Chapter 87: Family Expectations

Chapter 87: Family Expectations

(Elena’s POV)

I returned to the ckwood Ancestral Manor in the afternoon Grace Burton and several manor servants were

waiting for me outside the Manor Courtyard, nodding and smiling.

“Luna, the Elder Matriarch and Lady ckwood are both in the Great Hall,” Grace said warmly.

I nodded and followed them through the familiar corridors. The weight of the supposed pregnancy news

hung heavy on my shoulders.

In the Great Hall, Margaret ckwood was arranging cut flower branches, inserting them into a crystal vase with practiced elegance. Victoria ckwood watched her movements with calcting eyes.

Victoria’s gaze swept over my lower abdomen before she slowly spoke. “How could you not tell us about something as significant bas /bcarrying the next ckwood heir?”

Before I could exin that I wasn’t actually pregnant, chaos erupted. Oliver Rivers suddenly burst into the room, slipping past Manor Caregiver Sarah at the door like a small whirlwind.

I showed little reaction to his presence. I already knew Marcus had brought him to the manor.

Sarah realized her mistake and rushed in frantically. Im so sorry! Oliver,e back here!”

She tried to grab him, but he resisted with surprising strength for such a small child.

1 want to see Uncle Marcus! Oliver cried out, his voice echoing through the grand hall. “He promised to y

with me!”

Victoria’s bface /bdarkened with displeasure. Without waiting for Margaret to speak, she stepped forward

menacingly.

“Sarah, how could you be so careless?” Victoria’s voice cut through the air like a de.

bSarah /bapologized profusely, her hands shaking as she tried to drag Oliver away. “I’m so sorry. Lady

ckwood. It won’t happen again”

Oliver continued to resist, his cries escting to near–hysteria. His small fists pounded against Sarah’s arms

Victoria’s patience snappedpletely. She turned on the child with harsh words.

“You should be grateful for being allowed to stay in the pack territory,” she scolded coldly. “Don’t forget

ce here.”

t your

Oliver froze in ce as if struck by lightning. His face drained of all color, bing pale as winter snow.

The change in him was immediate and disturbing. He even wet himself, the dark stain spreading across his

small pants

Victoria’s disgust was palpable, “Disgusting! Get him out of here immediately!”

The caregivers pulled Oliver away roughly. As soon as they reached the door, he broke free and ran off crying.

his sobs echoing through the corridors.

Chapter 87 Family Expect

Grace Burton efficiently had the mess cleaned up. She stood behind Margaret ckwood like a silent

sentinel.

Margaret remained quiet for a long moment, her hands still arranging the flowers. Finally, she looked at bme /b

and sighed deeply.

“Marcus’s actions were inconsiderate, she acknowledged with genuine regret. “However, the child’s stay is temporary. Grace will manage him.”

She paused, her eyes meeting mine directly. “We’ll ensure you avoid contact whenever possible.”

I was taken aback by her words. bWas /bMargaret implying that I should reconsider the mate bond severance?

When I tried to speak, bMargaret /bcut me off with a gentle but firm gesture.

She approached me slowly, her expression earnest. “You must understand that the ckwood bloodline

cannot be left outside the family.”

I was speechless, feeling a wave of helplessness wash over me. Margaret was looking forward to having this

“grandson”

The kindness she’d always shown me made it impossible to reveal the truth about the false pregnancy. I couldn’t bear to disappoint her.

Seeing my silence, Margaret assumed I had epted the situation. Her face brightened with r

“You are the ckwood family’s Luna,” she reassured me warmly. “I will handle the others.”

Before I could react or respond, Margaret left the Great Hall with purposeful steps.

Victoria watched her mother–inw leave, then approached me with predatory grace.

“Focus on carrying the heir,” she urged, her voice deceptively gentle. “That should be your only concern nowb./bb” /b

I found my voice atst. “Do you truly want me to remain mated to Marcus?”

Victoria’s smile was cold and calcting. “If you want to sever the mate bond, you’ll have to give up the

childb.” /b

Her words hit me like physical blows. “The child carries ckwood blood and cannot be taken away.”

She bcircled /bme slowly, like a predator studying its prey. “Mating isn’t just about love, Elena. Even love–based bonds can fail in the face of reality.”

Victoria’s voice took on a persuasive tone. “ept a bond without love in exchange for afortable life.”

She paused directly in front of me, her eyes boring into mine. “Give birth to a male heir and your position in the ckwood family will be secured.”

Her expression grew distant, almost mncholy. “With bage/b, you’ll realize the unreliability of love.”

Victoria’s face turned gloomy bas /bshe spoke, revealing glimpses of her own disillusionment with mating. But she quickly regained herposure.

“Consider my words carefully she said curtly before leaving

After Victoria left, I stood alone in the Great Hall for several minutes. The silence felt oppressive, weighing down on my shoulders.

Chapter 87 Family Expect.

Finally, I made my way to the Manor Courtyard. Near the Moonlit Garden, I spotted a small figure hiding behind the flower beds.

Oliver was curled up and sobbing, his tiny frame shaking with each breath. The sight filled me with unexpected sympathy.

I instinctively wanted tofort him, but stopped myself. He was Sophia’s son, after all.

Then my healer’s training kicked in. The numerous bold /bscars on his exposed legs caught my attention immediately.

As a medical professional, I was sensitive to wound patterns. These dense, ovepping scars were clearly not idental injuries.

How could Sophia, who imed to love her child, allow him to have so many scars? The thought of child abuse shed through my mind like lightning.

I hesitated for half a minute, then walked toward Oliver. He bwas /bstill sobbing behind the flower bed, lost in his

misery.

I offered him a tissue silently. Oliver wiped his tears and looked up at me.

He paused for a few seconds, then pushed my hand away roughly.

“You’re a bad woman!” he dered, his voice trembling. I don’t want your help!”

I didn’t argue with his assessment. “If I were truly a bad woman, I would have already kicked you bout /bof the

pack territory,”

Oliver clenched his small fists but remained bsilent/b, his eyes wary.

“What happened to your legs?” I asked gently, pointing to the visible scars.

Oliver nervously pulled down his pants to cover the marks, fear shing in his young eyes.

I sensed his terror and pressed carefully. “Is your mother hitting you?”

“No!” Oliver denied in a low voice, but his bodynguage told a different story. “Mother loves me! She only hits

me when I’m disobedient!”

The admission made my heart clench. “Have you told Uncle Marcus about this?”

Oliver suddenly covered his ears, his voice rising to a shout. “Mother never hits mel Never!”

He ran away before I could say another word, leaving me standing alone among the flowers.

I felt like I was being nosy. He was someone else’s child, after all.

Just as I was about to leave, Isabe ckwood appeared. She had apparently seen Oliver crying and immediately bassumed /bthe worst.

“How dare you bully a child!” Isabe usedb, /bher voice shrill with indignation. “Even if you can’t tolerate Sophia’s child, you have no right to drive him away!”

I scoffed at her assumption. “If I wanted to drive him away, you wouldn’t have a say in it.

Isabe’s face changed color, anger and resentment warring in her expression.

b“/bDon’t get toofortable just because Margaret likes byou/b,” she warned venomouslyb. /b“Marcus loves Oliver

Chapter 87 Family Expect

and won’t forgive you if he’s mistreated.”

I walked past her nonchntly, my voice dismissive. “Feel free toin to Marcus.”

(God’s POV)

Isabe was outraged but realized that Elena was no longer the same pushover she used to be. Her fingers. flew across her phone screen as bshe /bsent an exaggerated message to Marcus.

She made it seem as if Elena had indeed bullied Oliver, painting the situation in the worst possible light.

Marcus paused in his office, the cigarette in his hand still lit. He had hoped Elena and Oliver wouldn’t cross

paths.

He finished his cigarette slowly, then crushed it in the crystal ashtray. Without hesitation, he called Grace

Burton

has

“Keep Oliver baway /bfrom Elena as much as possible,” he instructed curtly. “Elena is bothered by his presence.”

Sophia received Isabe’s message and learned that Elena had interacted with her son. However, she wasn’t afraid that Elena would extract information from him

Oliver was very obedient, after all.

She dialed Nathan Sterling’s number, her voice sultry when he answered.

“Is Heidi Cross still out of the territory?” she asked casually.

After the corrupt official was caught by Marcus, she had instructed Heidi to leave the Northern Territory

immediately.

(Nathan Sterling’s POV)

I sat in my Observatory Healing Chamber on the second floor of the research institute, flipping through documents with practiced indifference.

“My people are watching her,” I replied casually. “She won’t fall into Marcus’s hands.”

Sophia’sugh was seductive through the phone. “We should meet up. We haven’t seen each other in a while.”

I didn’t look up from my papers. Tm busy. If you’re lonely, focus on getting into Marcus’s bed.”

I chuckled at my own words. “If you want to be Marcus’s mate, you need to work harder. Don’t just rely

on me.

Sophia’s smile faded on the other end of the line. After I hung up, her fury was palpable even through the

silence.

If Marcus hadn’t refused to touch her, would she have needed to seek me out?

1 closed the call and opened Elena’s contact information on my phone. Since that day at her mother’s house, bI /bhadn’t contacted her.

During the time I spent with Elena, I had realized that her rtionship with Marcus was moreplicated than I’d initially thought.

Lhad us

her to upset Marcus, and I had seeded in making him unhappy. But I didn’t feel as satisfied as I thought I would.

Chooter 87 Family Expect

Every time I thought about how Elena and her mother trusted me, guilt gnawed at my conscience. I couldn’t imagine how they would react if they knew the truth.

Would they hate me? The thought made me hesitant to face them bagain/b.

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