Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 3

He paused for a moment, and seemed to realize that his behavior was too much, so he did not fight back.

He picked Sable up, cradling her protectively, his arms wrapped around her as if she were something precious. My wolf snarled at the blatant display of favoritism.

"I told you last night, Sable can’t stand other children calling me ‘Dad,’" Tobias continued, stroking Sable’s hair as she buried her smug face into his chest.

"She was just upset, not intentionally pushing Rhea."

I stepped forward, unyielding. "Didn’t you see it? Wasn’t she doing it on purpose?"

Tobias exhaled sharply. "Hailey, let it go."

"Let it go?" I hissed, my wolf snapping her jaws in my mind. "She just called Rhea a bastard. Are you going to confirm that to her, too?"

Tobias hesitated, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face, but instead of answering, he tightened his hold on Sable.

Valeria, ever the poised Luna-wannabe, smiled gracefully and feigned an apologetic look.

"Miss Selene, I sincerely apologize. Sable grew up abroad; she has a straightforward personality. She just speaks her mind. Please don’t take it to heart."

The little girl in her arms smirked, emboldened by her mother’s defense.

"I didn’t say anything wrong! The other kids say it too—Rhea’s a bastard! She stole my dad!"

My claws ached to break free.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palm, my wolf howling with frustration inside me.

Earlier, Tobias had said he had a ‘cleanliness obsession,’ and I tolerated it.

He spent years abroad, entangled with other women, making excuses. I turned a blind eye.

But now—now, he allowed someone to openly insult our daughter?

I stepped closer, my voice sharp and unyielding.

"Tobias, I’ll ask you one last time."

"Is Rhea really a bastard?"

Tobias’s jaw tightened. His wolf recoiled, but his pride wouldn’t let him acknowledge the truth. Instead, he sneered, the coldness in his gaze cutting through me.

"You know very well how she became my daughter, don’t you?"

The words stung like a silver blade to my chest.

I sucked in a sharp breath as my wolf whimpered, feeling the rejection seep through our bond.

"Enough," Tobias muttered, his patience worn thin. "Today is Sable’s day to visit. Don’t ruin it for everyone."

Valeria’s lips curled in satisfaction as Tobias turned his attention back to Sable.