Pursuing My Rejected Alpha
Chapter 40

After delivering Lucien to Ronan's bedroom, Jake went back to his apartment and slumped at the entrance as soon as he got inside. Cassie, his mate, rushed out with their little daughter Willa in her arms.

"How is the Alpha doing?" She asked while pulling the Beta to his feet.

"I don't know," Jake answered truthfully. "I picked Lucien up and left him at Ronan's apartment. I hope he can coax him somehow." Cassie sighed.

Willa made baby noises and stretched her tiny arms at her father. Jake took her into his arms and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Good girl, Willa."

"It was so sudden," Cassie pulled at Jake's elbow and led him to sit in the living room. "I don't know what to make of it."

"Her nurse said that she passed away peacefully. That was not too bad, was it?" Jake pressed his chin against Willa's head.

"Her death might not be that bad, but the way they handled her body..."

"Cassie, say no more," Jake pleaded. "It was Mr. Dane Silverback's prerogative. It is none of our business."

Cassie clicked with her tongue and furrowed her brows.

"It is not," she agreed. "But it doesn't mean that I can't speak up my mind within the safety of our four walls."

Jake said nothing. He played with Willa's tiny fingers instead.

If he were to be brutally honest, he too could not understand Mr. Dane Silverback's way of thinking sometimes.

Upon being informed of his ex-mate's death, the elder man rushed to St. Clarence and ordered an immediate cremation.

By the time Ronan arrived at the mortuary, his mother's body was already set ablaze.

He did not even get to say goodbye.

Heartbroken and shattered into pieces, Ronan had to swallow his bitterness in public.

Jake still got chills in his spine whenever he remembered the way Ronan looked at his father's back when the latter left.

It was filled with utmost hatred. Ronan was never going to forgive his father for treating his mother's corpse this way.

It was undignified.

It was heartless.

The Alpha waited for hours until the ash cooled down and collected inside the urn. During the ride back home, he held the urn close to his heart. His gaze was empty and no word escaped his lips. That was the last time Jake saw him, because after that he locked himself inside his bedroom and rejected all attempts of communication.

The Beta took a deep breath.

Please, please, Lucien.

You are my only hope.

Please get Ronan out of the bedroom.

We still need our Alpha.

The afternoon went without news. The night arrived and there was still nothing. Jake went to sleep with a chaotic mind.

Sleeping for a whole night had its own benefit. He felt a lot better.

After breakfast, he went to spend some time with his wife and his baby daughter; cherishing family moments that were hard to come by.

Werewolf pups, particularly alpha pups, grew up faster than normal human being babies. Willa was able to crawl when she reached the age of three months.

These days, Cassie was busy training Willa to walk and talk.

Jake was told to sit still and encouraged Willa as she stumbled and fell on her way to her father's arms. Babies were so cute, Jake thought. He would love to have more. Once Willa was older, Cassie might be open to the discussion.

'Jake.'

Jake ripped his eyes open in shock. He was so surprised by the sudden call that he choked on his spit and coughed violently.

Cassie took Willa away in a hurry and stared at her husband. "Jake? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I mean... Wait."

'Yes, Alpha?'

'I need the car keys. I am coming down to your apartment now!'

...

Oh, Goddess.

Lucien, you are a miracle!

You are the savior of the whole pack!

Jake jumped to his feet and grabbed the car keys from a basket that hung at their door entrance.

By the time he reached his front door, Lucien was about to push the doorbell.

Jake gaped at the couple.

He smelled something different about them.

Their scents had changed. Ronan's sandalwood scent now carried an air of sweetness while Lucien's sweet orange scent was now laced with a distinct, exotic aroma. Jake's eyes unwittingly wandered to Ronan's neck, but it was covered perfectly under his clothing.

Ronan and Lucien had marked each other!

It happened last night.

There was no mistake about it, Jake was pretty sure.

Ronan regarded Jake with a cool expression.

"Keys," he said.

"Oh, here," the Beta hastily handed over Ronan's keys.

The Alpha took the car keys and put an arm around Lucien's waist.

"Thanks. I will be gone for a while."

Jake stared at Lucien, demanding some sort of explanation. Lucien, unfortunately, had nothing to say. He merely gave Jake a wistful smile. In his arms, he held the urn that contained the remains of Lady Adele Fangblade. "Um, Alpha, excuse me. Where are you planning to go?"

Ronan furrowed his brows in annoyance. He looked at Lucien, who gave him a subtle nod.

"It's fine, you can tell Jake."

"To the North Ridge Forest," Ronan said solemnly.

"Oh," Jake said in response.

He gaped at Ronan and Lucien as they departed.

Once he got back inside his apartment, he went to the kitchen to pour himself a drink.

"Why are you drinking vodka in the morning?" Cassie complained. "Was that Alpha Ronan?"

"Yeah," Jake said, emptying the glass in one gulp despite Cassie's objection.

"Is he out of his bedroom? That's wonderful! Fine, you can drink one glass."

"They marked each other," Jake blurted like an overflowing fountain.

Cassie's jaw fell open.

"They what?"

"I said, they became bonded mates."

Cassie stared.

"Your eyes were playing tricks on you," she decided.

"I also smelled it."

"So was your nose."

.....

Jake poured himself a second glass before he continued, "They are reporting their wedding plan today."

Cassie stared at Jake in disbelief. "What the hell? No way!"

"He told me that they are going to North Ridge Forest," Jake said with a gloomy face. "I am pretty sure that's why."

The two men stood solemnly at the edge of Eternal Sleep Lake that morning.

Above them, the gloomy clouds covered the vast expanse of sky. The greyish fluffs were reflected in the clear lake water, drifting in an unhurried pace from the edge of the lake to the center.

Ronan held the urn with both hands. His empty gaze drifted along the water surface, seeking solace in the resting place of all werewolves, generation after generation.

Lucien touched the small spot on Ronan's back.

"Ronan?"

The Alpha snapped back from his trance and cleared his throat.

"My Mom was an only daughter, the last person who carried the name of the Fangblade family. Her parents doted on her a lot. Although the family never belonged to any pack, she was raised properly as a high-born she-wolf, more than what most Alpha's daughters can say about their upbringings.

She is loyal and has never once strayed from the righteous path.

When her parents asked her to marry into the Silverback family, she agreed without a single word of complaint. Even though she knew the circumstances that surrounded her future husband.

She kept to herself, working hard to be a good Luna to Infinite Eclipse Pack and a better mother for her son."

Ronan's voice trembled when tears fell across his cheeks.

"Mom, I love you. I am going to miss you so much. Thank you for giving birth to me, raising me, and teaching me how to be a good Alpha.

Without you, there will not be me.

And I am sorry for not being there during your last moments."

Lucien rubbed Ronan's upper arm to soothe him.

"Lady Adele Fangblade was a remarkable person," he said. "I wish I had the chance to get to know her. I would love for her to get to know me, too." Ronan wiped at his eyes.

"She knows you."

Lucien widened his eyes in disbelief.

"Huh? How?"

Ronan sniffled.

"Well, she was my confidante. I told her everything about us. Starting from our meeting, our breakup, our reunion, up until now."

Lucien was a little speechless. "I wish I knew about her earlier."

Ronan chuckled.

"It was a little difficult to do that when we were busy preparing for war and other things. Besides, I always thought that we had more time."

Lucien nodded apprehensively.

The good times never lasted long enough, the bad times never ended soon enough. Time was but an independent constant. It flowed gently but also mercilessly, forcing all living beings to drift together into the sea of uncertainty. "Shall we?" He asked softly.

"Mmhm."

Ronan took off the lid of the urn and tilted it toward the lake.

A gust of wind blew almost immediately, taking with it the content of the urn and letting it spill into the lake.

"Goodbye, Lady Adele Fangblade," Lucien whispered.

"Bye, Mom," Ronan choked with sobs.

When they finished scattering the ash, snowflakes started to fall from the sky into the lake. At the same time, the sky cleared up and the sun shone brightly upon them.

Lucien shielded his eyes from the sun when he looked up at the sky.

"It is a good day to return to the Moon Goddess," he remarked.

"Mhm, it is," Ronan said, smiling sadly.

It was almost as if the sky opened up for Lady Adele Fangblade, accepting the most precious daughter back to her mother's arms.

Ronan leaned closer to Lucien and kissed his lips under the falling snow. Lucien's lips were icy cold. Not too different from his own. They had been standing outside for almost an hour after all.

When Lucien spoke about scattering Lady Adele Fangblade's ash into the Eternal Sleep Lake, Ronan was at first reluctant.

He had wanted to keep her ash with him.

But then Lucien convinced him that every werewolf must complete the cycle and return to the Moon Goddess. The werewolf society denied her the right, so Ronan as her son had to make it happen for her.

Now that it was done, Ronan felt as if the chains that tied his heart to the bottom of the sea ever since his mother passed away were broken.

His mother was free.

And so was he.

Ronan smiled at his mate.

"Thank you for being with me, Lulu."

Lucien patted Ronan's cheek lovingly. "I would not want to be anywhere but here with you."

Sharing your pain and joy, we will always be together. You and me.

"Alright," Ronan said, clearing his throat again. "Shall we go?"

"Mmm, let's go," Lucien replied.

Their job was done.

The two werewolves made their way to the waiting car at the forest entrance.

By chance, someone was standing near their car.

Ronan's face was distorted into a mask of fury when he saw who it was.

It was none other than Dane Silverback.

The elder man was draped in a thick black coat. His eyes drifted from Ronan to Lucien, and finally settled on the empty urn in Ronan's arms.

Lucien swallowed. His steps inadvertently became slower, but Ronan's did not. It was as if he was prepared for a confrontation.

The father and son stood in front of each other, the first time they met after they parted at the mortuary.

"So," Dane Silverback narrowed his eyes at Ronan. He pulled at Ronan's collar and saw the bite wound that Lucien left on his nape.

Anger flashed across his eyes.

At his son, and then at Lucien.

He did not want to believe his nose at first. He just had to take a look, and Ronan was more than happy to show him.

"Do you want to see Lucien's nape too?" Ronan taunted with a cynical smile.

"No need," Dane snapped.

Ronan chuckled when Dane released his collar angrily, passing him a slap on the chest right after.

The elder man walked past Ronan. When he stood in front of Lucien, he only had a few words to tell him, "You are going to regret this later."

Lucien was visibly distracted on their trip back home. Dane Silverback's words left a shadow in his heart and made him restless.

When Lucien was restless, so was Ronan.

The Alpha squeezed his mate's hand and asked, "Are you worried?"

Lucien cut him a curt smile.

"It would be a lie if I say that I am not."

"Don't worry. There is nothing he can do. He just said that out of spite."

Lucien hummed and squeezed back at Ronan's hand.

"Yeah," he said absent-mindedly.

Ronan stole a glance at his mate.

.....

"Lulu, I am thinking of hosting a small gathering at the pack house. Something like a memorial service in remembrance of my mother. I want to invite my mom's living relatives who shared the Fangblade family's blood, her nurse Edith, her trusted friends. Can you help me with the preparation?"

Lucien nodded.

"Sure. For today, I plan to tidy up the boxes from Blue Hill City."

"Oh, no worries about that. I asked someone to come to clean up after we left."

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

When they got back to Ronan's apartment, the boxes had indeed disappeared, their contents neatly arranged in the only other bedroom in the apartment.

There was only one problem with the otherwise wonderful private chamber.

There was no bed.

Not even a single couch or chair or footrest.

Lucien turned on his heels and frowned at Ronan, who did not look apologetic at all.

"This looks more like a storage room," he complained.

Ronan pulled his mate to his arms and gave him a peck on the lips.

"It is," he admitted. "Your bedroom is my bedroom. We should not spend any night apart from each other."

"Oh really," Lucien sneered. "And what will you do if I one day kick you out of the bed?"

Ronan made puppy eyes at him. "If my dear Lulu wishes to let me sleep on the floor, then sleep on the floor I will."

Lucien pinched the bridge of Ronan's nose. "You better keep your words."

At night, Lucien called his mother and told her about what happened in the past two days.

The elder woman sighed at the other end of the line.

"How unfortunate. She was an exceptional individual."

Alice recalled the brief conversation she had with Ronan's mother back at the hospital.

The lady initially did not look favorably upon Alice Clearwater who viciously hit her son with a bag. But then after a few exchanges, they learned to appreciate each other.

Part of it was because she spoke highly of Lucien.

Lady Adele Fangblade was a huge supporter of Ronan's relationship with Lucien. She told Alice that Alice should feel free to punish Ronan if the Alpha ever dared to bully Lucien.

Alice would have loved to know Lady Adele Fangblade better. Alas, the Moon Goddess had another plan for her.

"Is Ronan alright?"

"He will be," Lucien answered. "Mom, we plan to conduct a memorial service for the lady. Are you interested to come?"

"Of course!" Alice quickly said. "I would love to be there."

"Mhm, alright."

Lucien put a tick next to his mother's name on the list.

After he ended the call, he glanced upon the many names that had yet to be verified.

Ronan had personally scratched out Dane Silverback's name.

Most of them were elder people who did not look favorably upon written invitations. The best way to reach out to them was through phone calls. Naturally, the one who called could not just be anyone. Ronan and Lucien split the names between them. Ronan called those who were especially close to him, while Lucien got the rest.

Lucien also busied himself with the preparation. Thankfully, Cassie and Quinn were there to help him. The two she-wolves were surprised to meet Lucien for the first time.

At first glance, they thought of him as a beauty.

At second glance, they saw the loving gazes that the Alpha and his mate threw at each other.

It truly made them melt.

And a little envious, too.

A week later, written invitations were sent out just for formalities. The memorial service was to be hosted in the Infinite Eclipse Pack House's banquet hall three days later in the evening. Lucien, Cassie, and Quinn worked from morning to decorate the hall, putting up black silk ribbons and arranging white chrysanthemums in vases, and placing them all around the hall.

A huge portrait of Lady Adele Fangblade was put up in the center of the room, adorned with colorful flowers.

Having finished just in time, all that was left was waiting for the guests to come and attend the memorial service.

Ronan and Lucien wore matching black suits for mourning. They stood at the hall entrance to greet the guests one by one.

It was more like a private, intimate gathering that did not carry the name of Infinite Eclipse Pack. The guests more or less knew each other through association with Ronan and his mother. Words of comfort were exchanged between the grieving guests.

Lucien and Ronan felt even closer to Lady Fangblade after hearing tales from the latter's childhood and youth.

She was known to be a vibrant, delightful child that brought happiness wherever she went.

Everyone greatly bemoaned her early departure from the living world. They all agreed that the lady deserved better.

Halfway through the service, a few more people came to offer their condolences.

This group came from the Ironclad Claws Pack. The Alpha, his mother, and his eldest daughter Lillian Woodland.

Beautiful as a blooming flower in spring as always, Lillian never failed to make an appearance.

This time she attracted even more attention to herself because other than the beautiful sleeveless dress that she wore, she also sported a pregnant belly under her heart.

Her sight knocked the air out of Lucien's lungs. He took a deep breath but it was as if the room was depleted of oxygen. Dane Silverback's words kept reverberating in his head.

"You are going to regret this later."

"Lulu!"

Lucien was pale and drenched in a cold sweat. At some point, he had a feeling that he was tumbling to the floor, but Ronan's arm around his waist kept him in a standing position.

The man was still struggling to breathe. The people around him turned into blurry shadows.

"Ronan, I..."

Lucien closed his eyes and leaned against Ronan's shoulder.

'I really don't feel good.

'I think I am going to be sick!

Ronan pressed a kiss on the side of Lucien's head.

'Breathe, Lulu. Don't worry. Everything will be alright!

.....

Lucien was not too sure about that.

The group from Ironclad Claws slowly made their way through the crowd as they greeted and engaged in some small talks with the other guests.

At last, Lillian Woodland stood before them.

She cocked her head to the side and smiled at Ronan.

"Hello, Alpha Ronan. It is nice to see you again."

Ronan gave her a polite smile while squeezing Lucien tighter to his body. The man in his arms could not rip his eyes off Lillian's belly. It was as if he expected a pup to emerge any moment and tell him who the father was.

"Likewise, I did not expect you to be here at all."

Lillian chuckled while she rubbed the swell on her belly.

"I apologize for being away for so long. As soon as I fell pregnant, the Healer told me to rest until the fetus is stabilized."

Lillian's smile became wider as her eyes shifted from Ronan to Lucien, who became increasingly paler with further exchanges.

"But then I thought, I should really be here tonight. After all, it is the memorial service for the grandmother of my baby."

An audible gasp was heard, followed by a glass of wine that came crashing on the floor.

It was unclear who dropped the glass to the floor. The body in Ronan's arms went limp right away

Lucien fell unconscious from the shock.

"LULU!" Alice shouted in terror.

She quickly pushed her way through the crowd to be at her son's side.

"Lulu???"

Alice patted Lucien's cheek but the latter gave no response at all.

"Excuse me," Ronan told Lillian with a darkened face. "My mate is feeling under the weather."

The smile on Lillian's face disappeared within an instant. A strange light flashed across her eyes when she heard the words "my mate". Wordlessly, she nodded and joined her father and grandmother.

Ronan lifted Lucien into his arms and stalked out of the banquet hall. Just as his silhouette disappeared from the door frame, the hall broke into an uproar.

The Alpha clenched his jaw in fury.

If Lillian Woodland wanted to play, he, Ronan Silverback, was more than happy to beat her in her own game.

Alice Clearwater could not care less about the gossip that circulated behind the Alpha's back. She followed closely behind Ronan with a face that was equally if not darker than the Alpha's.

Ronan kicked the door open impatiently and lowered his mate to the couch.

Lucien's breathing was irregular. He kept clawing at his neck, almost as if he was suffocating on something.

Ronan pulled at Lucien's tie and loosened his collar.

A soft sigh escaped Lucien, and the knit between his brows loosened gradually.

Behind him, Ronan heard Alice Clearwater's furious footsteps.

Once she reached Ronan, she clawed at the Alpha's shoulder and forced him to face her.

"Alpha Ronan, I thought that you were worthy of my son," she spat directly with tears glistening in her eyes. Lucien rarely allowed strangers to see him in his weakest moments. Her son must be in so much pain.

Alice could not imagine how hurt Lucien must be.

"You have just sealed a mating contract with my son. What are you going to do with the bastard pup in that woman's stomach???"

Ronan turned to look at Alice.

"Mother," he called her, melting Alice's cold front away with one word. "I belong to Lucien. Heart, body, and soul. I will put an end to this matter. I won't let Lucien suffer."

Alice glared at Ronan. Maybe it was the Alpha's dominance, maybe it was not. Alice felt compelled to believe her son's mate, but her brain told her that it was not as easy as it sounded.

She wanted to question Ronan like a criminal, hear how he wanted to "put an end to this matter", but Ronan too had just found out about this bastard pup's existence. Of course he could not give her any answer. Not now, at least.

On the couch, Lucien stirred. He tossed around on the bed with knitted brows.

"No," he cried. "No..."

"Lulu."

Ronan turned to Alice. "Sorry Mother, can you give us a minute?"

After throwing one last look at her pitiful son, Alice rose to her feet and left.

"Lulu. Lulu!"

Ronan put his hands on Lucien's cheeks.

"Lulu, it's me."

Lucien opened his eyes and stared right into Ronan's greenish-blue eyes.

He then shoved the Alpha hard on the chest.

Unprepared for the sudden shove, Ronan almost fell from the couch.

"You," Lucien gave him a sorrowful look. "You said that... That I was the only one."

Ronan did not get it at first. He only understood when he caught the few words that Lucien murmured under his breath afterward.

"Protection. You said I was the only one without."

"You are!" Ronan insisted.

"Liar!!!"

A crisp slap fell on Ronan's cheek. Tears fell from Lucien's eyes, blurring Ronan's face.

"Your father was right," he muttered under his breath, his words muffled by the hands that he pressed against his face to stop the flood of tears.

Merely hearing the two words "your father" was enough to set Ronan's heart aflame.

"He is not!" Ronan shouted, grabbing Lucien's wrists and pulling them away from the latter's face.

Lucien never knew that he could feel so much pain without having a physical wound. He grabbed Ronan's collar and hissed at him, "Then explain to me where the baby came from."

Ronan squeezed at Lucien's hands while glaring at his mate.

"Whoever put his seed in her belly, it was not me!"

Lucien's tears spilled again. He tried to push Ronan away again, but the latter hugged him tight in his arms.

"Let me go," Lucien said weakly, his face buried into Ronan's chest.

"No," Ronan said in response. "Lulu, I swear. That baby is not mine."

"How are you so sure...?"

"Because I..."

Suddenly, a female voice rang out from behind Ronan. To be precise, the person was standing at the door.

"Alpha Ronan, can we talk?"

Ronan did not even bother to turn around.

"Not now," he hissed. "Leave."

Lillian Woodland did not move from her spot. She lowered her eyes to her protruding belly and insisted, "We need to talk."

Still pressed against Ronan's body like a ragged doll, Lucien mumbled a "Go" but Ronan refused to. For him, the most important thing right now was to take care of Lucien. Everything else came second to last.

'Go and replace out what she wants,' Lucien spoke through the Mind Link.

'I don't want to leave you alone here. I don't care what she wants,' Ronan replied, gnashing his teeth in fury.

'I need a healer. Get me someone. I will wait here until you are done talking to her.'

...

'Go, Lucien urged Ronan.

Against his will, Ronan lay Lucien gently on the couch and gave Jake an order through Mind Link.

'Jake, get me a healer. Lucien is not feeling comfortable.

Jake was also present during the memorial service. He already waited with a healer outside of the room, just waiting for Ronan to call for him.

'Alpha, I am outside,' Jake informed him. 'I have a Healer with me. Please rest assured.

Ronan lowered his head and kissed Lucien on the lips. He then rose to his feet and shot daggers at Lillian, who still stood at the entrance without the least bit of guilt.

"I thought you want to talk," Ronan narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't stand where Lucien can see you. Your presence agitates him."

Lillian said nothing in response. She took her eyes off the man who was lying on the couch weakly and followed Ronan to another room.

Ronan led Lillian to the audience hall.

As soon as Lillian closed the door behind her, Ronan gave her a piercing gaze. "Speak. I don't have much time for you."

Lillian put a hand over her swollen belly.

"I recall you being a lot nicer during our last meeting," she said.

She was of course referring to the morning after the Moon Banquet, when they woke up next to each other on the bed.

"That baby is not mine," Ronan said. "Stop lying and tell everyone out there, including your father and your grandmother, that you let someone else impregnate you."

Lillian chuckled. She shook her head while laughing as if the man in front of her was not the Alpha of Infinite Eclipse Pack but some werewolf pup that was still green behind the ears.

"Stop laughing," Ronan hissed. "Thanks to you, Lucien suffered from a breakdown."

Lillian indeed stopped laughing. She cocked her head to the side and stared into Ronan's eyes.

"I am curious," she said. "You were so drunk that night. How did you know that this baby was not yours?"

Ronan scoffed.

"Have you forgotten where we allegedly had s*x and conceived this miracle baby? It was my bedroom suite at Carlton Bay. After your mysterious disappearance, I recovered the CCTV recording and saw what happened that night."

"Ah."

No wonder, then, Lillian thought.

That night, they were really close to having s*x.

Against better judgment, Lillian was willing to give up her virginity to Ronan that night, just as what her family had wished for.

When the Alpha climbed on the bed, though, he flipped Lillian on her stomach and whispered, "Lucien" into her ears.

Just as what he would do if he were having s*x with Lucien, Ronan stuck his finger into Lillian's a*s and expanded her rear hole.

Looking back, if Lillian had allowed Ronan to take her from behind first, she might be able to coax him into putting his hardened meat blade into the correct hole.

But then, who the hell did Ronan think she was?

She was Lillian Woodland.

She refused to be Lucien Clearwater's substitute!

She was appalled at the prospect of giving up her virginity to someone who kept calling the wrong person on the bed.

Driven by anger, Lillian thus turned around and kicked the Alpha square on his stomach, causing him to slam hard against the wall.

Ronan was so drunk. He drank so much wine that he went down after only one kick.

Her chest heaving up and down in contempt, Lillian stared at the disgraceful heap of Alpha that leaned against the wall for some time before she hauled him toward the bed and then lay down to sleep herself.

Of course, when the Alpha saw that he did not move at all after Lillian's kick, he realized that they never had s*x. Lillian literally pulled the blanket over their bodies and went to sleep. The only movements that Ronan saw throughout the night were when Lillian

tossed and turned, kicking Ronan a few more times in her sleep.

In the morning, the Alpha's daughter cut her thumb and pressed her bloody finger on the bedsheet, just where she lay during the night.

That was where the blood came from.

"So you see," Ronan said, raising an eyebrow at Lillian, "I know exactly that the baby isn't mine. If you are not willing to take back your words and insist that it is mine, I will get a DNA test performed this very moment."

Lillian's lips were pulled into a taut smile.

"Fine," she said. "The baby is indeed not yours, but I will not retract my statement."

Ronan broke into laughter.

"Are you crazy, Lillian Woodland? One DNA test is all it takes to prove that you lied. You are going to ruin your reputation over a stupid lie."

Lillian swallowed but she persevered.

"I want you to cooperate with me."

Ronan thought that Lillian must be out of her mind.

"I am going to ask for a DNA test," Ronan decided. "We are done here."

"WAIT!" Lillian shouted at Ronan's back after he went past her. "I know who killed your mother."