The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 23

-Ava’s POV

“I'm still trying to understand how your life got so interesting all of a sudden,” Isabella said with a tic sigh,

handinga drink.

I couldn't help but laugh, taking a sip. “If you count the absolute chaos I've been dealing with as interesting...”

She rolled her eyes and flopped down onto the couch, snuggling into the blanket she'd wrapped herself in. She

was right, though-Grayson’s mansion really did have everything. From an indoor swimming pool to an outdoor

one, and now this private theater room that Isabella had draggedinto for a binge-watching session.

In her words, “Grayson won't mind. You're going to be his wife anyway.”

His wife. The words still madetense up. | hadn’t seen Grayson since the moment I'd impulsively told him |

wanted to marry him in two weeks. And of course, he didn’t argue, didn’t react beyond a cold, calculated look

that barely gave anything away. He'd simply had Liam handa black card the next day to plan whatever kind

of wedding | wanted. Isabella was far more excited about that detail than | was.

Honestly, | hadn’t thought much about the wedding. Not since I'd blurted it out in his office. I'd put off any kind

of planning until next week because, frankly, the idea of it was overwhelming. | didn’t want a big event. Just

something small and simple. Besides, | didn’t have much of a guest list. If | was being honest with myself,

Isabella would probably be the only one there for me,

The thought made my stomach twist in sadness. | didn’t expect it to hurt as much as it did, realizing that no one

from my family would be there. The people who were supposed to loveunconditionally had turned their

backs onthe second | didn’t fit into their plans.

But Grayson had more power than my mother. That much was clear now. | had an interview scheduled at one of

the biggest medical centers next week. The blacklist she'd tried to enforce? Cone. Erased by a single phone call

from him. Dylan was nowhere in sight neither had | heard from him. Damien had called to check up onso

everything was fine as of this

moment.

still but fine.

Until Isabella brought up the one thing I didn’t want to think about.

“The ultimatum

quiet.

your

father us for tomorrow... what do you think he’s going to do?” she asked, her voice unusually

gave

| sighed, setting the glass down on the table in front of me. “They already disowned me. | doubt he’ll go through

with the threat. What's left to take?”

Isabella didn’t respond right away, the room falling into an uneasy silence as we both sat there, the tension

gnawing at me. | wanted to push it away, to ignore the ache in my chest, but | couldn't. My father had made his

intentions clear, and the weight of it still hung overlike a dark cloud.

“What are you thinking about for the wedding?” She asked eventually, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

“I don’t know,” | muttered. “Can we just watch the movie?”

But Isabella wasn’t one to let things go that easily. Of course, she pressed on.

“I mean, you have the black card! You could go all out, Lilian. This could be the biggest, most glamorous wedding

of the year. Just picture it-lights, cameras, the dress, the venue-"

| groaned. “I don’t want that, Bels. | just want something... simple.”

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“Simple?” She blinked atlike I'd just said | wanted to get married in a grocery store.

“Yes, simple,” | repeated, more firmly this time. “I don’t want a circus. | don’t need a spectacle.”

She looked atfor a second before narrowing her eyes. “Wait Don’t tellthis is about Grayson. Is he making

you feel like you can’t-"

“No.” | cut her off quickly. “It’s not about him. | just don’t want a big thing. That's all.”

Isabella raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. She knew better than to push when | was serious. “Fine,” she

relented. “But you're at least getting a decent dress. I'm not letting you walk down the aisle in something

‘simple.”

I smiled a little, grateful that she was trying to lighten the mood. But even as | sat there, pretending to focus on

the movie, my mind kept wandering back to Grayson.

What was he thinking? Why hadn’t | seen him since our conversation in his office? | didn’t expect him to be the

kind of guy who'd hover, but the silence was unsettling. It madefeel like was in skind of limbo-waiting

for the other shoe to drop.

| thought back to that moment in his office, the way he’d looked atwhen | told him | wanted to get married in

two weeks. There had been no surprise in his eyes, no emotion at all, really. Just cold calculation. Grayson was a

man of control, and everything about him screamed that nothing | said or did would ever throw him off.

That kind of power... it terrifiedand fascinatedin equal measure.

“Hello?” Isabella waved her hand in front of my face. “You're zoning out again.”

“Sorry.” | shook my head, trying to refocus. “Just thinking.”

“About Grayson?” She gavea knowing look

“No,” | lied.

Isabella rolled her eyes. “You know, for someone who's about to marry the most powerful man in the city, you

sure do spend a lot of tpretending like it’s no big deal.”

“It's not like that,” | muttered, sinking back into the couch. But even | didn’t believe my own words.

“Uh-huh. Sure.” She took a long sip of her drink, her gaze never leaving me. “Look, Lilian, | know this whole

situation is insane, and | know Grayson can be... intimidating-"

“That's an understatement.”

“-but he’s not the enemy here,” she finished, ignoring my interruption. “You're marrying him because you need

to. And let's be real, there are worse men out there.”

| knew she was right. But there was something about Grayson-something cold, something distant-that made my

skin prickle with unease. It wasn’t that | didn’t trust him. It was that | didn’t know him. Not really. And that he

somehow had this power over me.

And yet, in two weeks, | would be his wife.

“I just... I don’t know how this is supposed to work,” | admitted quietly, more to myself than to Isabella.

She glanced over at me, her expression softening. “You're going to be fine, Lilian. You're strong. You've handled

worse.”

| wasn’t so sure about that, but | didn't have the energy to argue

The truth was, no matter how hard | tried to push it away, the weight of what I'd signed up for was starting to

settle in. Two

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Chapter 23

weeks. In two weeks, I'd be-parried to Grayson Blackwood-a man | barely knew, a man who held more I'd ever

met. And once | was his wife... everything would change

than power

anyone

But what scaredmore than anything was the realization that maybe, just maybe, | wasn’t ready for that kind

of change.

Isabella shifted beside me, pulling her blanket up higher. “Chere, let's continue watching the movie and just

forget about it all.”

“Isn't that sweet?” a voice chimed in, and the lights flicked on. Both Isabella and | turned to see Monica, the

woman Grayson had kissed or had placed her lips on his in quote standing and I'd been trying to forget it. But

the thought of it grated on my nerves, like a constant itch I couldn't scratch.

Monica was flanked by Elaine, and together they projected an air of superiority that made my skin crawl.

“Excuse me?” Isabella shot back, clearly not amused. “We were watching a movie, and in case you're too

clueless to realize it, movies are better without the lights on.”

Elaine’s eyes narrowed at her, a flash of annoyance crossing her face, but Monica’s smile only grew wider as she

shifted her attention to me. “We weren't able to introduce ourselves,” she said, her tone dripping with

condescension. “I'm Monica. Grayson's ex-fiancée.”

The words hitlike a punch to the gut. What? | blinked, stunned, struggling to process the reality of her claim.

Elaine leaned in, her voice cold and dismissive, “Now the two of you strays, get out. We want to use the theater

room.”

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