

The words hit like arrows, each one finding its mark. I stood frozen, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on me, knowing that whatever I chose next would define how this family saw me forever.