Chapter 83 Ty
TY
The heavy, uncomfortable silence nearly suffocated me as Liza, Dad, Isaiah, and Bryce gathered in my office. It had been several days since Zephyr had deciphered the letter, and Liza was now ready to make the call to her brother.
Excitement shone in her wide eyes, the iridescent blue reflecting in the soft glow of the sun through the office windows.
I took her hand in mine as I sat next to her at my desk. “Are you ready? There’s no pressure. If you’re not, no one is pushing you. I just want you to know you can stop at any time.”
She stared at the letter her parents had left for her. “I’m not going to lie, I’m scared, but I’m also really excited to speak to my brother... I have so many questions.” She sat silent for a moment, then she squeezed my hand. “Make the call, Ty.”
I grabbed the phone and dialed the number listed at the bottom of the coded letter from Liza’s parents. We’d agreed beforehand to have the call on loudspeaker just in case this was some ruse that might place Liza in danger.
In my mind, I’d imagined this, Liam sitting by the phone all these years, hoping to hear from a sister he assumed to be dead that he’d grab the phone up after only one ring, excited to be reunited. But instead, a woman’s hesitant tone greeted us.
“Hello?”
“Good afternoon. This is Alpha Keller speaking. May I ask who’s on the line?” I kept my tone light and friendly.
There was a brief moment of hesitation before the woman said, “Isabel Russell.”
“Isabel.” She certainly wasn’t who we were looking for. “I’m trying to reach Liam. Is he available?”
“Um, I’m sorry. We haven’t seen or heard from Liam in almost ten years.” Her voice quivered slightly.
My eyebrows furrowed at this revelation. In the letter Liza’s parents had written that she should phone this number to speak to Liam, and that he’d answer her questions. If he’d left ten years before, why not take the number with him? Why keep the number live but not keep it with you?
Liza’s shocked expression matched my own. She wiped a tear tracking down her cheek. It felt like we’d come one step forward and taken two back.
Considering the money recently sent to Liza, and that anonymous email, supposedly from Liam, we’d thought it meant he wanted some form of contact with his sister.
And if he was attempting to buy one of my factories out, he must be alive and well. Or someone was using his name. But why? There were too many questions that required answers. I needed to approach the situation cautiously, hoping to pull more information from Isabel.
As if reading my thoughts, Isaiah caught my eyes and made a subtle motion with his hands, urging me to continue pressing for answers. I obliged, leaning a little closer to the phone.
“Isabel, when exactly was the last time you saw Liam?”
“Right after our father died.” Her words were heavy with emotion. “Liam got the majority of shares in my dad’s company, and then he just… disappeared.”
“Can you tell me how you and Liam are connected?” Hoping not to upset Isabel, I continued to press on with the questions, praying to the gods I wouldn’t push her too far that she hung up. Liza needed answers.
She hesitated.
“Isabel, like I said earlier, I’m the alpha of the Keller pack. The questions I’m asking are related to a very important pack matter. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated.” I hated playing the alpha card but hoped that reminding her of my position would give her the nudge she needed.
After a long pause, she finally said, “Liam is my half-brother.”
Confusion rippled through the room like a stone thrown into still waters. My gaze fell upon Liza, whose hands were on either side of her face, her eyes wide and searching. For the first time during the call, she spoke up, her voice trembling with emotion.
“Explain, please,” she said, desperation lacing her words.
Liza pulled her chair closer to me, leaning forward on the table, her eyes locked onto the phone as if she could see Isabel’s face through the speaker. “Isabel, my name is Liza Keller. Liza Wylde. I think Liam is my brother.”
Isabel gasped. “Look, nobody else knows about this, but I’ve heard of you, Alpha Keller. I trust you’ll keep this to yourself?”
Liza was nodding along furiously, her eyes silently pleading with me.
“Yes, of course, Ms. Russell. You have my word.”
“When my parents lived in Heather Falls, my mom Heather had an affair with the alpha of the pack, Josef Wylde.”
Oh shit, that was Liza’s father. My stomach clenched at the revelation.
Isabel continued. She’d been holding on to this story for a long time, and now the words were tumbling out like a dam breaking apart.
“That affair resulted in Liam’s conception.
My mom knew the pack would be scandalized if the truth came out, so she kept her pregnancy a secret from him.
Everyone assumed my dad was the father.”
The weight of this information settled over us, thick and suffocating. It was almost too much to comprehend.
Isabel continued. “When Liam was born, he was strong… much stronger than my father, who was a beta. Liam was most definitely an alpha, and as male betas can’t conceive alphas...” Isabel laughed nervously. “I was ten when everything happened, but I remember it all as clear as day.”
If I was in shock, I could only imagine how Liza felt. “Please continue, Isabel.”
“Eventually, Steve confronted Josef Wylde, and the truth came out. They knew he couldn’t publicly acknowledge Liam, so he agreed to provide for him financially.
With each passing year, it became more apparent that Liam shared a strong resemblance to the alpha.
My parents knew the secret wouldn’t last long. ”
Slowly but surely, Liza’s past was being revealed like a puzzle, with each fragment falling into place. The hurt and confusion on her face tugged at something deep within me, an instinctual urge to shield her from the pain.
“Because my father was a beta, Liam needed a mentor. As it was the alpha’s responsibility to ensure Liam was raised to be a proper alpha, Josef started training him.”
So, that’s why Liam had been at the alpha’s house, and that explained Liza’s memories of them playing together. Her dreams had been memories of a brother who came in and out of her life, depending on when he trained with Josef, Liza’s father.
Isabel cleared her throat. “In the beginning, Liam didn’t know Alpha Wylde was his father, but he found out when he overheard my parents talking.
He was extremely angry. He didn’t understand why the alpha had disowned him.
In the end, he asked Alpha Wylde why he didn’t want him,” Isabel said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“Josef Wylde sent us away. He gave my parents money to take care of Liam and ensure that we never went back.”
“Why send them away? Was Wylde worried someone would find out about Liam?” I glanced at Liza to find her head resting in her hands.
“If I’m being honest with a more mature mindset, yes, that was probably part of the reason he sent us away, but there was more to it than that.
The alpha and his mate Portia had a daughter.
Liza.” At the mention of her name, Liza looked at me.
I could see she was concerned where this was going.
“Portia allowed Liza and Liam to play together.
Liam would see you when he went round for training, and you would play together while he was waiting for the alpha to begin his training.
“Alpha Wylde said we had to leave because of a boy named Castro. I remember him. He was a horrible kid—a real bully. He was insanely jealous of Liam and how close he was to you, Liza. Both my father and Alpha Wylde were concerned that Castro would come after Liam.” Isabel paused, lost in the heaviness of her memories. “It was too much of a risk to stay.”
A shadow crossed my mind as Isabel spoke of Castro and his jealousy over Liam’s closeness to Liza. His dangerous obsession with her had made her father fear for Liam’s safety. That was a fear I shared all too deeply.
I watched Liza’s face, seeing the anguish and confusion that clouded her expressive eyes.
“Liam resented Josef Wylde but loved you deeply. He knew that causing trouble would only bring trouble to you, Liza, so he agreed to stay away. He swore he’d return one day when he could face his father and Castro and get to know his sister again.
But then the massacre in Heather Falls happened.
Liam was devastated. He thought Liza was dead. ”
The revelation seemed too heavy for Liza to bear any longer.
A sob guttered out of her. She covered her mouth, trying to quiet herself, but her shoulders shook with the force of her emotions.
I wrapped my arm around her, gently pulling her close as I tried to offer comfort. “Isabel, please continue.”
“Okay,” Isabel said hesitantly, taking a deep breath.
“Liam focused on becoming a better alpha, using his pain and anger as fuel for his growth. He began working for my father, but as I mentioned, when he died, Liam just… disappeared. We know he’s alive because of the money he sends to us every month.
” Isabel paused for a moment. “Liza, when I saw you on the news, I was shocked to learn that you were still alive. I knew Liam would want to know, so I tried getting in touch with him several times. I couldn’t find him.
You were all over the news, though, so I’m sure he knows by now. ”
Liza tensed, her sobs subsiding as she listened to Isabel’s words.
“Thank you, Isabel,” I said sincerely when she finished speaking. “Your honesty is greatly appreciated. If you hear from Liam, will you please let us know?”
“Of course, Alpha Keller,” Isabel said as a goodbye.
I sighed, sinking back into my seat as Isaiah scribbled furiously in his notepad. He’d been taking notes throughout our call. So far, he hadn’t found a single trace of Liam Russell connected to the Russell enterprise.