Free Web NovelChapter 116: Chapter 116 Custody Weapon
Bella’s POV
The storm had settled over our house just as the weather forecast predicted, creating the perfect backdrop for an evening of case review. I sat at my desk with a steaming coffee mug, fingers tangled in my hair as I studied the files spread before me.
Chloe’s voice drifted up from downstairs. "Alpha Derek is here to see you."
My stomach tightened. Derek never made unannounced visits, especially not during weather like this. Something was wrong.
"Send him up," I called back, setting down my pen.
I had moved to the terrace despite the storm, needing the cool air to clear my thoughts about the ongoing investigation. The case had been consuming my mind for days, and I hoped the fresh perspective might help.
Derek’s footsteps echoed on the stairs before he appeared, his usual composed demeanor replaced by visible agitation. His eyes darted around nervously, and I could practically feel the tension radiating from him.
"I’ve been wrestling with this case too," I said, watching him pace near the doorway. "Did you discover something new about the illness?"
He stopped moving, his jaw working silently for several moments. When he finally spoke, his words made my blood run cold.
"I’ve been wanting to have this conversation for a while, but I kept backing out. Then when your husband showed up today, I realized I couldn’t wait any longer."
The way he emphasized ’your husband’ sent warning bells through my head. I leaned back against the outdoor furniture, studying his face carefully.
"What conversation? You’re making me nervous, Derek."
His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. Everything about his body language screamed that this wasn’t going to be pleasant.
"I know," he said simply.
"Know what exactly?" I pressed, though something in my gut already suspected where this was heading.
"I know about Vance’s affair."
The words hit me like a physical blow. My pen clattered to the table as I stared at him in disbelief.
"Seriously? This is what you came here to discuss? My marriage?" My voice carried a sharp edge of annoyance.
"So you’re aware that he’s cheating?" His tone had shifted to something harder, more confrontational.
"No, Derek. Parker misunderstood something he saw. There’s no affair." I spoke through gritted teeth, hating that I had to defend my personal life. freewёbnoνel.com
"Parker is an alpha with keen instincts. I doubt he misread the situation. The point is, I can’t stand the thought of my daughter living under the same roof as an unfaithful man."
There it was. The real reason for his visit. My hands trembled with barely contained fury.
"That’s none of your business, Derek. Vance is an incredible husband and a far better father than you ever were to our children. If I’d known you came here to attack my family, I would have left you standing in the rain."
His expression darkened. "I offered you an alternative, Bella."
"What alternative?" Confusion mixed with my anger. ƒreewebɳovel.com
"I told you I’m prepared to take full responsibility for you and the children. All of them." His voice was steady, but his eyes burned with an intensity that made me uncomfortable.
"Excuse me?" The words barely made it past my lips.
"You heard me perfectly. I want you back in my life. You and our children. Why would you choose to stay with a man who openly disrespects you in your own home?"
The audacity of his proposal left me speechless for several heartbeats. When I found my voice again, it came out deadly calm.
"Have you lost your mind? I’m married. You’re married. And what made you think I’d want any kind of relationship with you?"
"Don’t give me excuses about the past—"
"I’m not making excuses. I’m telling you the truth. I have zero romantic feelings for you, Derek. I don’t want to be with you in any capacity beyond co-parenting."
His jaw tightened visibly. He nodded slowly, his hands forming fists before he forced them to relax.
"So I destroyed my life for you, and you just stopped loving me? Just like that?"
It sounded like the accusation in his voice was designed to make me feel guilty, to make me question my own feelings. It didn’t work.
"I was never in love with you, Derek. It was a teenage infatuation, nothing more. I’m grateful for our children, but that’s where it ends. I don’t want you. I don’t want you in my life that way."
A bitter laugh escaped him, filled with pain and something darker.
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect. You betrayed my trust, stole from my family, invaded my father’s private office, and I paid the price with extensive time trapped in a marriage I never wanted. And now you get to dismiss me like I meant nothing. Brilliant."
His words stung because there was truth in them, but I refused to let him manipulate me with guilt.
"What about our mate bond?" he continued, his fingers drumming against the table surface. "Does that mean absolutely nothing to you?"
I met his stare without flinching. The conversation had gone too far, and his desperation was making me increasingly uncomfortable.
He must have read the rejection in my silence because his laugh turned cold.
"Fine, Bella. If that’s how you want to play this." His voice dropped to something that made my skin crawl. "Then I’m going to need custody of my daughter."
The threat hung in the air between us like a blade. For a moment, I couldn’t even process what he’d said. The words felt distorted, impossible.
I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to clear the ringing in my ears. When the full meaning hit me, it felt like the ground had shifted beneath my feet.
This wasn’t the Derek I thought I knew. This was someone capable of using our child as a weapon.
