Grey Blood - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Angelina sat frozen in the chair, her body stiff under Alex Grey's intense gaze. His large hands cupped her face so gently that it almost hurt. She wasn't used to soft touches—only rough ones, ones that left bruises and reminded her of her place.
Something in her chest twisted painfully.
She didn't know what to say, how to react. She had spent her entire life believing she was unwanted—a mistake, a burden. And now, this man, this stranger, was looking at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.
"I..." Her voice barely made a sound, but Alex pulled back slightly, waiting—hoping—for her to speak.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "You... you really looked for me?"
His whole body stiffened, as if the question physically pained him.
Then, his hands dropped from her face, clenching into fists at his sides.
"I tore the world apart looking for you." His voice was low, rough, filled with a quiet kind of rage. "I searched every city, every country. I burned down anyone who got in my way. And still, I failed."
Angelina flinched at the sharpness in his tone.
She didn't know what she had expected, but it wasn't this.
This wasn't just a father welcoming back a long-lost daughter.
This was a man haunted by his failure. A man who had spent sixteen years drowning in his own grief.
"I was told my parents didn't want me." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the second the words left her lips, Alex went completely still.
The air in the room shifted—darkened.
His hands, still curled into fists, shook.
"What did you just say?" His voice was dangerously quiet.
Angelina hesitated, suddenly afraid she had said something wrong. "I—I was told my mother died giving birth to me, and that my father abandoned me because he didn't want me."
The moment the words left her lips, something inside Alex snapped.
The room crackled with his fury.
His breathing turned sharp, his entire body radiating pure, undiluted rage.
And for the first time, Angelina understood exactly what kind of man her father was.
Powerful. Ruthless. Dangerous.
But not to her.
Never to her.
His rage wasn't directed at her—it was for the people who had taken her. The people who had lied to her.
He exhaled sharply, running a shaking hand down his face, as if trying to keep himself from destroying everything in sight.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was raw. Broken.
"Your mother died loving you more than anything in this world. And I..." He let out a bitter laugh, his eyes dark with grief. "I never stopped loving you. I never stopped searching for you."
Angelina's breath caught.
Her whole life had been a lie.
Everything she had ever believed about herself—that she was abandoned, unwanted, unloved—it was all wrong.
Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly.
She had spent years swallowing her emotions, locking them away so no one would see her break. And now? Now there was a man—her father—looking at her like she was his entire world.
It was too much.
Too overwhelming.
Her body trembled, the weight of it all crushing down on her.
She needed to get out of here. She needed air.
Her breaths grew shallow, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The room felt too small, the air too thick, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Alex's eyes widened in alarm. "Angelina?" His voice was urgent, bordering on panic. He reached for her shoulders, his grip firm but gentle. "Angelina, what's wrong?"
Officer Carter quickly stepped in. "Sir, calm down. It's just a panic attack."
Alex's entire body tensed. "A panic attack?" His voice was sharp, as if he didn't even know what that meant.
"She has asthma," Carter added, keeping her voice steady. "She told us earlier. But this isn't that—she just needs a moment to calm down."
Angelina barely heard them.
Her fingers curled around the edge of her sweater, gripping it tightly as she struggled to slow her breathing.
Alex's panic only deepened as he turned back to her, his hands hovering near her shoulders, unsure if he should touch her or not. "Tell me what to do," he demanded, his voice strained. "How do I help?"
Angelina squeezed her eyes shut. In. Out. In. Out.
Slowly—so slowly—her breathing evened out. The tightness in her chest faded just enough for her to take a deep, shaky breath.
When she opened her eyes again, Alex was still staring at her, his expression filled with something she didn't recognize.
Regret.
Anger.
Helplessness.
He was a man who controlled everything around him. A man who had power over others. But in that moment, he had no power at all—not when it came to her.
"I'm sorry," he said suddenly, his voice raw. "I didn't mean to overwhelm you."
Angelina blinked, caught off guard.
No one had ever apologized to her before.
She didn't know what to say.
But before she could figure it out, Alex turned back to Carter, his voice cold and firm once again.
"Get me my sons," he ordered. "Now."
Angelina stiffened.
His sons.
Her brothers.
She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready for this.
But ready or not...
Her world was about to change.