After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174

Elle’s POV

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But there are a lot of things about your past that don’t add up,” He reached

for my hand. “but I think we owe it to ourselves to find out the truth.”

I stared at him, my mind racing. Part of me wanted to dismiss his theory as ridiculous, but I couldn’t shake

the memory of standing in front of that painting, seeing my own face staring back at me. Or the way Stella

and Martin had welcomed me with open arms, like they’d been waiting for me their entire lives.

“I need to call my mom,” I said suddenly.

Brad raised an eyebrow. “Susan?”

“Yeah.” I reached for my phone on the nightstand. “If anyone knows the real story about how I ended up

with them, it would be her.”

I dialed Susan’s number with shaking fingers, my heart bounding as it rang.

“Elle, honey? Is everything okay?” Susan’s voice came through the speaker, warm but tinged with concern.

“Mom, I need you to go somewhere private where we can talk,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I

have some questions about… about my background.”

There was a pause, and I could hear rustling on the other end. “Okay, sweetheart. I’m in the bedroom now.

What’s this about?”

“It’s about where I came from,” I said, the words feeling strange on my tongue. “Mom, something happened

while I was in Moonvale, I saw some things, met some people, and… I need to know the truth about how

you found me.”

Another pause, longer this time. “What kind of things did you see?”

“I saw a painting, Mom. A painting of a woman who looked exactly like me. And I met people who seemed

to think I belonged to their family-the Blair family. They have this daughter, Dakota, who looks so much

like me we could be twins. And their ancestor, Iris Blair. I took a shaky breath. “Mom, it was like looking

in a mirror.”

“Oh my god,” Susan whispered, and I could hear the shock in her voice. “How is that possible?”

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“That’s what I need you to tell me,” I said firmly. “Mom need to know exactly what happened the day you

found me. Every detail you can remember.”

“Elle, sweetheart, it was so long ago-”

“Please,” I interrupted. “This is important. More important than you know.”

I heard her sigh heavily. “I remember you were so tiny, barely a few hours old. Your umbilical cord hadn’t

been cut properly, and you were wrapped in this beautiful little blanket-silk, I think, with intricate

embroidery. Too expensive for anyone in our area to afford.”

“Where exactly did you find me?”

“In the woods behind the Millers’ property. You were just lying there in a clearing, crying. No one around

for miles.”

“And you never wondered how I got there?”

“Of course I wondered,” Susan said defensively. “But what was I supposed to do? Take you to the police and

let you disappear into the system? You needed help, and I could provide it.”

Something about her tone didn’t sit right with me. “Mom, you’ve always told me you remember the exact

time I was born. Down to the minute. But if you found me in the woods, how would you know that?”

The silence on the other end stretched so long I wondered if the call had dropped.

“Mom?”

“I… I remember when I found you,” she said finally, her voice much quieter than before. “It was just after

dawn.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you’ve always been so specific about my birth time,” I pressed. “You’ve told

me stories about timing contractions, about watching the clock-”

“Elle, maybe we shouldn’t-”

“Mom.” My voice was firm now, leaving no room for evasion. “I remember what you’ve told me over the years. If I was just a foundling in the woods, why would you have such detailed memories about my birth?”

Brad reached over and caught my hand, mouthing “easy at me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“I’m not trying to upset you,” I continued more gently. But Mom, I need to know the truth. Are you sure

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Chapter 174

there isn’t anything else you remember about that day? Anything that might explain how I ended up

there?”

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The silence dragged on, and I could almost hear Susan’s internal struggle through the phone.

“There’s nothing more to tell,” she said finally, but her voice was strained. “You were a blessing that came.

into our lives when we needed you most, and that’s all that matters.”

“Mom-”

“I need to go,” Susan said quickly. “Your father’s calling for me.”

And then the line went dead.

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2

I stared at my phone, my heart pounding. “She’s lying.”

“1

“I know,” Brad said quietly. “Her whole story changed between the beginning and end of that conversation.”

“She’s been lying to me my whole life,” I whispered, the realization hitting me like a punch to the gut. “All

those detailed stories about my birth, about timing contractions and watching the clock-you can’t have

those memories about finding a baby in the woods.”

Brad pulled me closer, his arms tightening around me. Hey, look at me.”

I met his eyes, and the steadiness there helped anchor me.

“Whatever the truth is,” he said firmly, “whatever we find out about your past-none of it changes who you

are. None of it changes how I feel about you.”

“But what if—”

“No.” His voice was absolute. “Elle West, you are my mate. My chosen one. I don’t care if you’re a Blair, or a

Smith, or if you dropped out of the fucking sky. You are mine, and I am yours, and that’s all that matters.”

The certainty in his voice, the unwavering love in his eyes-it was exactly what I needed to hear. I felt

some of the panic in my chest start to ease.

“I just… all these coincidences, all these connections I ever knew existed,” I said softly. “What if I really am related to them? What if Susan has been keeping this secret my entire life?”

“Then we’ll deal with it,” Brad said simply. “Together.”

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After One Night with the Alpha