Alpha's Discarded Luna (Talia) novel Chapter 235

Chapter 233

Talia’s POV

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Two days later, my phone rings. Rafael’s name flashes across the screen. I answer, and his voice comes through, warm but

strained.

“Talia, I managed to get an invitation to Mr. Adler’s music symposium.” He pauses. “I will have someone deliver it to you

tomorrow.”

I instinctively ask, “What about you? Are not you going?”

“I only have one invitation.” Rafael’s voice is low, almost apologetic. “I have been to enough music symposiums. You

need this invitation more than I do.”

Rafael is not as powerful as Aires. He cannot simply use his influence to get invitations the way the Perseus family can. He had to pull strings, call in favors, work through channels. And even then, he only managed to secure this single one.

“Rafael, you can keep it.” I smile, even though he cannot see me. “I already have one.”

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Rafael is taken aback. I can hear the surprise in his voice.

“Talia, how did you get it?”

I explain in detail how I obtained the invitation from Noah. The chance encounter. The unexpected offer. The translation work that came with it. By the time I finish, Rafael has fallen

silent for a long time.

When he speaks again, his voice sounds gloomy. Heavy.

“Talia, I am sorry.”

I am puzzled. “Rafael?”

“I have been useless during all the troubles you have been going through.” His words come out slowly, like each one costs him something. “Talia, I am sorry. I have not been able

to help you.”

I smile and shake my head, even though he cannot see it.

“Rafael, why are you saying that?”

My voice softens. “Back then, my mother passed away

suddenly, and I was kicked out by the Nelson family. If it were

not for your help, I would have ended up homeless. I might

not even have gotten the chance to see my mother one last

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But Rafael is not comforted by my words. If anything, his guilt seems to deepen.

“I still feel useless.” His voice is barely above a whisper. “I could not protect you then. And I did not protect your mother

either. Even when she was diagnosed with a terminal illness, I

did not know.”

“Rafael, this has nothing to do with you.” I keep my voice

steady, firm. “You do not need to blame yourself.”

My mother kept her illness a secret from everyone. She was determined to face it alone, to spare me the pain of watching

her fade. In fact, to keep me from worrying, she even

arranged for me to live with the Nelson family. She thought being with them would protect me. She was wrong, but her

intentions were pure.

My mother raised me on her own. But unlike the typical sad

stories in soap operas, we were far from poor. We could be

considered a moderately wealthy family, comfortable and

secure. Otherwise, she would not have been able to fund

Rafael the way she did.

She took a large sum of money with her before leaving the

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Nelson Manor. She was not foolish. She planned for the

future.

She was also a talented pianist, able to earn a decent

income from both performances and teaching students. Her

skills were in demand. Her reputation preceded her.

Thus, I never lacked anything in terms of food and clothing. My mother always gave me the best, within her means. She

was careful, deliberate, thoughtful.

As I grew older, I developed a sense of thriftiness. I once told my mother I did not need only the best. I said it embarrassed me, standing out from other children.

But my mother always insisted. She said it was to expand

my horizons. She did not want her daughter to be easily

deceived by small gestures from men when she grew older. A bouquet of flowers. A box of chocolates. A pretty dress. She

wanted me to see those things for what they were. Trinkets.

She also frequently took me on trips. Fashion exhibitions.

Concerts. Cultural festivals. She ensured that I was exposed

to a wide range of experiences, that my world was not small

and confined.

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At the same time, my mother’s expectations for me were

extremely high. She did not slack off in my education just because I was a piano prodigy. Talent was not enough, she said. Talent without discipline was wasted potential.

I learned multiple languages from an early age, just like

Aeson does now. As I started school, I was consistently at the

top of my class. Not because I was smarter than everyone

else, but because I worked harder. Because my mother

demanded excellence.

Aside from academic studies, my mother signed me up for various extracurricular activities. Painting. Calligraphy. Etiquette. Dance. My adolescence was nearly filled to

bursting. There was always somewhere to be, something to

practice, someone to impress.

The concept of relationships never crossed my mind. I simply

did not have time for them. Boys were distractions. Romance

was inefficient.

Back then, I did not understand why my mother had such

high standards for me. I resented it sometimes. I wanted to

be normal. I wanted to sleep in on weekends.

But returning to the Nelson Manor, I finally understood her 5/7

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< Chapter 233

At the same time, my mother’s expectations for me were extremely high. She did not slack off in my education just because I was a piano prodigy. Talent was not enough, she said. Talent without discipline was wasted potential.

I learned multiple languages from an early age, just like Aeson does now. As I started school, I was consistently at the

top of my class. Not because I was smarter than everyone

else, but because I worked harder. Because my mother

demanded excellence.

Aside from academic studies, my mother signed me up

for various extracurricular activities. Painting. Calligraphy. Etiquette. Dance. My adolescence was nearly filled to bursting. There was always somewhere to be, something to

practice, someone to impress.

The concept of relationships never crossed my mind. I simply

did not have time for them. Boys were distractions. Romance

was inefficient.

Back then, I did not understand why my mother had such

high standards for me. I resented it sometimes. I wanted to

be normal. I wanted to sleep in on weekends.

But returning to the Nelson Manor, I finally understood her

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15:20

&

+7 Bonus

< Chapter 233

intentions. She had been raising me as a true lady. Preparing me for a world she knew I might one day have to navigate.

She took me to see the world, so my perspectives were much broader than ordinary people’s. She showed me art and music and culture, so I would never feel small in grand

spaces.

In the past, I thought my life was already very good. I was grateful for what I had.

But returning to the Nelson Manor, I realized what true

wealth really looked like. Even my own room there was

bigger than my entire previous home. A vase casually placed

in the corner of the room was worth millions of dollars. The

house we lived in had surpassed the definition of a mansion.

It was more like a manor. A castle.

took twenty minutes by car just to drive from the gate to the main residence. The property was so vast it was almost

unimaginable.

Under my mother’s influence, I had grown up feeling

confident and excellent. I never knew what it felt like to be

inferior.

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But after returning to the Nelson Manor, I experienced that

emotion for the first time. The weight of it pressed down

on my chest. The walls were too high. The ceilings were too

tall. Everything I owned, everything I was, seemed small in

comparison.

I didn’t belong there, my mother knew that. But she tried to

prepare me anyway.

And now, years later, I’m still learning what she was trying to

teach me.

B

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