After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 183

Elle's POV

"What did you just say?" I asked quietly, my voice carrying a dangerous edge that made Grace's theatrical wailing falter.

Grace looked between Susan and me, suddenly realizing she'd said too much.

"Nothing! I said nothing!" Grace backtracked, but her eyes kept darting to Susan, whose face had gone ashen. "Susan, you heartless woman, look what you've done! Making me say crazy things!"

But I'd caught it. That moment of panic in Susan's eyes told me everything I needed to know—Grace hadn't been rambling. She'd accidentally revealed something real, something Susan had hoped would stay buried.

I pulled out my wallet and extracted a handful of cash. Grace's eyes immediately fixed on the money like a predator spotting prey.

"Grace," I said, "let's go inside and talk. If your answers satisfy me, this money is yours."

The transformation was instant. Grace's tearful dramatics evaporated as greed took over. "Well, if you insist..."

Susan stepped forward, her hands trembling. "Elle, please—"

"It's alright, Susan," I said, though my eyes never left Grace's calculating expression. "We're just going to clear up some confusion."

I walked toward the front door, and after a moment's hesitation, Sophia and Abigail followed. Susan reluctantly stepped aside, and Grace practically scurried after us, her walking stick forgotten on the ground.

Inside Susan's living room, I spread approximately twenty thousand dollars across the coffee table. In the human community, this was a fortune—enough to live comfortably for months. Grace's eyes widened, and I could practically see her mind calculating what she could buy.

"Sit down, Grace," I commanded, gesturing to the worn sofa across from me.

Susan hovered near the doorway, wringing her hands. "Elle, this isn't necessary—"

"Actually, it is," I said firmly, meeting her eyes. "You've been hiding things from me for my entire life, Susan. Don't you think it's time I knew the truth?"

Sophia and Abigail exchanged glances and quietly retreated to the kitchen, giving us privacy. My two assistants also stepped outside, positioning themselves to ensure we wouldn't be interrupted.

Grace settled onto the sofa, her gaze fixed hungrily on the money. "What exactly do you want to know?"

"You said someone paid you to take me in," I said directly. "Who was it?"

Grace's eyes flicked to Susan, who had gone even paler. "Well, that's... I mean..."

"The money stays on the table," I interrupted coldly, "but you don't get to touch it until I'm satisfied with your answers."

My tone carried an authority that surprised even me—something I'd learned from Brad. Grace's posture straightened.

"Yes," Grace said finally, greed overcoming caution. "Someone brought you here with money, asking the West family to raise you. If you want details, you'll have to ask Susan. The person came specifically for her."

I turned to Susan, whose face was a mask of anguish. "Susan?"

She looked away, unable to meet my mismatched eyes. "Elle, please don't do this—"

"I'm going to find out one way or another," I said quietly. "The only question is whether you tell me yourself, or whether I have to piece it together from other sources."

Grace reached for the money, but I placed my hand firmly over the bills. "That was just the beginning, Grace. If you want this money, you need to give me more."

Grace's expression soured, but my unwavering stare made her reconsider challenging me.

"Fine," she huffed. "The person who brought you gave us a large sum of money, said Susan should raise you and never tell you about your origins or background."

My heart hammered in my chest. "What person? A man? A woman?"

"I don't know!" Grace snapped, then caught herself and forced a more cooperative tone. "I wasn't the one dealing with them. They only spoke to Susan."

She wasn't done. "I never understood why they chose her specifically. After all, she was just a woman who used to work as a servant for those big shots. If I hadn't been sure she was clean when your father married her, I'd have thought you were her bastard child."

The room went dead silent.

*Servant for big shots.* Susan had never mentioned working for wealthy employers.

"What big shots?" I asked quietly.

Grace waved her hand dismissively. "How should I know? Rich people. Important people. The kind who have servants." She looked at the money again. "Are we done? I've told you everything I know."

I nodded slowly and pushed the money toward her. Grace's face lit up as she snatched the bills and counted them quickly.

"Pleasure doing business," she said with false sweetness, then hurried toward the door before I could change my mind.

After Grace left, the room felt oppressively quiet. I turned to Susan, who was still standing by the doorway, looking like she wanted to disappear.

"Well?" I asked. "Who are you protecting, Susan?"

Susan sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging in defeat. "Elle, I was trying to protect you. There are things in this world that you're better off not knowing."

"Like the fact that I look exactly like Dakota Blair?"

Susan's face crumpled. "Elle—"

"You know the Blair family personally, don't you?" I pressed. "You've known them all along."

Susan tried to move toward the door, but I stepped into her path. "I can always get a DNA test, Susan. I'm trying to be respectful and hear the truth from you first."

The words hit Susan like a physical blow. She swayed on her feet, then slowly lowered herself into a chair.

"If I tell you," she whispered, "you have to promise me something. Promise you won't hate anyone for the choices they made."

I sat down across from her, my heart racing. "I promise."

Susan took a shuddering breath. "You are... you are a Blair descendant, Elle."

Even though I'd suspected it, hearing the words confirmed sent a shock through my entire body. I forced myself to remain calm.

"Tell me everything," I said.

Susan's eyes grew distant, lost in painful memories. "I was an orphan, taken in by the Blair family when I was young. I grew up serving old Mrs. Eleanor Blair, working in that family's household."

She paused, gathering strength. "When the current lady of the house Mrs. Stella Blair became pregnant with twins, the whole Blair family was overjoyed. You have to understand, Elle—the Blair family was wealthy and powerful, but their bloodline was thin. Most of their children were sickly, and many died young."

I leaned forward, hanging on every word.

"But old Mrs. Eleanor Blair was worried," Susan continued. "She used to tell me, 'Time is running out, Susan.'"

Susan's voice became barely a whisper. "As the due date approached, Mrs. Eleanor became more anxious. She locked herself in her study, reading old books and drawing strange symbols. Those were the Blair family's ancestral texts—alchemy and witchcraft knowledge passed down through generations."

A chill ran down my spine. "What happened next?"

"The pregnancy became unstable," Susan said, her voice breaking. "The doctor discovered that one of the twins was weakening, almost dying in the womb. But the other one..."

Susan paused.

"The other one what?" I demanded.