Chapter 150

Draven’s POV
I couldn’t sleep all night. Since talking to Caroline, Alaric has been restless and on edge. The hurt in her eyes kept bothering me.I’ve called her at least twenty times, but every time I got the same voicemail.
“The number you have dialed is not available. Please leave a message after the tone.”
By morning, I was a mess. I’d gone over what I wanted to say a thousand times in my head. I needed her to know that Liz meant nothing to me,that what happened in London was all on her. The DNA test from Dr. Molina would clear my name and prove that Ella’s pregnancy was a total lie.
I got to the office earlier than usual and went straight to Caroline’s desk. It looked untouched—her computer was off, and the little framed photo of Liam was still there by the monitor. Seeing it made my chest tighten.
Ryan came out of the conference room, holding a coffee. “She’s not coming in today, Alpha.”
“Where is she?” I asked.
“I gave her some time off,” Ryan said firmly. “She needs it, and honestly, she deserves it after everything.”
“Damn it, Ryan!” I growled.”I need to talk to her. It’s important.”
“Let’s get some coffee first,” Ryan suggested, leading me toward the break room. “You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
When we came in, Rose, Kyle, and Ava were standing close, whispering. As soon as they saw me, they stopped and looked cautious. You could feel the tension in the room right away.
We exchanged awkward greetings before Ryan, Kyle, and I headed back to my office.
Once the door shut, I faced Kyle. “What don’t I know?” I asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,Alpha Draven” Kyle replied.
I stalked toward her, my Alpha dominance filling the room.”Don’t play games with me.You’re all behaving strangely around Caroline.You’re protecting her from something—from me. What’s going on? Why are you all whispering with Rose and Ava? What do you know?”
Kyle’s eyes darted to Ryan, seeking backup.
“It’s not my place to tell you,” Kyle finally admitted.
“So there is something,” I pressed, feeling Alaric growing more anxious within me.
Before Kyle could respond, my phone rang.Dr. Molina’s office.I answered immediately.
“Alpha Draven, I apologize for the urgency, but Dr. Molina asked me to inform you that he’s sent you an email regarding your test results.”
My heart raced as I rushed to my computer, pulling up my email. There it was—
From: Giovanni Molina ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
To: Draven Thorne
Subject: URGENT! Your test results
Draven,
I apologize for the delay, but I had to attend to an emergency and only managed to look at your tests today. I was very surprised by what I saw.
First, regarding your toxicology report, it was as I suspected—your test came back positive. A high concentration of morphine was detected. Pills were probably dissolved in your drink, and you took a massive dose that knocked you out. With that amount of morphine in your system, you wouldn’t have been able to stand up, let alone engage in sexual activity. You were drugged.
As for the DNA test, this shocked me even more because it couldn’t be performed. Besides collecting samples for DNA, I also took samples for a beta-HCG test, which detects pregnancy and establishes gestational age, to verify if Ms. Howard’s pregnancy timeline matched the date you supposedly were together. The thing is, Ms. Howard hasn’t been pregnant recently. She’s not pregnant at all. That’s why the DNA test couldn’t be performed. It’s all a scam.
Test results attached. If you need any clarification, contact me.
Giovanni Molina
Medical Director
Obstetrician Gynecologist
I stared at the screen, stunned. Ella had never been pregnant. I’d been drugged. It was all a setup.
“What is it?” Ryan asked.
I couldn’t speak. Ryan walked over and read the email.
“Holy shit! I knew it!” Ryan slammed his hand on the desk.
Kyle rushed over to look, her face lighting up as she read. “Thank the Moon Goddess!”
“I’m going to end this charade right now,” I growled, anger replacing my shock.
“Wait,” Ryan cautioned. “We should check the security footage from the party first. Find out who drugged you. It must have been someone working for Ella and her father.”
“I’ll handle that,” Kyle volunteered. “I coordinated with the catering service for the event.”
Relief washed over me, followed immediately by urgency.”I need to see Caroline right now. I need to tell her everything.”
“No!” Kyle’s voice was surprisingly firm. “First, you’re going to fix this mess and get rid of those two snakes. Then you can talk to Caroline.”
“Then tell me what’s going on with her,” I demanded. “I know you’re all hiding something.”
Kyle crossed her arms.”Yes, there is something. But you’ll fix this mess first. And don’t even try to pressure me,I won’t talk. I’m going to check that footage.”
As Kyle left, I paced the office. “I can’t focus on anything else right now,” I admitted to Ryan. “I still don’t understand the ultrasound I saw.”
“The doctor’s secretary gave you her contact information, right? Call her. Maybe she can tell you something about how they faked it.”
“Good idea.” I pulled out my phone, then paused. “Will you stay while I make this call? I’m not going to be alone with any woman who isn’t Caroline ever again.”
Ryan burst out laughing, but I was dead serious.
After hanging up, I still felt uneasy about Caroline. I had to share the news with her right now.
“I’m going to her apartment,” I announced, grabbing my keys.
Ryan didn’t try to stop me this time.
I drove like I had something to prove, running red lights and ignoring stop signs all the way to Caroline’s building. When I got there, I pounded on her door—no answer. Nothing. Dead silence inside.
Panic hit me hard. I hurried down to the lobby and found the security guard.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for Caroline Bennett from apartment 508. Have you seen her?”
The guard shook his head. “Miss Bennett? No, sir. She hasn’t been home for days. Left with a suitcase… and the little one.”
My heart froze. I remembered what she said before I left for my business trip to New York, “If you keep pushing past my boundaries, I’ll disappear completely.”
She was gone. She really left.
My hands shook as I grabbed my phone and dialed Nate.
“Nate! Caroline’s gone,” I blurted as soon as he picked up. “The guard said she took Liam and left. She’s disappeared. She really left me.”