Alpha's Discarded Luna (Talia) novel Chapter 239

Chapter 237

Talia’s POV

Electra leans over my shoulder, her eyes fixed on my phone screen. Her hair brushes against my car/and I catch the faint scent of her perfume.

“It is Richard.” She straightens up, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “He probably has some news for you again, right?”

“I am not sure,” I answer the call before the third ring.

“Richard.”

His voice comes through the receiver, warm and polite, like a cup of tea on a cold morning. “Talia, are you free lately? I would like to invite you to dinner.”

I blink, caught off guard. He has helped me so many times, warned me about Nick’s schemes, given me information I could not have gotten anywhere else. “You have helped me so much. I should be the one treating you.”

I think for a moment, running through my schedule in my head. “Are you free tonight?”

Richard’s response comes quickly. Too quickly. “I am free.”

There is a pause. I hear him clear his throat lightly, a fut of 523

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embarrassment in the sound. When he speaks again, his voice is more measured, more careful.

“My recent work has come to a close. I am free for the next little while. You can choose whenever you would like.”

I glance at the calendar on my wall. “Then tonight it is. Tomorrow night I have to attend Mr. Adler’s music symposium, and I am not sure if I have other plans the day after.”

“Okay.” His voice is deep and warm, like honey dissolving into tea. “See you tonight, then.”

“See you tonight.”

I hang up and turn to find Electra winking at me mischievously. Her eyes glitter with barely contained amusement.

I raise an eyebrow. “Why do you look so sneaky?”

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Electra gives me a knowing look, the kind that says she sees something I am deliberately ignoring. “Talia, have you ever thought about why Richard is helping you?”

I answer without hesitation. “He does not want to see Aires and Nick keep making mistakes.”

“That is just an excuse.” Electra waves her hand dismissively. “The three of them grew up as close friends. They have been 5:23

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Chapter 237

there for each other since childhood. Nick has caused so much

trouble, yet Aires and Richard are always cleaning up his mess.”

She crosses her arms. “If Richard really did not want them to keep going down that path, wouldn’t it be easier for him to just crush you instead of warning you?” She tilts her head.

“And he would not have to risk anything. Think about it. If Nick and Aires found out Richard betrayed them, they probably would not even remain friends.”

She pauses, letting the words sink in. “The only possible

reason…”

Another pause. Longer this time.

“He is willing to hurt his friends for you.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Talia, Richard might like you.”

୮

I refute her immediately, the words coming out before I can stop them. “Impossible.”

“Why impossible?”

I furrow my brows, trying to find the right words. “I am Aires’s ex-wife, and Richard is his good friend. How could he possibly like me?” I shake my head. “Besides, I have never been alone with Richard. Every time we meet, he is always polite and gentlemanly. He never shows any signs of affection.”

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Electra scoffs, but there is no heat in it. “When you were still married to Aires, he had to keep his distance from you. That would have been inappropriate.” She raises an eyebrow. “Now that you are divorced, Richard can finally start making moves.”

I think for a moment, turning her words over in my mind. But then I shake my head again.

“Nick is always putting me down in front of Aires and Richard. He calls me a useless fool with just a middle school education.” I gesture vaguely. “Richard is a man from a prestigious family. He has seen all kinds of beautiful women. He would not be

interested in me based on looks alone.”

I pause, feeling the weight of my next words. “I am divorced. I have a five-year-old child. How could Richard like me?”

Electra scoffs, louder this time. “So what if you have been married and have a kid?” She waves her hand like she is swatting away a fly. “If a woman is good enough, she can easily find a younger man. Even ten years younger.”

୮

She points at me. “Talia, you are so amazing. You deserve the best men in the world.”

I have to admit, I am somewhat comforted by her words. Only my best friend would think that highly of me. But it doesn’t mean I should also abandon my senses and believe her.

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That evening, I arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early. The hostess greets me with a warm smile and leads me toward the back, where the tables are more private.

I enter the dining area and stop short.

Richard is already there.

He sits at a table near the window, his posture relaxed but elegant. The soft light catches the angles of his face, making him look almost like a painting.

I walk over, my heels clicking against the polished floor. “Sorry, I am late.”

Richard stands immediately, his movements fluid and graceful. He smiles at me, then steps around the table and courteously pulls the chair out for me.

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“You are not late.” His voice is warm. “I am just early.”

I settle into the seat, feeling oddly flustered. I have never been in a romantic relationship before. The most I have interacted with a man is Rafael, but we are so familiar with each other that there

was never any romantic tension.

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Chapter 237

After I married Aires, we rarely went out to eat together. And when we did, he never once pulled my chair out for me.

Richard’s gentlemanly gesture makes me feel a little uneasy. It is such a small thing, but it feels significant somehow. Like he is telling me something without saying the words out loud.

I call the waiter over and turn to Richard. “Order whatever you want. Do not worry about me. I will pay for this meal.”

Richard smiles gently, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Alright.”

Across the restaurant, two young women sit at a table, their heads bent together. I catch snippets of their conversation, their voices carrying across the quiet room.

“So he already has a girlfriend…” One of them sighs, her shoulders slumping. “It looks like I have no chance now.”

୮

The other one nods, her eyes fixed on Richard. “His girlfriend is so beautiful… They really make a perfect couple!”

“Ugh.” The first one groans, dropping her fork onto her plate. “Why do all the handsome guys already have girlfriends?”

I feel my cheeks warm and look away quickly.

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Alpha’s Discarded Luna