Alpha's Discarded Luna (Talia) novel Chapter 224

Chapter 222

Talia’s POV

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Tantrum? He still thinks I am just throwing a tantrum.

I stare at Aires, and a cold, mocking smile spreads across my face. The sheer arrogance of it. The gall. He stands there, having neglected me for years, having let his family and friends treat me like dirt, having prioritized another woman at every turn, and now he has the audacity to call my pain a

tantrum.

“Aires, is this how you plan to win me back?” My voice drips with sarcasm. “Do you really think that just because you lower your head and say a few nice words, I will come running back like some lovesick fool? Ready to play housemaid for you again?”

He does not even bother with an apology. Not a real one. He does not mention Imema. He does not mention Nick. He does not acknowledge any of the specific wounds he inflicted. Yet he believes that a half–hearted show of sincerity will make

me forgive everything.

The confidence is truly something to behold.

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Aires frowns slightly, clearly displeased by my choice of words. Housemaid. He does not like that. Too undignified. Too

blunt.

After a brief silence, he finally speaks. “You do not have to do anything unnecessary. The servants can handle all that.” He pauses, choosing his next words carefully. “As for the Perseus Manor, come back if you want. If you do not, that is fine too. I

will deal with my mother.”

Oh, how considerate.

If only he had spoken up for me back then. If only he had defended me just once. Would Diana have made my life a living hell for so long? Would she have felt so comfortable relegating me to the role of an invisible servant in my own

home?

I stand a little straighter. “I am not going back.” My voice

is firm, final. “Aires, if you had crawled out of a grave after years of struggle, would you climb right back in?”

His tone turns cold. “A grave?” His eyes narrow. “Talia, for five years, I did my duty as a husband. I provided for you. I gave you a home. It was only after Imema returned that I got

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distracted.”

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He steps closer. “Are you saying that five years of marriage and our child together mean nothing compared to a few

misunderstandings?”

Misunderstandings.

I almost laugh. The word is so inadequate, so dismissive, so

insulting.

“Was it a misunderstanding when you gave our wedding to Imema?” I tick off on my fingers. “Was it a misunderstanding when you gifted my mother’s necklace to Imema? Or was it a misunderstanding every time you abandoned me in the middle of something important to go running to Imema?”

Aires has no explanation for that. His mouth opens, then closes. He stands there, silent, his jaw working.

After a long pause, he finally says, “We can still have a wedding. If you want, it will be even grander than before.” He says it like he is offering me a gift. Like I should be grateful.

My expression is ice–cold. “No, thank you.” I look him dead in the eye. “I have no interest in using someone else’s leftovers.” 3/9

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Aires’s eyes darken. “Talia!”

I do not bother with a response. I turn to leave.

His voice rings out behind me, cool and detached. “The Christoph Group will be bankrupt soon.”

I falter for only a moment, just a heartbeat. Then I keep walking. I do not look back.

Imema’s POV

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Nick pulls me aside while Aires is busy drawing lots. The hallway is quiet, most people already in the lounge. His grin is sly, secretive, like a cat who has caught a canary.

“Imema, everything is set.” He lowers his voice. “In this competition, Talia is going to make a complete fool of

herself!”

I blink. “Set up? What set up?”

I did not ask Nick to do anything. In fact, I have learned to be wary whenever he gets that look in his eyes.

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At this point, I have figured it out. Despite all the times Nick has tried to go up against Talia, he has never won. Not once. Every single scheme, every carefully laid plan, every attempt to tear her down has backfired spectacularly.

Every time Nick schemes, he ends up shooting himself in the

foot. Not only does he fail to cause Talia any trouble, but he

somehow manages to help her. It is almost impressive, in a

tragic sort of way.

The most ridiculous example? Talia had initially planned to

meet Aires for a divorce. A clean break. No drama. No fuss.

But Nick ran straight to me, claiming that Talia was planning a romantic rendezvous with Aires. Naturally, I rushed over to

put a stop to it.

Only later did I hear from Aires himself that Talia really had gone to finalize their divorce. If I had not interfered, Aires would have divorced Talia ages ago. And Talia never would have gotten that one billion dollars.

True, she did not keep the money. She donated it all. But without that billion dollars, her previous scandal would never have been overturned. She would have remained a pariah. Instead, she rebranded herself as a philanthropist. A charity ambassador. A woman of the people.

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She gained a massive following overnight. Millions of fans who adore her, who defend her, who will believe almost

anything she says.

The Thorne Group and the Perseus Group helped quell the backlash by promoting Talia. By boosting her popularity. By making her a hero.

They did it to save their own reputations, of course. But the result is the same. Talia is untouchable now.

She spent a fortune, yes. But she gained something far more valuable. Influence. A solid public image. A promising future. And a horde of die–hard fans who will swarm anyone who

dares to criticize her.

As long as Talia does not get caught in a truly catastrophic scandal, no matter what dirt surfaces about her in the future, there will always be a swarm of blind followers ready to

defend her.

If Talia and Aires had gone through with the divorce back then, there was no way she could have risen so quickly. She would have been a footnote. A discarded ex–wife.

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If Aires and Nick had worked together against her, Talia

would not have stood a chance. They could have crushed her. But Nick kept blundering, and Aires kept letting him, and

Talia kept capitalizing.

At this point, I am starting to wonder if Nick is secretly working for Talia. It is the only explanation that makes sense.

Nick’s smug voice yanks me out of my thoughts. “Imema, relax. Everything is in place.” He pats my arm. “That idiot Talia made the mistake of letting us know in advance that she is competing with Robin. Let us see how she survives this

one!”

I hesitate for a moment, chewing on my lower lip. “Nick, maybe we should just drop it.” I choose my words carefully. “A language competition does not require much talent or skill. Aeson has always ranked first in school. And Robin does not seem to be as good as Aeson when it comes to languages. Our chances of winning are already high.”

Nick gives me a surprised look, like I have just suggested something absurd. “Of course! Talia is nothing but an airhead. How could she possibly compare to you?” He waves a dismissive hand. “I just want to embarrass her. As for her

actual score…”

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He lets out a sneer. “If Talia memorized everything by heart, she might scrape by with a mediocre result, but that is hardly worth anything.”

I still feel uneasy about it. Something about this feels wrong. But Nick is already leaning in, his voice dropping to a

whisper.

He glances toward the waiting area. Diana is there, chatting with Aeson, too distracted to notice us. Good.

Nick lowers his voice further and lays out his plan. The details spill out in a hurried rush, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

As I listen, the tension in my expression eases. For once, Nick actually has a decent idea. A real one. One that might actually work.

I feel a slow smile spread across my face. “Nick, you are smart.” I shake my head, almost admiring. “Why did I not

think of that?”

Nick basks in the praise. His chest puffs out. His grin widens. He looks like a peacock showing off its feathers.

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“Just sit back and enjoy the show,” he says, smug and

satisfied.

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I nod. For the first time in a long time, I let myself feel hopeful. Let Talia try to squirm her way out of this one. Let her try to charm her way past this trap.

I glance toward the lounge where Talia is waiting with Robin.

She has no idea what is coming…

X

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