114 Chapter 114 Deadly Ultimatum
114 Chapter 114 Deadly Ultimatum
Her delighted giggle filled the room with warmth, and for a brief moment, my guilt subsided.
Back in the living room, Roxanne was falling apart. She scratched frantically at her arms, her face twisted with discomfort. Her skin was flushed red, and she looked absolutely miserable.
I hadn’t realized I was neglecting my children, but Elena’s gentle observation proved how blind I’d been. If my sweet, innocent little girl noticed something was wrong, then I’d failed her badly.
“Something’s terribly wrong,” she moaned, her voice hoarse and strained.
Her simple wisdom and complete lack of bitterness overwhelmed me. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, my voice rough with emotion. “You are the smartest, most amazing little girl in the world. I’m so lucky to be your dad.” She’s exactly like Seraphina, and I can’t believe I never noticed before. Roxanne doesn’t possess any of these qualities.
“Just a little more, princess,” I replied, playing my part. As we pretended to sip, her expression grew thoughtful. “Daddy, how come you haven’t been around as much lately?”
I watched Roxanne carefully, analyzing every gesture and expression. After several bites, subtle changes began appearing. Her movements turned jerky, her speech started slurring. She blinked rapidly, her eyes losing focus. Everything was proceeding exactly as I’d planned.
“Oh, baby,” I whispered, pulling her onto my lap. I held her close, breathing in the familiar scent of her strawberry shampoo. “Daddy is so sorry. Things have been really complicated lately. But I love you so much, Elena. Just as much as I love Theo. You understand that, right?”
“Did you… poison me?” she whispered, barely audible.
She continued laughing through her tears. “You can’t kill me.”
“I know, Daddy,” she said softly. “You’re spending extra time with Theo because he missed out before. That’s fair. And you’re here with me now too!”
“Stop that!” I roared, my control slipping. “Stop laughing, or I’ll make your death even
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worse than I planned.”
I ushered Elena inside, her tiny fingers wrapped around mine. “Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you comfortable.”
“Would Daddy like more tea?” she asked, extending a miniature plastic cup.
“Don’t pretend to be stupid!” I snarled, my patience evaporating. “Tell me how you took her. How did you get Elena from the hospital?”
I chuckled darkly, savoring the moment. “Yes, Roxanne. I did. And you’re going to experience a very slow, very agonizing death.”
Walking toward the dining room, cold dread settled in my stomach. Roxanne had prepared the meal, which meant I needed to be extremely careful. My plan required me to play along, to eat what she served without raising suspicion.
I read her a story while she fought to stay awake, her small body finally surrendering to exhaustion. She’d played hard all day and would sleep deeply, unaware of what was about to unfold. I tucked her in, kissed her forehead gently, and whispered, “I love you more than anything, my darling girl.”
“Dorian?” I laughed harshly. “I never mentioned Dorian’s name. How do you know he’s the one who told me? Unless you worked together, of course. Was it a partnership,
Roxanne?”
My blood turned to ice. “What did you just say?”
Roxanne beamed at Elena, planting a kiss on her forehead, and rage flared in my chest. The thought of this woman touching my daughter made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to remain calm.
Roxanne’s struggling intensified, and then something unexpected happened. She started laughing. A hysterical, almost insane sound that filled the room.
The question hit like a punch to the gut. My mother’s harsh words echoed in my mind, each accusation now carrying painful truth.
“The only innocent person here is Elena,” I spat, my vision narrowing with rage. “Because the woman who raised her, who she thought was her mother, is the same monster who stole her. And her real mother never even knew she existed.”
Roxanne greeted us at the door with her usual theatrical enthusiasm, practically bouncing on her toes. After six years of this performance, I still don’t understand why
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she keeps trying to impress me. “Julian, sweetheart! Perfect timing. I’ve prepared something special for dinner.”
“A lucky guess,” I repeated, my voice dangerously quiet. “You just happened to guess the exact person involved in kidnapping our daughter. What an incredible coincidence.”
Her eyes widened in genuine shock. “I didn’t steal Elena. Dorian must have fed you lies. He’s obsessed with Seraphina and will say anything to get closer to her.”
Steering Elena toward her room provided a momentary escape from Roxanne’s suffocating presence. Until yesterday, I trusted this woman completely with my daughter. Now I couldn’t stomach the idea of leaving them alone together. “Let’s run you a nice bath, sweetheart.”
Confusion spread across her face, mixing with growing horror, “Steal your daughter? What are you talking about?”
I ignored her growing discomfort. The silver needed time to work through her system before she realized what was happening. After dinner, I excused myself with Elena. “Bedtime for you, princess.”
“If you kill me,” she gasped between laughs, “Elena dies too.”
We sat down while Roxanne chattered in her high-pitched voice. Elena was clearly exhausted from the day’s activities, her eyelids drooping as she picked at her food.
Iturned toward her slowly, letting a cold smile spread across my face. The pretense was over. “You’re absolutely right, Roxanne,” I said, my voice dripping with satisfaction. “Something is very wrong. Did you really think you could manipulate me forever? Play your sick games? Steal what belongs to me? Those days are finished.”
Julian’s POV
Steam filled the bathroom with the scent of lavender as I helped Elena wash. Her giggles bounced off the tiled walls, each sound a bright spot in my darkening mood. Afterward, we settled in her pastel bedroom surrounded by stuffed animals and fairy tale books. She dragged out her favorite doll, complete tea set, and tiny chairs, demanding an elaborate tea party.
Roxanne had already arranged our plates when we arrived. Roasted chicken with vegetables looked innocent enough. As I reached for my portion, I smoothly switched it with hers while adding my own special ingredient to her plate. Years of leading my
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pack had taught me to move with subtle precision.
“Nice?” I scoffed. “You call this nice? You’ve been deceiving me for five years, Roxanne. Five entire years! But I can see through your lies now. Tell me exactly how you did it. How did you manage to steal my daughter?”
Her eyes widened in shock, seeing me clearly for the first time. But there was a glazed, unfocused quality to her stare. The silver was doing its job perfectly. For werewolves, silver wasn’t just uncomfortable – it was weakening, sickening, and potentially fatal.
“No, no!” she cried frantically. “I was just guessing! It was a lucky guess!”
Genuine sorrow flickered in her eyes. “I do love her, Julian. That’s why I never miss a day. If you kill me and she misses even one dose, she’ll die. You’ll be murdering your own daughter.”
I struck her across the face, the sharp sound echoing through the silence. I’d sworn never to hit a woman, but Roxanne wasn’t a woman anymore. She was a monster threatening my daughter.
Tears filled her eyes, but they seemed more confused than pained. “But why? I was only trying to be good to you. I wanted to do something nice.”
“Dinner’s ready, my loves!” Roxanne’s voice rang out, too cheerful and too loud.
I managed a stiff smile. “Sounds wonderful, Roxanne.” The lie burned my throat. Every word exchanged with her felt like swallowing glass.
She gazed up at me with those wide, trusting eyes, and shame crashed over me like a
wave.
Every time I think I have control over a situation, life throws another curveball that threatens to destroy everything. Right now, I can’t afford to listen to another word from my father about Seraphina’s paternity. Elena comes first, and I need to bring my daughter home today.
The walk to Roxanne’s house stretched endlessly, though Elena skipped beside me, humming cheerfully. Her innocent joy only made the weight in my chest heavier.
She slumped against the sofa, her breathing shallow and labored. “I’ve been giving Elena something very dangerous every single day,” she whispered weakly. “She needs it to survive. Without it, she’ll die. Nothing can change that.”
Disbelief flooded through me, followed by paralyzing fear. “You’re lying. You would
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never endanger Elena’s life. Despite everything, I know you love her.”
“Let me go, Julian,” she begged, struggling weakly against the silver’s effects. “I’m completely innocent!”
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