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But before he could continue, the door suddenly opened, revealing Emily, Lucas's companion. His eyes were filled with anger and suspicion. "I knew something was wrong," she said coldly, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Emily, it's not what you think," Lucas began, quickly standing up.

" Really ? Because it looks like a secret meeting between you and your ex," Emily replied, her eyes landing on Stella with undisguised hostility.

"Emily, please," Stella interjected, trying to calm the situation. "I'm just here to take care of his father. Nothing more. »

"Nothing more? Do you think I'm stupid? I know there's something between you two," Emily spat.

Lucas placed himself between them, his gaze determined. "Emily, enough. Stella is here to help, and I won't allow you to treat her like this. »

Emily stepped back, hurt by his words. " I see. So this is how it's going to happen? Are you choosing this woman and her children over our union? »

"Emily, you know it's not that simple," Lucas sighed. "But you can't keep treating her like this. »

Emily stared at Lucas for a long moment, then turned on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind her. A heavy silence settled in the room, leaving them both alone with their thoughts.

"I'm sorry about that," Lucas said softly, turning back to Stella. "I didn't want that to happen. »

Stella shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. "It's not your fault, Lucas. Emily has her own insecurities. »

Lucas moved closer to her, gently taking her hands in his. "Stella, I know this is complicated, but I want you to know that I care about you. More than anything. »

Their eyes met, and Stella felt a wave of emotion invade her. "Lucas, I care about you too. But there are so many things we need to fix. »

He nodded, his eyes shining with determination. "I'm ready to face anything with you. No matter what it takes. »

The following days were marked by palpable tension in the pack house. Emily carefully avoided Stella and Lucas, her cold, accusatory gaze speaking louder than words. Meanwhile, Stella continued to care for Lucas' father, her skills gaining the respect of the other members of the pack.

One afternoon, as she was leaving Lucas' father's room, she came face to face with Emily. The two women looked at each other in silence for a long moment before Emily spoke.

"I know you're here to treat his father, but don't think I don't see what's going on between you and Lucas," she said sharply.

"Emily, I'm not trying to harm you," Stella replied calmly. "I just want to help and then go back to my life. »

"Go back to your life? You've already upset ours enough," Emily replied.

"I'm sorry if you feel threatened, but I don't want conflict," Stella said, trying to keep her composure.

Emily stared at her for a moment, then shook her head bitterly. "We'll see. »

This confrontation left Stella troubled. She knew the situation couldn't continue like this indefinitely. She had to find a way to protect her children while navigating this emotional storm.

One evening, while the triplets were sound asleep, Lucas joined Stella on the terrace. "How are they ?" » he asked, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"Good," she replied with a smile. "They're adapting, but it's hard for them too. »

"I'm sorry about all of this," Lucas said, his hands shaking slightly. "I didn't want you to end up in a situation like that. »

"Lucas, it's not your fault," she whispered. "We just have to find a way to deal with this. »

He nodded, his eyes searching hers. "Stella, I want to be there for you and the kids. No matter what it takes. »

"I know," she said softly, touched by his determination. "But we have to be careful. For them. »

In the following days, tensions continued to rise. Emily seemed determined to discover the truth, her suspicious glances giving Stella no respite. For his part, Lucas was doing his best to calm the situation, but he knew something had to change.

One afternoon, while they were walking in the forest near the pack house, Lucas turned to Stella. "We need to talk. »

She nodded, feeling worry rising within her. "What is this about? »

"Emily," he said simply. "She's becoming more and more suspicious, and I don't want it to affect the kids any further. »

"I understand," Stella replied, feeling a knot forming in her stomach. "But what can we do? »

"I think we need to tell him the truth," he said after a moment of silence. "About the kids. »

Stella felt her heart stop for a moment. "Lucas, you know this is going to make everything even more complicated. »

"I know," he replied softly. "But I believe it's the only way out of this impasse. She deserves to know. »

Stella looked at Lucas' face, seeing the determination and pain in his eyes. She knew he was right, but the fear of what might happen paralyzed her. "Okay," she finally whispered. "We will tell him the truth. »

That evening, after putting the children to bed, Lucas and Stella sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Emily to join them. The atmosphere was heavy with tension and anticipation.

"What do you want? Emily asked as she entered, her tone dry and wary.

"Emily, there's something you need to know," Lucas began, taking a deep breath. "About the kids. »

She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. " What ? What are you trying to hide from me? »

Lucas glanced at Stella for support before continuing. "They are my children. »

A shocked silence followed his words. Emily stood still, her eyes wide with surprise. "What are you saying? »

"They are my children," Lucas repeated softly. "Stella and I... we had a history, and she had the triplets after she left. »

Emily seemed to stagger, as if she had just received a physical blow. "You have kids together? And you never told me? »

"I didn't know," Lucas said, pain visible in his eyes. "I just found out about it myself. »

Emily turned to Stella, her voice shaking with anger and pain. " And you ? You knew all this time, and you didn't say anything? »

Stella felt tears coming, but she remained calm. "I wanted to protect my children. I didn't know how to say it. »

Emily pulled back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I can't believe you both lied to me. How could I have been so stupid? »

"Emily, please understand that we never meant to hurt you," Lucas said, approaching her.

"Don't touch me," she spat, backing away again. "I don't know what to think anymore. »

Stella felt her heart break as she saw the pain in Emily's eyes. She knew this revelation would change everything, but she hoped that somehow they could find a way to

Weather this storm together.

"We have to find a way to deal with this," Lucas said softly. "For the sake of the children, and for all of us. »

Emily didn't respond, just stared at Lucas and Stella with a mixture of pain and betrayal. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and left the room, leaving them alone in the heavy silence of their revelation.

Stella turned to Lucas, tears in her eyes. "Do you think we can work this out? »

Lucas took her in his arms, squeezing gently. "I don't know, Stella. But I'm willing to try. For you, for me, and for our children. »

The first light of dawn was beginning to peek through the trees when Stella slipped out of the house. His footsteps were light, almost silent on the leaf-covered ground. She knew this was her chance to leave, to leave this pack and be reunited with her children. His heart was pounding, torn between anxiety and determination. She couldn't stay here, not after what happened with Emily, and especially not after the paternity of the triplets was revealed.

She reached the edge of the forest and turned around one last time to look at the house. Part of her knew she was leaving a part of her heart behind, but she had to be strong for her children. Breathing deeply, she turned and began walking deeper into the woods.

Suddenly, a firm hand landed on her shoulder, startling her. "Stella, where are you going? » asked Lucas' voice, low and urgent.

She turned around slowly, her heart sinking when she saw him. "Lucas, I have to leave. You know I can't stay here. »

"Why didn't you tell me? » he asked, pain visible in his eyes. "Why did you hide the truth about the children from me? »

Stella looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "I wanted to protect you. And above all, I wanted to protect them. »

Lucas nodded, his jaw clenched. "I understand, but you can't just leave like that. We need to talk about all this, understand what happened. »

"Lucas, I can't stay here. Not with Emily and everything that happened," Stella replied, her voice shaking.

"I know it's complicated," Lucas said, gently taking her hands in his. "But please stay. Just so we can talk. »

Stella sighed, feeling tears welling up. She knew he was right, but the fear of what might happen overwhelmed her. "Okay," she finally whispered. "But only for a moment. »

They returned home together, the silence between them loaded with unsaid words. Once inside, Lucas gently closed the door behind them. "Sit down, Stella. We need to talk. »

She nodded and sat down on the couch, her hands shaking slightly. Lucas sat down in front of her, his intense gaze fixed on her.

"Stella, I want to understand. When did you find out you were pregnant? Why didn't you tell me? » he asked softly.

Stella took a deep breath, searching for the right words. "Lucas, after our night together, I found out I was pregnant shortly after leaving the pack. I didn't know how to tell you. I was terrified and lost. So, I decided to keep it a secret and fend for myself. »

Lucas clenched his fists, trying to contain his anger and frustration. "You should have told me, Stella. I had the right to know. »

"I know," she whispered, tears falling silently down her cheeks. "But I thought it was the best thing to do. For you and for them. »

"What about Emily? Lucas asked, the pain in his voice evident. "She has a right to know too. She needs to understand why we got to this point. »

Stella nodded slowly. " I know. But it's going to be difficult. She's not going to accept this easily. »

"I know," Lucas sighed. "But we have to tell him the truth. This is the only way to clarify things. »

They spent the rest of the day talking, sharing their fears, their regrets, and their hopes for the future. Stella gradually felt calm, knowing that she was no longer alone to face all of this. But she knew the real challenge was yet to come.

That evening, Emily came home, her face closed and her eyes dark. She glanced at Lucas and Stella, sitting together on the couch, and her expres

sion hardened. "What's going on here? » she asked coldly.

"Emily, we need to talk," Lucas said, slowly getting up. "There are things you need to know. »