Alpha's Discarded Luna (Talia) novel Chapter 39

Chapter 38

Aires‘ POV

My phone vibrates in my pocket the moment I step into the hallway. Leo’s voice is tight, strained in a way I’ve rarely heard.

“Alpha. We have a situation.”

I frown, still processing the scene I just left. “What happened? Why do yoursound like this?”

“It’s the videos. They’re everywhere. We can’t stop them.” He’s actually trembling. Leo never trembles.

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My blood goes cold. “I ordered all press conference feeds blocked. Nothing was supposed to leave that room.”

“We blocked everything from the venue. The live streams, the recordings; none of that got out.” He swallows audibly. “But these aren’t from the conference. They’re… Alpha, they’re on every digital billboard in the city. Every screen, be it subway stations, buses, elevators. Looping continuously. We can’t take them down fast enough.”

୮

The videos. The dashcam footage. Talia’s

evidence.

Playing everywhere. For everyone. Grandparents, schoolchildren, every

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person in this city who owns a pair of

eyes.

I turn sharply, pushing back through the door I just exited.

Talia stands where I left her, calm as still water. She’s not even looking at me–she’s looking at her phone, her thumb moving

across the screen.

“Was this you?” My voice is ice.

She looks up. No guilt. No fear. Just that same flat, untouchable calm. “Yes.”

Understanding hits like a physical blow. “The conversation. The conditions. The

delays. All of it–just to keep me

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occupied.”

“Exactly.” She sets her phone down. “You control this city, Mr. Jones. I needed contingencies. I wouldn’t have used them if you’d stayed out of it. But you didn’t.”

The moment I walked into that

conference, she knew. She adapted. While I thought I was containing her, she was already three moves ahead.

My phone rings again. Nick’s name flashes.

I answer. His voice is frantic, high–pitched with panic. “Aires! It’s bad–Imema went outside and got mobbed! Protesters, a whole crowd–she’s hurt, they’re taking 6:12

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her to the hospital now!”

My grip tightens on the phone. “How badly?”

“Physically she’s fine, but the press found out somehow. The hospital’s swarming with reporters. She’s completely overwhelmed, terrified—you need to

come, now!”

I glance at Talia. She watches me with that same calm expression, not a flicker of

concern.

A long pause. Then: “I’m on my way.”

I end the call. Look at her one last time.

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“You’ve underestimated me, Mr. Jones.” Her voice is soft, almost pleasant. “When dealing with scum, there’s no need for

restraint.”

Scum. She means Imema. She means me.

Something shifts in my perception. A

crack in the foundation I’ve built. For

the first time, I truly wonder: does she actually want the divorce? Is this real?

My phone buzzes again. Another crisis, another demand.

I turn and leave without another word.

Behind me, she stands alone in the empty room, surrounded by screens that just broadcast her victory to the entire city. 16:12

Chapter 38

Author’s POV

The giant screen outside the tower broadcasts the collision video on a loop. Pedestrians on the sidewalk stop mid–stride, their faces tilting upward. A man in a business suit squints at the footage, his coffee growing cold in his

hand.

“What’s going on?” a woman asks, her voice cutting through the city hum. “Someone caused a collision and just got away with it?”

The video plays again. Imema’s car swerves, a deliberate arc of metal, slamming into Talia’s vehicle. A young

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student points. “My goodness, that car didn’t even slow down before crashing! Isn’t this attempted murder?”

An elderly couple watches, the husband shaking his head. “Did they mistake the gas pedal for the brake?” He pauses, studying the straight, purposeful trajectory on the screen. “But look at that line. It’s obviously intentional.”

The screen flickers and the footage changes. Imema appears, tears streaming down her face. She clutches a bracelet, sobbing as she recounts how Talia bullied her. She claims she doesn’t have long to live, her voice cracking with pitiful desperation. She holds up the jewelry, galling it a Jones family heirloom meant:12

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for Aires’s wife.

Talia watches the screen from a bench, her expression unreadable. She might have given up on Aeson, but he is just a child, after all. the released video, any

mention of him has been edited out

carefully. What remains is Imema’s own words, her proudly boasts about how well Aires treats her, and that’s more than

enough.

The public erupts. A group of office workers huddle together, their discussion

heated.

“Wow, this Imema woman is something else,” one says, scrolling through her phone. “Judging by what she’s saying, she

Chapter 38

doesn’t look like a victim at all!”

Her colleague snorts. “Talk about brazen! She flaunts in front of Mrs. Perseus like

that. She must have incredible patience. I’d have slapped this Imema across the face ten times already.”

“Did you hear her?” another adds, disgust coloring her tone. “She said even if her precious Aires was in bed with his wife, he’d still drop everything and run to her. The audacity!”

୮

The truth spreads, and Imema’s manipulative words spark widespread disdain. But online, a different battle rages. Imema’s fanbase mobilizes, their comments flooding social media. Some16:13

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who ship her with Aires rush to defend

her.

“Talia stole Imema’s man first! This is just karma coming back around!”

Another adds, “Imema is just making up for lost time. What’s so wrong with that?”

“Aires doesn’t love Talia. Imema isn’t the

side chick, she was here first!”

“Talia, just let Aires go. Losing your marriage is nothing compared to Imema losing her life!”

The arguments escalate further, and that’s when the final bombshell drops: proof that Imema and Aires broke up long

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before Talia and Aires got together. Imema’s fans fall silent, their arguments crumbling into dust.

At the end, there is a black screen with the text typed in bold letters:

“Having collected evidence of the false rumors, online attacks, and leaks of her personal information, my lawyer will handle these cases. As for those who

assaulted me recently, I will make sure they face legal consequences.”

r

She sets the phone down. The recording ends. Outside, the screen cycles through the evidence one last time before moving

on to a commercial.

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Alpha’s Discarded Luna