Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Scarlett’s POV

“I did nothing wrong,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper, as tears streamed down my face. The words felt hollow, useless in the face of their judgment. Elder Timothy, the elder in the center, gave me a small, twisted smile that only deepened my despair.

“We have damning evidence that you planned this,” he said, his tone almost mocking “The kitchen staff you conspired with has confessed. Do you still wish to plead innocence? If you admit to your crime now, you’ll be allowed to remain with your mates, though stripped of your Luna title. If you maintain your innocence and are found guilty, you will be separated from them permanently and required to pay reparations for the insult to your bond. A seer will sever the mate connection, so they will feel no pain when they choose to move on. Only you will bear the heartache, so choose wisely.” His words were calculated, laced with a threat he knew would cut deep.

A strange laugh bubbled out of me, caught somewhere between despair and defiance. I shook my head, my tears falling freely. “I was a fool to think this would be fair. I was stupid to think I had a chance.” I looked up, meeting the elder’s gaze with a fold resolve. “No one here wanted a Vladislav as Luna. No one ever accepted me. This was planned from the beginning. Frame me, strip me of my title, and even if I stayed, my children would be condemned as bastards. This isn’t justice.”

Timothy’s smile faded, replaced by a hard glare, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. “Condemn me already,” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “I won’t confess to something I didn’t do. Go ahead and finish the job. I’m already bound and stripped of my mates. Get it over with.”

The elders exchanged glances, a flicker of anger flashing in their eyes at my defiance. “Keep your distance, Alpha Clay,” Timothy commanded, not even sparing a glance at him. I turned, catching sight of Clay’s furious expression. Lucian and Maxwell were rigid with anger, and I could feel the burning loyalty in their gazes, but none of it mattered here.

The truth was painfully clear. I’d been set up to fail from the start. The people didn’t want a mate who brought no magic, who carried no wolf inside her,

who came from a line they despised. A Vladislav Luna was an insult to them, a legacy they’d never accept. I could feel my heart breaking with each passing

second, but with it came a strange, bitter clarity. This trial wasn’t about justice/it was a spectacle, a way to rid the North of me for good.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Whatever happened here, I knew one thing: I wouldn’t stay in the North after this. Even if my mates wanted to keep me, even if I somehow escaped this condemnation, I would never live under the shadow of their disdain again. I would leave, if only to reclaim a small piece

of my own dignity.

“Don’t break the rules for me, Alpha,” I said softly, barely able to look Clay in the eye. “No matter what happens, please… take care of my people in the South. I am of no use to you, and you know it. Please, don’t sacrifice everything on my behalf.” His gaze was filled with anguish, and I saw his eyes, grow misty. I wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him, but I couldn’t move, bound by the chains that had become a prison for both my body and spirit.

A strained silence fell over the hall before Lucian’s voice broke it, trembling with a mixture of desperation and doubt. “Did your did you drug the wine?” His words hit me harder than any accusation the elders could have thrown. He was pleading, grasping for the truth, his eyes fixed on mine with a vulnerability I’d never seen before.

“Answer me, Scarlett, please,” he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. “Didn’t you have enough here? Were you planning on leaving? Going to the West, enticed by the stories Gregory told you?” There was so much hurt in his eyes, and I saw the faintest trace of doubt.

I shook my head, my own heart breaking. “No, Lucian. I didn’t do it. I am innocent. I would never betray my mates.” I said the words with every ounce of strength left in me, hoping he could see the truth in my eyes. For a moment, I thought he did. His gaze softened, the trace of belief flickering there, but the elders were unmoved. They didn’t care for the truth in my eyes.

10:08 am Pppp

Scarlett