The Luna You Betrayed Is No Longer Yours

Chapter 216: Chapter 216 Deep worry

_Rowena’s POV_

Mia kept weeping on the floor, her shoulders shaking violently as she pressed her forehead against my shoes.

"I can’t tell you, My Lady!" She sobbed, her voice trembling with pure terror. "If I say their name, they will ruin my family! They will make sure I am thrown out of the territory!"

I stared down at her, my eyes narrowing into two icy slits. I leaned over, grabbed her by her collar, and pulled her up until she was forced to look me straight in the eyes. The sheer coldness in my gaze made her breath hitch in her throat.

"Listen to me very carefully, Mia," I spoke, every word dropping like a block of ice. "The person who paid you is not standing in front of you right now. I am. If you do not speak right this second, I will have Kasper hand you over to the pack guards for grand treason against the Marchioness. You will spend the rest of your life in the dark cells. Talk!"

The threat shattered her remaining resolve. Mia burst into a fresh wave of hysterical tears, her hands trembling as she gasped for air.

"It was Alice!" Mia confessed in a high pitched scream, closing her eyes tightly. "... I used to work under Alice when she was still in the main estate before you detained her. She offered me ten thousand dollars to ruin your machine! She told me she wanted to make sure you never achieved anything good again.”

I paused, a flash of surprise passing through my mind. Alice. My fake grandmother.

I had completely forgotten about her since Drake, Virella and others issues took over.

I was actually impressed.

Alice had managed to leave behind a hidden sleeper agent right under my nose, and I hadn’t sniffed Mia out until the very last second.

I released Mia’s collar, letting her sink back onto the floor.

"Please, My Lady!" Mia wept, clutching her hands together. "Please don’t send me to the prison! I was foolish! I needed the money for my daughter!”

I looked down at the shaking girl, I had no patience for traitors, but throwing a useless pawn like Mia into prison wouldn’t fix my broken machine, nor would it punish the real mastermind behind this mess.

"I will not send you to the prison, Mia," I said calmly, my tone completely unreadable. "Instead, you are fired from the Ashthorne estate effective immediately. Every penny of your saved wages will be confiscated to pay for the damaged parts. Furthermore, your name will be put on the lower district’s black-list. You will never hold a servant job in any noble house in this territory ever again."

Mia gasped, her face draining of all color as the reality of her punishment settled in. For a noble servant, being black-listed meant total social exile.

"Now pack your things and get out of my sight before I change my mind," I added coldly.

Mia scrambled up from the floor, bowing frantically while crying, and ran out of the main hall as fast as her legs could carry her.

I didn’t waste another second feeling angry. I turned on my heel and walked straight back down into my subterranean laboratory. The submission deadline was only a few hours away, and my primary 3D printer was completely wrecked.

Most people would have panicked and surrendered. But they had made one massive mistake, they didn’t realize that I had already built a secondary backup core two days ago, using the sixty thousand dollars I had tricked out of Brielle. All I needed to do now was assemble the final housing casing manually.

It was going to take time, but I was going to finish it.

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_Alaric’s POV_

I stood near the window inside Aunt Kristy’s private VIP hospital room, staring down at the busy courtyard below. The atmosphere in the room was suffocatingly tense.

The three week challenge deadline had officially arrived, and the entire medical board was waiting downstairs in the main auditorium.

Aunt Kristy was resting against the raised hospital pillows, her face looking thin and pale. Sitting on a chair right beside her bed was Brielle, dressed in a white doctor’s coat, looking as polished and confident as ever.

Beside her stood a velvet-covered display case containing her entry.

My phone vibrated softly in my hand. I quickly unlocked the screen to check for a notification.

Rowena: “The machine had a minor assembly delay. I am running a little late. Start without me.”

My chest tightened with sudden concern. Rowena was never late, she was meticulous, punctual, and fiercely organized. For her to send a text saying she was delayed meant something serious had happened back at the estate.

"Alaric?" Aunt Kristy’s weak, raspy voice broke through the silence. She frowned, noticing the frown on my face. "What is going on? Where is Rowena? The medical board is already seated downstairs."

I lowered my phone, letting out a sigh. "Rowena texted me just now. She said she is running a little late."

Aunt Kristy’s face instantly hardened, a look of deep disappointment and anger washing over her features. She let out an annoyed huff, sinking back against her pillows.

"Running late?!" She fumed, her voice rising in frustration. "On a day like this?! This is the most important medical presentation of her life, and she cannot even show up on time?! It shows a complete lack of respect for me, for you, and for the entire pack!"

Brielle quickly reached out, patting Aunt Kristy’s hand with a comforting smile. "Please do not stress yourself, Aunt Kristy. Your blood pressure cannot handle any excitement right now."

"I am simply furious, Brielle!" Aunt Kristy snapped, glaring toward the door. "I am honestly starting to regret ever letting Rowena participate in this challenge! She acts as if this whole thing is a child’s game! A true Marchioness should be punctual, reliable, and serious!"

Brielle let out a sympathetic sigh, she turned toward her display case and gently pulled back the dark cover, revealing her silver prosthetic leg.

"Since Rowena is not here yet, Aunt Kristy," Brielle said, turning the display case toward the bed, "allow me to show you my completed design first."

Aunt Kristy turned her head to look at the prototype. The moment her eyes landed on the silver frame, her mouth parted in complete awe.

"Oh, my goodness..." She gasped, her anger instantly melting away as she stared at it. "Brielle... this is absolutely breathtaking! It looks like a work of pure art!"

Brielle smiled proudly, raising her head to glance at me with a smirk. "I spent days and nights perfecting every single detail for you, Aunt Kristy. Unlike some people, I take your health very seriously."

I couldn’t help but admit internally that the work looked perfect.

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