Aiden’s POV I stood to the side, staring at the pile of evidence thrown onto the table, stunned to the point of disbelief. I never imagined the one who hurt my mother… would be Taylor. That same girl I grew up with in Midnight Pack, the one who would cry her eyes out over stepping on an ant—Taylor—had actually harmed the woman she always called “mom.” “Taylor, you’d better explain,” I said, forcing down the shock in my chest, trying to stay calm. I wanted to give her a chance to explain. Because deep down, I still hoped this wasn’t her doing. “I… Aiden, you know how much Madam Regina means to me. How could I possibly hurt her?” I took a deep breath. “After everything, how do you expect me to believe you?” “I…” She wanted to say more, but just then, the door opened. Andrix came in with a nurse to check on things. He saw the tension in the room and chuckled. “What’s going on here? Why does it feel like a war zone?” “Andrix…” Taylor bit her lip and looked at him as if begging for help. “Andrix, I swear I didn’t kill Ruby or hurt Madam Regina. I don’t even know that person. Madam Regina and I are so close—why would I hurt her?” Andrix looked straight at her. “Of course I believe you. Here, let me see what this so-called evidence is.” He picked up the photos on the table, studying each one before casually setting them back down. “None of this proves anything. Just because you sent money doesn’t mean it was for murder. As for this photo of my mom—it's so dark you can’t even tell what’s going on. She’s clearly just checking the IV drip, not pulling it out.” Just a few lines, and the tide turned completely in Taylor’s favor. Taylor looked relieved as she smiled. “See? Andrix still knows me better than anyone.” I stayed silent and looked toward Raelyn. Her expression had changed too.She clearly didn’t expect Andrix to defend Taylor so strongly. “And besides,” Andrix added, “my mom hasn’t woken up. We can’t jump to conclusions about what happened.” Taylor nodded eagerly. “Exactly. Once Madam Regina wakes up, she’ll clear my name.” Raelyn frowned but said nothing. She must’ve realized it too—her attempt to expose Taylor had failed. I sighed and looked at her. “Then for now, there’s no solid proof that Taylor was behind any of this. Why don’t the rest of you step out? Raelyn, I need to talk to you for a moment.” Andrix’s POV I left with Taylor. Once we turned the corner in the hallway and saw no one else around, I dropped the fake smile from my face. “You really messed up. If I hadn’t stepped in just now, Raelyn would’ve completely destroyed you.” Taylor looked at me with genuine gratitude. “Thank you, Andrix. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been finished today. I might’ve even ended up in jail.” I scoffed. “So what’s your plan now? As long as my mother doesn’t wake up, there’s nothing Raelyn can do to stop you—even with all the evidence in the world.” Taylor hesitated. “But… she’s your mother. How could you…” I let out a cold laugh. “My mother? That’s Aiden’s mom. I’m not related to her at all.” Taylor stared at me, stunned. It was only after getting suspicious that I had a DNA test done—and the results were clear. I’m the outsider. I share no blood with the Alphas of Midnight Pack. No wonder all these years, they were lenient with me, yet kept their distance. I was never really their son. Taylor covered her mouth, lowering her voice in shock. “So… what are you going to do?” I sneered. “It means their lives or deaths don’t matter to me. I’m no different from you—just another pathetic stray Midnight Pack took in.” “And Madam Regina…”“You don’t have to worry about her. I’ll make sure she doesn’t wake up. Your job is to make sure that before Aiden or Raelyn finds anything else…” I didn’t finish the sentence, but Taylor already understood and nodded. “Got it. I have something to take care of—I'm heading out.” She left. I watched her walk away, frowning to myself. What an idiot. But before she goes down completely, I’ll make sure I’ve cleared myself of all blame.