After One Night with the Alpha
Chapter 246
Elle’s POV
“No, thank you for the offer, I said firmly. “I can handle this myself.”
He nodded thoughtfully, his hands gripping the steering wheel. “How long will the entire process take?“”
I dropped my gaze to my hands folded in my lap. “Three days. After this, I’ll need to go to the Blair family sanctuary to find the cure. The whole thing should take about three days.”
“I understand,” Raymond said softly. “I’ll be here whenever you need me. Just call.”
“I knew about this marriage deal thing from a very young age,” Raymond continued, his eyes distant. ‘I was actually pretty resistant to it at first. Hell, I was furious about it. Being a Carter heir meant I couldn’t choose my own marriage–that pissed me off.”
I tensed, not wanting to hear this but unable to stop him.
“But when I met Dakota… I don’t know why, but all that resistance just melted away. One look at her and I knew.” he said, his voice growing softer.
He glanced at me through the mirror, and I saw pain flash across his features. “Dakota was incredible, Elle. She was the kind of person you couldn’t help but
love.”
“I know,” I whispered, thinking of the sister I’d met in my dreams.
“I pursued her for years before she finally agreed to be with me,” Raymond continued, seemingly lost in his memories. “When we got engaged, it was the happiest time of my life. I thought Dakota was the person I’d been searching for my whole existence. His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “But I’m feeling that same certainty with you.”
I whipped around to stare at him, my eyes flashing with indignation. What the hell? Is he seriously saying he’s into both sisters?
Raymond caught my expression and actually laughed. “Yeah, Dakota looked at me exactly like that when I first started pursuing her. I still remember the first thing she said to me: ‘You’re chasing the wrong person. You’re supposed to be with my sister why are you coming after me?”
My breath caught in my throat.
‘I thought it was ridiculous at the time,” he said, his voice growing thoughtful. “She was the only Blair heit–where would she get a sister? But when you appeared in front of me… I suddenly remembered what she’d said all those years ago. His eyes met mine in the mirror. I think she agreed to my pursuit because of you.”
When we reached the Blair estate, I slowly climbed out of the car with help from a servant. My legs felt unsteady, and my heart was pounding.
As I walked slowly toward the main house, I could see Martin Blair and Stella Blajf standing there, anxiety written all over their faces.
The moment Stella spotted me, she couldn’t contain herself anymore. She rushed forward and pulled me into her arms, breaking down completely.
Martin stood to the side, his expression complex as he watched his wife and daughter. I caught him quickly wiping, his eyes, trying to hide his tears.
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Chapter 246
I gently patted Stella’s back. “Mom, I’m home.”
That single word-“Mom‘–seemed to break something inside Stella. She held me tighter, her whole body shaking with sobs. This is my daughter. I won’t let anyone hurt my daughter ever again. I already lost one–I can’t lose another.
Stella pulled back, not bothering to wipe her face, and grabbed my hand. ‘Elle, let’s go! We don’t need this house anymore! I’ve already buried one daughter -I can’t watch anything happen to you too. Let those damn family traditions go to hell!”
I felt my chest tighten and my eyes blur with tears. I could feel how much my biological parents loved each other, how much Stella was willing to sacrifice
to protect me.
But I gently pulled her back. “Mom, I can’t leave. Susan raised me–it wasn’t easy for her. I can’t be the kind of person who abandons the woman who raised me when she needs me most. If I ignore her life or death, I’ll never be able to live with myself.”
Stella whirled around to glare at Martin, who looked devastated.
He wanted to step forward and hug me but didn’t dare, knowing that his own mother–Eleanor Blair–was the architect of all this suffering.
“Dad,” I said, nodding at him. “Is Grandma inside? I need to speak with her privately.”
Martin’s voice was rough when he answered. “She’s been expecting you for hours.”
I wiped the tears from my eyes and squeezed Stella’s hand. My voice was quiet but determined when I spoke: “I came back to make a decision. I am a Blair- no matter how much I might want to deny it, that’s something I can’t change. The family responsibilities that Dakota couldn’t carry… they’re mine to bear now. It’s okay. I can handle this.”
The Blair main house had an ancient, elegant feel to it.
Servants bowed as I passed, and I nodded slightly in acknowledgment but didn’t speak.
In the deepest part of the house, I found Eleanor Blair standing before a wall covered in portraits of our ancestors.
‘Since you’re back, you should resume your identity as a Blair,” she said without preamble. “I’ll have people collect your hair, blood samples, iris scans, and fingerprints to reactivate the Blair bloodline mark within you.”
“Wait,” I interrupted. “Not so fast.”
Eleanor’s eyes flashed dangerously. “You want to negotiate with me?”
I stood tall, facing the portraits of my ancestors. “Yes. I’m going to negotiate with our ancestors watching over us. Before we negotiate, shouldn’t I report to them first? My dear grandmother, you took a newborn baby and replaced her with a corpse, sending her thousands of miles away under the pretense of protecting the Blair family. Then you let that child fend for herself while the Blair family ignored her completely.”
Eleanor’s face turned ashen.
“Susan may have been assigned by you to adopt me, but she did raise me. I truly can’t watch her die. I’ll return to the Blair family, but shouldn’t you show some sincerity?”
I sat down calmly in an antique chair. “I have two conditions: First, I won’t change my name–I’ll remain Elle West. If I have children someday, they can inherit the Blair bloodline, but don’t think you can tie me down with a surname. Second, except for this, you don’t ask me to do anything else.”
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Chapter 246
Eleanor’s frown deepened. “Do you realize what you’re asking for?”
“Of course I do,” I replied calmly. “I never wanted to be a Blair anyway. I never cared about my identity. I’ve been a commoner for twenty–three years- there’s nothing wrong with that. Being a high–society heiress means nothing to me.” I leaned back in the chair. “Didn’t the Blair family adopt Ivy before? If you’re not satisfied, you’re welcome to adopt someone else as the Blair heir. I don’t want the family fortune.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
