Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 214: Me or Her

I calmly lifted my spoon and took another sip of soup before looking up at Grant. "Go ahead," I said evenly. "What is it you want to talk about?"

He sat across from me, shoulders slightly slumped, the usual pride in his posture gone. "I know I’ve spoiled Lincy," he began quietly. "And I know I’ve neglected you and your mother all these years. I understand why you resent me."

For once, he didn’t meet my eyes. Grant, the man who always spoke with authority and confidence, now looked smaller somehow.

"The mistakes I’ve made," he continued, his voice low, "have brought nothing but misery to your mother and to me."

I set my spoon down gently. "Isn’t that your own doing?"

He didn’t argue. "Yes," he admitted with a heavy sigh. "That’s why no matter how much your mother looks down on me or how much she hates me, I can bear it. I truly want to make things right. I can let go of Monica... but Lincy..." His voice softened. "She’s my flesh and blood."

The words made something sharp twist inside me.

"What if," I asked slowly, watching his reaction carefully, "she isn’t?"

He froze for a second, then frowned deeply. "That’s impossible!"

There it was. The stubbornness. The blind certainty. Grant would rather deny the possibility than question what he believed.

"Riley, I’ve thought about it," he went on, almost pleading now. "In a few days, I’ll send her back overseas with some money. Enough to cut ties completely. Think of it as a final gift. Maybe even her dowry. After that, I’ll focus on our family. I won’t run back and forth anymore. You and Lena won’t have to suffer."

I leaned back slightly and folded my arms. "How much money are you planning to give her?"

He hesitated. "Lincy has always liked expensive things. If I give her too little, it won’t last."

I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a dry laugh. "You think money will cut your bond with her? As long as you’re not willing to truly let go, you never will. Today you send her away with money. Tomorrow she’ll ask for more. Will you give it? When she gets married, will you walk her down the aisle? If she has children, will you stay away from them? If her husband mistreats her, won’t you step in?"

I looked at him directly. "You’re not ending anything. You’re just covering it up."

My voice stayed steady, but every word carried years of anger. "For twenty years, Mom and I have been bullied by Monica and Lincy. I can’t pretend to understand them. I can’t forgive what they’ve done to us. I’ve said it before. Choose. If you want them, divorce Mom."

His face darkened immediately. "Why are you so stubborn?" he snapped. "What good does it do to destroy your mother’s marriage?"

"It might not be good for me," I replied calmly, "but at least Mom will be free. She won’t have to live in this miserable marriage anymore. She won’t have to wait for you or share you. She can live her own life."

"Don’t be ridiculous!" he shouted. "When have I ever controlled her? When have I denied her freedom?"

I looked at him quietly. "Dad, every day she spends with you is a day she suffers."

"That’s absurd!" he barked, pushing his chair back and storming out of the room.

I watched him disappear up the stairs. The house felt colder after he left. Slowly, I put my spoon down and stood up. There was nothing more to say.

Back at the estate, Lewis was in his study, speaking on the phone about an upcoming public offering. His tone was calm and controlled, as always. When I stepped inside, he ended the call immediately and turned toward me.

"You’re back," he said, his expression softening. "How’s Lena?"

"She’s fine physically," I answered. "But seeing Grant drains me. I don’t want to wait anymore, Lewis. What’s the latest on that Cinderella man?"

Lewis’s lips curved slightly. "He’s gotten bold."

He held out his hand, and I walked over without hesitation. I settled onto his lap, letting him wrap his arms around me. His warmth steadied me in a way nothing else could.

"What did he do?" I asked.

"He bought drugs on the black market," Lewis said calmly. "From what we’ve gathered, they’re meant for Grant." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

My stomach tightened instantly. I remembered how he once persuaded Monica to take out a large insurance policy on Grant. I hadn’t expected him to go this far.

"What do the drugs do?"

"In small amounts, nothing obvious," Lewis explained. "But taken regularly, they slowly damage the brain. Confusion. Memory loss. Poor judgment. My guess is he wants Grant mentally weakened, easy to manipulate into signing documents. And when Grant becomes useless... an ’accident’ happens. The insurance payout would be huge. After that, most of the Ashbourne assets would fall into Lincy’s hands."

"That’s disgusting," I said through clenched teeth.

Lewis stroked my hair gently. "Don’t worry. The only way they can give him the drugs is through Monica. And Grant hasn’t been eating there much. He bought them a house, but he rarely visits."

I suddenly sat up straighter. "Lincy said she cooked for him today. He must have eaten something."

"One or two meals won’t make a difference," Lewis reassured me. "It only works with long-term exposure. If you want to expose her, you could just show Grant the paternity test results."

I shook my head. "No. That’s too simple. He loves that daughter of his too much. I want him to see with his own eyes how she plans to destroy him."

Lewis studied me. "What’s your plan?"

"He’s avoiding Monica, which means Lincy is the only one who can act. If he’s coming home for dinner, then lunchtime is her only opportunity."

A slow smile spread across my face. "I want to catch her in the act."

Lewis chuckled softly. "Whatever makes you happy."

I leaned against him for a moment before asking, "Did the police get anything from Linda?"

His expression shifted. "She’s dead. She died in custody."

Silence filled the room.

Another life gone. Just like that.

Silas had bitten off his own tongue rather than reveal anything about the organization. And Linda... she chose death outright.

"What about Camilla?" I asked quietly.

"She’s still trying to save the baby," Lewis replied. "But it doesn’t look promising. If she suffers another shock, she probably won’t be able to keep it."

Karma works in strange ways.

I hadn’t touched her child, yet she still couldn’t hold on to it. I remembered my own desperation back then, fighting to protect a fragile life inside me.

"Get some rest," Lewis said gently but firmly. "Stop thinking too much. I’ll handle everything else."

"Okay."

"I’ve already transferred Riley’s school records overseas," he added. "The school has been notified. You just need to show up for enrollment when the semester starts."

"Thank you," I said softly.

He laughed and ruffled my hair. "Since when do you need to thank me?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my forehead against his. "Lewis, you’re the best."

The next day, I went to Grant’s branch office. I had never visited before, so no one recognized me.

When I told the receptionist I was his daughter, she looked at me with disbelief. "Ms. Ashbourne is already upstairs with Mr. Ashbourne. Pretending to be someone’s daughter? That’s bold."

I smiled politely. "Have you considered that I might be the real one?"

Her eyes swept over my outfit, taking in the details. She hesitated before picking up the phone. "Let me call his office."

"Tell him Riley is here," I said calmly.

A few minutes later, Grant’s head secretary rushed out, smiling widely. "Ms. Riley! Why didn’t you contact me directly?"

"I didn’t have your number."

"That’s my fault. I’ll give it to you now."

In the past, no one around Grant had treated me with respect. But as Mrs. Hale, everything had changed. Status reshapes attitudes quickly.

I followed the secretary upstairs. When the office door opened, I wasn’t surprised.

Lincy was inside.

She had brought lunch and desserts, arranging everything carefully, playing the perfect, loving daughter.