Christina’s POV
I blocked Jace’s hand from dialing again.
"Answer . Who are you calling?"
Jace scowled. His annoyance showed clearly on his face. The expression disappeared instantly when he saw Hudson standing behind .
"A friend," he muttered.
"Who?" I pressed.
"Just a friend."
"I need a na."
Irritation flickered in his eyes. He looked ready to throw a punch rather than answer .
Then his gaze moved up and down my body. Sothing changed in his behavior. A smug look replaced his irritation.
"I guess it doesn’t matter if you know now. I was calling Beatrice."
"Beatrice? Beatrice Vance?"
He crossed his arms with a slow, satisfied nod. "Yeah, that Beatrice. Surprising, isn’t it?"
My suspicions had been right. The number belonged to Beatrice.
"She’s friends with you?" I asked. Disbelief colored my voice.
"More than friends, actually."
"Girlfriend?" I guessed, though the thought seed ridiculous.
Jace snorted loudly. "Hell no. She’s my..." He paused, watching my reaction carefully. "Sister."
"Your sister?" I repeated. I couldn’t believe it. "Like a cousin?"
"No. Actual sister. Sa mother. The real deal."
"That’s impossible." I studied his face more carefully. "You look nothing like her."
He simply shrugged.
"There’s no way you’re her brother. I am her sister. Her real sister. And I’ve never heard of you. Don’t try selling so illegitimate son story. If the Vance family had a son, my father would’ve brought him ho years ago. The man’s so desperate for an heir he practically adopted his brother’s son. And if he had an heir, he never would have forced into marriage for so pack alliance."
"Who said anything about the Vance family?" Jace let out another snort. "babe. I...I never claid to be a Vance. Beatrice isn’t one either, not by blood anyway."
"Watch your mouth," Hudson warned. His voice was dangerously low. "Call her that again and you’ll be collecting your teeth from that wall."
Akira growled approvingly inside . "I love when he gets protective."
Jace’s confidence crumbled instantly. He straightened and took a cautious step backward.
When he spoke again, his tone was much quieter. "Please forgive , Alpha Hudson. I didn’t an anything by it."
"Explain," I demanded impatiently.
Jace checked his watch nervously."Well, since she’s officially the Luna of the Frostpelt Pack now, I guess it doesn’t matter if the truth cos out anymore."
"What truth?"
"I told you. She’s my sister. That’s the truth."
I opened my mouth to respond, but Hudson’s hand gently brushed my arm. His voice was low. "Not here."
I followed his gaze around the room. All of Nyx’s staff were gathered with wide eyes. Phones were quietly raised to capture the drama.
"Conference room," Hudson said to Rexford.
Rexford jumped to attention and led the way imdiately.
Once inside, Hudson gave a simple command. "Clear the room."
Savannah, Hudson’s n, and the entire group of curious staff disappeared within seconds.
"When the police arrive, ask them to wait," Hudson told Rexford before shutting the door firmly.
Now it was just , Hudson, and Jace.
Hudson knocked once on the table. "Talk."
Jace swallowed hard, then glanced nervously at the door. "What do I get if I tell you?"
"You get to spend your ti in lockup without additional problems. That, or we let things take their natural course." Hudson’s voice carried no emotion. This made the threat even more chilling.
Jace swallowed again. "I’m not going to jail. You can help , right? You’re the famous Alpha Hudson."
"Yes, I am. And yes, I can. But I won’t lift a finger until you tell my Luna what she wants to know."
I folded my arms across my chest. "Start talking. Or I’ll make sure the police know exactly what I saw between you and Violet. I’d make a very convincing witness."
Jace muttered a curse and slumped into one of the plush chairs.
"Fine, fine, I’ll talk. My mother is Eleanor Montague. She had Beatrice with her first husband, but she never wanted the kid. Especially after the divorce got ssy."
I blinked several tis. "What?"
"Eleanor was desperate to get rid of Beatrice. Your mother, Caroline, had just lost a baby. Stillborn. She was... let’s say she wasn’t handling it well. Completely lost it, actually. Started insisting that other babies were hers, caused scenes at the hospital."
My stomach twisted. I’d heard whispers about my mother’s breakdown, but never the details.
"When Caroline kept insisting Beatrice was her baby, Eleanor saw an opportunity. She let Caroline take Beatrice and raise her. Problem solved for everyone."
"Except Caroline knew Beatrice wasn’t really hers?" I felt sick.
"Of course she knew. Your dad knew too. But Caroline was so broken after losing her baby that they decided to go along with it. Better than watching her completely fall apart."
The room spun slightly. "So my parents always knew?"
"Yeah. And when you ca along a few years later, Caroline felt guilty about taking soone else’s kid. So she spoiled Beatrice rotten to make up for it."
Hudson’s hand hit the table hard.
"Alright!" Jace snapped, sitting up straight. "Look, Eleanor married my dad after that and had . Life moved on. But about five years ago, sothing started bothering her. Got weird about it. Obsessive."
"What happened?" I asked.
"She tracked Beatrice down and told her everything - how the Montagues were old money, part of the Southern Great Pack, with a massive inheritance waiting." Jace scratched his jaw. "Beatrice ca running to Stonewick faster than you could blink."
"And then?"
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