Chapter 88: Chapter 88 Missing Pieces
Author
Yardley had just returned home around eleven after a late pack council meeting. He loosened his tie as he walked through the front door, exhaustion weighing on his shoulders.
His son’s latest antics weren’t something he took seriously.
The thought of Orion claiming to see his mother was ridiculous.
Seeing his mother? That was impossible.
After all, he’d been searching for that woman for years without success.
Every lead had gone cold, every private investigator had come up empty-handed.
Just as Yardley hung his coat up, he noticed a suspicious shadow moving in his study. His Alpha senses immediately went on alert.
He approached silently, his footsteps making no sound on the hardwood floor, catching his little boy rummaging through his suit jacket.
Being naturally strict and particularly severe with his son, Yardley’s voice came out cold. "Orion, what are you looking for?"
The boy jumped like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, quickly hiding something behind his back. "Nothing, Dad! Why aren’t you sleeping yet?"
"Hand it over," Yardley demanded, his expression stern, voice ice-cold.
Orion puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head hard. "I really don’t have anything!"
"Orion," the man stepped closer, "haven’t I taught you that young wolves should never lie?"
With one swift movement, he grabbed the wallet hidden in the child’s small hands and frowned. "Why did you take my wallet?"
The wallet contained nothing special - just some cash and cards. This puzzled Yardley even more. His son certainly didn’t need money.
Orion’s face turned red, his eyes welling with tears. "Then give me Mom’s photo from inside!"
"I’ve seen it before - that small picture! Dad, give it to me!"
Yardley’s eyes narrowed suddenly. His breathing got faster, and he had to steady himself before speaking. "Who told you that was your mother? That old photo... I threw it away long ago."
Orion became instantly upset. His little body shook with emotion. "How could you throw away Mom’s photo? Dad, that’s terrible!"
The boy sobbed between hiccups. Tears streamed down his chubby cheeks as he wiped them with the back of his sleeve. "That was the only photo of Mom, how could you throw it away? That was my mom, I know it! I even heard you talking to that photo!" His words came out in a rush, years of confusion and longing spilling out.
"Dad, I hate you!" His small voice cracked with pain. And with that, Orion ran back to his room.
Yardley felt a headache coming on and rubbed his temples. The silence in the house felt deafening after his son’s outburst.
"Orion, open the door!" He knocked gently, then more firmly. But the door was locked, the kid clearly refusing to talk. He could hear muffled sobs through the door, each one like a knife to his heart.
Tired and stressed, Yardley had no energy left to deal with this. He leaned his forehead against the door, feeling like the worst father in the world.
"Tomorrow Dad will come home early, and we’ll talk this through." His voice was softer now, filled with regret.
Inside his room, Orion was crying his heart out. He buried his face in his pillow, his small body shaking with each sob. He wiped his nose, determination flashing in his eyes.
Through his tears, a plan began to form. "Mean Daddy, I’ll find Mom myself!" He whispered fiercely, clutching his stuffed wolf toy tight.
--
The next day, Elara spotted Nancy eating alone in the company cafeteria and sat down across from her with her tray.
"How’s the cafeteria food? Does it measure up?" Elara asked with a smile.
"It’s actually pretty good, Elara," Nancy replied softly.
"Yesterday, was that your husband?" she inquired.
Elara nodded slightly. "Yes."
"And that little boy is your husband’s nephew?"
"That’s right."
Nancy wasn’t sure why she felt so drawn to the child, but she couldn’t forget those red, puffy eyes looking up at her.
"Is the little boy doing better now?"
Elara shook her head. "I’m not sure. He cried himself to sleep last night. He seemed okay when I left though."
Nancy felt somewhat relieved. "That’s good."
"By the way, do you have any kids of your own?" Elara asked casually.
Nancy shook her head. "No, not yet. We’re planning to start a family after the wedding though."
"You seem like you’d be great with children. The way you handled Orion yesterday was really natural."
Nancy smiled softly. "I’ve always loved kids. And I volunteer at the local children’s hospital sometimes."
"That’s sweet of you," Elara said.
After their chat, Elara was convinced that no matter how similar Nancy might look, she couldn’t possibly be Orion’s mother.
After all, what kind of mother wouldn’t remember her own child? Nancy’s reactions seemed completely genuine.
