Page 90 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

More and more news appeared online, even TV stations started covering it. The "Windsor Fragrances Incident" became a trending topic, everyone talking about it.

I had to temporarily close the shop.

Worse, Lucifer faced questioning from the Elder Council over this. The Hale royal family had been shamed. Someone dug up photos of him helping at the fragrance shop.

Someone with an agenda used this incident to inflame tensions between humans and werewolves. Combined with the crimes noble werewolves had committed before, both street protests and online arguments grew increasingly heated. People took to the streets, "Werewolves Protect Criminals! Humans Must Unite!" banners waving in the air. The Hale royal family had to send soldiers to suppress it, only creating a vicious cycle.

I sat at home watching the news on TV, fingers clenched around the remote.

What hurt me most was Anya.

The day I picked her up from school, she stood at the classroom door, eyes red.

"Mommy..." She threw herself into my arms. "They said... they said Mommy's a bad person..."

My heart felt like something had grabbed it hard.

"Baby," I held her tight, "Mommy's not a bad person."

"But they all say so..." Her voice held tears. "The teacher too... the teacher won't let me answer questions anymore..."

I clenched my jaw and carried her out of school. On the way, I made a decision.

"Anya," I crouched down to her eye level, "how about you don't go to school for a while? You can rest at home."

She seemed reluctant but finally nodded and threw herself into my arms, tears still on her face. My heart broke.

Over the next few days, the fragrance shop stayed closed. I gave Amy extended leave to spend more time with Anya, but Anya remained downcast. She sat on the living room carpet, hugging her teddy bear, not talking, not drawing. I tried to play with her, but she just shook her head.

I knew she needed friends, needed freedom to go outside and play, not to be dragged down by me. I also worried about Lucifer and Liam, but Liam's phone wouldn't connect.

That afternoon, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door and jumped. Liam stood there holding a bag.

"I came to see Anya." He blinked.

I hugged him hard and let him in. Anya's eyes brightened when she saw him, but quickly dimmed again.

"Anya," Liam sat down beside her and pulled a puzzle from the bag, "want to do this together?"

Anya looked at the puzzle, then at him, not moving. Liam dumped the pieces on the carpet. "You find the edges, I'll find the middles." He started working.

Anya sat there at first, but slowly the cute pictures drew her in. She started turning pieces over, looking for the right spots. Liam stopped then, just staying beside her, occasionally saying "Does this piece go here?" "You're so good" "Anya, you're amazing!"

I stood in the kitchen doorway preparing drinks and snacks while watching them, breathing easier. Thank God for Liam. I poured two glasses of juice, arranged chocolate cookies on a plate, and brought them over to the coffee table.

"These are fortune cookies," I said, picking one up and breaking it open to pull out the paper slip. "Wow! It says I'm going to get good news!"

"Me too!" Liam copied me and opened his. I leaned over. "What's it say?"

"Says what I want will come true."

Anya dropped the puzzle, clamoring, "Me too!" Liam pulled her into his lap and carefully helped her open the cookie. Anya's recent gloom had completely vanished. She clapped and laughed, back to being that lively, slightly mischievous girl.

I sat on the couch watching them interact, casually asking, "Liam, your father... has he been okay lately?"

Liam's hand paused. He looked up at me, those gray eyes—exactly like Lucifer's—flashing with something.