I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 120

**TITLE: I Left Before He Learned My Worth**

**Chapter 120**

**ARIA**

The dawn following my harrowing brush with death began with an unexpected knock at my chamber door.

Sleep had eluded me entirely, my mind trapped in a relentless loop, replaying the horrifying events that had unfolded on that platform. The noose’s rough fibers against my throat, the suffocating certainty that my life was about to be extinguished. Then, the shocking twist as Ivory apprehended the spy—a moment of salvation that felt surreal. Yet, the bitter truth lingered: my mate had been ready to endorse my execution based solely on someone else’s accusation.

Each time I closed my eyes, the memories surged forth—the rope biting into my skin, the ominous creaking of the platform beneath me, and that dreadful moment of resignation when I thought I was facing the end of my life.

So when Celine knocked softly and entered with a breakfast tray, I was already awake, seated by the window, gazing at the sun rising over the territory I had nearly forgotten.

“Luna Aria,” Celine spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she placed the tray on the small table between us. “There are… there are people outside. Pack members. They’re asking to see you.”

“Why?” I croaked, my voice raspy from a night filled with silent tears.

“They’ve brought gifts,” she replied, her discomfort evident. “Apologies, they’re calling them. For doubting you. For believing you were guilty.”

A bitter laugh almost escaped me, the absurdity of it all threatening to break through my stoic facade. Pack members who had once been ready to watch me hang now sought to atone with trinkets and tokens. It felt almost too surreal to comprehend.

“Tell them I’m not receiving visitors,” I stated firmly, my resolve hardening.

“Luna, I really think you should—”

“I said no,” I interjected, my tone sharper than I had intended. “I don’t want their apologies. I don’t want their gifts. I just want to be left alone.”

Yet, solitude was a luxury I didn’t seem to possess. Throughout the morning, gifts continued to pour in, each one a reminder of how quickly the pack had been willing to condemn me. Celine entered repeatedly, her arms laden with offerings until our chambers resembled a bizarre bazaar.

There were flowers from the gardens—delicately arranged bouquets accompanied by notes of regret. Baked goods from the kitchens—Martha’s signature honey cakes, fresh bread, and pastries that must have taken hours to perfect. Handcrafted items—intricately carved wooden boxes, woven blankets, and small sculptures that displayed genuine craftsmanship and effort.

Each gift bore a note, each one echoing a similar sentiment: *We’re sorry we doubted you. We should have given you the benefit of the doubt. We hope you can forgive us.*

“But were we wrong?” a third voice chimed in, one I recognized as Thomas, the tracker who had been part of yesterday’s discussion regarding Kael’s trust in Ivory. “I mean, yes, we were wrong about this specific incident. Luna Aria didn’t try to kill Ivory. But were we wrong to doubt her in general?”

“What do you mean?” the woman asked, her tone curious.

“I mean that our doubts stemmed from something valid,” Thomas explained. “Luna Aria hasn’t done anything to earn our trust. She’s been here for weeks and hasn’t contributed anything meaningful to the pack. She’s brought chaos and complications but no real value. So when she was accused of attempted murder, it was easy to believe it. She hasn’t built a foundation for us to believe otherwise.”

“That’s harsh,” the younger man interjected.

“It’s pragmatic,” the woman countered. “And it’s the truth. The sooner Luna Aria stops holding grudges over what happened and focuses on actually building trust in this pack, the better off she’ll be.”

“Exactly,” Thomas agreed. “Look at Ivory. When she was accused of poisoning the water supply years ago, when suspicion fell upon her, the pack rallied to her defense. Why? Because she had already proven herself trustworthy in countless ways. She had earned that faith.”

“Luna Aria expects trust to be given just because she’s Luna,” the woman remarked. “But that’s not how it works. Rank doesn’t automatically grant credibility. She needs to earn it the same way everyone else does—through consistent action over time.”

“If she continues to expect special treatment simply due to her position, people are going to resent her even more,” the younger man added. “They’ll wish she was gone so we could have someone truly worthy of being Luna.”