Alpha's Discarded Luna (Talia) novel Chapter 41

Chapter 40

Talia’s POV

The explosion from my video ripples outward like shockwaves from a bomb. Aires manages to suppress the online chatter within a day: his resources are vast, his reach endless. But he can’t unsave what people have already downloaded. Private groups buzz with gleeful sharing. Screenshots fly through encrypted channels.

His business partners start calling. Delicate inquiries, veiled questions about “what really happened.” Even the gossip accounts, though quickly shut down, achieve peak virality before they vanish. 13

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My name trends alongside his, and for once, it’s not as the villain.

Aires Jones. The golden boy. The untouchable tycoon. Young, handsome, legendary. Every woman’s dream, every magazine’s cover story. His perfect image has shattered, and the pieces are sharp.

The Jones Group stock trembles.

And then, inevitably, the phone rings.

I recognize the number. I’ve dreaded it for five years.

“Talia.” Diana’s voice drips with venom, even through the speaker. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? The Jones 16:13

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Group could collapse because of your little stunt. Get back to the manor immediately. I’ve already arranged reporters. You will publicly clarify that everything you said was nonsense–a desperate bid for my son’s attention.”

I say nothing. Let her exhaust herself.

“You shameless girl. You clung to my son to climb the social ladder, refused to work, squandered his money, and now you stab him in the back?” Her voice rises, shrill with outrage. “Let me be clear—if the Jones Group suffers even one penny of loss because of you, I’ll throw you out on the streets myself!”

listen, expressionless. This is the woman

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who has tormented me for five years. Who

made me “learn rules” by forcing me to cook and clean while the family dined.

Who told me I didn’t deserve a seat at

their table. Who watched me serve them

like a maid while she criticized every

When Imema returned, Diana didn’t

dish.

warn Aires or rein him in. She mocked me

instead. Your fault for not keeping him. You deserve to be abandoned.

I endured it all. Told myself she was his mother, my elder, deserving of respect. Told myself not to put Aires in difficult positions.

No more.

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“I’m not coming back.” My voice is ice. No careful weighing of words, no desperate need to please. “And please, throw me out as soon as possible. Being Aires’s wife is humiliating.”

Before she can respond, I end the call.

Diana’s POV

I stare at the phone in my hand, stunned silence stretching into disbelief. The dial tone buzzes mockingly in my ear. She hung up on me. That mouse, that insignificant little gold–digger, actually dared to hang up on me.

“Mom?” Athena’s voice cuts through my fog She’s lounging on the settee, sqrolling

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through her phone, completely oblivious to my internal explosion.

“Is Talia coming later? I’ve been craving those pastries she makes, you know, the ones with the almond cream inside? If

she’s coming, make sure she bakes some. The kitchen staff can never get the texture right.”

My daughter sips her tea, eyes still on her screen. Always thinking with her stomach, treating Talia like hired help—which, to be fair, is exactly what she is in this family.

I snap back to reality, fury rushing in to fill the void left by disbelief. “That ingrate actually hung up on me! Said she’s,

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waiting to be kicked out of this family! As if I haven’t been tolerating her presence for five years out of pure charity!” I set the phone down with more force than necessary. “I’ve been too soft with her lately, so much that she has forgotten her place entirely!”

Athena finally looks up, waving a dismissive hand. “She’s bluffing, Mother. After scheming her way into marrying Aires, she’d never willingly leave. Where would she go? What would she do?” She has nothing: no career, no family connections, no money of her own. And

there’s Aeson to consider.”

She sighs, setting down her teacup. “Though I can’t completely blame her for13

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being upset. Aires is a bit excessive with Imema. Anyone watching would think she’s the wife, the way he is always hovering around her, like she’s going to crumble into dust at any moment. Maybe Talia’s just, you know, asserting herself. Making sure people remember she’s Mrs. Jones.”

I snort, reaching for my coffee.

“And what will that achieve? She is not a

wife in my eyes. She never was. A wedding certificate doesn’t make someone family. And Imema’s no better-”

“Mom!” Athena gasps, “Isn’t she aunt Vi’s daughter? How can you say she’s as bad as that witch?”

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“Well, technically, she is my late best friend’s daughter, so I can tolerate her presence. And according to Aires, she doesn’t have long left, so she’s not worth any more of my attention or energy.”

Athena watches me carefully.

“Still, she might serve a purpose. Eroding whatever feelings remain between Talia and Aires, softening the ground for his next relationship-”

Athena’s eyes widen. “Mother, you’re not thinking-”

“Think about it.” I cut her off smoothly, laying out the logic like a business

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proposal. “With Aires’s status, his connections, his position, even divorced, even with a child, there’s no shortage of suitable women. Heiresses from good families. Women with proper educations, proper backgrounds. Women who can bring something to this family besides a pretty face and decent cooking skills.”

I let the words hang, watching understanding dawn on Athena’s face.

“I showed Talia a small kindness for

Aeson’s sake,” I continue, my voice hardening. “I let her attend family gatherings. I stopped making her stand during meals. And now she thinks she can challenge me? Hang up on me? Make demands?” A cold laugh escapes me. “She

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needs to look in a mirror and assess her

actual worth before she starts making ultimatums.”

Athena falls silent, turning back to her phone. She knows me well enough to recognize when an argument is futile. She’s seen this play out before, with Aires’s first serious girlfriend, with the business partners who thought they could push too far, with every person who underestimated what it means to cross the Perseus family.

I lift my cup again, savoring the bitterness. The stock prices have wobbled today, but it’s just temporary.

Nothing that can’t be stabilized with the:13

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right calls, the right reassurances, the right spin. Aires is handling the online chaos, and he’s competent. The family

name will recover.

But Talia’s little stunt has consequences. She thinks she’s won something? Thinks

she’s free?

I set my cup down and reach for my planner. There are calls to make. Favors to call in. A narrative to shape.

She wants to play games? Fine.

Let her discover what happens when you challenge the matriarch of this family. Let her learn that the real war hasn’t even started.

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