Oops… I Went Into Heat and My Alpha Daddies Claimed Me

Keisha’s POV

I almost opened the financial records immediately after receiving them, but the argument with Nadia was still bothering me. I knew she had acted out of anger because she cared about me, but I also knew she wasn’t wrong about what she said to me and I didn’t want us to leave things unresolved.

With a sigh, I went upstairs and checked her room, finding her sitting on the edge of her bed with her phone in her hand.

She looked less angry than before, although she still had that stubborn expression all over her face.

"I came to check on you before I start going through something important," I said as I walked farther into the room. "I don’t want us ending the day upset with each other because of what happened outside. You were wrong to hit that maid, but I also understand why you reacted the way you did, and I don’t want you thinking I’m angry with you."

Nadia lowered her phone and looked at me. "I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have hit her, and I definitely shouldn’t have gotten so angry that I stopped listening to you."

"Right. I totally get you too. The last thing we need is another problem because someone decides to complain that you attacked one of the workers. Callum already has enough happening around him."

She nodded, then shifted across the bed to make room for me." Come. Sit with me for a bit."

I settled beside her, resting my head slightly on her shoulder.

She was quiet for a second, her hand coming up to rest on my shoulders, fingers grounding me. "What are you gonna name the babies? You never answered me."

I sighed, knowing it wasn’t something I thought about much. My main focus was staying alive and keeping them safe. "I don’t know yet."

Nadia’s voice was quiet, almost amused as she pulled me closer. "I should probably just name them then. Aunty privileges."

That made me chuckle and I looked up at her. "Does that mean I get to name yours?" I poked fun at her.

She gasped like I had said something so out of line. "Excuse you, Keisha. And no, do not bring up Rhett. Just don’t. I can literally see what you’re about to say in your eyes right now."

That earned a full chuckle from me and I threw my head back slightly. "Why can’t I mention him?" I teased.

Nadia adjusted, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Because we’re not exactly a thing."

"For now." I corrected her with a huff under my breath.

We talked for a little longer, clearing up what had happened between us before I finally left her alone. I returned to my room and locked the door behind me before sitting at the desk with Klein’s file open on my phone.

I had expected the financial records straight forward, but what appeared on the screen looked nothing like the straightforward list I had imagined. There were strings of numbers, symbols and strange combinations that made absolutely no sense to me.

Ugh, why would he send me something like this instead of just straightforward?

I stared at the screen for several seconds before calling Klein. "You sent me nonsense."

He laughed immediately. "I sent you protected records, Keisha."

"So basically a string of rubbish?"

His voice turned teasing. "You’re supposed to be investigating people now. Surely you can handle a little code."

I leaned back in my chair. "If you wanted me to become a private investigator, you should have given me training before sending me this. I’m literally looking at a page full of numbers that I can’t understand."

He laughed. "Fine, you’re right. Now, stop staring at it and follow what I’m telling you."

Klein walked me through the process of decoding the information without giving me the actual contents. He explained what parts of the file I needed to examine and how the coded sections were structured, and after several failed attempts, I finally managed to get the records into a form I could actually read.

"There," I said, staring at the screen. "I got it."

Klein laughed. "See? Wasn’t so hard. Go through it and tell me what’s there. I know you’re curious as hell."

I ignored him and started going through the records.

Interesting.

Her spending history was remarkably ordinary, and there was nothing immediately suspicious about the amounts or the places where her money had gone.

Most of it led nowhere. Then I found one and I stopped scrolling.

The name attached to the transaction wasn’t Elder Osric’s first name, but the family name was unmistakable.

I read it again and my stomach tightened.

It could have been a coincidence. Families shared names all the time, and a surname by itself wasn’t enough to prove that Vera had sent money to someone connected to Osric.

I called Klein again.

"Did you find something?" he asked.

"Yes."

His voice became more serious. "What?"

I told him about the transaction and explained exactly what had caught my attention.

He remained quiet for a moment after I finished. "That could mean something, but it could also be completely unrelated. We need to establish who received the money before drawing a conclusion."

"Yes. It’s puzzling though."

He hummed. "It is. Don’t do anything until we know more."

I looked at the transaction again. "I’ll be careful, don’t worry."

We spoke for a little longer before the call ended, but I didn’t tell him what I had already decided to do. I needed to confirm the connection myself.

I placed my phone on the desk and sat back.

Dr. Fenn had died before she could tell us what she knew. That maid had gone to extreme lengths to keep information from reaching us. Someone had also tried to listen in on my conversations in the annex. Now Vera’s financial records had led me toward a name connected to Elder Osric.

I picked up my phone again and looked at the transaction.

What did this mean?