Chapter 81

81 – Karma Did Not Strike

Madeline:

“ Wow, you’ve changed so much,” my father said as we stood face to face.

“Well, you seem not to have changed at all,” I replied. I wasn’t trying to insult him, I was just being honest.

“Yeah, your sister takes good care of me. I don’t have to worry about money or anything. All I do now is enjoy my life p>

He was so quick to praise her, something he had never done with me, or so I thought.

“I heard you’re doing great things in the human world. You must be doing well for yourself,” he continued.

As soon as he said that and the frown began to form on my forehead, he laughed, as if to let me know it was just a joke.

“I guess I should say I’m proud of you p>

At those words, something tugged at my spine.

“Wow–thank you,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Maybe Mother would’ve said the same thing p>

I slipped her name into the conversation deliberately. I had never done that before.

When I lived with my father, I was never allowed to speak of her–ever. If I did, I was punished.

But now, I was an independent woman. I could finally mention my mother, the woman who gave me life.

I saw my father’s body stiffen at her name, but he had to respond.

I wasn’t just his daughter anymore, I was the researcher the council and the alphas had paid handsomely to bring here.

They couldn’t treat me the same way they used to.

“Well, I’m sure she had,” he said, nodding.

“When did she pass away? I mean, I know you said she died giving birth to me, but I checked. I asked Alpha Ron about my birth records, and he said I wasn’t delivered at any hospital of the pack,” I spoke in a monotone, watching the color drain from his face.

That was because I was lying. I hadn’t spoken to Alpha Ron but the thought of doing it had crossed my mind.

Still, the bluff seemed to work, because my father quickly began to speak.

“That’s because she didn’t die,” he said.

Before I could react to the shock, he continued.

“And I’ll say this, what she did and how she left- I guess it’s safe to say she just died. That’s why I told you she was gone p>

He spoke as if that explanation made any sense.

I stared at him in disbelief.

“Madeline,” he went on, “when you were born, I told your mother I would take care of her. But she didn’t want a

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child. So what was the point of telling you about her when she didn’t even want you p>

His voice was flat, his reasoning vague, but he must have noticed I wasn’t convinced.

So he went on.

“ I was reckless back then. I was cheating on Karla with women from the brothel p>

The mention of those women made my body stiffen.

“And one of those women was your mother,” my father said. “She used to entertain the rogues. One of those nights, I made an irresponsible mistake. After that, I never saw her again because I never went back to that house. ”

He sighed.

“ I was ashamed. I apologized to Karla, made too many promises, and focused on taking care of my newborn. I became the best husband I could for those nine months. Then your mother left you on the doorstep with a note saying she didn’t want a child. She didn’t want shackles. That’s why I told you she was dead. That’s all I have of her. That’s all I know. ”

My father rubbed his face tiredly with one hand.

“Are we talking about that woman again p>

Finally, my stepmother appeared.

I watched her come out of the kitchen, wearing a fake, concerned smile and pressing her lips together as if she were upset for me.

“Let’s forget about her. Have you met my daughter? She’s a big researcher now,” my father said to her.

Karla wore a gray dress and had dyed her hair blonde.

She was covered in jewelry and dressed in branded clothes, thanks to Baxter.

“Yeah, I’ve heard about her,” she replied. “She confronted Yuvonne in a café. They had a huge fight. I was so surprised that Madeline is coming back and that she’s back to her old ways p>

As expected of Karla, she spoke in her usual taunting tone, but this time she didn’t raise her hand like she used to in the past.

“Oh yeah? So your daughter told you that she hired the same woman who started rumors about me and Alpha Graham?” I shot back, my voice steady and sharp.

For a moment, she didn’t even respond.

Then she shook her head, forcing a smile and waving her hand dismissively.

“Let’s not talk about it,” she muttered.

“Anyway, I saw the kids. They’re really pretty. But they have completely different features. I mean, not just their features, their hair color and eye color are different.” She laughed, making me swallow hard, afraid she might figure it out.

She was always the type to notice things before anyone else.

“I see you’ve redecorated your house. It looks nice,” I said, shifting the attention from my kids to the house.

“Yeah, Baxter loves Yuvonne so much. He just likes to surprise her with new things.” Of course, she threw it in

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my face.

She remembered that Baxter used to be friends with me.

“I can tell,” I uttered. She had no clue that I was now good at hiding my feelings.

That’s when my kids rushed out of the living room, hugging me tightly. And then Baxter appeared with Yuvonne clinging to him.

“Baby, I really like that little beard you’ve got going on, ” I heard her say as she ran her hand along his jawline.

Then she tiptoed to kiss his cheek.

I looked away quickly, and when I did, my eyes met Karla’s by accident. She was watching me.

As Baxter walked toward us again, his phone started ringing.

He unwrapped his arm from around Yuvonne to take the call.

While holding the phone to his ear, he lingered nearby but kept glancing at me before turning back to Yuvonne with a smile.

Ruby Walker

Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.