I didn't know what he was planning. I looked up at the stage.
Alfred snapped his fingers. Most of the lights went out, leaving only a spotlight on the stage. A projection appeared behind him, a photograph of a tiny, thin infant sucking its thumb, sleeping peacefully in an incubator.
"Tonight, a new heir has been born to the Vernal family! This is my son Elias's child!"
CHAPTER 12
ELIAS VERNAL
The moment Alfred's words fell, thunderous applause erupted through the venue.
Guests clapped enthusiastically, offering their congratulations and celebrating the fact that I had finally become a father.
I stood among them, dazed and lost like a fool who couldn't find his bearings.
It felt like they had all conspired to play a cruel joke on me. I stared at the projected photo of the newborn on the stage screen. The absurdity of it froze me in place at first, then transformed into rage that propelled me onto the stage!
I snatched the microphone from Alfred's hand and grabbed his suit collar. Regardless of his status, I roared in his face. "Answer me! What the hell is going on? Where did you get this baby? He can't possibly be my child!"
Sure, I had been labeled a "playboy," but those rumored girlfriends were all fabricated. I had never even slept with any of them!
If Alfred had actually believed one of those women and accepted whatever baby they'd brought, claiming it was my son, then he had truly gone senile, so desperate for an heir that he had fallen for the most obvious scam!
"Elias, watch your behavior," Alfred scolded me. "With all these guests watching, do you want to ruin everything?"
"If you can't give me a reasonable explanation, then yes!"
"Fine. It seems we need to talk in private." Alfred discreetly gestured toward a VIP room on the second floor, but I refused.
"We'll talk, but not now," I said. "I need to find Serenity."
Alfred smiled. "What if I told you our conversation is about her?"
"What?" I looked at him warily. Below us, guests murmured uneasily at our confrontation. I glanced at them, then released his collar with a cold expression. "You'd better give me a satisfactory answer."
"Oh, I will." Alfred nearly stumbled. He took an awkward step back but maintained his "composure," pretending nothing had happened as he smoothed out his wrinkled suit.
He signaled the band to keep playing, and we walked straight toward the second-floor VIP room.
Along the way, I caught Liv rushing to follow us out of the corner of my eye. But I was in no mood to wait for her. I followed Alfred into the room and slammed the door shut, locking it behind us.
All the noise from outside vanished.
Only the two of us remained, locked in a tense standoff.
"You can talk now." I stared him down. "Whose baby is that? And why did you mention Serenity?"
"I told you. It's your child," Alfred said. "A purebred with Lycan blood. The new heir to the Vernal pack."
"That's impossible! Even Serenity wouldn't believe such nonsense about carrying my child! If one of my so-called girlfriends told you she was pregnant with my baby, then you have finally lost your mind, so obsessed with getting an heir that you'd fall for such an obvious lie!"
Alfred remained unfazed by my mockery. He said slowly, "Really? What if I told you this child belongs to you and Serenity?"
I hadn't expected that answer. "I never gave her a permanent mark. How could she possibly get pregnant?"
"For fated mates, a permanent mark isn't necessary. Even a temporary mark can make it possible." Alfred turned my mockery back on me. "Elias, you've been married to her for over a year. Do you even remember how many times you've been with her? No matter how careful you thought you were, with that much time and your bond, anything could happen!"
What he said might actually be true.
