The Heartbroken Luna's Choice Banish Love novel Chapter 18

18 /210

**Where Soft Light Shines, Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane**

**Trista’s POV**

**90**

**Finished**

I fixed my gaze on him, a quiet storm brewing in my chest as I challenged, “You assert this is for the stability of the pack. Yet here you are, as Alpha, betraying the very mating contract that binds us. Don’t you fear that this will ultimately weaken our pack? The Elder Council will catch wind of this sooner or later. Are you not concerned that the rumors will drag the Simmons Group through the mud?”

His eyes bore into mine, his voice emerging like a low rumble, a sound forced from deep within his chest. “If Ironthorn encounters any trouble, I will deal with it myself. Can you say the same?”

The tension in the air was palpable, stretched tight like a bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.

I fell into a heavy silence, the weight of his words settling over me like a shroud.

I hadn’t even officially terminated the contract yet, but the figures he laid out before me loomed large—one million dollars.

The thought of causing any fluctuation in the Simmons Group stock price sent a shiver of dread through me. The consequences would be unbearable.

With an unexpected gentleness, he reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. The gesture was both decisive and devoid of emotion, as if he were adjusting a piece of furniture rather than touching me. “If you choose not to attend the pack plaza, you can remain here in the villa. Wynn will bring you breakfast. You need to rest.”

I didn’t respond, and he didn’t press further.

As the door clicked shut behind him, the room fell into an oppressive silence, as if it had been sealed off from the world outside.

I lay on my back, completely still, listening to the sound of my own breath echoing within my ribcage.

Each time I lost control, every moment I broke down and exposed my vulnerabilities to him, it felt like tossing a pebble into an abyss. Not a single ripple would form on the surface.

There were no concessions won from him. No genuine apologies offered.

Suddenly, it dawned on me: In his world, my “emotions” held no weight whatsoever.

They mattered less than a border patrol route, less than a financial report, less than the delicate dance of alliance negotiations.

Disappointment sank deeper within me; despair surged from the depths of my being.

I felt as if I were being pressed underwater by an invisible force. My chest ached, a heavy stone lodged within, and I couldn’t find a way to break through to the surface.

**11:05 Sat, Dec 6**

**Chapter 18**

**90**

**Finished**

Around nine o’clock, Alaina and Wynn arrived, their arms laden with sandwiches and milk. They gently encouraged me to reconsider my decision, emphasizing the importance of a Luna forging strong ties with the members of the pack.

I refrained from mentioning how Cassian had laid out the Silverlight Pack’s debts, item by item, nor did I breathe a word about the ominous “one million.”

Alaina had always been a beacon of kindness and grace toward me since childhood. Yet, I knew she was Cassian’s mother, and the thought of the mating contract falling apart would surely weigh heavily on her heart.

Wynn loved me for my honesty, but if I revealed, “Cassian demanded one million dollars,” her fury would likely spill over, echoing through the city like a wolf’s howl. That was not the outcome I desired.

After finishing breakfast, I walked them to the door, the weight of my thoughts heavy on my shoulders.

At noon, I returned to the small Silverlight apartment, where the atmosphere felt thick with unspoken worries.

When I informed my parents that I was “temporarily holding off on terminating the contract at the Stone Circle,” their expressions shifted from concern to deeper anxiety.