His Abandoned Luna, Her Disabled Alpha

CHAPTER 13

Her tearful eyes lifted straight to Jaxon.

"Alpha!" She cried. "I am only a maid. My words may hold no value, but I would never lie about my mistress! Miss Emma has been wronged, and I will keep speaking the truth, even if it costs me my life!"

"Myra, enough! Be quiet. I said we'll discuss this later." Luna Doris snapped, the sharpness in her tone revealed just how close she was to losing control.

Her usually gentle expression twisted into a panicked frown.

Reputation mattered to her more than most things. Jaxon wasn't just her future son in law, but also the Alpha of Moonfall pack. This wasn't the time to expose their family's discord.

Her intentions aligned with Luke's and now all she wanted was to wrap it up as quickly as possible.

"What do you mean?" Jaxon asked, rising to his feet. "Is something wrong?"

As he stood, Emma's hand slipped from his grasp and fell limply on the bed. Her fingers curled faintly into her palm, a subtle move that no one noticed.

Startled by Luna Doris' scolding, the maid dropped her head to the floor and burst into louder sobs.

"Ivy pushed Miss Emma down the stairs!" She cried loudly. "She was bleeding so much and the doctor said she'll need two days to recover. Miss Emma was supposed to attend a recital tomorrow... She was so exited and now she can't go!"

Jaxon looked around uncomfortably. He was well aware of the rumour that Ivy pushed her down but he didn't believe it. Not entirely. Ivy wasn't vindictive. She was stubborn, yes, but not cruel enough to harm someone like that.

Yet, the maid didn't stop. If anything, she grew more insistent, staking even her life on the claim.

"Good." Ivy said, lifting her chin, her voice steady. "Then let's see what evidence you have against me."

For a brief moment, recognition flashed in his eyes. He saw a shadow of her past self in that gesture.

Ivy had always been proud and would do anything to prove a point. When he saw her at the palace gate, looking so docile, he thought she'd been tamed by the beasts inside. But apparently, that wasn't the case.

She was still the same girl who had once climbed a tree just to prove she could, even though it came with heavy consequences. And now that she had been accuse for something like this, whether guilty or not, she would never bow her head and accept it.

"I said let it go, Ivy." Luke stepped between them, his patience snapping. "We've decided to end this here. Why are you trying to blow this out of proportion? Myra, go back to your duties. And Ivy, return to your room, now!"

"No." She said. The single word cut through his command, firm and unyielding. "I want to see the surveillance footage around the stairs."

The maid's hysterical sobs came to an abrupt stop. She looked up, stunned at her suggestion. Colour drained from her face and her body trembled as if it might give out beneath her.

"Ivy.." Alpha Victor ground out her name, his voice heavy with warning. "That's enough. What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm defending myself against baseless accusations." Ivy replied evenly.

She knew very well what defying him could cost her. Going against Alpha Victor wasn't a wise choice, it was a losing deal in the long run.

At some point, it transcended the will to clear her name and became something else. Ivy clearly realised by now that nothing was going to come out of this victory. Yet, she didn't want to lose.

For reasons she couldn't fully grasp, Ivy wanted to fight this battle to the end. Perhaps she was trying to reclaim the spirit she had lost within the suffocating walls of the palace.

Whatever it was, she refused to back down.

"Check the surveillance." She repeated, her voice firm. "I have nothing to hide."

Her gaze shifted briefly towards the maid before returning to Alpha Victor.

"Besides, she's a maid and I'm a member of this house. If she's lying, she should be punished severely. I learnt about it in the palace, Alpha Victor. Servents do not deserve to have a voice. They learn to rebel with it."

The maid's face turned ashen. Almost instinctively, her gaze flickered towards the bed where Emma lay, as if seeking silent help. The plea lodged in her throat, unspoken, as her heart pounded with rising fear.

She had believed Ivy to be soft hearted, someone who wouldn't raise her voice even if she was trampled on. But now that assumption had backfired, leaving her with no one to turn to.

She'd be finished if they saw the camera footage. A flicker of resentment broke through her tearful facade. She didn't sign up for this.

"M-Mom?"

A soft, dazed groan, followed by a cry of pain, pulled everyone's attention away from the maid.

"Careful. Take it slow." Luna Doris fussed, supporting Emma gently. "Does it hurt anywhere? Tell me if it does, I'll call the doctor back."

Emma looked visibly unwell. The usual rosy glow of her face has faded, her lips dry and cracked and her complexion dull. She looked fragile and pitiful.

"I'm alright." Emma said, glancing around at everyone, forcing a smile through the discomfort. "Why is everyone standing like this? I'm not dying."

Her eyes found Jaxon among them and brightened like stars. "Alpha Jaxon? Why are you back? Did Luke ask you to come just because I fell?" She let out a small, awkward laugh. "That's....kind of embarassing."

"How are you feeling, Emma?" Jaxon asked.

"Uh... I'm fine. I didn't break anything.. ah .. did I?" Emma winced as she shifted her wrist slightly.

Luna Doris immediately steadied her hand, her brows knitting together as if she could feel the pain herself.

"Don't move carelessly. It's just a sprain." Luke said, his tone soft but firm. Then, glancing at Ivy from the corner of his eye, he hesitated before asking, "By the way, Emma....do you remember how you fell?"