0043.

A JOURNEY INTO THE PAST

(Author’s POV)

Zac's eyes narrowed as he listened to the Doctor's words. "Matilda sent Hailey away? She kept my mate and child from me?"

His heart raced with anger and betrayal. He couldn't believe the woman he once loved could do such a thing. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"How could she do this to me?" he thought to himself. "I trusted her, and she stabbed me in the back."

Zac's mind raced with memories of Matilda's deceit. He remembered how she'd convinced him that Hailey had left him willingly, how she'd made him believe he was better off without her.

"Matilda, how could you?" he whispered, his voice shaking with rage.

He wanted to confront her, to make her pay for what she'd done. But he knew he had to calm down first, think clearly. He couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgment.

With a deep breath, Zac stood up, his eyes fixed on the door. "I'll deal with Matilda later," he thought. "Right now, I need to find Hailey and my child."

Zac drov