Chapter 204 Present in His Absence

Before entering the secure underground lab, everyone had to leave phones and smartwatches in a locked cabinet. Eira was about to put hers away when Alpha Killian’s name flashed across the screen.

Killian: Had to fly overseas. No return date yet. The driver will stay available. Call Miles if you need anything.

Brief and direct. Still, he had taken the time to tell her himself.

Eira stepped aside as another engineer moved through security.

Eira: Okay. Heading into the lab now.

Killian: Good. Don’t skip lunch.

The reply came so fast that she smiled.

Eira: No promises.

She locked up her phone, changed into a clean-room suit, and passed through the airlock.

By the time she finished, it was after five. She showered, changed back into her clothes, and collected her phone before heading upstairs.

Lila was waiting outside the secure elevators in jeans and an oversized Stanford hoodie, holding two iced coffees.

"There she is," Lila said. "The woman who stood up an entire lunch."

Eira glanced at the drinks. "You’re giving me coffee after five?"

"One’s decaf. I’m not completely irresponsible."

"What are you doing here?"

"Running a rescue mission." Lila linked arms with her and steered her toward Sterling Tower. "Natalie had lunch delivered to the lab staging area. Four hours later, it was still sitting there untouched, so she called me."

Eira sighed. "You people have a whole surveillance network."

"We call it caring. Try not to fight it."

Mrs. Jones was waiting in the executive lounge with a canvas food carrier open on the table. She had packed roast chicken, wild rice, green beans, and warm apple crisp.

The moment Eira walked in, Mrs. Jones pointed to a chair.

"Sit. Eat."

"I lost track of time."

"You always lose track of time." Mrs. Jones filled a plate and set it in front of her. "That excuse is getting old."

Eira sat down. "I’m sorry."

"Eat first. Apologize later."

Lila dropped into the chair across from her. "She practiced that speech in the car."

"I did not," Mrs. Jones said.

"You absolutely did."

Eira took a bite of chicken. Both women watched her.

"Are you going to stare at me until I finish?"

"Yes," they said together.

Her phone rang before she could argue. Susan’s name appeared on the screen.

"Hi, Susan."

"The demand letters went out this afternoon," Susan said. "Certified mail, overnight courier, and copies to authorized counsel. Everything is documented."

"When does the deadline start?"

"Tomorrow. They have ten calendar days to respond. I’ll call you the second either side makes a move."

"Thank you."

Eira ended the call and looked across the table.

"The letters are out."

Lila’s face lit up. She raised her plastic cup.

"To being officially done with their crap."

Mrs. Jones lifted her water glass. "I’ll drink to that."

Eira smiled and raised her own.

"So will I."

--

The demand letter reached the Winthrop estate that afternoon. A housekeeper signed for the courier envelope, then called Serena.

"Ms. Winthrop, a legal envelope came for you. You just missed it."

Serena had left less than thirty minutes earlier, but she had no interest in turning around.

"Put it on the desk in my grandfather’s study. I’ll get it later."

She ended the call. It was probably paperwork from Ryan Sullivan’s company.

Serena had spent the afternoon convincing Alpha Victor to support Ryan’s medical chip venture.

At first, her grandfather had dismissed it as commercial R&D. No federal funding, no academic publications, and no prestige for the Winthrop name. The patents would belong to Ryan’s company.

But the technology could fill a major gap in the medical market. If it worked, Serena could use the project to rebuild her career.

Alpha Victor had finally agreed to make a few introductions. Then he had asked how things stood with Vincent.

Serena had avoided the question. She had not told him about the pregnancy. She had only said Alpha Sebastian’s divorce was final.

Even that had made the old Alpha’s expression turn cold. He guarded the Winthrop name as fiercely as he guarded Pack territory, and he would never approve of his granddaughter having a baby with a man whose divorce was still fresh enough to dominate the Pack rumor mill.

Serena had left before he could press her.

She had somewhere else to be.

Ethan had told her Alpha Sebastian had barely eaten since leaving Mercy General. If he let himself fall apart, who would protect her and the baby?

She had no intention of ending the pregnancy. As long as she carried Alpha Sebastian’s child, he could not cut her out of his life completely.

She drove straight to Southridge Estates.

At Number Eleven, security stopped her at the gate. Isabella was outside unloading boxes when she spotted Serena’s car.

Her face darkened, but she quickly hid it.

"Let her in," Isabella told the guard. "She’s my guest."

Serena still had to show her ID and sign the visitor log. By the time she parked, Isabella was waiting with her phone in hand.

"So it’s true?" Isabella asked. "You’re pregnant?"

Serena glanced at the phone. The camera was pointed straight at her.

"Are you recording me?"

"Absolutely. I’m done taking your word for anything." Isabella raised the phone higher. "Is my brother the father?"

Serena knew better than to answer. Isabella had never been good at hiding a scheme, and this one was painfully obvious.

"Where is Sebastian?"

Isabella laughed. "Nice dodge."

She stopped recording and stepped aside. "He’s upstairs. Don’t expect a warm welcome."

Inside, Alpha Roger and Luna Margaret went still when they saw Serena.

Luna Margaret folded her arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Sebastian." Serena rested a hand lightly over her stomach. "We also need to talk about the baby."

Luna Margaret’s gaze dropped to the gesture. Her face tightened.

"He’s upstairs."

Serena headed for the staircase.

Isabella followed. "Don’t think a baby makes you family."

"Enough," Luna Margaret warned.

"What? Sebastian never asked for a kid with her. She thinks getting pregnant is some kind of golden ticket."

Serena tightened her grip on her leather tote but kept walking. Picking a fight in the Hale home would get her nowhere.

At the top of the stairs, she stopped outside Alpha Sebastian’s bedroom, lifted her chin, and opened the door.

He was on the phone.

"No," Alpha Sebastian said, his voice cold. "I want the full Snowmark report tonight. If the numbers don’t match, find out who changed them."

Serena stayed in the doorway and waited for him to notice her.