Flashbacks

Charlotte's POV

The tension in the room grew heavier with every passing second, and I struggled to keep my anger under control. I knew that if they stayed any longer, I'd end up saying something I would regret.

In my mind, this had Michael's fingerprints all over it. I was convinced he and his mistress had orchestrated everything to get back at me, for what happened to her years ago.

"Corey, I'd appreciate it if you take this little kid and leave my sight right now," I gritted through clenched teeth, doing everything I could to keep my fury from exploding.

Without warning, Dwayne climbed down from his chair and walked straight toward me. His innocent blue eyes peered at mine, completely unaware of the storm raging inside me.

"Please, Aunt," he pleaded softly. "You have to help me find my mom. I really want to meet her so I can prove to everyone that I do have a mother. Here... this is for you."

He stretched out his hand, offering me a thick envelope.

"Don't you get it?" I snapped, losing control. "I said get out of here! I don't ever want to see any of you anywhere near me again!" My voice thundered through the whole room, causing the little boy to flinch.

The hopeful look on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by pure terror, as if a terrifying monster had just roared at him.

Terrified, he stumbled backward and threw himself into Corey's arms.

"Charlotte..." Corey called out, disappointment evident in his voice. "You didn't have to yell at him like that. He's just a little boy who's desperate for his mother's love. Look at him. You've frightened him."

Corey lifted Dwayne into his arms and rested him against his shoulder, gently rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him. I could vividly hear him sobbing silently, as he sniffed to restrain liquid from dropping out of his nose.

The sight of tears streaming down the boy's cheeks, strangely extinguished the burning rage within me.

Reality hit me all at once.

I just terrified an innocent child.

"I'm... I'm sorry," I whispered, guilt washing over me. "I didn't mean to yell at him."

Angry with myself for losing control, I couldn't bear to stay in the room another second.

Without another word, I hurried out of the office and made my way across the parking lot. The moment I reached my car, I climbed inside and sped out of the lot. Hot tears blurred my vision, but I kept driving until I finally reached my apartment.

At least there, I could be alone. The tires screeched as I slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to an abrupt stop.

By then, the tears were already spilling freely down my cheeks. I climbed out, slammed the door behind me, and stood there in silence, trying to steady my breathing.

"No... no... no, Michael. You can't take me for a fool. You can't just show up after all these years, when you know you betrayed me," I cried through trembling lips.

One hand covered my mouth to muffle my cries, while the other fumbled with my keys, desperately trying to unlock my apartment door.

The moment the lock clicked open, I pushed the door wide, rushed inside, and slammed it shut behind me. My bag slipped from my hand and crashed onto the floor.

Unable to hold myself together any longer, I collapsed to my knees and let out a heart wrenching scream, hoping it would somehow ease the unbearable pain crushing my heart.

But it didn't.

After crying for what felt like forever, I convinced myself that looking through my late daughter's photographs might bring me a little comfort.

Instead, it only made the pain worse.

As I picked up one of Annabelle's portraits and traced my fingers across her smiling face, fresh tears streamed down my cheeks.

For a moment, I had thought revisiting those precious memories would give me strength.

I was wrong.

The pain was so overwhelming that it felt as though a jagged shard of ice had been driven straight through my heart, making every breath more painful than the last.

And it was all because of Michaelson.

He was the reason these painful memories refused to let me go.

Annabelle was the precious little girl I conceived after my banishment from the pack. I didn't even realize I was pregnant until I arrived in the human world.

With nowhere to turn, I took whatever odd jobs I could find to make a living. Every day, I endured insults, humiliation, and exhaustion just to earn enough money to provide for myself and my unborn child.

Eventually, I was enrolled into a university, and that was where I met Melissa Johansson, one of the greatest friends I could have ever asked for. She stood by me through everything. She helped me in every way she could to ensure I didn't lack material needs.

After four years of study, I graduated and successfully secured a job in the newspaper company. When Annabelle was born, Melissa also assisted in paying the hospital bills, and bought many of the baby supplies I couldn't afford at the moment.

For a while, it felt as though our lives were finally getting better. Then, when Annabelle turned two years old, she became seriously ill. She was diagnosed with leukemia. I refused to give up on her. I rushed her to the hospital, paid every medical bill I could afford, and did everything within my power to save her.

But no matter how hard I fought to keep her alive, it just wasn't enough. Annabelle passed away shortly after she was admitted to the hospital.

The moment I heard the news of Annabelle's death, my entire world came crashing down. The one person who had given my life meaning was gone, leaving behind a void that could never be filled.

From that day onward, I stopped feeling emotions. Pain no longer frightened me, and neither did death. I deliberately took on the most dangerous investigative assignments, even knowing I had made countless enemies, who were constantly searching for an opportunity to silence me.

Then again, who could blame me for being so reckless? The little girl whose smile had once brightened my darkest days was gone, leaving nothing behind but memories that haunted me every waking moment. Until today, I had managed to bury those emotions deep inside me.

Then Michael showed up again.

Or rather, he sent his son.

I was certain he and that Omega bitch had done it on purpose, knowing it would reopen wounds I spent years trying to heal.

I hated him. I hated him for making me relive the worst day of my life. A series of persistent knocks on my door pulled me back to reality, and only then did I realize how long I had been lost in my thoughts.

"Who's there?" I questioned, wiping away my tears with the back of my hand.

"It's Corey Graves, the Alpha's Beta," he answered from the other side of the door.

"Look, I know you're upset right now, but I need you to open the door."

Corey?

He certainly hadn't wasted any time tracking down my apartment.

Before doing anything else, I hurriedly gathered Annabelle's belongings and tucked them into a storage box. The last thing I wanted was for Corey to discover anything about my daughter. Whatever he learned would eventually find its way back to Michael.

I leaned toward the peephole. A tall man wearing a dark coat and slim boots stood outside my apartment.

It was truly Corey.

I let out an irritated hiss.

"Just go away!" I shouted through the door. "I don't want to see or talk to any of you!"

I turned to walk away, but his voice stopped me.

"Charlotte, you have to open the door. I know you're not in the right frame of mind to talk right now, but I can't leave. I'm only following the Alpha's orders."

His persistence made me let out a long, frustrated sigh.

After standing there for several seconds, I reluctantly turned the doorknob. Corey stepped inside, quietly taking in the apartment before sitting down on the couch across from me.

For a long stretch of time, he simply stared at me.

Then he spoke.

"Do you remember when Michael used to take the younger wolves out for training?" he asked. "You always showed up carrying a basket full of food for them. You would play hide-and-seek, help them eat lunch, and carry the little ones around like they were your own children."

He fell silent, studying my face before letting out a quiet sigh.

"What happened, Charlotte?" he questioned softly. "When did you start looking at children with so much bitterness? Tell me... what changed?"

His question left me staring at him in disbelief.

The answer should have been obvious. Or maybe... He had been too blind to see it all these years.

Without saying a word, I reached for the glass of hot gin I’d been using to drown my sorrows. I took a long drink before forcing down the rest in one swallow.

"I thought you'd known all along," I seethed, my jaw clenching.

"But I guess I was wrong. You were too blind to realize that the reason my life became a living hell... is because of Michaelson Logan Argent." I glared at him, every word dripping with years of resentment.

"Your fucking Alpha.”