All Chapters of Deceitful Twin:A sister's shadow : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Astrid’s POVThe sun was high when we finally crossed the outer ridge that bordered Ethan’s territory. I could see the watchtower first, then the long stretch of grey walls, familiar and cold. Everything about this place made my chest tighten, not because I feared it—but because I hated that my son was somewhere behind it.Liam walked beside me. His hand never left the hilt at his side. For once, we didn’t speak on the way here. There was nothing left to say. Not until I had River back.As we approached the main gates, two guards stepped forward. Both were tall, broad, wearing Ethan’s colors—deep forest green with a silver crest. One of them looked bored. The other sized us up quickly.“State your business,” the taller one said immediately, without mincing words..Liam took one step ahead of me. “We’re here to retrieve a child. His name is River.”“No one enters without prior approval,” the shorter guard said. “Turn around.”I stepped beside Liam, my voice calm but firm. “The child wa

Ethan’s POVI was halfway through reviewing the border patrol records when the knock came—three fast raps against my office door, followed by the abrupt push of it swinging open before I’d even given permission. My eyes didn’t move from the papers in front of me at first, because I already knew from the knock alone that whoever had entered wasn’t exactly patient.“Alpha,” the guard said, his voice clipped, breath uneven. “There’s… something you should know.”I looked up slowly, raising a brow. “You barged in without waiting for a response. So I assume this isn’t something that can wait?”He shifted uneasily. “Alpha Liam of Ryder Pack is at the front gates. With Astrid.”I sat up straighter in my chair. “Come again?”“They arrived moments ago. The front guards tried to stall them, but… they’re inside now. They came in through the main gates.”My brain paused. I stared at him for a second longer, trying to decide if I had heard him wrong or if the words had simply lost all meaning on th

Ethan's POVThe weight of the situation was suffocating, and the closer we got to the room, the more I felt like I was walking into something that would change everything. My mind was a mess, a tangled web of questions and doubts.I glanced at Astrid, walking behind me with Liam. Her posture was stiff, defensive almost, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. The anger was there, too. It was hard not to see it, even though she was trying to hide it. We reached the doors of the war room, and I paused for a moment, the weight of what was about to happen settling heavily on my chest. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what this was. I knew what this meeting was going to be. But damn it, it didn’t make it any easier. I pushed open the doors, letting the cool air of the room wash over me. It smelled like leather and old wood, like every other room in the pack house. But there was something else in the air now. Something thick, like tension just waiting to snap. I could feel the heat of it, cr

Astrid's POVHe didn’t look away when he asked. “Start from the beginning.”My throat tightened. I stared at my hands, twisted in my lap, the skin stretched white around my knuckles. I didn’t want to do this—not like this. Not with him watching me like that. His gaze didn’t waver. It was like he already knew I was about to lie and was just waiting to hear how far I’d take it. That pressure in my chest built fast, clawing up my throat. I could barely breathe. But I nodded anyway. What choice did I have?But I nodded anyway.“I got pregnant,” I said, barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know what to do. I panicked and I left.”My voice felt small in the room, but the silence that followed was even louder. Ethan didn’t say anything. No reaction. No questions. He just stared.It was worse than shouting. Worse than anger.He looked like he was trying to figure out what parts of my story to believe. Like he was giving me rope—either to explain or hang myself with.I shifted in my seat, suddenl

Astrid's POV The silence after Ethan left wasn’t comforting—it was loud and heavy. My fingers twitched in my lap, and the room suddenly felt too quiet to be safe. Liam sat across from me, arms folded, eyes watching the door like he expected it to swing open again."Are you okay?" He finally asked.I leaned in slightly. “Keep your voice down,” I said.He raised an eyebrow. “You think someone’s listening?”“I don’t know,” I muttered. “But it wouldn’t surprise me.”Liam gave the room a quick scan, then shifted forward in his seat. “You’re safe here.”“No one’s safe here,” I replied, my voice low.We sat in silence for a beat.“I can’t believe he asked about the mark,” I whispered.“He was going to eventually,” Liam said. “You had to know that.”“I did. I just didn’t think it’d be this soon.”He leaned back again. “You think he bought your answer?”I didn’t answer right away. Because I didn’t know. Ethan hadn’t said much. But the way he looked at me—like he was picking apart every word—m