Rejected and Pregnant I Fled The Pack (Evelyn and Damon) novel Chapter 178

"Can you tell me," she asked quietly, looking at Marcus directly, "what actually happened? Between you and her, I mean. She told me so many different versions over the years, depending on her mood, on whatever she wanted me to actually believe at any given moment."

Marcus took a slow, steadying breath before answering. "We were together for a while, when I was young, considerably younger than I am now. It ended badly—she became increasingly possessive, unpredictable, exhibiting patterns I now understand were likely signs of genuine, untreated instability even back then. I ended things, and my family—" He gestured toward my father. "My family had already been warning me throughout the relationship, concerned about exactly the kind of behavior that eventually drove me away entirely."

"She told me you abandoned her while she was pregnant," Nadia said quietly. "That you knew about me and simply chose not to be involved."

"That's not true," Marcus said, genuine pain evident in his voice. "I had no idea you existed, Nadia. If she was pregnant when we separated, she never told me. I promise you, if I'd known, everything about the past twenty-three years would have looked considerably different."

Nadia sat with that, processing it slowly, and I watched her expression shift through several complicated emotions—disbelief, cautious consideration, and finally, something that looked almost like fragile, uncertain hope.

"I don't know how to actually believe anyone anymore," she admitted quietly. "She lied about so much, for so long. How do I know this isn't simply another version of manipulation, from a different direction?"

"You don't have to simply take our word for it," my father said gently. "We can arrange whatever additional verification you actually need—records, timeline confirmation, whatever helps you actually trust what we're telling you."

She nodded slowly, something grateful crossing her tired expression at that offer of continued, patient understanding rather than demanding immediate, complete trust.

"I want to actually know you," Marcus said quietly, leaning forward slightly, his voice carrying genuine, careful sincerity. "Not simply as some abstract biological connection, but genuinely, as your father, if you're willing to allow that possibility. I understand it will take time, genuine demonstrated trustworthiness on my part, but I want you to know that's exactly what I'm hoping we can actually build together."

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