From Betrayed Luna to Wolf Queen (Lillian) novel Chapter 197

Third–Person POV:

At Shallows Bay, Finn rose to find Victor already there. His expression cooled slightly.

“How long have you been here?”

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“Got in around three,” Victor replied. “The housekeeper set me up in one of the guest rooms.”

He’d arrived so late he didn’t want to disturb Finn, so he’d just crashed in a spare bedroom.

Breakfast was laid out on the table. The two alphas sat across from each other.

“Everything settled?” Finn asked.

Victor’s company had hit a rough patch the past week. He’d been out of town for days ar only managed to wrap things up quickly thanks to Finn’s pull.

“Yeah.” Victor nodded, digging into his eggs. “Sorted. Would’ve taken longer without your help.”

Finn didn’t press

further.

After a moment, Victor spoke again, tone deliberately casual. “So, Julian and Lillian severed the mate bond. You hear about that?”

He watched Finn closely as he said it, testing the waters.

Finn’s face remained unreadable. He glanced down, a faint gleam in his eyes that Victor missed.

“Julian couldn’t let go of Ethan’s pup, or his sense of duty toward Iris,” Finn said evenly. “The bond was bound to break sooner or later.

“What about you and Lillian, then?” Victor pressed, not beating around the bush.

Finn looked up. His gaze was deep, steady, giving nothing away.

“Is the breakfast not to your liking?” Finn asked.

“What? No, it’s fine.”

“Then eat.”

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10:51 Thu, Apr 9

Chapter 197 A Calculated Scheme

If it was fine, then stop talking.

Victor missed the subtext and kept eating.

0:0

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It wasn’t until he’d finished that he circled back. “About Iris losing one of the pups… the whole thing doesn’t sit right with me.”

“How so?” Finn’s tone was calm, too calm–like he already had all the pieces and knew exactly how they fit.

“Feels like she set Lillian up. Deliberately.”

Finn stayed silent, so Victor continued.

“Think about it. The pup was healthy. Why not use the sick one to frame Lillian? Because the sick one was under too much watch–Julian’s guards have been all over it lately. No way she could’ve taken that one out without raising flags.”

Finn took a sip of coffee. “Then why use the healthy one?”

“Means it wasn’t really healthy to begin with.”

At that, Finn’s eyes lifted and locked onto Victor’s across the table.

Victor leaned forward, voice dropping. “If the pup had been perfectly healthy, she wouldn’t have killed it just to pin it on Lillian, right?”

Killed.

Victor didn’t mince words. It showed just how low he believed Iris would sink.

And why wouldn’t he think that? For the past six months, she’d used every excuse to keep Julian tied to her.

First it was her health, then the pups in her belly, then the pups and her emotional state- always something.

In Victor’s view, those unborn pups had never been more than pawns to her.

Seeing Finn’s intense, silent stare, Victor pressed on.

“That pup must’ve had something wrong with it from the start. She saw a chance and took it- to get rid of Lillian for good.

“She wants Lillian locked up. That way, there’s no chance she and Julian ever reconnect.”

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10:51 Thu, Apr 9

Chapter 197 A Calculated Scheme

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The more he spoke, the more convinced he sounded. Iris wasn’t just desperate–she was ruthless. Even with the bond broken, she wasn’t letting go.

Finn finally spoke, “What do you think she does next?”

“Uses the pup’s death to put Lillian behind bars.”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of Finn’s mouth.

If that was Iris‘ plan, she was in for disappointment. Her little scheme would only end up trapping herself.

“Finn,” Victor said, seriousness edging his tone. “I don’t approve of whatever’s going on between you and Lillian… but you have to help her.”

Julian wasn’t thinking straight right now. And on Victor’s end, his own Alpha father kept him on a tight leash, unwilling to cross the Graves Pack directly. All his hopes for helping Lillian rested on Finn.

“She doesn’t need my help,” Finn replied, cool and assured.

Victor’s lips twisted wryly. “Right… she doesn’t. Not now, anyway.”

He thought of Lillian’s true background and wondered if Julian would regret everything once he found out.

Mulling over the rumors he’d caught wind of lately, Victor decided to probe once more.

“Is it true Lillian’s really from the Langley Pack?”

He left the question hanging.

Finn studied him, gaze sharp. “You know that much?”

As far as Finn was concerned, the details of Edmund’s connection to Lillian had been kept tightly under wraps.

Victor let out a short breath. “You think the Langley Pack would normally care about those Nirvana Project contracts?”

Finn didn’t respond.

“And those developments over in Bagon City,” Victor added. “Big as they are, they’re still small fry to a pack like the Langleys. Right?

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10:51 Thu, Apr 9

Chapter 197 A Calculated Scheme

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“Unless, of course, it’s because of you—some kind of partnership with Langley Group?” Victor paused, then shook his head. “Doesn’t add up.”

When he’d first heard whispers about Lillian’s ties to the Langley Pack, Victor could hardly believe it.

But seeing how Langley Group had been moving against Graves Group lately… he believed it

now.

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