Chapter 176

[Evelyn’s POV]

Caroline straightened her shoulders back and plastered on what had to be the fakest smile I had ever seen. The room had fallen silent with there being nothing but the ongoing click of her heels against the marbled floor.

She came to stand before Alexander and me while pursing her lips in her typical condescending manner.

“Well, I must say this has all been quite the surprise,” Caroline hummed. Her false delight was sizzling off in venomous waves. “I think it’s rather...Wonderful to see that you’re not actually trapped in that terrible wheelchair or in that ugly mask.”

I felt the sting of her glare when she’d spoken that last part. Now that it was me behind the mask, she was more than daring to let her opinions fly. Naturally, I couldn’t care less what Caroline had to say about me—whether the remark was meant to be direct or indirect.

I was still reveling in the fact that we had managed to shock both her and the King in one shot. Alexander, on the other hand, wasn’t able to keep things so lighthearted.

He grew tense beside me. There was no mistaking the low snarl that permeated from deep within his chest. This time, I had taken the chance to rest my hand on my arm to ease his tense nerves.

“So it appears that my wife’s theory was correct,” he slithered. “You were the one who relayed the rumor to the King. Tell me, was it Isabella who reached out to you or was it Samantha?”

Caroline narrowed her eyes. “Isabella, in fact. I’ll admit, I almost didn’t believe her when she told me this unexpected bit of news. I figured it was just the pregnancy hormones getting to her or something, yet here we are.”

This really sparked my curiosity. How close were Isabella and Caroline? Way back at the Luna gathering, Caroline looked as though she wasn’t willing to even acknowledge Isabella’s presence. Yet the two decidedly came together to try and break Alexander and me apart.

It made me wonder what else Caroline knew. Had Isabella called her to tell her about her monstrous attack on me?

Then again, had she known about it from Fiona?

My lips curled into a somber smile. “I’d say it’s good to see you again, Caroline. However, the last time we were in the same space, you and Isabella were trying to sabotage my relationship with Alexander.”

“I was merely trying to get my son to realize that he’d been taken for a fool by agreeing to marry someone who was just after money,” Caroline hissed.

I moved past Alexander to stand in front of her. “Money that I never saw,” I clarified. “Money that went directly to my brother’s treatments for the near-fatal condition he was left in because of your son’s malicious plan to kill Alexander.”

The older woman’s eyes widened. Her lips parted in shock. I accepted the small victory of being able to reduce her to silence. A woman who was once so proud to tear me down and make me feel less was now on the other end of the mockery.

“Marrying Evelyn was the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” Alexander stated. He turned to face the King and loyal counsel. “And I believe that it’s you who I should truly be thanking.”

Gregory kept his expression as stoic as possible. “Is that so?”

“Yes. I had zero expectations when the match was originally made. I always believed that I didn’t need a Luna, that it would only cause me nothing but trouble and inconvenience. But I’ve been so happy to be proven wrong.”

My heart fumbled in my chest as he went on.

“Evelyn is everything a perfect Luna should be. She’s compassionate and always puts others before herself. She thrives on learning new things especially if it means finding a solution or helping others. She’s dangerously intelligent but never feels the need to boast about it. Her priorities lie not with materials but with opportunities. She is every Alpha’s dream partner and I would not trade her for anyone else in the world. She is, in every sense of the word, perfect.”

Perhaps it was because I was not used to hearing Alexander express his inner thoughts in such an open manner, but I was truly taken by his words. I wanted to ask him if what he was saying was true. Yes, he’s confessed his feelings to me in the past, but somehow this confession felt so much deeper.

I remained quiet, not wanting to break the man from his train of thought.

“I cannot thank you enough for arranging this match,” Alexander concluded.

King looked deflated as he sagged back in his chair. “And here I thought you were looking to get a divorce,” he muttered.

“Divorce? Never. In fact, I was also planning on using this time to formally announce to you all that Evelyn and I intend to marry once more,” he said. “I’ll admit, our first wedding was less than ideal at the time. Having gotten to know her, I realized that I hadn’t given her the proper ceremony that she deserves.”

Not a single person had much to comment on after that. I swiftly took the chance to speak out to Caroline, who looked as though she was desperate to make a hasty retreat.

“While you’re here, you wouldn’t have happened to see Fiona recently, have you?” I asked.

I knew I wasn’t the only one who noticed Caroline’s complexion pale just a hint further. This time, she truly struggled to find the proper words to use.

“...No,” she answered hesitantly. “I haven’t.”

I innocently tilted my head, knowing fully well that she was lying.

“How odd. I know how close the two of you are. It’s a shame, there’s something I would have liked to return to her.”

“Oh? What may that be? Fiona isn’t someone who usually leaves her belongings behind,” she remarked.

“A rather sharp medical tool. Perfect creating fine lacerations during surgeries,” I told her coldly. “Considering she’s still on medical suspension, I’d hate to think that even now she was still being neglectful with her own equipment.”

Caroline swayed back on her feet. “Well, should I get the chance to see her again soon, I’ll be sure to mention it to her.”

I offered a small smile. “Much appreciated. Nevertheless, I have a feeling she and I are going to see each other again very soon.”

“Is there anything else you wish to discuss while I am here?” Alexander asked the room.

The Alpha King let out a long exhale. I noticed the way his gaze flickered over toward Caroline before settling back toward Alexander.

“It would appear not,” he said through gritted teeth.

I resecured the mask onto my face while Alexander gave our closing remarks.

“In that case, thank you for taking the time to see us. No doubt you have a busy schedule as it is,” he said.

The two of us gave a bow and turned to leave. I knew damn well that if I were to glance over my shoulder, I would have found Caroline glaring daggers at me.

Right as we left the throne room, Alexander slipped his hand into my own and led us toward the main doors. Oddly enough, I found myself wanting to stay back for a bit just to admire the various pieces of artwork. But I knew Alexander was eagerly looking to leave.

Just as we reached the door, a soft, angelic voice called out.

“Alexander?”

I turned to glance over my shoulder and felt my blood run cold.

Rena.