One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chapter 246

Audrey

Edwin and I settled at a little round bistro table outside the cafe. It was a warm, sunny day, and we were both eager to sit in the sun and enjoy the fresh air. We ordered a couple of sandwiches and two glasses of iced tea, our cups already condensating with little droplets of water by the time they reached our table.

I trailed my finger through the condensation, eyeing my mate warily as I did. He’d said that I would ‘want to be sitting down’ to hear whatever it was he had to say to me, but he seemed to be taking his time in telling me.

Finally, when Edwin remarked about the dessert menu for the third time, I lost my patience.

“What do you have to tell me?” I blurted out, then lowered my voice when I realized that other diners were watching

us. “You made it out like someone died.”

Edwin quickly shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that, I assure you,” he said. He paused and sucked in a deep lungful of air as he raked his fingers through his dark hair, mussing up the carefully-gelled waves. “It’s… about your past, actually.”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh? Don’t tell me I have another secret identity. Maybe the Golden Wolf this time?” I asked with a chuckle.

My mate smirked, but shook his head again. “No. It’s about your adoption. Your parents… they adopted you for selfish

reasons.

know. They wanted welfare checks,” I replied. “I’ve always known that.”

“But there’s more to it,” Edwin said. At that moment, he reached across the table and laced my fingers with his. Only then did my heart begin to pound, because the way he was looking at me just then was the kind of look he only gave me when he had some bad news.

And it was bad news.

Over the next few minutes, our iced teas sat untouched while Edwin explained to me what he had learned-what happened to human children in so many orphanages across Crescent territory.

What had happened to me.

essentially being sold off as slaves. I was one of the lucky ones, growing up with adoptive parents who just wanted to use my presence

make it any less

I leaned back in my chair, my eyes wide as saucers. Our sandwiches must have come at some point, but I hadn’t even noticed the waiter coming by. Suddenly, I had no appetite

Edwin

up at him. “Sorry? It’s not

shook his head. “This has been happening right under my nose for years. If I had only looked harder, if I had just paid attention, then I could

but I refused to let Edwin blame himself. “Well, we’re doing

Edwin was silent.

Chapter 246

are, aren’t we?”

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we speak. We’re going to work with Silverbite to begin a hiring process for new orphanage directors, and the corrupt ones will be

anything else,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t want to displace the

+5

endured, being separated from friends and siblings against their will. I also knew the pain of being happily adopted myself, only to be sent right back when the rug got ripped

Edwin continued, “there is still a long road ahead of us. Many of the orphanages are in shambles. Not to mention tracking

where I had grown up was a mess. My first adoptive mother, Meredith, had done her best during her time there, but… The director of the place had never funded any repairs on the building

orphanage was one of

up at Edwin. “If Crescent has the funding to do

But some orphanages, the really derelict

that, of course. It

I asked. “Will they go back to the orphanages? And as for the adults

could help with,” Edwin replied. “You know what it’s like to claw your way up after a rough upbringing. If we could make some sort of program for those who have

well as what to do with the kids who needed to be rescued from these bad situations. Edwin was right, we did have a long road ahead

promise to help whoever I could, no matter the personal

had helped me as a kid. No one-not my teachers, not my peers, not even

there were other kids who had no one to notice that they needed help, that

still didn’t