NovelGoldChapter 87: Family Expectations
Chapter 87: Family Expectations
(Elena’s POV)
I returned to the Blackwood Ancestral Manor in the afternoon Grace Burton and several manor servants were
waiting foroutside the Manor Courtyard, nodding and smiling.
“Luna, the Elder Matriarch and Lady Blackwood are both in the Great Hall,” Grace said warmly.
| nodded and followed them through the familiar corridors. The weight of the supposed pregnancy news
hung heavy on my shoulders.
In the Great Hall, Margaret Blackwood was arranging cut flower branches, inserting them into a crystal vase with
practiced elegance. Victoria Blackwood watched her movements with calculating eyes.
Victoria's gaze swept over my lower abdomen before she slowly spoke. “How could you not tell us about
something as significant as carrying the next Blackwood heir?”
Before | could explain that | wasn’t actually pregnant, chaos erupted. Oliver Rivers suddenly burst into the room,
slipping past Manor Caregiver Sarah at the door like a small whirlwind.
| showed little reaction to his presence. | already knew Marcus had brought him to the manor.
Sarah realized her mistake and rushed in frantically. Im so sorry! Oliver, cback here!”
She tried to grab him, but he resisted with surprising strength for such a small child.
1 want to see Uncle Marcus! Oliver cried out, his voice echoing through the grand hall. “He promised to play
with me!”
Victoria's face darkened with displeasure. Without waiting for Margaret to speak, she stepped forward
menacingly.
“Sarah, how could you be so careless?” Victoria's voice cut through the air like a blade.
Sarah apologized profusely, her hands shaking as she tried to drag Oliver away. “I'm so sorry. Lady
Blackwood. It won't happen again”
Oliver continued to resist, his cries escalating to near-hysteria. His small fists pounded against Sarah’s arms
Victoria's patience snapped completely. She turned on the child with harsh words.
“You should be grateful for being allowed to stay in the pack territory,” she scolded coldly. “Don’t forget
place here.”
t your
Oliver froze in place as if struck by lightning. His face drained of all color, becoming pale as winter snow.
The change in him was immediate and disturbing. He even wet himself, the dark stain spreading across his
small pants
Victoria's disgust was palpable, “Disgusting! Get him out of here immediately!”
The caregivers pulled Oliver away roughly. As soon as they reached the door, he broke free and ran off crying.
his sobs echoing through the corridors.
Chapter 87 Family Expect
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Grace Burton efficiently had the mess cleaned up. She stood behind Margaret Blackwood like a silent
sentinel.
Margaret remained quiet for a long moment, her hands still arranging the flowers. Finally, she looked at me
and sighed deeply.
“Marcus's actions were inconsiderate, she acknowledged with genuine regret. “However, the child's stay is
temporary. Grace will manage him.”
She paused, her eyes meeting mine directly. “We'll ensure you avoid contact whenever possible.”
| was taken aback by her words. Was Margaret implying that | should reconsider the mate bond severance?
When | tried to speak, Margaret cutoff with a gentle but firm gesture.
She approachedslowly, her expression earnest. “You must understand that the Blackwood bloodline
cannot be left outside the family.”
| was speechless, feeling a wave of helplessness wash over me. Margaret was looking forward to having this
“grandson”
The kindness she'd always shownmade it impossible to reveal the truth about the false pregnancy. | couldn't
bear to disappoint her.
Seeing my silence, Margaret assumed | had accepted the situation. Her face brightened with rela
“You are the Blackwood family’s Luna,” she reassuredwarmly. “I will handle the others.”
Before | could react or respond, Margaret left the Great Hall with purposeful steps.
Victoria watched her mother-in-law leave, then approachedwith predatory grace.
“Focus on carrying the heir,” she urged, her voice deceptively gentle. “That should be your only concern now.”
| found my voice at last. “Do you truly wantto remain mated to Marcus?”
Victoria's smile was cold and calculating. “If you want to sever the mate bond, you'll have to give up the
child.”
Her words hitlike physical blows. “The child carries Blackwood blood and cannot be taken away.”
She circledslowly, like a predator studying its prey. “Mating isn’t just about love, Elena. Even love-based
bonds can fail in the face of reality.”
Victoria's voice took on a persuasive tone. “Accept a bond without love in exchange for a comfortable life.”
She paused directly in front of me, her eyes boring into mine. “Give birth to a male heir and your position in the
Blackwood family will be secured.”
Her expression grew distant, almost melancholy. “With age, you'll realize the unreliability of love.”
Victoria's face turned gloomy as she spoke, revealing glimpses of her own disillusionment with mating. But she
quickly regained her composure.
“Consider my words carefully she said curtly before leaving
After Victoria left, | stood alone in the Great Hall for several minutes. The silence felt oppressive, weighing down
on my shoulders.
Chapter 87 Family Expect.
Finally, | made my way to the Manor Courtyard. Near the Moonlit Garden, | spotted a small figure hiding behind
the flower beds.
Oliver was curled up and sobbing, his tiny frshaking with each breath. The sight filledwith unexpected
sympathy.
| instinctively wanted to comfort him, but stopped myself. He was Sophia's son, after all.
Then my healer’s training kicked in. The numerous old scars on his exposed legs caught my attention
immediately.
As a medical professional, | was sensitive to wound patterns. These dense, overlapping scars were clearly not
accidental injuries.
How could Sophia, who claimed to love her child, allow him to have so many scars? The thought of child abuse
flashed through my mind like lightning.
| hesitated for half a minute, then walked toward Oliver. He was still sobbing behind the flower bed, lost in his
misery.
| offered him a tissue silently. Oliver wiped his tears and looked up at me.
He paused for a few seconds, then pushed my hand away roughly.
“You're a bad woman!” he declared, his voice trembling. | don’t want your help!”
| didn’t argue with his assessment. “If | were truly a bad woman, | would have already kicked you out of the
pack territory,”
Oliver clenched his small fists but remained silent, his eyes wary.
“What happened to your legs?” | asked gently, pointing to the visible scars.
Oliver nervously pulled down his pants to cover the marks, fear flashing in his young eyes.
| sensed his terror and pressed carefully. “Is your mother hitting you?”
“No!” Oliver denied in a low voice, but his body language told a different story. “Mother loves me! She only hits
The admission made my heart clench. “Have you told Uncle Marcus about this?”
Oliver suddenly covered his ears, his voice rising to a shout. “Mother never hits mel Never!”
He ran away before | could say another word, leavingstanding alone among the flowers.
| felt like | was being nosy. He was someone else’s child, after all.
Just as | was about to leave, Isabella Blackwood appeared. She had apparently seen Oliver crying and
immediately assumed the worst.
“How dare you bully a child!” Isabella accused, her voice shrill with indignation. “Even if you can’t tolerate
Sophia's child, you have no right to drive him away!”
| scoffed at her assumption. “If | wanted to drive him away, you wouldn't have a say in it.
Isabella’s face changed color, anger and resentment warring in her expression.
“Don’t get too comfortable just because Margaret likes you,” she warned venomously. “Marcus loves Oliver
Chapter 87 Family Expect
and won't forgive you if he’s mistreated.”
| walked past her nonchalantly, my voice dismissive. “Feel free to complain to Marcus.”
(God's POV)
Isabella was outraged but realized that Elena was no longer the spushover she used to be. Her fingers. flew
across her phone screen as she sent an exaggerated message to Marcus.
She made it seem as if Elena had indeed bullied Oliver, painting the situation in the worst possible light.
Marcus paused in his office, the cigarette in his hand still lit. He had hoped Elena and Oliver wouldn't cross
paths.
He finished his cigarette slowly, then crushed it in the crystal ashtray. Without hesitation, he called Grace
Burton
has
“Keep Oliver away from Elena as much as possible,” he instructed curtly. “Elena is bothered by his presence.”
Sophia received Isabella’s message and learned that Elena had interacted with her son. However, she wasn’t
afraid that Elena would extract information from him
Oliver was very obedient, after all.
She dialed Nathan Sterling's number, her voice sultry when he answered.
“Is Heidi Cross still out of the territory?” she asked casually.
After the corrupt official was caught by Marcus, she had instructed Heidi to leave the Northern Territory
immediately.
(Nathan Sterling's POV)
| sat in my Observatory Healing Chamber on the second floor of the research institute, flipping through
documents with practiced indifference.
“My people are watching her,” | replied casually. “She won't fall into Marcus’s hands.”
Sophia's laugh was seductive through the phone. “We should meet up. We haven't seen each other in a while.”
| didn’t look up from my papers. Tm busy. If you're lonely, focus on getting into Marcus's bed.”
| chuckled at my own words. “If you want to becMarcus's mate, you need to work harder. Don’t just rely
on me.
Sophia's smile faded on the other end of the line. After | hung up, her fury was palpable even through the
silence.
If Marcus hadn't refused to touch her, would she have needed to seekout?
1 closed the call and opened Elena’s contact information on my phone. Since that day at her mother’s house, |
hadn't contacted her.
During the t| spent with Elena, | had realized that her relationship with Marcus was more complicated than
I'd initially thought.
Lhad us
her to upset Marcus, and | had succeeded in making him unhappy. But | didn’t feel as satisfied as | thought |
would.
Chooter 87 Family Expect
Every t| thought about how Elena and her mother trusted me, guilt gnawed at my conscience. | couldn't
imagine how they would react if they knew the truth.
Would they hate me? The thought madehesitant to face them again.
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