Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 172

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Chapter 172: The Lie

Hailee’s POV

The moment we stepped into the suite, I guided my boys to the couch and squatted before them. "Listen," I whispered, leaning close so only they could hear. "There’s something you’ll have to do for me, okay? Something small, but very important. You have to tell a little lie." Their brows shot up in unison, curiosity lighting their young faces. Oscar’s eyes narrowed, sharp and suspicious. Oliver’s mouth shaped a round O. Ozzy just waited, silent, eager to hear what I had to say.

"You mean like... fibs?" Oliver asked, his voice small.

"Yes." I swallowed and forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. "Only this once. I need you to say that your father—your real father—died when you were two. Say we were married, and say he passed away. Say it like you believe it."

Their faces changed slowly. Confusion, then tentative acceptance. "Why?" Ozzy asked quietly.

"Because there are things people will do if they know the truth," I said, my voice tight. "There are men who will come for you if they know where you came from. I’m trying to keep you safe. Sometimes grownups have to tell small lies to keep children safe."

Oscar’s green eyes scanned my face. "Are you saying our father is dead, Mama? Is he really dead?"

My throat closed. My hands ached to tell them everything, to confess the mess of my life, but the words would only complicate things. So I lied with the steadiness of someone who’d practiced doing it for their children before.

"Yes," I said softly. "He’s dead."

Oscar didn’t look entirely convinced. He was too sharp for that. He lifted his chin, and before I could stop him, he asked the question I had feared.

"Is Alpha Nathan not our father?"

My heart hammered so loud I thought they could hear it. I kept my voice level, careful. "No," I said quickly. "Nathan is not your father."

A tiny, incredulous sound came from Oliver. Obviously, he didn’t believe me.

"I did have a romantic relationship with Alpha Nathan once," I admitted, because folding every lie into more lies would break me. "But your father—your real father—was a different man. I... I made mistakes. I cheated on Nathan with your father. That’s why things were complicated. But he—your father—he’s gone now."

Oliver’s face crumpled. "So he hates you?" he whispered, the way children ask about monsters.

"Yes," I said, swallowing hard. This was actually not a lie. Nathan did hate me. "He does. He’s hurt. He’s angry. He may never forgive me."

They stared at me, with small frowns spreading across their faces. I could see the ways they were trying to understand the situation. I hated every second of the deception, hated that my guilty choices had turned them into collaborators in my escape.