The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 113

Ava’s POV

“Lilian, what is going on? Why are you crying?”

Isabella's voice cut through the fog of despair that had consumed me, her hands gripping my shoulders, trying to

steady me. | could barely see through the tears blurring my vision, but I didn’t need to look to know what had

just shattered me. The words | had overheard moments ago echoed like a cruel drumbeat in my mind, relentless

and unforgiving:

Ava Pierce means nothing to me.

I should have known, shouldn't I? Every tender word, every tough, every promise of something real-it was all just

a facade. A well-crafted illusion to keepin line, to keeptethered while he clung to the one thing that

really mattered to him: that damn contract. The one that keptbound to him, never ruly free. | had been

blind, foolish. And now | was paying for it.

“Lilian! What the hell happened? Did Grayson do something?” Isabella’s voice was sharper now, tinged with

anger, and | could hear her turning toward the house, ready to march in and confront him.

| reached out instinctively, my trembling hand catching her arm, stopping her in her tracks. My voice was barely

a whisper, thick with the sobs | couldn't seem to hold back. “Can you please call Rickon? Ask him to help us get

Jeremy. He has resources... He can help...”

Isabella's gaze searched mine, her expression shifting from concern to confusion. “What happened in there?” she

asked, her voice hardening as she demanded an answer.

| couldn’t bring myself to look her in the eye. The shame, the anger, the hurt-they all mingled together, choking

me. “Please,” | said, my voice a raw plea. “Just call him. Tell him what happened. | don’t care about the man, just

please... ask him to help Jeremy. Please.”

There was a moment of hesitation, a flash of uncertainty in Isabella's eyes, before she sighed and nodded.

Without a word, she pulled out her phone and stepped aside, dialing Rickon. | turned away, my gaze locking onto

the looming estate in the distance. It used to feel like home. A sanctuary. But now, it felt more like a prison.

He didn’t even cafter me. Not even when | walked away. Not even when | needed him most.

| closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. | could feel my resolve hardening. | couldn't stay here. Not anymore. Never

again.

Moments later, Isabella reappeared, slipping her phone back into her pocket. Her eyes were softer now, but there

was an edge of determination in her voice as she spoke. “He said he’ll handle it. Jeremy's going to be fine. But...

Lilian, will you please just tellwhat happened?”

| wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold the shattered pieces of my heart together, but they kept

slipping through my fingers. | couldn’t keep it in anymore. “I just want to go. Can we please just go?” | choked

out, my voice cracking..

Without a word, she nodded, her hand gently pullingtoward Ivan’s car, but | stopped dead in my tracks,

shaking my head. “No. | don’t want anything from him. Please... call a cab. | don’t want his help.”

Isabella didn’t argue. She simply nodded again, pulling out her phone to call a cab. The silence between us was

deafening, heavy with the weight of the unspoken. Isabella’s concern was evident, but she didn’t press me,

respecting my space as we made our way to the gates of the estate.

The cab arrived in a few minutes, and we climbed in, the silence stretching between us as the driver pulled away.

| gazed out the window, watching the scenery blur into a haze. The world seemed to be spinning out of control,

and all | wanted was to escape, to numb the ache inside me. Grayson’s words echoed relentlessly in my mind,

each one like a slap to the face.

| mean nothing to him.

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Finally, Isabella’s voice broke the silence, low and tentative. “Con, I'm dying here. What happened? You can

tell me

| squeezed my eyes shut, the pain in my chest unbearable. Grayson’s voice, cold and detached, played over and

over in my head. “He said... he said he was going to askto leave because mean nothing to him. That I'm

nothing”

Isabella's breath caught, and she reached over, her hand warm and comforting on mine. “Oh, honey...” she

whispered, the sympathy in her voice only deepening the ache inside me.

| shook my head vehemently, the anger building up insidelike a storm. “I can’t believe | was this stupid. He's

been gaslightingfrom the ve start, and | chose to look past it. | made excuses for him, for everything he did. |

let him manipulate me. And now I'm paying for it... again. I'm so tired of this. I'm so tired of repeating the same

mistakes.”

The words tumbled out of me, raw and honest, as | wiped away the tears streaming down my face.

| turned to the cab driver, my voice firm and clear, surprising even myself. “Sorry, but we're not going to my

place. Take us somewhere else.” | rattled off the address of a bar, a place where could just drown the pain, even

if it was just for a little while.

Isabella shota concerned look. “I don’t think this is a good idea. Maybe you should cto my place and

rest. Just... lie down for a bit. You don’t have to do this.”

But | was resolute. “No. We're going to the bar. | don’t want to go to your place. Not right now.”

Isabella sighed, her shoulders sagging with a mix of concern and acceptance. “Okay. I'll stay with you.”

The cab pulled up in front of the bar, its neon sign flickering in the fading light of the evening. The kind of place

where no one cared to ask questions, where you could be anyone you wanted to be, and no one would judge.

I didn’t wait for a second invitation. Pushing open the door, | walked inside, the low hum of conversations and

clinking glasses wrapping aroundlike a shroud. | made a beeline for the bar, slipping onto a stool and

signaling to the bartender.

“What can | get you?” he asked, his voice flat and impersonal.

“Something strong,” | replied, not caring what it was, as long as it would numb the pain.

Isabella sat next to me, her eyes soft with worry. “I know you're hurting, but | don’t think this is the right way to

handle it.”

But | ignored her, my eyes fixed on the amber liquid the bartender placed before me. It shimmered in the dim

light, promising temporary relief. | took a long sip, the burn of alcohol sliding down my throat, chasing away

sof the tightness in my chest.

Minutes turned into hours. With every drink, the edges of my pain blurred, faded, until it felt like | was floating in

a numb haze. The anger, the betrayal-they seemed far away now, replaced with a quiet numbness that |

welcomed, even if it was fleeting.

A man slid onto the stool beside me, his presence commanding, his eyes gleaming with interest.

“Can | buy you a drink?” he asked, his voice smooth, practiced.

Isabella's gaze snapped toward him, her protective instincts flaring. “She’s not interested,” she said sharply, her

tone making it clear she wasn’t going to let this man get any ideas.

But in my foggy state, | turned toward him, a reckless smile tugging at my lips. “Actually, | am interested,” | said,

my voice low, almost daring myself to be reckless.

The man smiled back, his eyes darkening with amusement as he picked up on the vulnerability | couldn't hide. |

didn’t care. | was done caring.

Isabella’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you doing?” she demanded, her voice rising in protest.

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But | waved her off, dismissing her concern with a slurred gesture. “I have a better idea,” | muttered, grabbing

the man’s hand and leading him toward the dance floor.

The music pulsed through the air, heavy and urgent, matching the erratic beat of my heart. The man’s hands

gripped my waist, pullingclose, and | didn’t resist.

He leaned in, his breath hot against my ear. “Do you want to chwith me?” he asked, his words laced

with the promise of escape, of forgetting.

For a moment, his words c through the fog, and | felt the faintest flicker of hesitation. But | shut it down. | didn’t

care.

In a reckless, desperate motion, | pressed my lips against his, the kiss fierce, urgent. Pulling away just enough to

whisper, “Yes.”

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