Chapter 4

The Next Morning Nathaniel hasn't slept. He's spent the entire night in his office, staring at the DNA report, the medical files, the empty spaces where Catherine used to be. His phone keeps buzzing—pack business, elder demands, border issues. He ignores them all. At 6 AM, Marcus bursts in without knocking. "Alpha, you need to see this. Now." He shoves a tablet into Nathaniel's hands. The screen shows breaking news alerts: BREAKING: Ashford Heiress Catherine Announces Return to Family...