Rejected and Pregnant I Fled The Pack (Evelyn and Damon) novel Chapter 165

Damon pov

Three months had passed since Genevieve's transfer to the arctic facility, three months of intermittent, largely fruitless investigation into her fragmented claims about a hidden sibling, and I'd reached the point where genuine exhaustion had settled into something closer to skepticism than continued hope for actual resolution.

Ethan had grown considerably during these past three months, his small features already carrying distinct hints of personality, his grip surprisingly strong whenever he wrapped his tiny fingers around mine, and I found myself, more often than I wanted to admit, wishing I could simply focus entirely on him, on Willow, on Evelyn, rather than continuing to chase what increasingly felt like a delusional woman's unstable, meaningless ramblings.

"Any updates today," Evelyn asked, settling Ethan into his high chair as I sat down to dinner, the domestic normalcy of the moment a welcome contrast against the exhausting investigation that had consumed so much of my recent attention.

"Nothing," I said, exhaustion evident in my voice. "Callum's team has cross-referenced every possible record from that timeframe, interviewed everyone with even tangential connection to my father from those years. Nothing substantiates her claims at all."

"Maybe there's genuinely nothing to substantiate," Evelyn offered gently. "Maybe it really was simply delusion, exactly like we initially suspected."

"Maybe," I agreed, though something persistent and unresolved continued nagging at me despite the mounting evidence suggesting her claims held no genuine substance. "I keep thinking we should simply let it go, focus entirely on our actual family rather than continuing to chase what's probably nothing more than the fractured imagination of someone whose mental state had already deteriorated significantly."

"That sounds reasonable," Evelyn said, watching me with careful, understanding attention. "You've given this considerable effort, Damon. At some point, continued investigation without any genuine evidence starts feeling less like due diligence and more like allowing her continued influence over your life, even from that isolated facility."

I nodded, understanding the wisdom in that, appreciating her perspective even as lingering uncertainty remained present beneath my attempted acceptance.

Willow toddled into the kitchen just then, having recently mastered the wobbly, determined art of actual walking, and I felt genuine warmth ease some of my exhausted tension at the sight of her, watching her make her way toward Ethan's high chair with obvious, curious fascination.

"Baby," she announced, pointing toward her younger brother with obvious pride at having correctly identified him.

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