Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Truth Finally Revealed

Bella’s POV

Hugo prowled through the garden like a caged predator, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. Parker couldn’t stop shaking his head, dragging his palms down his face in obvious distress. Derek remained planted in his chair directly across from me, his intense stare burning holes through my composure while his jaw worked tensely.

I settled deeper into my seat, crossing my arms over my chest and throwing one leg casually over the other. Let them squirm. After years of running and hiding, I held all the cards now.

"Just ask whatever’s eating at you," I said, slicing through the suffocating silence. This conversation was overdue. The truth had finally clawed its way to the surface.

"Is it real?" Parker’s pacing stopped abruptly as he turned to face me, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That you’re only Tara’s father?" I filled in the words he seemed too terrified to speak.

"How is that even possible?" Parker’s question hung in the air as my gaze shifted to Hugo, who had abandoned his restless pacing to storm toward me with predatory intent. Classic Hugo behavior.

"How dare you lie to me? How could you let me believe he was Zack’s father when that’s my son?" Hugo’s voice thundered across the space. Unlike his more civilized friends, he’d never learned the art of restraint or diplomacy.

Time to teach him some manners. I wasn’t one of his pack members who’d cower under his explosive temper.

"Did you forget our agreement? We talk only when you show respect. All of you." My voice remained steady, my posture unwavering.

"You think you can order us around?" Hugo snarled, circling my chair like a wolf sizing up its prey.

"Hugo, sit down now. We need answers, not your theatrical outbursts," Derek’s sharp command cut through the tension, making Hugo’s spine go rigid.

The rapid rise and fall of Hugo’s chest revealed his internal struggle to process everything. I studied his face, trying to decode the source of his fury. Hugo had always been an unsolvable puzzle. His anger could stem from genuine pain or be a smokescreen hiding his real feelings.

After receiving murderous glares from both friends, Hugo reluctantly dropped into his chair. The three men barely fit in the small seating area, but now they formed a united front, waiting for me to break my silence.

"I came to you that night ready to share the truth about my pregnancy. But after hearing your reactions, I changed my mind completely. And don’t you dare claim you were too young or unprepared. I was eighteen. Younger than any of you. Terrified out of my mind. When I realized none of you would protect me or my baby, I made my choice. I watched you celebrate when I lied about getting my period." My jaw clenched as I forced a bitter smile.

The familiar anxiety crept up my spine as memories of that devastating night resurfaced.

"Look, we already admitted we were immature and reacted poorly," Parker responded coolly, his friends nodding in agreement. Such a convenient excuse.

"Really? How old are your other children? The ones you had with your alpha wife?" I asked, my smile turning genuinely amused.

Catching him in his lie sent a rush of satisfaction through me. The way his eyes dropped and shame painted his features confirmed he had no defense.

"Forget about him. I wasn’t ready back then, and I feared my father’s reaction if he found out about you," Derek leaned forward, desperately trying to redirect the conversation.

"That’s not what you said. None of you wanted that baby. Stop rewriting history and let’s deal with facts. Yes, I carried each of your children. Tara belongs to you, Parker. Zack is Hugo’s son."

I paused, watching Derek’s eyes widen as tears began forming, turning them bloodshot.

"And Leah is your daughter." The moment those words left my mouth, Derek buried his face in his hands and broke down completely. His raw sobs were the last reaction I’d expected from him.

He lifted his tear-stained face and shot to his feet.

"I had a daughter this whole time. A child. But you stole my chance to be her father."

His grief quickly twisted into something uglier as he began pointing accusatory fingers at me.

"She did the same thing to me," Hugo chimed in, his fists clenching dangerously.

"And me. I had no idea. She lied to me. Then when I discovered the truth, she lied again, claiming all the babies were mine just to manipulate my guilt," Parker added.

I uncrossed my legs and leaned forward, studying their faces in disbelief. Were they actually spouting this garbage with straight faces?

They appeared deadly serious. Their fury was so intense I had to lean back, creating distance between us.

"You seriously believe I robbed you of your children?" I asked, pressing my hand to my chest in mock surprise.

Derek’s animalistic growl as he kicked his chair away gave me my answer. They were actually holding me responsible for their absence from their children’s lives. Something inside me snapped.

"You want the truth? Here it is," I hissed. "You three were pathetic cowards. You wanted to use my body, then throw me away like garbage. You destroyed my friendships, my entire life."

My voice cracked as the words poured out.

"I went home that night and discovered the council planned to execute my baby. My own parents were ready to kill their grandchildren. So I ran as far as I could from all of you. From people who never cared about me and would never have cared about my children."

I screamed the last words, watching their jaws drop in stunned silence.