Fake Mate Beta Rises to Alpha Heiress (Natalie and Landon) novel Chapter 246

Chapter 246 What a Masterful Performance!

Natalie’s POV:

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I waited quietly until Victoria finished taking pictures. Then I walked directly to Ivy, the little girl holding flowers in the center of the group. I said with a gentle smile, “You must be the child Leonardo saved.”

Ivy glanced at me shyly, nodded, then looked toward Victoria.

“And you are?” asked her mother, looking confused.

I looked up. My gaze swept calmly past Victoria before I said clearly, “I’m Leonardo’s bonded mate.”

Hearing this, her mother immediately looked at Victoria. Surprise showed on everyone’s faces.

Even Ivy blurted out, “But isn’t Leonardo with Victoria? How can you be his mate?”

“Shh.” Her mother, realizing the mistake, quickly hushed her and covered her mouth.

I stood up. My eyes lightly brushed over Victoria.

The smile on Victoria’s face stiffened for a second, then smoothed back into place. She made no move to explain but just smiled at me. “Natalie, I’m just working here. Please don’t misunderstand…”

“I’m not misunderstanding anything,” I cut her off calmly. My gaze moved past her to the villagers. “But I should clarify things for Ms. Thompson. You are merely Leon’s work partner. If unfounded rumors spread, I’d worry about the impact on your reputation.”

My voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly. The meaning was clear.

Victoria’s eyes flickered. A flush crept up her cheeks. She probably hadn’t expected me to be so rational and composed after seeing the rumors about her and Leonardo. In her view, a woman who didn’t get “jealous” over a man must not love him enough.

Too bad she didn’t understand. The trust and life-and-death trials between Leonardo and me went beyond needing to prove anything with petty rivalry.

“Sorry, Mrs. Sanchez.” Brody Duncan, the village leader, quickly apologized to me, looking embarrassed. “We didn’t have the full picture. Please don’t mind us.” He then glanced awkwardly at Victoria. “Ms. Thompson, you… Please don’t mind, either.”

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Chapter 246 What a Masterful Performance!

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Then Ivy’s innocent, straightforward voice piped up again, “But if you’re Leonardo’s mate, why has Victoria been the one staying by his side?”

“Because she’s been busy,” Victoria answered before I could, her voice still soft and friendly but with a hint of something deliberate. She paused, then added, “And she and Mr. Sanchez only recently completed the Moon Goddess’ vow. They haven’t even had time for a formal mate bonding ceremony yet.”

She uttered the words “only recently” gently, but the words sent a subtle stir through the air. What was she implying? That our bond was fragile? That it might only be in name?

Victoria turned back to me, her voice gentle. “Natalie, please don’t be upset. The villagers saw me at the hospital these past few days. With all those speculative reports online, they just jumped to conclusions. If you’re angry, be angry at me. It was my lack of foresight that caused this misunderstanding. They didn’t know any better.”

What a masterful performance! She was apologizing in every sentence, while implying in every sentence that the “real Luna” was absent in her Alpha’s time of need, highlighting her own “dedication” and “sacrifice.” I almost wanted to applaud.

The villagers, predictably, followed her lead. They rushed to defend Victoria. Their looks toward me held a hint of judgment, as if I were a cold mate unfairly criticizing a “kind-hearted soul.”

A man said, “Mrs. Sanchez, please don’t blame Ms. Thompson. We were just gossiping.”

A woman echoed, “That’s right, Mrs. Sanchez. Ms. Thompson works so hard. She’s truly a good person!”

Even Ivy looked at me a little fearfully, as if I were actually bullying Victoria.

After all, since the project started, Victoria had been the one publicly doing all the charity work. If such a good person got blamed because of them, it would be their fault.

I didn’t care about gossip. With Leonardo still unconscious, I couldn’t be bothered with

rumors.

But Victoria was putting on a show right in front of me. If I didn’t respond, it would seem like I was in the wrong.

A cold laugh formed in my heart, but my face remained calm. “It seems everyone appreciates Ms. Thompson’s work greatly,” I said, my voice clear and steady. “But from start to finish, I never said a word of blame.”

I smiled slightly, turning my gaze to Victoria. The smile didn’t reach my eyes. “Victoria, it’s not

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Chapter 246 What a Masterful Performance!

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that you lacked foresight. It’s that you overthought things. I know unrequited feelings are tough. So you cling to work as an excuse to stay near Leonardo. You cared for him without my knowledge. As his Luna, I’m still grateful for that.”

My words were sharp, cutting through Victoria’s carefully crafted act. The air around us seemed to freeze. The sympathy and defense on the villagers’ faces stiffened, slowly shifting to shock and curiosity. The implications were huge-who knew Victoria had been secretly crushing on Leonardo, and she was even trying to get between them?

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