Calvin’s POV
"Alex’s father is none of your business," Evelyn said coldly,"He’s certainly not you."
The door closed in my face, leaving standing alone in the hallway. I stood there for several monts, my hand half-raised as if to knock again, before finally letting it drop to my side.
Sleep evaded that night, my mind consud by questions without answers.
By morning, I’d made a decision—I needed to know the truth, one way or another.
At breakfast, I couldn’t stop my eyes from traveling between Evelyn and Alexis, studying their features, searching for clues. The resemblance between mother and daughter was undeniable, but there was sothing else...
Evelyn ignored my stares, focusing entirely on helping the children with their breakfast.
Alexis, on the other hand, mistook my attention for interest in her food. With a generous smile that lted sothing in my chest, she scooped up a heaping spoonful of her oatal and held it out toward .
"Uncle, open wide," she said, making an exaggerated mouth movent. "Eat!"
Sothing tender unfurled in my chest at her innocent gesture. I gently touched her head. "No thank you, sweetie. That’s for Alex to eat."
Being Sunday, I’d deliberately cleared my schedule to spend ti at Evelyn’s place with the children. Rowan and Rhys could barely contain their excitent, it had been a long ti since we’d all been under one roof.
I could feel Evelyn’s reluctance at having there. She clearly felt uncomfortable whenever I showed up. But after what the boys had been through with the attack, I knew they needed the security of having both parents nearby. For once, Evelyn didn’t argue.
"Mom, will you build blocks with ?" Rowan asked, already dumping out the colorful wooden pieces.
"Dad! Dad! Look at the car Aunt Astrid got !" Rhys zood a miniature sports car across the floor, making engine noises with his mouth.
I watched Alexis struggling with a toy train set, her little brow furrowed in concentration until Rowan noticed and went to help.
"That’s not how it works, Alex," he explained patiently. "Let big brother show you. First like this, then like this... see? Now the train can run."
"Dad, this is my new drawing," Rhys announced proudly, holding up a paper covered in colorful scribbles. "This is you and mom, these are my brothers and sister, and this handso one is ..."
The morning flew by as we played with the children. Both Evelyn and I were visibly exhausted by lunchti, but the kids still had energy to burn.
Several tis, I caught myself staring at Evelyn, complicated emotions churning inside . Each ti I tried to speak to her, to ask the question that haunted —
"Evel—"
"Calvin," she cut off firmly, her voice low enough that the children couldn’t hear. "I’m only here to spend ti with the kids."
The coldness in her eyes made swallow my words. Cyra growled in frustration inside my head. "She’s keeping secrets from us. "
"We don’t know that for sure," I replied silently, though doubt gnawed at .
Eventually, Evelyn made an excuse about needing to do so lab work and headed upstairs to her ho office. I couldn’t bla her for wanting space from .
Alexis toddled over, holding up her hands covered in colorful clay. Her bright eyes blinked up at with complete trust.
"Uncle, wash hands," she said, wiggling her fingers.
I snapped out of my thoughts, smiling down at her. "Of course, sweetheart. Let help you."
I lifted her effortlessly, carrying her to the guest bathroom. Setting her carefully on the countertop, I let her small legs dangle while I gently washed the clay from her tiny fingers.
Alexis played with the water, opening and closing her hands under the stream, splashing droplets onto my shirt. With anyone else, even Rowan and Rhys, I would have corrected such behavior imdiately. The Wolfe family had standards, and discipline started young.
But with Alexis... rules seed to lt away. I couldn’t bring myself to scold her.
After drying her hands thoroughly, I picked her up again, and we both paused before the mirror. I couldn’t help but study our reflections side by side.
Her face shape was Evelyn’s, no question. Those eyes, nose, mouth—all miniature versions of her mother’s features. When she smiled, her eyes curved into the sa crescent moons as Evelyn’s.
But there, just at her eyebrow... a tiny birthmark. In the exact sa spot as mine.
Could it be possible? Could Alex actually be my daughter?
Cyra stirred restlessly. "She slls like nothing to us. All pups of our bloodline have our scent."
"But what if..." I couldn’t finish the thought.
Alexis wrapped her arms around my neck, mimicking my serious expression before suddenly crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue at our reflection.
"Uncle, pretty," she declared, patting my cheek.
Despite the turmoil in my mind, I couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to her soft cheek.
"Alex is prettier," I told her sincerely.
She ducked her head shyly against my neck, nuzzling closer in a way that made my heart constrict. "Uncle," she murmured contentedly.
"I’m right here," I answered, my voice low and gentle.
Every ti she called "uncle," sothing twisted painfully in my chest. The more ti I spent with her, the more certain I beca that I needed to know the truth.
I made my decision.
"Alex, your butterfly clip is crooked. Would you like Uncle to fix your hair?"
She looked confused, turning to check her reflection. The pink butterfly clip was perfectly in place, just as Evelyn had positioned it that morning. Before she could protest, I’d already set her back on the counter and begun carefully undoing her pigtails.
Alexis sighed dramatically.
"Uncle, Alex not want to be bald," she said seriously.
I felt heat rise to my cheeks, rembering my disastrous previous attempt at styling her hair.
"Don’t worry, Alex. I’ve been practicing," I promised.
This ti, my fingers moved more confidently through her silky strands. I only pulled out three or four hairs in the process. While fixing the butterfly clip back into place, I carefully tucked a few loose strands into my palm.
"There you go. All pretty again," I said, lifting her back into my arms.
I carried her back to the playroom where her brothers were building an elaborate block castle.
"Be good and play with your brothers, Alex. Uncle needs to step out for a minute."
She glanced at Rowan and Rhys, then nodded obediently. "Co back soon," she instructed, waving her little hand.
"I promise," I replied, my heart heavy with what I was about to do.
Back in the bathroom, I collected the strands of Alexis’s hair from my palm, placing them carefully into a small plastic bag I’d prepared. From my pocket, I withdrew two more sealed bags—one containing a few strands of my own hair, collected earlier, and another with strands of Evelyn’s I’d managed to retrieve from her hairbrush.
Outside, Beta Zeon was already waiting in the car. I handed him the sealed envelope containing all three samples.
"Get this done imdiately," I ordered, my expression grim. "Top priority. Complete confidentiality. No one knows about this,understood?"
"Yes, Alpha," Zeon nodded. "I’ll handle it personally."
I watched him drive away, a strange mixture of anticipation and dread settling in my gut.
***
Third Person POV
Zeon had planned to head straight to the DNA testing facility with the docunts, but he received an urgent call from the company about a file issue that required his imdiate attention. He had no choice but to return to the office first.
"Beta Zeon, do you need help with those docunts?" asked Calvin’s other secretary. Despite wearing a bold red dress, her expression remained calm and composed.
Zeon’s grip tightened on the folder. "No, thank you. I’ll handle this personally."
Watching him hurriedly finish his work and rush out,the secretary imdiately followed him discreetly. The mont she saw him enter the DNA testing facility, she understood exactly what those docunts contained.
After Zeon left, she walked into the sa facility.
Thirty minutes later, she erged with a satisfied smile.
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