Chapter 7

• Esmond's POV
• After I finished speaking, the other end of the phone fell silent, except for the faint sound of sobbing.
• I felt a wave of irritation.
• "Mr. Dalton, are you asking where I am so you can force me to go to the hospital and get an abortion?"
• I answered her with silence.
• "Where are you, exactly?" My knuckles turned white as I gripped the phone, and the reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window showed my distorted face.
• Hazel's sobs crackled through the line. "If you don't want this child, I'll raise it on my own. He'll never know who his real father is..."
• The tip of my pen dug into the solid wood desk, leaving a dent. I listened to her fake, choked sobs and let out a cold laugh. "Need I remind you how many condoms we went through last month during your heat? The pregnancy rate between non-mates is only 3%. You must be really special."
• "Mr. Dalton!" she suddenly shrieked. "How can you insult me like this?"
• I loosened my tie and undid the top two buttons of my shirt. The cold glow of moonlight seeped through my fingers. "Last chance—three seconds."
• "I don't need your pity!" The sound of shattering glass came through the phone. "I'll raise him alone, even if I have to sell blood in some back alley..."
• Before she could finish, I hung up.
• "Jason," I immediately mind-linked Jason Schneider, not caring that it was the middle of the night.
• As the son of the Beta, he was destined to take over that role and assist me in leading the Ironclaw Pack. That's why I trusted him.
• "I'm here. What's up?" Jason's voice echoed in my mind.
• "Track Hazel's location."
• The day Camellia found out about my affair, I discovered Hazel was behind it. I kicked her out of the company immediately.
• But I never expected her to have a backup plan.
• That child couldn't be born. If it was, everything between me and Camellia would be over.
• By the time Jason sent me the coordinates half an hour later, I was already grabbing my car keys.
• Moonlight filtered through the curtains, outlining the figure standing by the bedroom window. Camellia's silk robe rippled in the night breeze.
• Her lashes cast fragile shadows under her eyes as she watched me start the engine.
• The steering wheel creaked under my grip.
• "I'll be back when it's done." I slammed the accelerator and sped into the night, her silhouette shattering into a thousand fragments of moonlight in the rearview mirror.
• I didn't expect Hazel to be living in a densely populated residential area.
• When I pulled up to her building, there were drunk people causing a scene on the street.
• I called Hazel again. Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and defiance. "I can't see you tonight. You'll hurt me."
• I hung up, slamming my hand against the steering wheel.
• The sharp honk drew the attention of the drunkards nearby. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm.
• As the future Alpha of the Ironclaw Pack and the heir to the Dalton family, I couldn't afford to get into a brawl with some drunks and end up on the front page of the Los Angeles Times.
• Alpha Drogo would have my head.
• The next day, Hazel knocked on my car window. I glanced at her carefully applied makeup and opened the door.
• I drove her to a steakhouse.
• After we ordered, Hazel slid a tablet across the table. Her bare face made the dark circles under her eyes even more noticeable. "Please, just look at the ultrasound. The doctor said it's a strong Alpha boy."
• I stabbed my fork into the medium-rare steak, watching the blood seep out. "Did you poke holes in the condoms or something?"
• The chandelier's light cast a web-like shadow over her pale face.
• A tear fell onto the linen tablecloth, leaving a dark stain.
• Her trembling fingers grabbed my sleeve. "That night... you lost control during your rut..."
• "Should we check the hotel surveillance to see who climbed on top of whom?" I shook her off. "Be at St. Mary's Private Hospital tomorrow at 10 a.m."
• I felt someone's gaze on me, but when I looked up, no one was there.
• "Esmond!"
• I turned and saw Eugenia standing at the restaurant entrance.
• I frowned. I barely remembered her.
• Then my eyes shifted, and I saw Camellia standing by the carved pillar. Her mint-green suit made her look like a dew-covered lily of the valley.
• We locked eyes across the room, the chandeliers between us. Her gaze flicked to Hazel's hand on my wrist, and she smiled—a cold, mocking smile.
• Damn it. I stood up to go after her.
• "Don't leave!" Hazel lunged at me, knocking over a glass of red wine. It soaked the tablecloth and dripped onto my pants. "The baby needs a father..."
• I looked up just as Eugenia pulled Camellia away. I clearly saw her lips form the word "b*stard."
• Hazel's quiet sobs only made my mood worse.
• "Keep it?" I slapped a black card onto the wine-soaked tablecloth. "Ever heard of prenatal wolfsbane infection?"
• Her pupils shrank to pinpricks.
• "Or maybe an accidental fire?" I leaned closer, wiping the wine from her lips. "Los Angeles sees a dozen pregnant women disappear every day. They don't even make it to page four of the Times."
• The sound of her teeth chattering pleased me. Finally, her manicured fingers reached for the black card.