Alpha's Discarded Luna (Talia) novel Chapter 226

Chapter 224

Athena’s POV

+7 Bonus

The lights blaze down on the stage, bright and unforgiving. My mother, seated in the front row with her back ramrod straight, lets out a sharp sneer that cuts through the ambient

noise.

“What a joke.”

Her voice carries over, meant to be heard by all the

spectators.

“A middle school dropout trying to act like an elite guardian.

If it were not for Aeson, she would not have even married into

the Perseus family at all. And now, she is using our family

name as a stepping stone to climb her way into another rich man’s pocket.”

Her lip curls. “She is shameless.”

I shifts uncomfortably, my eyes darting toward Aeson. “Mom,

Aeson is right here.”

I speak in a hushed voice, urgently trying to remind her 15:15

+7 Bonus

< Chapter 224

about who else is listening to our conversation. “Watch what

you are saying.”

But mom shows no remorse. Her chin lifts, her vicious wolf

surfaces in the cold glint of her eyes.

“And what part of that was a lie? If Talia had even a shred of talent, would Aeson need to find someone else to compete

with him?” She sniffs. “Talia is nothing but a stain on the

Perseus pack name.”

I glances at Aeson again, my jaw tight. I keeps signaling to mu mom with frantic blinks, her wolf practically bristling

under my skin. “Mom!”

I hiss. Sensing the tension, Imema steps in smoothly, lowering her posture and softening her voice to soothe. “Aunty Diana, the performance is about to start.” She places a gentle hand on her arm. “Let’s watch first.”

Mom huffs but takes the excuse to drop the subject. Her eyes,

however, remain fixed on the stage with a strange intensity,

like she is waiting to rip their language- speaking skills

apart.

Talia and Robin begin their performance.

2/8

15:15

&

+7 Bonus

< Chapter 224

The moment Talia opens her mouth, the atmosphere shifts. Her beauty is striking under the lights, but it is her voice that

captivates everyone.

Melodious and rich, each word rolls off her

tongue with effortless grace. Her movements are fluid, her presence poised, making her a breath of fresh air amidst the repetitive performances that came before.

The audience, weary from the previous acts, suddenly finds themselves energized. Leaning forward, paying attention.

I have only ever seen this kind of proficiency in native speakers. Her pronunciation is flawless, her diction is crisp. Every syllable lands exactly where it should, precise as an arrow finding its mark.

It is a textbook–perfect execution, the kind that makes other

contestants shrink in their seats.

Robin does not disappoint either. His voice rises and falls with the right emotions, breathing life into the scene. He is not just reciting lines; he is acting. His delivery draws a few chuckles from the judges, a clear sign that he has truly

3/8

15:15

+7 Bonus

< Chapter 224

engaged them. His hands gesture expressively, while his face mirrors the appropriate emotions of the dialogue.

As their performance ends, the room erupts into applause.

Nick scoffs from his seat, his beta nature bristling with barely concealed hostility. “She probably just memorized everything word for word.” He crosses his arms. “I bet she does not even

understand half of what she said.”

My mom sneers dismissively.

“The bar for this competition is embarrassingly low.” She shakes her head. “People like her, who rely on tricks instead of real skill, should not even be allowed on stage. They cheapen the whole event.”

Meanwhile, the judges have already begun scoring. They

hold up their cards one by one. Ten. Ten. Ten. The scores

mount, unanimous and undeniable.

Then one judge raises a zero–point card.

The room freezes.

There have been plenty of terrible performances already.

4/8

15:15

+7 Bonus

< Chapter 224

Some contestants forgot their lines entirely, blanking out on

stage until they had no choice but to stop mid–performance.

Others stumbled through their recitations, their

pronunciation mangled beyond recognition.

Still, no matter how bad a performance was, everyone received at least sixty points as encouragement. A score of

zero has never happened before, not once.

The audience erupts into whispers.

“What is going on? Why did they get a zero?”

“Does anyone understand the language? Did they make some huge mistake?”

“That does not make sense. Even if they messed up, they still finished the performance. They should have scored at least

eighty.”

“Wasn’t Robin’s group pretty good? I even thought they did

better than Aeson’s team.”

A woman in the third row stands up slightly. “I understand Norvish, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with their performance. Nothing.”

5/8

15:15

< Chapter 224

Talia’s POV

+7 Bonus

On stage, Robin stiffens when he sees the zero. His small body goes rigid. His hand tightens around mine. I feel the tremor run through him, the momentary panic.

He is worried. Worried that he messed up somewhere. Worried that he dragged me down. Worried that his mistake caused a judge to give us nothing.

I glance down at Robin, my gaze calm and reassuring. I squeeze his hand gently. Bit by bit, I feel him steady himself. His breathing slows, his shoulders relaxing.

The judge who gave us zero is a man in his thirties wearing glasses. His nameplate reads James Scott. He holds up his scorecard with smug satisfaction.

“Ms. Jackson, I suspect you of cheating!”

Cheating?

Gasps fill the room. Even the other judges sitting beside him

stare in disbelief. Their heads turn toward him like a flock of

birds startled into flight.

6/8

15:15

&

+7 Bonus

< Chapter 224

Cheating in a competition like this is utterly unacceptable.

This is a kindergarten contest. Children are watching.

Children are participating. If kids are taught such underhanded tricks at this age, if they see adults cutting

corners and taking shortcuts, what will they grow up to be?

I don’t bring even an ounce of panic to my face, as composed as if we are merely discussing the weather. My voice is brief,

measured.

“A suspicion is not the same as evidence.”

Clearly, Mr. James had not expected this.

He had expected me to crumble- stutter, cry, oe beg… or perhaps, all three.

Instead, I’m standing calmly and his smug expression flickers. He sneers, recovering quickly.

“I heard you only have a middle school education. With that

level of schooling, you expect me to believe you can speak Norvish this fluently?”

He leans forward, his wolf pushing against his skin, trying to

7/8

1

15:15

&

< Chapter 224

intimidate. “If it was not cheating, then what was it?”

The room holds its breath.

+7 Bonus

“Perhaps,” I say quietly, “you should not believe everything

you hear about people you don’t know.”

James’s jaw tightens. His eyes flash amber for just a moment. He is not used to being challenged, especially not by

someone he considers beneath him.

The other judges exchange uneasy glances. The audience

murmurs. Somewhere in the back, I hear Nick laugh.

But I keep my eyes on James, steady and unblinking.

Robin looks up at me, and I see the question in his gaze. Are

we going to be okay?

I nod. We’re going to be more than okay.

X

special offer: 800 bonus free to you

get it

8 Write your comment

Gifts 5:15

< Alpha’s Discarded Luna

Chapter 225