Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 164: Daughter’s Sins

The room went dead silent.

No one expected Monica to drop so suddenly. One second she was standing there, the next she was on her knees. It looked so strange it almost felt unreal.

For a moment, I wondered if she had lost her mind.

At first, it looked like she was begging.

Then she lunged forward.

My body reacted before my thoughts did.

Pain flashed through my memory sharp, deep, familiar. My side tightened as if the wound from before was still open. For a split second, it felt like everyone in this house wanted me hurt.

I didn’t think.

I moved.

I jumped straight into Lewis’s arms, clutching his neck as if the ground had vanished beneath me.

"Lewis " My voice broke. "Help me."

He caught me instantly.

His arms closed around me, firm and steady, his presence pushing everything else back. He rested a hand on my back and patted gently.

"It’s okay," he said softly. "You’re safe."

Only then did my breathing slow.

Only then did the room feel solid again.

Monica didn’t move closer after that. She lowered her head and spoke, her voice trembling.

"RIley... this is all my fault. I didn’t raise Lincy properly. That’s why things turned out like this. I’ll take responsibility."

She paused, then added, "Lincy is still young. If punishment is needed... punish me instead. I’ll kneel in her place."

I almost laughed.

Lincy had already been kneeling long enough. Monica was trying to stir sympathy, hoping Grant would step in.

In another life, I might have hesitated.

But after being stabbed, after learning how easily people could lie and smile at the same time, my heart had gone cold.

"Fine," I said calmly. "You’re her mother. Taking responsibility makes sense."

Monica looked up, shocked.

She hadn’t expected me to agree so easily. She probably thought I’d refuse out of respect for her age.

But I wasn’t that girl anymore.

I smiled slightly. "If you want to kneel, do it outside. It’s cold enough out there. You won’t bother anyone."

Her gaze flicked to my mom.

"Lena..."

Her eyes lingered on my mom’s stomach.

The last time we’d eaten together, my mom had thrown up and been rushed to the hospital. Since it was under the Hale family’s control, Lewis had made sure Monica never learned the truth.

My mom had been exhausted, sick, and done with pretending.

"Get lost," she said flatly.

I thought Monica would beg Grant.

She didn’t.

Instead, she stood slowly, her back straight, her face drawn and pitiful. "Yes," she said quietly. "I’ll go kneel. To atone."

She looked lonely.

But Grant didn’t spare her a glance.

His attention was fully on my mom and the lives she carried. He had never loved Monica. Whatever pull she once had over him was gone.

The only person he still cared about was Lincy.

He ordered the maids to bring Lincy inside and tend to her injuries. When he saw that I didn’t object, his shoulders relaxed.

I let it happen.

I still needed Lincy.

She’d been spoiled her entire life. Half an hour in the cold had broken her. She cried, shivering, her face pale.

Grant watched her with open concern.

"RIley," he said, turning to me, "are you satisfied now? Look at her. She’s hurt."

Anger flared, but I crushed it down.

It wasn’t worth it.

He didn’t love Monica but he loved Lincy. Just like someone once defended me, just like I had once been protected.

I understood why he couldn’t cut her off completely.

But I couldn’t accept that his attachment came at the cost of another woman and child being hurt.

My mom deserved better.

The more Lincy suffered, the more Grant clung to her and the further my mom was pushed away.

I didn’t answer him.

Instead, I looked at my mom.

Her face was empty. Calm. Like she’d already let go.

After twenty years of disappointment, she no longer expected anything from him. Maybe she had always known who he truly was.

"Mom," I said softly, "why don’t you rest upstairs for a bit?"

"Okay."

Even though the mess had been cleaned, the living room felt hollow.

Grant never thought about what fear did to her. He always promised to change, but promises meant nothing without action.

I helped her upstairs, my chest tight.

"Mom... you’ve been wronged."

She smiled gently. "How? I have you. And I have the two little ones with me. I’m already content."

She squeezed my hand. "You shouldn’t waste yourself on people who don’t matter."

Her calm only strengthened my resolve.

"I’ll find a way," I said quietly. "I’ll make sure you’re free."

She nodded. "I’m tired."

"Then rest," I said. "I’ll stay."

She looked at me for a long moment, her gaze deep, searching.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, uneasy.

She sighed, as if holding back words. "It’s nothing."

Then she closed her eyes.

I tucked the blanket around her and held her hand.

And in that quiet room, with her breathing slow and steady, I knew one thing for sure

I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her again.

"RIley," she whispered.

I tightened my grip on her hand. "I’m here, Mom."

She didn’t answer after that.

A strange unease settled in my chest. For a brief moment, I wondered if she sensed something she shouldn’t. The thought was ridiculous. No one would imagine something as impossible as coming back to life.

When her breathing finally evened out, I slipped quietly out of the room.

As the door closed behind me, I saw tears sliding down her cheeks.

Lincy was already inside.

Her hand was wrapped in thick bandages. She leaned against Grant, sipping warm soup, her body finally thawed. When she noticed me, she tilted her chin and smiled like she’d won something.

Grant checked his watch. "It’s been forty minutes, RIley. That’s enough. The New Year’s almost here. If something happens, we won’t have a peaceful start."

I was tired.

Tired of arguing. Tired of explaining.

"If you think it’s enough," I said flatly, "then do what you want."

He didn’t hesitate. He turned and left.

Lincy followed me slowly, her steps light, her smile smug.

"See?" she whispered. "Dad still cares about us. If Mom won him over once, she’ll do it again."

She leaned closer.

"Want to guess how long it’ll take this time? Three months? One? Doesn’t matter. As long as he calls me his daughter, everything he has is still mine."

I looked at her without blinking.

"You probably won’t live long enough to see that."

Her face twisted. "You b*tch! How dare you!"

There was no one else around now. No audience. No pretending.

I let out a soft laugh. "With your brain, you won’t even notice when the ground gives way. And next time, I won’t pull you back."

She sneered. "You won’t be happy for long. Dad will come back to us."

"Then," I said calmly, "good luck."

I turned and walked away.

..

Back in my room, Lewis sat in his wheelchair, speaking quietly on the phone. I didn’t interrupt.

Through the glass, I saw Monica clinging to Grant, crying hard. He stood stiff and distant, his back straight, his expression cold. Even without sound, I could tell he wasn’t listening.

Eventually, he gestured to the guards.

They led Monica away, Lincy following behind her.

The scene felt unreal. Like watching a silent drama unfold behind glass.

The curtains slid shut on their own.

The room dimmed.

Lewis ended his call and rolled closer. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, holding me firmly.

"I can feel it," he said softly. "You’re heavy tonight."

I leaned back into him. "I keep thinking... if Grant truly cared for someone, how could he keep making space for others?"

"He never bonded deeply enough," Lewis replied. "Not with your mom."

I turned to face him, looping my arms around his neck. Being this close made everything quieter.

"What were you going to tell me?" I asked.

He brushed my cheek with his thumb, eyes dark with something unreadable. "Monica has another man."

My breath caught. "What?"

He smiled faintly. "His flight just landed. If we move now, we might catch her."

A slow smile spread across my face.

"Then," I said, "let’s go see."

And for the first time that night, the weight on my chest began to lift.