The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 287

-Ava’s POV-

“This is a disaster! We have to call the wedding off,” Isabella gritted out as she knelt on the floor, stretching her hand under the dresser in a futile attempt to retrieve one of her earrings that had rolled underneath.

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I rolled my eyes, choosing to ignore her dramatics, just as Eliza hummed in satisfaction while putting the finishing touches on my makeup.

“Are you people not hearing me?” Isabella shrieked, her voice rising with each syllable, “I said—”

“The people all the way in another country heard you,” My mother’s voice cut in, flat and unimpressed.

Isabella froze mid–reach before turning her glare on my mother, who stood with her arms crossed, looking down at her with thinly veiled disapproval.

At least it wasn’t directed at me.

Evelyn Pierce was making an effort.

She had even cut her hair–my Aunt Rosaline’s doing, as she had grumbled when I picked her up from the airport yesterday. But I had caught her checking herself out in the mirror more than once, and despite her complaints, she had been smiling.

I had taken her to the hospital to see her first grandchild, who still needed to be monitored, and she had almost cried. Which, of course, made me cry too.

I knew it would take time to truly move past everything she had done, the way she had treated me in the past. But she was trying, and in her defense, she had been kinder and more considerate lately. Isabella, on the other hand, had been on the receiving end of her sharp tongue, and I had wisely decided to stay out of it.

Isabella tore her glare away from my mother and turned to me instead, “Lilian, your mother is being mean to me.”

I pretended not to hear her.

Instead, I turned to Eliza, “Do you think I should add a little more highlight?”

Eliza, who had learned the fine art of avoiding drama, nodded thoughtfully, “A little wouldn’t hurt.”

My mother let out a small huff, and Isabella let out an even bigger one, “You are both ignoring me!”

“And what a blessing that is,” My mother muttered.

Isabella gasped, scandalized, “You see? You see how mean she is?”

“You’re being dramatic,” My mother replied, giving her a pointed look.

“It is not dramatic to be upset that my earring has disappeared into the abyss!” Isabella huffed. “And you, Evelyn Pierce, are just heartless!”

From the corner of the room, Mikayla, who had been pretending to scroll through her phone but was clearly enjoying the drama suddenly let out a snort of laughter.

That was her first mistake.

Both my mother and Isabella turned their heads toward her at the exact same time, their attention now locked onto a new target.

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“What’s so funny?” My mother asked, arching a brow.

“Yes, Mikayla,” Isabella narrowed her eyes. “What exactly is so funny?”

* .96%

Mikayla’s eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights, “Oh, nothing! Absolutely nothing at all.” She waved a hand. “Just, uh… allergies! Yes, allergies! You know, sneezing, watery eyes, and-”

cut in suspiciously.

“No, I-”

snorted while laughing.” My mother

did not! That was just–uh–air escaping forcefully through my nose due to–uh–seasonal

together, struggling to hold back my own laughter.

snort,” Isabella accused. “That was an 1–find–this–entire–exchange–utterly–hilarious

my mother

eyes darting like a trapped animal.

to decide if her answer was good enough and I sighed, finally deciding to save her. “Alright, enough. Stop bullying her,” I said, first to my

placing a hand on her chest. “Thank

overly dramatic. Just take another pair of earrings

the door cut

my mother and again,

stepped back as if sensing

Something felt off.

Something was off.

around, “Isn’t someone going to see who

smiled, “Why don’t you

crossed my arms, “Why do I have to be the one to open it?”

her feet. “I’ll

a step, my mother flicked her eyes toward her with

then, like a scolded child, she slowly sank back

Poor Mikayla.

regretting accepting my invitation to stay back here

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Chapter 287

up, “Well, since all of you want to set weird all of a sudden,

the door. My heart pounded for no logical

reached for the handle, pulled it open and

world around me idurred into nothingness.

me vanished. The voices.

last person I had ever expected to

His once imposing frame had shrunk, but he still stood tall. His eyes, once sharp and calculating, were softer. Weaker.

missed the first chance” My father said, his voice rough, almost unfamiliar. “And then the second

didn’t let

from my throat as 1 flung myself at him, wrapping my arms tightly around his frail frame.

caught me, his arms coming around me slowly, as if he wasn’t sure he deserved to hold

again. “How are you awake?” I pulled back just enough to look at him, my fingers clutching the fabric of his suit. “They said you’d never wake up” My chest heaved as the questions spilled

his suit hanging looser than it should have. The strong, untouchable man I had once known–who

someone else. Someone different.

but he

something first,” Hesaid, his

hesitated before

eyes searching mine, “I heard

caught in

with something unreadable, “I didn’t see it before. I refused to see it before. But I do now.” He clenched his jaw. “I was wrong”

in a breath, my grip

just at you. It was at myself.” He let out a shaky exhale. “That I had let one of my children be taken and I saw you as the

sound escaped me.

matter what they thought you were, no matter what I believed you were, you were still my daughter. And I failed you.” His voice cracked. “I failed you in ways I can never take

chest tightening so painfully I could

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