Abandoned While Pregnant, Claimed by the Alpha novel Chapter 30

Ashley’s POV

I saw the muscles on Brian’s face twitch violently, his sapphire-blue eyes filled with sheer, unfiltered shock. His grip on my wrist loosened unconsciously, and his eyes were locked on Leo, as if he could tear him apart with just his glare.

“What did you just call her?” Brian’s voice was so low it was chilling, each word practically forced through clenched teeth.

Leo didn’t spare him even a glance. Maintaining his respectful demeanor, he only addressed me-just me. “Boss, everything’s ready. The media and critics are waiting for your opening speech.”

To be honest, I felt genuinely happy in that moment.

My gaze swept past Leo’s shoulder, landing squarely on Brian’s face, which was twisted in a mix of shock and fury, though still undeniably handsome.

“Boss? What on earth is going on here?” He finally turned those blazing, angry eyes to me. “Ashley, you’d better give me a clear explanation!”

I gently pulled my wrist back and looked at him, my tone calm: “This is Leo, my assistant. And I,” I paused, savoring the crumbling expression on his face, and said clearly, word by word, “am the curator of this gallery and the organizer of tonight’s exhibition.”

“Impossible!” He blurted out, his voice filled with disbelief and absurdity. “How could you possibly be the organizer? You’re just… just a useless housewife!”

“You never told me!” he yelled again, his voice a mix of frustration and anger, like someone whose sense of control had just been shattered.

I let out a short, cold laugh. “Brian, did you ever ask? In this marriage, besides caring whether I could give you an heir or smile perfectly at some dinner party, have you ever cared about anything else? Have you ever truly wanted to know your wife? You’ve never treated me as an equal. To you, I’ve always been nothing more than a burden hanging off your life.”

I stepped closer, closing the gap between us. “Or, maybe, all your energy for understanding women has been spent on that other woman who seems to matter more to you.”

“Ashley!” Silvia’s trembling, tearful voice broke in at just the right moment. Her beautiful eyes instantly brimmed with tears, and she looked as fragile as a flower battered by a storm. “How could you say that.. I’m not the other woman, I just…”

“Shut up!” Brian snapped his head back and shouted at me, his so-called protective stance glaringly hypocritical. “You’re being too harsh! Silvia’s health… how could you use such cruel words against someone who’s unwell? You weren’t like this before!”

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Chaptay 3G

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow, almost laughing at how absurd his words sounded. “And what was I like before, Brian? Do you even know? Or is all you remember that obedient, trouble-free, perfect little Luna doll you liked to think of me as?”

I stared at him, the man I once loved so deeply, the one I thought was everything. That high-and-mighty Alpha. He always looked down at me, at everyone, with those eyes of his. He had never once imagined that the pebble he’d been stepping on all this time had its own world, its own brilliance.

He opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but before he could say anything, a louder commotion erupted at the gallery entrance. The crowd shifted, parting like the Red Sea, making way with a sense of

awe.

A silhouette appeared, walking in against the light with a calm, unhurried stride.

It was Herbert.

He wasn’t in his usual cold and distant black suit today. Instead, he wore a deep blue ensemble that brought out his refined aura, making him look even more dignified.

The moment he entered the room, every pair of eyes turned to him. The presence of a true Alpha-steady, commanding, unshakeable-swept through the space, easily drowning out Brian’s raging frustration.

And for just a moment, my heart skipped a beat.

I didn’t spare Brian another glance. Instead, I lifted the hem of my dress and made my way through the crowd toward the door. I could feel the scorching gaze burning into my back, but honestly, I didn’t care

anymore.

“You’re here.” I stopped in front of Herbert and raised my glass to him.

His eyes fell on me, and for a moment, there was a flicker of astonishment in his deep gaze before it turned into open admiration. “You look stunning tonight, Ashley,” he said, his voice low and rich, like the smooth notes of a cello. “You outshine any movie star.”

My cheeks warmed slightly. Brian and Herbert were both Alphas, yet they were worlds apart.

Brian only ever put me down, controlled me, dismissed me, or barked orders.

Herbert, on the other hand, appreciated my worth. He gave me the freedom to choose and respected my independence.

“It seems we’re quite in sync,” he said suddenly, a sly smile playing on his lips. Then, from behind his back, he revealed an elegant velvet box. “This little present I brought matches your dress perfectly.”

When he opened the box, my breath caught entirely.

It was a brooch.

A rose-shaped brooch, adorned with rubies and tiny diamonds.

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Chapter 30

The blood rushed to my head in an instant, and a wave of heat surged into my eyes. It was my mother’s possession. After my father passed away in that accident, I was forced to marry Brian in a nearly disgraceful union. My uncle forbade me from taking anything valuable from the Silvermoon Pack, including this brooch my mother had loved so dearly.

I thought I’d never see it again.

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