Lethal Temptation (by Michelle Ray) novel Chapter 205

205 A Mother’s Lie, A Son’s Truth

Mara

The truth had landed like a hammer blow. None of us had seen it coming. Vander took it the hardest-his whole world crumbled in an instant. Twenty-three years married to someone who wasn’t truly his. Twenty-three years of believing in a bond that was never real. We had to sedate him and admit him to the hospital. There was no protocol for something like this. No precedent. Just raw disbelief.

Lucian turned to Lacy, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

“How old are you, Lacy?”

She hesitated, then met his gaze.

“Twenty-four,” she said quietly.

I nearly lost it. The truth finally laid bare-I knew it all along. My heart leapt in my chest, but I held back.

J

One look around the room told me celebration would be cruel. The weight of revelation pressed down on

everyone.

“Tiffany, I think you should head home to Emma,” I said gently. Her baby would be hungry by now. Darian gave a solemn nod. He didn’t have the strength to speak, but Tiffany understood. She didn’t want to leave -not now-but she kissed Darian’s cheek and slipped out.

Darian looked shattered. Lucian just looked lost.

“Why didn’t she tell me?” Darian asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. “Why didn’t she come clean?”

Lacy turned toward him, her expression filled with an ache that was hard to watch.

“She wanted to protect you, Darian,” she said. “She didn’t want you to grow up feeling like less. Like a

mistake.”

And I understood. Martha hadn’t just kept a secret-she’d given Darian a foundation strong enough to

stand on.

If he had grown up knowing he was born of a non-existent bond, that his existence carried shame, he might never have had the confidence to lead. To rise. To stand beside Lucian, not beneath him. It was a dangerous lie, but it was a calculated sacrifice-a mother’s decision to shield her son from the crushing

weight of truth.

The door opened, breaking the heavy silence. The doctor entered at last, his face grave. He didn’t look at

Lucian. He looked at me. I was Luna now, and this was a matter for Goldenpeakstic leadership. Lucian

should have been at HQ, handling security. Instead, we were here, drowning in family wounds.

“Luna Mara,” the doctor said. “Mrs. Nighthorn ingested a substantial amount of edible silver.”

My lungs stopped working for a moment.

13

205 A Mother’s Lie A Son’s Truth

No one in the room liked Martha-but none of us wanted her dead. We’d already started noticing the

absence of her sharp voice at breakfast. The stillness without her was eerie. Lonely. Now, with everything out in the open, it was clear: she’d done what she thought was right.

“She should have died instantly,” the doctor continued. “But it wasn’t pure silver. Still… the damage is extensive. Her prognosis is poor.”

He let out a long sigh. And so did we. There were no easy answers left. Just broken hearts and the wreckage of choices made long ago.

Darian sank into the hallway chair like the weight of everything had finally crushed him. His shoulders were stiff, fists clenched in his lap. He wasn’t just bracing for bad news-he was already living it. We all

were.

The doctor stood before us, his expression composed but tired.

“We’ve done all we can,” he said gently. “With some luck, her healing ability will activate. If it does, she might pull through.”

I nodded, but the words barely landed. My mind was a mess of questions and silence. The doctor looked at me, waiting-expecting me to say something wise, something leader-like. But I had nothing. I wished being Luna came with training wheels, or at least a manual. Instead, everyone just assumed you’d know what to do the second the title landed on your shoulders.

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