98: The Sterling Family Legacy
Chapter 98: The Sterling Family Legacy
(Elena Blackwood’s POV)
I was silent for a moment, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on my shoulders. The thought of another confrontation made my chest tighten, but I couldn’t avoid Nathan forever.
“Lead the way.” I said finally, resignation hanging in the air like a heavy fog.
Server Jake nodded respectfully and gestured toward the staircase. I followed him through the bustling restaurant, past tables filled with pack members enjoying their meals, oblivious to the drama unfolding
around them.
Server Michael met us at the base of the stairs and led me to the second floor. The dining area here was quieter, more intimate, with large windows overlooking the street below.
Nathan Sterling sat by one of those windows, his amber eyes fixed on me the moment I appeared. His usually perfect appearance seemed slightly disheveled, as if he hadn’t slept well.
After Server Michael left us alone, Nathan gestured to the chair across from him with a smile that didn’t quite
reach his eyes.
“Please, sit. You should try the restaurant’s moonlight silver tea. It’s their specialty.”
I remained standing, keeping a careful distance between us. I won’t be drinking anything, thank you.”
Nathan’s smile faltered slightly, but he nodded in understanding. “I know you’re upset with me.a. And your
have every right to be.”
His voice carried genuine remorse, but I had learned not to trust appearances anymore. Too many people had worn masks of sincerity while plotting against me..
“I want to apologize,” he continued, his hands clasped tightly on the table. “For my actions, for the pain! caused you and your mother. I know words can’t undo what’s been done, but-”
“It’s all in the past, I interrupted, my voice calm despite the turmoil inside me. The words felt hollow, because forgiveness was something I couldn’t offer. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
Nathan studied my face, searching for something I wasn’t willing to give him. After a long moment, he leaned
back in his chair.
“Let me tell you a story,” he said quietly. “About two close friends, A and B, who were like brothers despite coming from different worlds.”
I remained silent, curious despite myself about where this was leading.
“A came from a wealthy, powerful pack,” Nathan continued, his gaze distant. “B came from a modest family, but A treated him as an equal. They shared everything–their dreams, their fears, their hopes for the future.”
His voice grew softer, tinged with old pain. “B had a sister, a beautiful young woman who fell deeply in love with A. And A, despite the social differences between their families, reciprocated her feelings completely.”
Nathan paused, his fingers tracing patterns on the table’s surface. “A promised to mate with her. He swore
Chapter 98 The Sterlag E
that their love was stronger than any social barriers. For five years, they were inseparable. She believed in him completely.”
The story felt familiar somehow, though I couldn’t place why. I found myself leaning forward slightly, drawn in despite my reservations.
“After five years together, the sister became pregnant,” Nathan’s voice hardened. “A told her he would return to the Northern Territory to arrange their mating ceremony. She waited, trusting in his promise.”
His amber eyes met mine, and I saw decades of accumulated bitterness there. “But A never returned. He simply disappeared, abandoning both his promise and the woman carrying his child.”
My breath caught. The pain in Nathan’s voice was too raw, too personal to be just a story.
“B couldn’t believe his friend would betray them so completely,” Nathan continued. “He took his pregnant sister to the Northern Territory to find A, to demand an explanation.”
Nathan’s hands clenched into fists. “They were turned away at the gates. A’s father insulted them, called them fortune hunters trying to trap his son with a bastard child.”
The cruelty of it made my stomach turn. I could imagine the humiliation, the desperate hope turning to crushing despair.
“B tried everything to contact A, Nathan’s voice grew bitter. “He wanted to understand, to hear A’s reasons directly. But A refused to see them.”
Nathan stared out the window, his jaw tight with old anger. “B and his sister struggled to survive in the Northern Territory. They had nothing, no one to turn to. The sister gave birth in poverty, raising the child in circumstances no Blackwood heir should have endured.”
My heart stopped. “Blackwood?”
erritory.
Nathan’s smile was sharp and humorless. “Then A held a grand mating ceremony in the North The most lavish celebration the territory had seen in decades. His mate? The daughter of a powerful businessman from the Southern Territory”
The pieces clicked into place with horrifying clarity. This wasn’t just a story – this was Nathan’s family history.
“The sister became ill when she learned of A’s mating.” Nathan continued relentlessly. “The betrayal, the poverty, the shame – It all consumed her. B confronted A one final time.”
Nathan’s voice dropped to a whisper. “A looked at his former friend with cold indifference and said, ‘I need. mate who can support my pack, not one who needs our support. Just like that, he dismissed five years of love as if it meant nothing.”
The casual cruelty of those words made me flinch. I could see the scene playing out – a desperate man pleading for his sister’s honor, only to be dismissed like a beggar.
“That’s when B finally understood, Nathan said, his voice hollow. “The friendship had always been an illusion. A had never seen them as equals. To him, they were just amusing diversions from his real life.”
Nathan’s hands trembled slightly as he reached for his water glass. “A valued interests over friendship, power over love. B and A severed all ties that day.”
He took a sip, composing himself before continuing. “B and his sister were fortunate to meet a benefactor who helped them establish themselves in the Northern Territory. Despite B’s eventual success, A never
Chante 90. The Sterling T
acknowledged the child. Never even inquired about her welfare.”
Nathan let out a self–deprecating laugh that held no humor. “A died young, perhaps as a form of retribution. But the damage was already done.”
I sat in stunned silence, processing everything he’d told me. The implications were stag
staggering.
After a long moment, I found my voice. “This story… A represents someone from the Blackwood family, doesn’t he?”
Nathan nodded slowly. “A was Elder Augustus Blackwood, Marcus’s grandfather.”
My world tilted. “And B?”
“My great–uncle Benjamin Sterling.” Nathan confirmed. The sister was my great–grandmother Eleanor Sterling. My mother Lillian Sterling was the Blackwood family’s flesh and blood.”
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Nathan’s mother could have been the Blackwood family’s eldest
daughter if she had been acknowledged. Instead, she grew up as an outcast, bearing the shame of her
father’s abandonment.
you telling me all of this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Why are you
Nathan’s expression grew pained. “Because I need you to understand why I did what I did. And because I can’t
live with the deception anymore
He leaned forward, his amber eyes intense. “I initially intended to use you, Elena. I won’t lie about that. I saw an opportunity to hurt the Blackwood family through Marcus’s mate, and I took it.”
The admission stung, even though I had suspected as much. “But?”
“But I came to regret it.” Nathan said quietly. “You and your mother showed me kindness I didn Patricia treated me like a son, and you you trusted me despite having every reason not to.”
His voice cracked slightly. “I don’t want to deceive you and your mother any longer. I can’t bear the weight of
it.”
I pulled my hand away from where it had been resting on the table, suddenly aware of how close we’d been sitting. “You still deceived us, Nathan. The damage is already done.”
Nathan fell silent, unable to argue with the truth of my words. The pain in his eyes was genuine, but it didn’t
erase what he’d done.
I stood up slowly, feeling older than my years. “Thank you for your past assistance, despite the underlying manipulation. And I apologize – I won’t trouble you again.”
I turned to leave, but Nathan’s voice stopped me at the edge of the dining area.
“Elena!” he called out, his chair scraping against the floor as he stood.
I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t bear to see the regret in his eyes, knowing it changed nothing
I heard his footsteps following me into the Restaurant Corridor, but then his phone rang. The sound echoed
off the walls, sharp and insistent
“Damn it, Nathan muttered, clearly torn between answering and pursuing me.
The phone continued ringing, and I heard him reluctantly answer. “What is it?”
te ba. The Steding
I didn’t wait to hear more. The elevator doors opened just as I reached them, and I stepped inside without looking back
(Sophia Rivers‘ POV)
Nathan met me at the Crimson Moonrise Hotel Suite, his face dark with frustration. I had been waiting for over an hour, pacing the room like a caged animal
“Nathan!” I greeted him warmly, trying to mask my desperation. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come.”
He pushed past me without returning my smile, his amber eyes cold. “What do you want, Sophia?”
My heart sank at his tone, but I pressed on. “Margaret Blackwood suspended me from my job. The hospital wants to transfer me away from Marcus. When are you going to eliminate that old witch?”
Nathan’s expression darkened further. Before I could react, he grabbed my neck and pinned me against the wall. His fingers pressed against my throat, cutting off my air supply.
“You killed Elena’s mother,” he snarled, his face inches from mine. 1 specifically told you not to act without my permission.”
I struggled to breathe, clawing at his hands. “Nathan… please…
“You promised me you wouldn’t move against Elena’s family directly,” he continued, his grip tightening. “Yet Patricia Blackthorne is dead, and you were conveniently there when it happened.”
“I was threatened,” I gasped, my vision starting to blur. “Patricia discovered our alliance. She was going to expose everything.”
Nathan’s grip loosened slightly, allowing me to draw a shaky breath. His eyes searched my face, looking for deception.
“She overheard me talking to you on the phone,” I continued desperately. “She knew about o had no choice but to silence her”
@gement. I
Nathan frowned, his anger warring with pragmatism. I could see him calculating the risks, weighing the damage.
“We’re in this together,” I emphasized, my voice hoarse from his grip. “If I go down, you go down with me. No one else can know about our arrangement.”
Nathan’s expression turned cold and calculating. “Actually, Sophia, Marcus has been having me followed. He’s likely downstairs right now with his security team.”
My blood turned to ice. “What?”
“You’re the one at risk here, not me, Nathan said with cruel satisfaction. “I’m just a concerned friend visiting a sick colleague at her hotel.”
He pushed me away from the wall, and I stumbled backward. “Remember, you’re easily replaceable. Don’t forget that.”
Without another word, he opened the door and shoved me out into the Crimson Moonrise Hotel Corridor.
I stumbled into the hallway, my hair disheveled and my clothes wrinkled from our struggle. My neck still burned where his fingers had pressed.
Two of Marcus’s Elite Guards were standing near the elevator, their eyes immediately focusing on my
Charter
appearance. My heart hammered against my ribs as I tried to compose myself.
“Miss Rivers?” one of them said, stepping forward. “Are you alright?”
I forced a weak smile, smoothing down my hair. “I’m fine, thank you. I’ve been feeling unwell, so I decided to stay at the hotel for the night.”
The guards exchanged glances, clearly suspicious of my disheveled state. I moved to block their view of the hotel room door, praying Nathan would stay inside.
“How is Alpha Marcus?” I asked, trying to sound concerned rather than desperate. “I heard about his injury.
I’ve been so worried.”
“The Alpha is recovering well, the second guard replied curtly. “We should escort you back to the hospital if you’re feeling unwell‘
“No, no,” I said quickly. “I just need rest. The hotel room is quite comfortable.”
After what felt like an eternity, the guards nodded and moved toward the elevator. I nearly collapsed with
relief as they disappeared from view.
Nathan emerged from the room, straightening his jacket. He gave me a warning glance that made
run cold.
my
blood
“Remember what I said, he murmured as he passed me.
I leaned against the wall, my legs shaking. Everything was spiraling out of control, and I couldn’t understand
why. I had been so careful, so calculated in my moves.
Yet somehow, I was losing ground on every front
(Marcus Blackwood’s Po
My Elite Guards returned to the Alpha’s Recovery Chamber empty–handed, their faces grim v in bed, my wound still aching despite the pain medication.
allure. I sat
“We lost track of Sterling,” the first guard reported. “He disappeared into the Crimson Moonrise Hotel.”
I frowned, my fingers drumming against the bedside table. “Did you discover who he was meeting?”
“The hotel refused to provide surveillance footage, the second guard said. They claimed privacy policies
prevented them from cooperating.”
Amber Stone looked up from her tablet, her expression thoughtful. “The Crimson Moonrise Hotel was acquired by the Sterling Family two years ago. That explains their lack of cooperation.”
My jaw tightened. Nathan was being more careful than I’d given him credit for. Using his family’s property as a meeting place was clever.
“However,” the first guard continued, “we did encounter Sophia Rivers at the hotel. She appeared…
disheveled.”
My attention sharpened. “Sophia was there?”
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